It could be mid-2016 before the follow-up to the Apple Watch arrives, according to a Cowen and Company research memo based on a recent tour of Asian suppliers, AppleInsider has reported.While Apple’s long-anticipated first foray into the smartwatch market, the Apple Watch, was released earlier in the year at the end of April, attention is already beginning to focus on the tech giant’s anticipated follow-up, dubbed the Apple Watch 2.
AppleInsider has reported Cowen and Company’s memo as predicting the Apple Watch 2 will sport a thinner size and better performance, while additionally noting that it is not clear if Cowen’s claims about the device’s features are purely speculative or based on research.
Cowen and Company forecasts Apple will ship 18 million Apple Watches by the end of 2015, and at least 45 million in 2016, with analyst Timothy Arcuri suggesting figures for next year may actually be too pessimistic based on the strength of 2015 data, AppleInsider reported.
There has been heavy speculation over the sales figures of the current generation Apple Watch, with Apple not releasing specific figures. At the end of August, the International Data Corporation reported that Apple had shipped a total of 3.6 million units in the 2015 second quarter.
Thus far, there have been few solid rumours about the potential specs of the Apple Watch 2, although, as AppleInsider notes, Apple may well be looking to increased battery life with its next-gen wearable.