Apple has announced the follow up to its only wearable. Called the Apple Watch Series 2, it features new internals while still looking like its predecessor. Of course, the biggest change Apple is pushing is the improved water-resistance capabilities.
On the inside, the Apple Watch Series 2 features a new dual-core processor that the company claims is 50-percent faster than the previous model. Accompanying this is a new GPU that provides twice the graphical power of its predecessor. The reason for this becomes clear with the new display that outputs 1000 nits of brightness; making it easily brighter than anything else Apple has ever put out.
Also new to the Apple Watch is a new internal GPS, allowing the wearable to track its own movement. All part of Apple’s push for the Apple Watch to be the ultimate fitness device. That being said, nothing was said about the power consumption of the Series 2; which may be of some concern with all these hardware upgrades.
Part of this fitness push includes new capabilities to track swimmers and their activities. The Apple Watch Series 2 is now water resistant to depths of 50m; a feature that Apple is calling swim proof. A pair of new workout settings have also been added to the list, which are for pool and open water swimming.
Apple has also added the option for a new ceramic casing for the Apple Watch Series 2. It’s only available in white, and Apple is making it sound like the material has never been used on watches before.
A second option for the Apple Watch Series 2 comes from a partnership with Nike. The Apple Watch Nike+ looks to be a regular Series 2, but with Nike’s own custom finishing. This is pretty much a separate band and new colour scheme.
The Apple Watch Series 2 will be sold for $369 (about RM1500) from 16 September. The Apple Watch Nike Plus will be sold for the same price, but is only arriving in late October. Interestingly, the original Apple Watch is being upgraded with the new processor and is renamed the Apple Watch Series 1. This upgrade will be sold for $269 (about RM1100) at the same time as the Series 2.
