Is The Upcoming Apple Watch A Brand New Device Or Just An Upgrade?

The latest filings from Apple suggest that there will be a new wearable handset coming out this September but they don’t tell whether it is a new Series 5 smartwatch or an old piece with an upgrade. In the Apple Core roundup holding last week, we break down all rumors about the new Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 5 or 4.5?

Finally, there is concrete evidence confirming the rollout of one or maybe two Apple Watches this September.

The first clue is: MacRumors reported that the Cupertino-based company registered 4 new smartwatch models that run watchOS 6 with the EEC, which is required if it wants to sell the products in this region. In the filing, Apple also listed several products such as MacBooks along with the latest iPhones that we are expecting in this launch, running iOS 13. The MacBook Pro 16-inch version is also what we are looking toward in the coming event. However, Apple didn't just register brand new products with the EEC, it also included the iPod Touch released earlier this year. So the registered watches may also be upgrades of an existing model.

The second important evidence comes straight from the watchOS code. According to Brazilian iHelpBR site, in the new watchOS 6 code, there are references of a ceramic and titanium Apple Watch Edition. It is a possibility that these are 4 handsets listed in Apple’s filing to EEC, including 2 sizes for the titanium version and 2 sizes for the ceramic model.

Before this filing, Apple used to launch ceramic smartwatches too, the Series 2 and 3 to be exact. The titanium edition, though, would have its debut. However, we still can’t be sure if the new case materials would be an upgrade for the present 4 Series gadget or for a totally new Apple Watch.

Apple analyst Ming Chi Quo was the only one to share about the Series 5 last week. As stated in his new report, in the second half of this year, the Series 5 Apple Watch will get OLED screens from Japan Displays.

Apart from the materials, little is known about this year's Apple Watch's features. In 2018, some features including Irregular Heart Rhythm notifications and FDA cleared heart health features with in-built ECG arrived on the Series 4. People are looking to blood pressure monitoring function and glucose monitoring feature on the new device. If these features do appear in the next Apple Watch, the tech giant must have submitted their study results to get reviewed, just like what it did last year with the Apple Heart Study.

Some of Apple’s rivals like Samsung and Fitbit have already had sleep tracking on their smartwatches for some years now whereas Apple Watch hasn’t, not natively at least. The company is showing some interest in this feature. In 2017, a sleep sensor called Beddit was acquired. And since sleep tracking may not ask for the same clearance, it could still come.

To introduce such a feature to the market, the device's battery life needs improvement. The company can do it by boosting the power with a larger battery, a more productive processor, or a less power consuming screen. It is said that Apple is likely to utilize eventually the microLED technology instead of the current OLED in its wearable device. It has numerous advantages, including better energy efficient, brighter, and slimmer screen, helping to deal with a battery problem. However, it won't happen until at least next year.

In addition, on the watch, there may be a camera. Recently, the company filed a patent in which the Apple Watch has a camera on its band either for FaceTime or FaceID. However, it can’t assure a product, at least not anytime soon.

In conclusion, it is either a Series 5 that has improvements in the processor, battery, hardware, and possibly a sleep tracking ability or a Series 4 with ceramic and titanium armor.