Apple didn’t release a new Apple Watch at WWDC, but there is a possibility that they’re going to reveal one this fall. This is the more kind of typical route for Apple, rather than releasing hardware during WWDC. That said, I think it’s in Apple’s best interest to not release any new hardware right now. Focus on making improvements to existing hardware, otherwise, they’re going to find themselves in another HomePod situation. And honestly, that’s not good news for Apple. I mean, they announced the HomePod during WWDC last year, but it wasn’t available to US customers until December or January.
That said, I think a new Apple Watch would be great. I personally love my Apple Watch so having another option would certainly be something I could get into. But what could they do to make the Apple Watch better? They could remove the physical buttons in favor of solid-state buttons. Would this be beneficial though? Is this something that people would actually appreciate? It’s being reported that Apple would replace the physical Side button and Digital Crown in favor of touch-sensitive solid state buttons. For me, I think this might actually be a good move. I often turn on various things because my wrist will hit the Digital Crown. This happens during activities – like boxing. But also when I’m sleeping. I don’t know how many times I’ve started a workout at 3 am.
That said, the solid-state button isn’t going to guarantee that this won’t happen to me. It’s being reported that the Digital Crown would still physically be there so you can scroll through content, but to press the button itself would now be simulated through Apples Taptic Engine. Meaning, it would be a little bit harder to enable such activities in my sleep, as I’ve mentioned. This change won’t come as a surprise to anyone considering that Apple moved to a solid-state Home button on the iPhone 7 and all of Apple’s Mac trackpads are now solid state.
Getting back to Apple having this available for the fall. That’s the rumor, but is that actually going to happen? If you recall, we heard these same promises regarding the HomePod, and like I said, it was another 4 or more months before it was available for consumers in the United States. I think Apple has to be careful about the things they’re saying. Even if they’re just estimating that they’ll have it available in the fall, I think they should back off on saying when it will be available until they know for sure. This type of improvement would certainly make an incredible product. But, it’s going to hurt their credibility if they can’t come through with it in the fall.
That said, by removing the physical buttons it will make the Watch better overall. The physical gap between the Digital Crown and the Watch will be removed. Not only that, but the solid-state buttons will also allow for more internal space for things like a larger battery. And imagine what Apple can do with that kind of capability? Apple will reportedly use the touch-sensitive data to gather more data related to your heart. I think that this will also continue to put Apple at the head of the pack in regards to a wearable that’s truly designed to help you with your health.
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