Apple Watch Series 3 vs Apple Watch Series 2 Comparison Review

The recent inaugural event at the Steve Jobs Theatre saw Apple unveil the bulk of its product line-up for the year ahead. Among the new devices announced were the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the Apple TV 4K, plus a significant step forward for the Apple Watch.

In this article we look at how the newest version of Apple"s timepiece compares to its predecessor, and whether you should be looking to upgrade from the Apple Watch Series 2 to the Apple Watch Series 3.

Apple Watch 3 release date

The Apple Watch 3 was released on September 22. As usual a number of configurations are available, but the cheapest non-cellular models cost £329 (US $329) for the smaller 38mm version, and £359 ($359) for the 42mm.

If you want the LTE equipped models - and as that"s one of the biggest selling points of the Apple Watch 3 we"re guessing you might - then the starting prices are a little higher, with the 38mm costing £399 ($399) and the 42mm coming in at £429 ($429).

Order the Apple Watch Series 3 from Apple



Apple has retired the Apple Watch 2 now, so buying one will require sourcing other retailers who are selling off older stock - at the time of writing, you can still pick one up from Argos in the UK.

The Series 1 has survived the cull, though, and at £249 ($249) for the 38mm and £279 ($279) for the 42mm, it seems a good deal for those who aren"t too fussed about GPS tracking.

Buy Apple Watch Series 1 from Apple

What"s new in the Apple Watch 3?

LTE capabilities

The most obvious advance offered by the latest model is that of LTE cellular compatibility on the GPS + Cellular variants. This is quite a big deal as it moves the watch closer to being a standalone device - but only in your home country, because they do not support roaming.

The Apple Watch 2 brought built-in GPS, allowing wearers to go for a run without their iPhone and still record the data. This would then be transferred to the iPhone once the two were reunited.



The Apple Watch 3 takes this independence a step further by including a rather clever electronic SIM, which shares your iPhone"s number, so the device can connect to the internet over 3G or 4G signals.

The shared number also means you"ll be able to receive calls on the Apple Watch 3, as well as receive messages and notifications, all while in the swimming pool, gym, or anywhere that iPhones fear to tread.

Having internet access will enable you to stream songs from Apple Music on the new device, which can be played back on your Apple AirPod headphones, or other compatible Bluetooth headsets.

Of course, these features will involve data usage. The Apple Watch 3 will need to be on the same carrier as your iPhone, and at the moment EE is the only choice available in the UK.

You can buy an Apple Watch 3 directly from EE on a £25 per month contract including unlimited data, or if you buy from another retailer, such as Apple or John Lewis, you can add it to your existing EE plan. That will cost £5 per month for 10GB of data, though the first six months are free and included unlimited data.

Improved hardware

Internally the Apple Watch 3 has seen some significant hardware upgrades, with the new dual-core S3 processor being claimed to offer a 70 percent improvement in speed over the Apple Watch 2.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity also received a boost, thanks to the introduction of the W2 wireless chip. Apple states this will improve Wi-Fi performance by around 85 percent, while halving the energy demands.



A new barometric altimeter has also been included, which can sense when you"re going up and down stairs. This is great news for those who track their steps and have previously been short-changed for their efforts.

Finally, Siri can talk to you on the Apple Watch 3, as well as being accessible away from the companion iPhone.

Is it bigger than the Apple Watch 2?

With all these hardware advances, it would be reasonable to expect that the casing could also show signs of growth. But, in a feat of engineering that should be applauded, Apple has managed to keep the chassis almost exactly the same.

To achieve this the design team turned the screen itself into the LTE antenna. They really do have some clever people over in Cupertino.

Apple did make one change to the casing, though, and that was to put a red dot at the end of the Crown on cellular models. As far as we can tell this is purely an aesthetic choice, but it does mean that people will be able to tell at a glance that you"re wearing the latest and greatest.

Surely all of these extra features will drain the battery faster?

Again, a perfectly sensible and valid assumption. Therefore, it came as quite a surprise when Apple revealed that, thanks to the various energy efficiencies brought by the new chips, the Apple Watch 3 will return the same battery life as the Apple Watch 2.

Official figures are 18 hours when a mixture of Wi-Fi and LTE are used, the same as for the Apple Watch 2. However, in practice we found that the Series 2 was capable of running for much longer than that, and the Series 3 - at least using an LTE model - can"t quite hit the same heights, so there"s definitely a battery hit from opting for cellular at least.

Apple Watch Series 3 review (LTE cellular model)

Welcome to our Apple Watch Series 3 review, in which we check out the watch"s design and new features, put it through rigorous performance and battery tests, and rate it for value for money. If you reach a decision after reading this, you can buy from Apple or (on contract) from EE. (And if you"d like to read about the next edition of the product, read our Apple Watch Series 4 rumour roundup.)

It still feels like we"re quite early in the Apple Watch"s evolution as a product - we"re still at the iPhone 3GS stage, so to speak - but there is a danger that the company has already run out of things to fix. The Apple Watch Series 2 was in our view pretty close to perfect, solving all the issues we had with the original model, so for the Series 3 a new approach has been taken: rethinking what a smartwatch can do, and creating a new life for it as an independent device.

