Update: The Apple Watch Series 7 is now official. Read our guide for everything you need to know.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is set to land with a larger capacity battery, which would signal the first time the smartwatch has been given a boost in the battery department.
News of that battery upgrade come courtesy of Taiwanese outlet UDN, who suggest based on details from sources in the supply chain building the device that Apple's next smartwatch will launch in September alongside a new iPhone and will be packing a new S7 processor.
Apparently that new processor will serve to free up space to enable Apple to place a battery with a greater capacity. If accurate, that could suggest that Apple is planning to attach bigger battery numbers to its smartwatch for the first time.
Since the launch of its first Watch, Apple has stated that its wearable is good to last 18 hours between charges stating that it offers, "All-day battery life". While clear improvements made to Watch internals and its watchOS software has seen its smartwatch being capable of going longer depending on usage, it's technically only ever been good for a day's use.
While Apple has stuck to the same battery life numbers all the way up to the Series 6, the likes of Fitbit, Samsung, Huawei and Garmin have delivered days and even weeks away from the charger.
If Apple does manage to improve battery life beyond that 18 hours, it would be welcomed, particularly as it starts to offer more reasons to keep that Watch on 24/7. That includes sleep tracking after the introduction of its native Sleep app in 2020. It would also be a big deal if it plans to offer more continuous health monitoring features that could demand more of the onboard battery.
The report additionally suggests that the new Apple Watch will be unveiled in new colors, though it didn't go as far as to state what those colors will be. There has been talk that Apple may look to add a green Apple Watch model, though like this battery talk, it's all still very much speculation.
With Google and Samsung planning big things for smartwatches before the end of the year, eyes will be on Apple to see what it does next. While a Series 7 with a bigger battery life and more colors might not sound like the most exciting things to look forward to for its next smartwatch instalment, it might just be the changes and improvements that are needed to help Apple stay ahead of the competition.
Via: 9to5Mac
How we test
By Michael Sawh
Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.
He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.
Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech.
Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.