4 Features We Want to See From the Apple Watch 2
I’ve had an iPhone since they first launched back in 2008. When the original first came out, it had a ton of potential but very little had been realised at that point. Heck, it didn’t even have the App Store! So excuse me while I mutter about how the Apple Watch will be great one day, but probably not until its second hardware revision has been released. Following that logic, here are a few ideas of exactly what we’d love to see the second time around.
Built-in GPS
Strangely, the Apple Watch doesn’t currently have built-in GPS capabilities. Instead, it relies on linking up with your iPhone to track distances rather than working as a standalone device. That’s all well and good, but it’d be so much more convenient if you could go out on your daily jog with just the one device, right? This seems like a total no-brainer for the Apple Watch 2, although I can’t help but wonder if its omission this time around is down to number 3 on our list (battery life).
Better call integration
Currently, you can hand off incoming calls to your iPhone via the Apple Watch but you can’t wear headphones connected to the phone then use the watch to dial, thereby saving you from having too many devices out in the open. It’s a relatively small yet important feature and maybe even something that could be implemented via a software update. It also sounds ideal for emerging during a hardware refresh, too.
Better Battery Life
Yeah, the Apple Watch doesn’t last a full 24 hours without requiring charging. It sounds a little crazy and that’s probably because it is, just a bit. We can only imagine how much worse the battery life would have been if the Apple Watch had GPS capabilities, so we’re guessing these two problems are going to be tackled in the future. Anyone with an original iPhone can attest that the battery life wasn’t great back then either, but it has improved.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
It’s a potentially expensive addition, both in terms of parts and battery life, but a built-in blood pressure monitor would truly propel the Apple Watch into the realm of ideal devices for fitness fans. You’d have this, GPS, a pedometer, and a way of paying for small purchases (via Apple Pay), saving you from needing any other device while running. While it seems unlikely to appear in a budget Apple Watch it seems plausible in a more mid-range deal, much like how the iPhone 5s offers more than the 5c does.
Those are a few of our ideas of what we want to see in the Apple Watch 2. What improvements do you want? If you’re holding out, what would make the difference this time around?