Apple Watch 2 release tipped for mid or late 2016

Very few rumors have emerged about the Apple Watch 2. But there remains a feeling of apathy around the product category as a whole, and despite a largely positive reception for the Watch, many are already eager to see what the second-gen model will bring. As for when we can expect the new smartwatch it’s expected that Apple Watch 2 won’t arrive at least before mid-2016. This may be a little later than many expected given the fact that the first Watch released in April this year.

Tackling this question, analyst Timothy Acuri of Cowen and Company recently issued a research report indicating that we shouldn’t expect to see new Apple Watch hardware until mid-2016 at the earliest. Should this be the case, it’s possible that Apple will merge its unveiling with that of the next-gen iPhone, which usually gets announced during the month of September.

It’s predicted that 18 million Apple Watches will be shipped by the time this year ends, and the anticipation is that sales will then increase significantly next year. As for the Apple Watch 2, there’s no concrete evidence of the changes we can expect as yet.

If you’re holding off on buying an Apple Watch until the device’s second generation, you could be in for more of a wait than you might think. Early estimates put shipments for 2016 at around 45 million units, and that’s on the conservative side.

The report also suggests that a new Apple Watch may come out in May, June, or later. And though not explicitly mentioned by Acuri, it stands to reason that Apple will also do its best to expand the device’s health tracking capabilities.