The latest incarnation of Apple’s wearable Apple Watch has been re-designed in order to appeal to fitness and health consumers, including swimmers and those seeking GPS capabilities that were not included in the original device.
The Apple Watch Series 2 claims to able to resist water up to 50 meters for swimming and includes a built-in GPS that can be used without having an Apple iPhone. The wearable also includes a brighter display, dual-core processor, and an updated operating system that allows better access to third-party applications and the capability to receive and respond to notifications.
The new swimming algorithms inside the Apple Watch Series 2 allow for two workout options—pool and open water. It can count laps, track average lap pace and auto-detect stroke type in order to figure out how many calories a user is burning. The built-in GPS records distance, pace and speed for workouts such as walking, running or cycling. The wearable also tracks all daily activity, whether a user is standing, moving or exercising, and it gives users detailed views of this activity in the Activity application.
The Apple Watch Series 2 includes a dual-core processor in a system-in-package format that allows the wearable to be up to 50% faster than the previous generation. A new graphics processing unit has also been added to enhance the graphics performance, enable a brighter display and enable third-party applications.
The Apple Watch Series 2 will be available in more than 25 countries on Sept. 16 with a beginning price of $269 in gold, rose gold, silver, or space gray colors. Much like the first-generation watch, premium versions are being sold at a higher price.
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