Apple Watch 2: why the second version could be worth waiting for

Apple will unveil its latest product, the Apple Watch, tonight. In a year it will probably unveil a new one — and that might be the more exciting event.

The launch of Apple products is always met by plenty of buzz, and the company hasn’t earned the reputation for disruption and innovation that it has by accident. But that innovation sometimes comes with a price — technologies not yet finished, or products that still have tweaks left to work out.

Apple tends to get things wrong the first time around

New things might be exciting, but they can also be risky. When Apple brings out its innovations, it often needs a year to work out how best to use them.

That’s doubly true the first time it launches an entirely new product category. The first iPod had a FireWire connector that nobody used, the first iPhone wasn’t very good at taking calls and didn’t have 3G, the first iPad was bulky and got out of date very quickly and the Apple TV was entire redesigned after its first iteration. The bleeding edge can sometimes be just a little too sharp.

You’ll get the stuff that Apple had to leave out

Apple had to make compromises in this watch — leaving out some of the sensors and tracking technology it was hoping to put in. They’ll have time to sort that out this time around, and the next version of the watch could be much cleverer.

The battery could last longer

Apple has been doing lots of work to manage expectations about the Apple Watch’s battery, but it still could be disappointing. It’s expected to last less than a day without a charge — and only a few hours with lots of use.

But between its big releases, Apple tends to work on the smaller things like processing power. It could use its time to fix the battery, letting people wear it for longer.

Wireless charging

When the Apple Watch does run out of battery, you’ll have to grab the MagSafe charging wire and plug it in. Apple hasn’t released anything with wireless charging yet but it should do soon — most of its competitors’ phones have the technology — and it’ll likely transfer to the watch after. That will make getting it powered back up easier.

It’ll be thinner

Some reviewers have already complained that the Apple Watch won’t fit under your shirt sleeve. That might be nice for showing it off — what’s the point in getting an Apple Watch if nobody can see it? — but it could also be a little uncomfortable.

Apple tends to slim things down over time, and the Apple Watch will no doubt be the same. The next version will probably be slimmer, lighter and sleeve-compatible.

There’ll be different versions available

The Wall Street Journal says that Apple has “studied platinum watch casings”. They’re not expected to launch this time around, but could feature in the second watch.

That will probably help Apple make a much nicer looking version of the posh, luxury Edition version of the watch. At the moment, that comes in either rose or yellow gold — both of which look a little gaudy. But if you’re paying thousands of pounds for the watch — some estimates put the possible cost in the five figures — perhaps you want a little gaudiness.