Apple sold
eight million Apple Watches in the last quarter of 2017. It's that time of year again. No, it's not Pumpkin Spice time. It's almost time for the release of the new Apple Watch 4. We loved the Apple Watch 3 and all the
cool features it has, and now we're close to the new release. Want to know what to expect for the Apple Watch 4? Read on to get the details.
Release Date
The Apple Watch 4 will most likely be released in September 2018. We can make this prediction based on the past Apple Watch releases. The Apple Watch 3 was announced on September 12, 2017 and released September 22. Apple released the Apple Watch 2 and Apple Watch 1 on September 16, 2016. The first generation Apple Watch, however, was released on April 24, 2015, so you never know what surprises can be thrown our way.
Design and Specs
Predictions say that the new Apple Watch 4 will have a new design this time around since the past three generations have had the same design. The only major design difference so far has been the addition of a red dot on the Apple Watch 3 digital crown. The dot signals LTE connectivity.
Bigger Display
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the Apple Watch 4 will have a 15% bigger display. Currently, the Apple Watch screens are either 38mm or 42mm in size. However, just because the screen might be larger doesn't mean that the overall watch will be bigger. The new design could have thinner bezels, which would make the screen size wider. Kuo also predicted more battery capacity. Another prediction is an upgrade in health features such as new health sensors. Kuo has a proven track record of making accurate Apple predictions in the past. He believes the older models will become less expensive and overall Apple Watch sales will increase. Eventually, he predicts that Apple will sell up to 50 million watches a year.
New Buttons
According to Fast Company, the Apple Watch 4 will have solid state buttons. These new buttons will use the haptic effect, similar to the iPhone 7's home button. Instead of pressing down on the button, the button reacts to your finger's touch. The digital crown, however, will still rotate physically. Solid state buttons will make the new watch more water-proof since there won't be an opening for the button. The new buttons also make the overall watch design sleeker, and it will demand less space on the watch, which could mean a bigger battery.
Features
Unlock with Face ID
Tired of entering your passcode everytime you want to unlock your Apple Watch? A
patent from Apple in March 2018 showed that Apple may be adding a camera on the Watch face. This could suggest that you can unlock your Apple Watch 4 with facial recognition, just like the iPhone X.
New Fitness Features
Bloomberg reported back in December 2017 that Apple may be developing advanced heart-tracking features. Apple Watch currently has a heart rate monitor. but the company has been testing an EKG heart monitor on the watch. An EKG, or an electrocardiogram, can look for heart abnormalities such as an irregular heart rhythm. An EKG would be able to alert users to potential heart problems. The Apple Watch was originally marketed as a fashion watch, but lately, Apple has been pushing to advance its health and fitness features.
Sleep Tracking
Apple acquired the sleep tracking app Beddit in 2017, which could suggest new sleep tracking features in the Apple Watch 4. The company updated their
privacy policy page in May 2017 and announced the acquisition. Currently, you can't track your sleep on the Apple Watch 3 unless you download a third party app.
Smart Bands
Are you happy with your current
designer band on your Apple watch? Rumors have been spreading that Apple will unveil smart bands. A patent was issued to Apple in June 2018 for a blood pressure measuring system.
According to Fast Company, this could be a new Apple Watch band design that measures blood pressure.
Software
The Apple Watch 4 will use the
new WatchOS 5 software. The software will also most likely be released in September when the Apple Watch 4 is unveiled. The new software will feature a variety of upgrades.
Walkie-Talkie
Now to the most talked about feature. This new feature will let you quickly send messages to other Apple Watch users.
New Fitness Features
You will be able to participate in 7-day competitions with other watch users. The app will also send notifications and alerts to push you to win the competition. There is also a new automatic workout detection feature. Your watch will be able to detect when you start certain popular workouts. The new feature will also know when you have finished the workout.
Upgrades to Watch Faces
There will be changes to the watch faces and will include more details such as sports information and maps.
Smarter Notifications
Notifications will be more interactive. For example, you would be able to pay for a ride or check into your flight through from the notification.
Podcasts App
The Apple Watch will have a podcasts app! You can now listen to all your favorite podcasts on your watch.
Battery Life
As Kuo predicted a larger battery capacity, this means an improved battery life. This is important if the Apple Watch 4 is going to include sleep tracking.
Bands
The bands are fully compatible with the older versions. It's as easy as
swapping the band over on your Apple watch. The 38mm bands fit onto the new 40mm Apple watch, while the 42mm bands fit onto the newer 44mm Apple watch.
Price
How much will the Apple Watch 4 set you back? We think it will be about the same price as the current Apple Watch 3, which starts at $329.
Other Predictions for Apple Watch 4
There are also rumors that suggest the Apple Watch 4 will have a round display like other smartwatches. However, we think Apple will stick to the current, unique square design for the fourth generation.
Ready for the New Apple Watch?
We can't wait for the big reveal and to see what Apple will unveil. Ready to
accessorize your future Apple Watch 4 or need a new band for your current Apple Watch? Check out our Apple Watch bands.
