By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Apple has figured out a few things about the Apple Watch and its users and the result is the Apple Watch Series 2. Looking very much like the first-gen Apple Watch (which is still availble with an updated dual-core processor), the Series 2 does have some minute differences that are easy to miss. Here are my impressions after three days of use.
Series 2 is a bit thicker than the original Apple Watch because it now has a larger battery, built-in GPS as well as water resistance for up to 50m. There's an extra microphone hole and this is used to expel any water that may have seeped in during a swim.
While many, myself included, are mystified by the new Ceramic Apple Watch (which is the sole Edition model, taking over where the gold ones sat last year), every Series 2 Apple Watch has a bit of ceramic in the back that houses the heart-rate sensor.
The dual-core processor of the Series 2 makes a huge difference. I've had to reset and pair my Apple Watch countless times as I've moved device or updated phones and the initial set-up is always impossibly long. Not so with the Series 2 (and, presumably withe the updated Series 1). Setting up an Apple Watch out of the box is three times faster as are many of the functions.
The faster prorcessor and GPU plus watchOS 3 really speed things along. The side button now opens up a dock of scrollable apps (instead of your list of friends, which few people really used). It is a better use for that button and makes the Watch feel more intuitive. There's a subtle new way to check the time without raising the Watch, slowly scroll the crown and the time begins to show up. Neat trick.
The Series 2 has some special powers as well. The water resistance feature is one thing but there are additional swimming activities in the Workout App like Pool Swim and Open Water Swim that can track a user's progress. Apple took this very seriously, they monitored 7,000 swimmers to build a database of various swiming styles to be able to accurately track each swimmer's performance.
With the GPS, runners or cyclists no longer need to bring their iPhone (although if they do, that works, too). The Series 2 smartly uses data from the iPhone, LTE cell towers and nearby open Wi-Fi hotspots to supplement the GPS. The result is a much faster satellite acquisition which makes it possible to start a run or a ride much faster.
Series 2 has the brightest display of any Apple product, not that I found the original Apple Watch's OLED display to be particularly weak, but the newer display can compensate for bright light. Battery life is also expected to be better, although this would depend on the manner of use. The GPS will certainly deplete battery quickly but since Apple Watch only needs about an hour and a half for a full charge, it's not a very big deal.
On a side note, it seems Apple has introduced new Watch Bands and they have also discontinued others which may have not been too popular. This means that there will be a scarcity or rarity to certain band types or materials.
Apple Watch Series 2 is a much more accomplished fitness-focused wearable that also happens to be great for notifications and for running supplemental apps. WatchOS 3 speeds up a lot of processes and makes the Watch more nimble. I plan on incorporating Series 2 into my fitness routine to see how it fares in real life, stay tuned for a more comprehensive review soon.