The Next Apple Watch May Include Cellular Connectivity

Apple may provide that quantum leap of capabilities & customer-acceptance that has been missing so far.

Wearables, for now, is an expanding market. For now.

It’s bound to hit the “explosive market” tag in the next 12–24 months. Yet its a market that is basically complimentary to that of the smartphones and the tablets. Playing second fiddle to primary devices isn’t what’s going to make this a long-term market. And accessory makers realise that. They also realise that being dependant on primary devices limits their own markets.

We wrote a brilliant article on why folks should seriously consider Wearables, given the changing lifestyles. You should read it!

Back to the story about independence.

Remember how the original Moto 360 smartwatch launched as being only compatible with Android phones (actually, while Motorola would never accept it, but the 360 was most attuned to Motorola’s own phones at the time, and supported other Android devices by extension, not by rule). But it never really took off, until it opened its (metaphoric) arms to the world of iPhones, via the Moto 360 2nd Generation watches. The point is, to be successful, any wearable has to be universally compatible and be able to stand for itself — be (as close to) completely independent as it can be.

And of the Wearables diaspora, the one product line that has the maximum ability to be independently effective is the smartwatch.

The smartwatch market has been expanding at a fast pace. Smartwatches have become the thing to have today. They look sexy, can be connected to your phone and provide you tons of information, are empowered by multiple sensors that help garner all kinds of data, and ease out your dependence on your phone. Yet, most of them still need to be connected to the phone.

Breaking the leash, may provide that quantum leap of capabilities, utility, and hence customer-acceptance that has been missing so far.

Apple, the poster boy of the smart devices market for more than a decade now, is seemingly planning to redesign its smartwatch to make it far more useful, and self-contained. The redesign seems include shoehorning a cellular connection into the diminutive wearable.

A report by The Wall Street Journal stated that the world’s most successful smartwatch is getting cellular connectivity and a faster processor in it’s iteration. The redesign can be expected to hit wrists in the next year (it is rumoured that a mid-term upgrade to the existing design will be issued this year, but the big jump will happen in the subsequent release).

Despite being the most successful smartwatch ever, the Apple Watch hasn’t been doing too well on the market, all things considered. Apparently the “best” smartwatch in the market sold only about 12 million pieces in 2015. While this is double the sales of the first iPhone back in 2007, but it’s like a lone bud in a bouquet of roses (in comparison to the near-200 million iPhones sold in 2015).

There are apparently many reasons behind the Apple Watch’s “sub-par” performance, however the appallingly slow performance of the device’s internal hardware is one of them foremost reasons. Additionally, some critics say that the features are not at all original, nor really consequential enough for everyday users to spend the oodles of money it takes to get the snazzy timepiece.

Overall, they don’t seem appealing to the general tech critic, or so it seems. Consider this: even I haven’t felt the urge to get one yet ;-).

The issue’s not just with the Apple Watch’s internals. The entire concept of a smartwatch altogether, seems really redundant to a lot of people. Their view is that if you’re going to check your messages, your notifications and calls on your wrist, how much more difficult is it to take the phone out of the pocket? Their argument for the redundancy lies in mere seconds that the smartwatches save. So barring the heart rate sensor (and may be a few more minor things), a smartwatch really does nothing that a decent smartphone can’t, especially if paired with a much more economically priced fitness band.

Update: We subsequently wrote more about this smartwatch conundrum — read that interesting article here

The argument, I must say, does have merit.

But, adding a cellular connection to the smartwatch would make it an independent entity. One that would allow you to download apps directly, get your incoming traffic instantly, and most importantly free you of the digital leash of carrying your smartphone everywhere you go.

This untethering is probably what the smartwatch needs the most, and that liberation might make the device more appealing for a lot more people. Being able to replace the phone with a screen on the wrist may also add ‘convenience’ in sufficient quantity to attract real-world folks, not just geeks and first-movers.

A smartwatch with cellular connectivity is not the newest thing, though. Brands like Samsung and LG have both offered them for a while now. These include 3G and 4G connections that make it possible for people to leave their smartphones behind while being on the go or exercising.

It may not resolve all the roadblocks, but cellular connectivity will definitely change how the device works and significantly improve the experience.

Time will tell — obviously, the pun is intended!!

Originally published at Chip-Monks.