Unlike the simple "find a problem and fix it" strategy of the Series 2, this has down- as well as upsides, and as we will discover in our Apple Watch Series 3 review this is not an uncomplicated step forward - even if it is probably a necessary step on the road to what the Apple Watch needs to become.

For more general advice remember to take a look at our Apple Watch buying guide.

Design & build quality

There"s not much to say here, because the Series 3 has the same body design as the Series 2, and the Series 1 before it. There are some new colours (gold aluminium and dark grey ceramic finishes are new for this generation) and strap options, but the shape, the lines, are identical to last year"s model.

It"s a nice design, mind you - clean, simple, premium-looking, based around Steve Jobs" beloved rounded-corner rectangle - and we wouldn"t wish for Apple to change things unnecessarily every year. But it feels like we"re in a similar situation to the iPhone handsets between the 6 generation and the 8 generation three years later: making small incremental changes to a design that remains fundamentally the same.

The one really visible and obvious difference between the Series 2 and Series 3 watches concerns the Digital Crown dial on the side, which now (if you"ve plumped for a cellular-connected model) is bright red. And we"re no longer entirely convinced by this.



In photos, the red spot looks nice, and there"s something appealing about the way Apple ties this motif in with the accent colour on the packaging. But viewed up close, in person, it"s very bright, very shiny (incongruous next to the consistent brushed-metal finish around the Digital Crown) and, speaking brutally, a little bit cheap-looking. Not to mention that having a badge that proclaims to the world that you"ve bought the more expensive version of a product is unbelievably naff.

We said the design is identical to the Series 2, but it"s actually not quite. In the launch presentation, strangely, Apple said it was the same size despite the inclusion of cellular componentry and happily accepted a round of applause for this feat - but then admitted that it is actually (fractionally) thicker. Just 0.25mm, which needless to say is not noticeable.

Straps

There are some really nice new straps to choose from. We"ve been enjoying the Sport Loop (the Flash colour option), which is ultra-light and breathable - although at £49 it must be one of the most expensive products in history to feature velcro.

There are also attractive new colour versions of existing straps, such as Hermes" charming new Bordeaux leather straps, and a lovely red edition of the Sports Band.

Apple does itself proud when it comes to straps. We just wish they were a bit cheaper. In a separate article we round up the best Apple Watch straps, including some less expensive third-party alternatives.

Cellular connectivity

For the Series 3 we talked about three new features: longer battery life, better waterproofing, and GPS. This year there"s one, but it"s arguably a bigger deal than all of those put together: cellular connectivity. You can get a data connection on your watch even if you leave the companion iPhone at home: it"s a truly independent device for the first time.

(The Series 2 also had a faster processor, and this component has been upgraded again here. More on this in the specs and performance sections.)

The cellular Series 3 has a built-in LTE and UMTS radio that switches automatically to cellular when you"re away from the companion iPhone. The system is clever enough to know to direct calls to your watch instead of your phone when appropriate (the phone number will be the same across both devices), and to use the watch"s location for Find My Friends.

Apple has also highlighted the fact that you can use iMessage, Maps, WeChat and Siri away from your phone, and users" new ability to stream music via a phone-less watch using Apple Music. (Note, however, that you cannot send SMS texts without a nearby connected iPhone - you are limited to iMessages.)

It"s tempting to assume that any watch app that relies internet data will now be usable away from your phone: that the ECB app your reviewer uses to get cricket scores will now update independently, for instance. And in time we"re sure this will be true. But not all apps are designed to work independently, and there may be a delay while developers update their apps to take advantage of the new hardware.

Is cellular a good idea?

Cellular has downsides - battery life, cost, the hassle of setting up a contract - so it"s all a question of payoffs. It"s roughly the same decision as choosing the cellular option for your iPad. You have to think about how often you"ll use it, how important it is that you"ll be able to do so, and how much it will cost you.

The Apple Watch"s cellular capabilities come into play when you separate it from its companion iPhone; and since they"re two highly portable, on-person devices, that probably won"t happen a great deal. The main application is when running: if you urgently need to keep in touch while working out, this may be perfect for you.

It also lets you stream Apple Music, although bear in mind that you can already load songs on to the watch for offline playback: how long is your run, that you"re going to get bored of your own tunes? (Some might argue that, if Apple made it easier to sync music to the Apple Watch in the first place this application wouldn"t seem as exciting...)

Ultimately the decision is yours, but we suspect that for many people cellular will be an extravagance that doesn"t make sense in the short term. In the long term, however, for the product line, this is undoubtedly the right direction to go: like the wireless syncing/updating in iOS 5, the importance of which was probably underestimated at the time, this lays the foundations of independence - of cutting the cord from the parent device.

Do you need a SIM and a contract?

Practically speaking, you"ll want to know about the SIM and the antenna. Well, there"s no physical SIM - it"s an electronic SIM or eSIM that"s one percent of the size of a traditional SIM - and the display acts as the antenna, both the transmitting and receiving element.

