There’s a new Apple Watch in town. It still looks the same but hey, it’s got a new fancy name – Apple Watch Series 2. Inside, everything’s different. There’s GPS, there’s new amazing apps, and much, much faster internals. Here are the best new features in Apple Watch Series 2.
1. Swim Proof
Apple Watch was splash proof. That meant you could wear it in the shower and it would be fine. Apple Watch Series 2 is swim proof. That means it’s water resistant for up to 50 meters of depth.
For swimmers, that means they’ll finally be able to swim with their Apple Watches and not worry about damaging them.
2. 50% Faster CPU
One of the biggest updates to the Apple Watch is the new Dual Core CPU inside the S2 System in a Package chip. And it’s 50% faster than the one in Apple Watch. With watchOS 3, app launchers are already much faster. With the new chip, they’ll be even more so.
3. 2X Faster GPU
The new GPU is two times faster than the one in the Apple Watch. This means you’ll be able to play actual games in the new Watch.
4. 60 FPS For Apps
This is a milestone for the Watch. Apps that are created using watchOS 3, will run at 60 frames per second on the Watch Series 2. 60 FPS means smooth. And not just smooth, but butter smooth. This means animations and interactions in the new Watch won’t feel iffy at all.
5. Built in GPS
A big one for the runners. You can now leave your iPhone behind. Just open the Workout app, start a run and Apple Watch will start tracking your location using GPS.
It’s as simple as that. The workout screen will also show updated data from the GPS for the distance covered.
Once you end the run and go to the Activity app on your iPhone, you’ll now see a map of your run, color coded with the faster and the slower parts.
6. 2X Brighter Display
Apple Watch can be a bit hard to see under harsh sunlight. The Watch Series 2 will be much easier on the eyes. The display is now twice as bright, at 1000 nits. To quote Jeff Williams, “That’s a lot of nits”.
7. New Ceramic Body
Along with Aluminium and Stainless Steel, the Apple Watch Series 2 comes in a new finish – Ceramic. It’s white, it’s shiny and it’s posh looking. Also, it’s supposed to be 4 times stronger than the stainless steel model.
And this new Apple Watch with Ceramic Body will only set you back $1299. This is the new Apple Watch Edition. Gold is no more. RIP Apple Watch Gold.
8. New Swim Features
Watch Series 2 will also come with two new workout types in the Workout app – Open Water and Full Swim. Apple has done a butt load of research on how to best track swims. And they’ve developed a new algorithm that will customize itself to the user over time. This means you’ll be able to track things like laps, average lap times, stroke and accurate calorie burn for all your swims.
9. New Hermes Bands
It wouldn’t be an Apple Watch announcement without new bands. So there are two new bands from the luxury watch brand Hermes. Plus new colors for older bands as well.
10. Apple Watch Nike+
This was the surprise. There’s an entire new version of Apple Watch called the Apple Watch Nike+. It’s got the Aluminium case and new stretchy, perforated bands that come in 4 colors. Plus it has its own stylized watch face.
This watch is aimed towards runners. Users get daily, personalized motivation for running and it takes only 1 tap to start logging a run. It also supports the social features of the Nike Run Club app.
Cost
Apple Watch Series 2 now starts at $369 for the 38 MM version and best of all, the 42 MM version is only $399.
Series 1
Apple Watch was rebranded as Apple Watch Series 1. It’s mostly the same, except it gets the new 50% faster Dual Core processor like the Series 2. It still doesn’t have GPS. And it starts 100 dollars lower, $269. Series 1 then is going to be a great everyday user’s smartwatch, someone who isn’t really interested in the GPS and running features.
New Software Features in watchOS 3
The Apple Watch Series 2 will ship with watchOS 3. And the update has tons of awesome features. The apps are 7 times as much faster to launch. You can switch between faces using an edge to edge swipe. There’s a Dock that stores all your favorite apps.
There’s a new Breathe app that helps you practice mindfulness and you can share your Activity rings with your friends and compete with them.
Lots More To Come
We’ve only just wrapped the event. The Watch Series 2 isn’t shipping till September 13. Once it’s shipped, will bring you all the juicy details about real world performance.
