The Apple Watch 2 is all geared for mass production, a new report said, indicating too that the iPhone 7 release date will happen soon. Previously, forecasts from analysts and supply chain leaks have pointed to the likely simultaneous rollout of the next iPhone and the second-generation Apple smartwatch.
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported this week that activities for the wholesale production of the Apple Watch 2 appears to be firing up. The tech giant, according to the Asian business publication has finalized the component orders concerning the wearable refresh. Actual building of the watch could start in the next few months, the report added.
No specific timing was included in the report but recent notes from a number of analysts point to a June 2016 production start.
The same timeframe was pointed to by Apple watcher Brian White in a report but the analyst is convinced too that version 2 of the Apple Watch will be assembled sooner as the commercial debut will take place June or right after the WWDC 2016 in the same month. And also in June that mass production of the next iPhone will commence, White predicted.
Now whether the Apple Watch 2 will appear in stores June or at a later date, Apple Insider said that the improvements are mostly focused on performance, which contradicts the report from White that version 2 is up to 40 percent slimmer than its predecessors.
As for the next iPhone, Japanese blog MacOtakara, picked up by MacRumors, reported that the sequel to the iPhone 6S will boast of Smart Connector similar to that introduced via the iPad Pro. The upgrade indicates that 2016 iPhones are optimized for better productivity as the devices can be readily to accessories like a keyboard.
The same blog report also claimed that the iPhone 7 will certainly lose the 3.5mm audio jack and in its stead the device will unbox with a wireless EarPods that can be connected via Bluetooth. MacOtakara said that the listening tool can be connected to the iPhone Lightning port for recharging, in the same way that the Apple Pencil is juiced up.
The rumor from Japan echoed the impending use of the True Tone display and dual-camera set up on the next iPhone although the latter is supposedly exclusive only to bigger device that is rumored to take the name iPhone Pro.
Other speculated next iPhone feature upgrades are jammed in iOS 10, a concept of which is shared by You Tuber Ralph Theodory (clip viewable below).
Going by White's report, massive production of the iPhone 7 will begin June and likely the Apple Watch 2, pointing to release date as early as September 2016.