“It’s been almost exactly two years since Apple announced their first version of the Apple Watch,” DC Rainmaker blogs eponymously. “The first iteration of the Apple Watch was more of a general fitness and day to day lifestyle watch than that of an endurance sports watch – at least per the specs. It lacked true waterproofing or GPS.”
“In reality though, it actually could hold its own in certain endurance type activities, including on the waterproofing front as I showed in my crazy waterproofing videos. However the challenge was still the lack of GPS connectivity. For that it depended on the GPS of your phone for accurate distance in most sports,” Rainmaker writes. “In addition, the watch was often criticized for being a bit slow. While there has been work on that with various software releases, there were still limitations there on just how fast things would load.”
Rainmaker writes, “The Series 2 aims to solve those previous technology concerns with four new specific features: Waterproofing to 50-meters; Added GPS chip; New faster GPU (graphics) as well as computing processor; New brighter display.”
MacDailyNews Take: These are the exact four pain points we Apple Watch Series 0 users found in our first year. Although, in our case, the order of importance goes: GPS, performance (CPU/GPU), waterproofing, display brightness.
“The original Apple Watch was largely hindered [sic We think he means “unhindered.” If not, he should. – MDN Ed.] by battery life, getting about 24-36 hours day to day usage (non-GPS) for most people with regular use,” Rainmaker writes. “GPS will certainly impact that substantially, as it does on every wearable. It’s the single biggest battery draw… 5 hours is [Apple Watch Series 2’s] GPS-on time, which is lower than any GPS devices on market.”
Read more, and see all of the images in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: 5 hours is more than enough for pretty much any run, including marathons (100 km and up ultramarathoners, you probably have some specialized wearable already).
Why, oh, why do we have to wait until “Late October” for our Apple Watch Nike+ units?! We were so tempted during the pre-order stress test today to just go with the “plain” Series 2 just so we could get our GPS off our arms (iPhone 6s Plus devices, soon to be iPhone 7 Pluses; neither of them small or light) in a matter of days, but we held out for the Nike+ model and chose the 42mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black/Cool Gray Nike Sport Band.
Ugh, “Late October!”
Oh well. Hey, TGIF! Interns, Tap That Keg™!!!
The MDN take is the identical conundrum I was faced with. I ended up with the same model, but it was difficult to not just go with one I could have now.
I wonder why those models are delayed a month or so?
I’d like a gold aluminum with a midnight blue band, but that isn’t an option anymore. Will they let me swap out a band I don’t want with the one I do?
It is an option in the UK store.
Gold Aluminium with Midnight Blie Strap, Series 1 or 2, 38mm or 42mm.
I think they are building out the Nike ones we ordered as needed. They probably couldn’t determine how popular these ones were going to be.
Like you guys, I also thought I’lll just get the plain one, but no I’ll wait.
I’ll have my iPhone 7 Plus to pay with between now and than and hey. my original Apple Watch just got repaired, so I have that for now too.
I’m thinking it will be worth the wait…..
I’ve had no problem with screen brightness except in direct sunlight while I’m wearing sunglasses, even then I keep the screen at the lowest brightness for battery purposes, I wish the screen’s brightness could be turned down even more than the three steps we have now.
I want the Nike Watch also. I’m hoping I can keep the watch face but swap a colored activity ring and change one of the shown apps. Wonder how customizable the watch face will be.
Yawn… Too thick, too ugly, too unuseful…