Apple Watch Series 2: Specs, straps and all you need to know

26 April

Apple Watch 2 could come with a big new feature, if a rumour floated by the Wall Street Journal is to be believed.

In a report rounding up how the wearable has fared in its first year on sale, the magazine suggests that the next generation wearable could come with cellular network connectivity as one of its flagship additions, allowing the device to function free from the iPhone in a number of new ways.

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One of the "biggest gripes" wearers have with the current device is that "it's not very useful away from your iPhone", says Engadget, and is heavily reliant on being paired with one of Apple's handsets to provide basic functions such as receiving messages.

Packing cellular data into the device means it would behave more like existing cellular smartwatches and allow wearers to "leave your phone at home while continuing to get notifications and run apps".

It's not expected that the watch will completely jettison the iPhone – functions such as downloading apps could require smartphone pairing – but the overall package would be a device with greater independence.

However, wearers would have to be willing to pay for the privilege. MacRumors says the feature would "undoubtedly" require an additional data plan on top of the price of the device, a plan that is likely separate from those they may have on their iOS devices. However, the ability to use services such as Maps, Apple Music and make phone calls without the need for an iPhone nearby "could outweigh the cons for some users".

Forbes thinks differently. Apple has recently collaborated with other tech giants such as Samsung and Microsoft to create a new standard for eSIM technology that will eventually allow users to share their data plans across multiple devices, meaning the watch could share a data network with a user's iPhone or iPad.

Allied to the new connectivity features, a faster processor is expected, too, and a front-facing FaceTime camera has been a longstanding rumour.

As to when the Apple Watch 2 will appear, current rumours flip between it debuting at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this June or alongside the iPhone 7 in September.

Apple Watch 2: Has Siri leaked the reveal date?

22 April

Apple Watch 2 is expected to arrive at some point this year – and its reveal date may have been leaked by a most peculiar source.

Two possible times for the wearable's launch have already been eyed up by fans: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June and the expected September set-piece event for the introduction of the iPhone 7.

More recently, analysts have started weighing in on the issue, with several also touting this summer for a reveal of the wearable.

According to MacRumors, a previous report from Apple analyst Brian indicated that an Apple Watch refresh is "likely to occur within the next 2-3 months".

If this is true, the Worldwide Developers Conference seems like a likely stage – and if so, we now have dates as to when to expect the watch to emerge, courtesy of Siri.

The International Business Times has picked up reports that Apple's virtual reality assistant told users the event would be held 13-17 June, announcing the news before Apple released the date publicly.

This could mean that the next Apple Watch could be weeks away.

Apple didn't allude to any hardware introductions when it formally unveiled the conference's date, focusing instead on software for iPhones, iPads, its computers, Apple TV and WatchOS.

But the device could be a surprise package, much like the current version, which Apple boss Tim Cook introduced in 2014 using Steve Jobs's famous "one more thing".

Apple Watch 2: Suppliers get ready for summer launch

14 April

Apple Watch 2 is on its way, according to a report from supply chain insiders DigiTimes.

The site says component suppliers have received orders from Apple ahead of a launch not much later this year.

Picking up on the report, MacRumors adds that Taiwan-based Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will be responsible for the vast majority of the chipsets, with a couple of other operations sharing a smaller portion of the orders

Samsung is said to be in on the act, too. It provided components for the original wearable released in 2014 and will, according to reports, make the Apple Watch 2's processor.

MacRumors adds that Quanta Computer will likely remain the key Apple Watch manufacturer and that the firm may have done a trial production run in January.

That suggests a June launch is a distinct possibility, with further supplies of the smartwatches hitting the shelves a little later on. June is also the date for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

However, there are still reports that the Apple Watch 2 will be revealed in September, alongside the next generation of iPhone handsets.

Rumours as to specs say the wearable could get a FaceTime camera and expanded wi-fi capabilities. One report believes the Apple Watch 2 may be up to 40 per cent thinner than the original, although reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has since said Apple will not completely overhaul the new wearable and that a redesign won't be seen until 2017.

Apple Watch 2: No major redesign this year

13 April

In contrast to recent rumours, respected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new research note hinting that the Apple Watch 2 won't be coming until late this year.

The note, obtained and analysed by MacRumors, also says shipments will decline 25 per cent year-on-year in comparison to 2015, dropping to an expected 7.5 million units in 2016, despite the expected introduction of a new model.

Kuo says the smartwatch market is still too "immature" and the first generation Apple Watch, which should be the only Apple wearable on sale for most of 2016, lacks a few "key features", such as a killer app and limited battery life. Its dependency on the iPhone is also a huge limiting factor.

In his notes, Kuo expects the Apple Watch 2 to go into mass production in the third quarter of 2016, tying the device up for a reveal alongside the iPhone 7 in September. Rumours earlier this year suggested Apple was to debut the device at its March keynote, but most have now settled on early autumn as the most likely stage.

In addition, the analyst details his expectations of the next wearable, with some predictions that could disappoint fans looking forward to a major overhaul. The Apple Watch 2 is set to take up the same upgrade cycle as the iPhone and changes could be limited to the internals, rather than a brand new design.

MacRumors says that some "minor form factor" changes could be on the way but that overall, the next Apple Watch will not look too different to the present model. This is "one of Kuo's biggest reasons for declining Apple Watch shipments in 2016", it adds.

Kuo's analysis flies in the face of a research note issued last week, saying Apple will introduce the Apple Watch 2 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with a completely different design which is up to 40 per cent thinner than the present model.

However, both analysts believe the next smartwatch will get a FaceTime camera and an expansion of wi-fi capabilities, as well as some new model introductions.

The International Business Times is less convinced, though. It believes that even these upgrades may have to wait until 2017 and a brand new design.