There is growing evidence that Apple will launch new versions of its Apple Watch smartwatches alongside its new iPhones this year.
One of the most solid pieces of evidence comes from filings with the Eurasian Economic Commission, or EEC – a necessary step before launching new products in the Eurasian region that has previously foreshadowed new product launches with respect to Apple filings from the past. In this case, Apple has registered four new Apple Watch models, suggesting that the Apple Watch Series 5 (or something like it) is indeed on the way.
Meanwhile, a breakdown of code for the watchOS firmware used in the smartwatches found references to ceramic and titanium versions of Apple Watch products. While Apple has previously launched ceramic Apple Watches, a titanium version would be something new.
As is often the case with forthcoming Apple products, further details are scant, but there’s no shortage of speculation about the new smartwatches’ key features. Biometrics, for example, could play an increasingly important role in the devices. Apple has previously touted the ECG capabilities of its Apple Watch Series 4, which can be used to monitor signs of heart activity and could even help to detect a serious condition called atrial fibrillation; this year, as CNET reports, there have been rumors about glucose and blood pressure monitoring capabilities, though there hasn’t been any news of Apple getting FDA clearance for such features.
It’s also worth noting that an Apple patent filing from Q3 of 2018 detailed a sub-epidermal imaging system for the Apple Watch that could authenticate a user based on biometric patterns pertaining to things like veins, pores, and skin color.
This is, again, just speculation; but given Apple’s enthusiasm for biometrics – it is, after all, the pioneer of smartphone fingerprint and face scanning – it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to find such features highlighted when Apple unveils the new smartwatch devices, which is expected to happen in just a couple of weeks.
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