When Apple releases a new product for itself, it turns out to be incredibly successful and creates a trend. But it also has a number of shortcomings, which is natural for a revolutionary device. In the second coming, the Cupertinos correct the mistakes and create an evolution in the revolution. This is what happened with the Apple Watch.
Traditionally, in September of each year, Apple introduced the new iPhone to the public. But due to the similarity of the device with last year’s models, the eyes of many were riveted not to a smartphone, but to the second generation of smart watches – Watch Series 2. The first was very successful, but raised questions, the main of which was the speed of the device. It seems that the Cupertino people have drawn conclusions.
The first reviews of the Apple Watch 2 show that the device has become much more nimble than its predecessor, and while the application is loading, the author will not have time to write this article.
Gemini or find 10 differences
First, the obvious – the design, which has hardly changed. The device has only “lost" a little, losing 0.9mm, which is hardly noticeable, but the thought of it is still pleasant. If you look closely, you can also notice that there are now two microphones, while in last year’s version there was only one.
Also, in addition to aluminum and steel cases, it became possible to purchase ceramic watches in white. Although ceramic is also vulnerable to scratches and abrasions, it still offers them more resistance than alternatives. This material has been used in Swiss watches since the 60s.
By the way, the release of the first smart "apple" watches contributed to a drop in the level of sales of the latter by 5%. The ceramic case is slightly lighter, has high heat resistance, and, as some experts note, signal transmission is slightly better, although this may not be noticeable in everyday use. But the price mark of such a design solution will be higher – from 1249 US dollars per box. But it’s still far less than $18,000, which is exactly what last year’s yellow gold flagship cost.
Functionality and features
Turning to the technical features, the first thing that deserves attention is moisture protection, really full-fledged moisture protection without any “buts”. Watch Series 2 is water resistant up to 50 meters.
And the new speaker technology allows it to “spit out” water, literally. But in fairness, it should be noted that the moisture protection on the Apple Watch Series 1, as they are now called, was also implemented very worthily and, according to rumors, the watch coped well with the pressure of water from the tap. But the protective function of the Apple Watch Series 2 is definitely beyond praise, you can safely go to the pool with them and even accidentally drop them into the water without harm and consequences, which makes their use much more comfortable and free.
Predictably, the volume of the battery has increased by almost a third, which should be enough for a day of active use. A significant increase in operating time is not observed, because a full-fledged GPS module was “delivered” to the watch.
Also, the OLED screen of the device has become twice as bright. Engineers also note the architecture of the gadget, built on a radically different principle than the Watch Series 1. The new watch is much easier to repair, although some components are still fixed with glue.
Technical aspect and interaction
Good news for those who have a few hours. Starting with IOS 9.3, you can pair them with one iPhone. As for the new operating system, Watch OS 3 is so well optimized that it literally revived the first model. The differences between the Apple Watch in terms of speed are immediately noticeable.
The new dual-core S2 chip is 50% faster than the S1 processor found in first-generation smartwatches. But on Watch OS 3, the final version of which became available on September 16, the S1 processor worked much faster than before, which had a noticeable effect even on the animation in the menu.
Moreover, for those who have not yet decided whether to buy a smart watch or not, the company has prepared an interesting offer. Cupertino left the first generation of watches on sale and put a new dual-core processor into it. It’s not S2, but still a noticeable performance boost.
Working with applications. New chapter
The watch, introduced on September 7, 2016, sees a threefold boost in graphics performance, which will allow you to launch applications faster and interact with them in general much better. Utilities are downloaded through the standard Watch application installed on the smartphone. Therefore, you first need to create a pair between the phone and the watch. To do this, after downloading the clock and the selected language settings, you need to launch this application on the iPhone and select the appropriate menu item. Through it, you can then go to the AppStore, where all applications supported by Watch OS will be available for download. After that, point the camera at the clock screen.
During setup, your smartphone will prompt you to set a four-digit passcode on your watch, as well as install all the Apple Watch apps that are on your iPhone and are available for your watch. They have 8 GB of memory, you can download music, but it can take up no more than 2 GB. Skype is well optimized, it is very convenient to use Shazam. You can even play games on the watch, although there are not very many of them, which is not surprising. The updated version of the watch is activated much faster than its predecessor.
Unlock Apple Watch
You can unlock the device either by entering the password on the watch or using the iPhone. The second option is more preferable for many, as it is much more convenient. Remarkably, these settings must be made either on the phone or on the watch – no need to do this twice.
What for what
Finally, traditionally about prices. Fresh Watch Series 2 can be purchased for $ 369 and up, and the first generation has a price tag of 269 units of US currency, which is good news, given that Apple’s first-born watch also updated its hardware.
For those who have not yet fully decided, there is a great opportunity to purchase updated and improved watches of the first generation. For those who have always dreamed of this kind of gadget, the Apple Watch Series 2 will be a wonderful purchase that will probably make life brighter and more comfortable.