To use cellular features on the Series 3 you need to sign up with one of the small number of providers who are able to offer watch plans in each launch country. In the UK that means EE - which, according to the company, is "the only network with the technology in place to offer Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular capability in the UK".

(You will also need to be using an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE or later handset.)

Do note, however, that the Apple Watch 3 with LTE will not support roaming, so any additional functionality afforded by the E-SIM will not be available when you take it abroad.

You can buy the watch from EE on a 24-month unlimited-data contract, which will set you back £25 a month plus an upfront charge of anything from zero to £160, depending on which model you want. Alternatively, you can buy the watch from somewhere else (such as Apple), paying £329 or more for the device up front, and then add it to the EE plan your phone is on; this will add an extra £5 tariff per month, with the first six months free.

Battery life

The principal predicted downside of adding cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch is battery life, so we"re going to give this its own section instead of just tucking it into the specs section. Bear in mind, however, that battery performance is highly subjective and heavily dependent on what you do with your watch during a given day, so we can give only a general sense of how the Series 3 compares to the Series 2 and original watches before it.

The Series 2 (when new) started a day of "typical use testing" charged to 100%, and made it through the whole day, then a night, and then a second day, without running out of power. At bedtime on the second day it was on 22%. It eventually ran out around 1pm on the third day.

The Series 3 couldn"t do quite as well, but it did manage very nearly two days, running out around 10pm on the second day. These figures are not scientific, and the night times distort things a bit, but they are broadly representative of our experience with these products:

• Series 2: 54 hours (includes two nights, light typical use)


• Series 3: 39 hours (includes one night)

(We"ve not included the original Apple Watch in the above figures because it was so wildly variable in the early days while we were still working out how to use it, but it"s worse than either the Series 2 or 3. On occasion, in the beginning when we used apps constantly, it ran out of battery before the end of the first day. After a while it settled down to a comfortable one-day battery life, finishing each day with power to spare but struggling if you missed a night of charging.)

Effects of cellular use

It was fairly clear that cellular use dragged down the Series 3"s battery performance. Early in the test, while kept within reach of its companion iPhone, it looked on course to match the Series 2, but taking it out for a 30-minute run - using the Workout app and depending on its own cellular connection to pick up iMessages and check email during a mid-run break - caused an alarming drain from mid-40s to high 20s.

On another occasion we kept the Series 3 away from its iPhone for a morning, and in five hours it dropped 32 percentage points (55% to 23%); as a control, the Series 2 fell just 19% (from 38% to 19%) in the same period.

This pattern didn"t always hold, and our experience suggests that searching for a connection in a weak-signal area makes matters worse, and of course app usage affects things - when you"re using cellular there"s a disproportionate chance you"ll be using the (relatively demanding, continuous-use) Workout app, which compounds matters.

Speed & performance

The Series 3 comes with updated innards: the new S3 processor chip, which is claimed to be 70 percent faster than the S2 chip in the Series 2, and the new W2 wireless chip which Apple reckons provide 85 percent faster Wi-Fi, and 50 percent more power-efficient Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, than the last-generation model.

It"s difficult to quantify these things, given that there aren"t any speed benchmarking apps available for the Apple Watch. But in subjective tests we"ve observed that our Series 3 opens apps consistently faster than our (admittedly year-old, and watchOS 4-based) Series 2.

It"s a matter of seconds in most cases - although the Series 2 has developed a habit of hanging when opening Photos - and shouldn"t make much difference to your day-to-day experience. But it"s representative of the difference between the two devices" capabilities, and likely to become more noticeable in future versions of watchOS.

We"ve also noticed that the Series 3 consistently gets notifications a second or two ahead of the Series 2.

Siri

Siri can now be used away from your iPhone, but that"s not all that"s changed for the Series 3 update. It can now speak to you, out loud, for the first time on an Apple Watch; and because of the updated processor which we"ll discuss in the next section, Siri should work faster, too.

Tech specs

Apple has updated the internals in a number of useful ways, which we"ll discuss next.

Processor

This is now the S3 chip. It"s a dual-core processor, much like the S2 in the Series 2, but Apple says it"s 70 percent faster. As discussed above this led to apps opening slightly quicker, and should produce smoother graphics.

Wireless chip

The new W2 wireless chip is said to provide 85 percent faster Wi-Fi, and 50 percent more power-efficient Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Storage

The cellular-equipped version of the Apple Watch Series 3 has 16GB of storage, while the GPS-only model offers 8GB. The Series 2 was capped at 8GB.

Altimeter

The Series 3 is the first Apple Watch to get a barometric altimeter, which means it can detect changes in height and thereby include steps climbed, elevation gained and similar data in workout reports.

On a related note the watch also has an accelerometer and gyroscope, but those have been included since the original model.

Dimensions

The Series 3 is 0.25mm thicker than the Series 2. Other than that it has the same dimensions, which in the case of the aluminium and steel editions means 38.6mm x 33.3mm (38mm model), or 42.5mm x 36.4mm (42mm model), and 39.2mm x 34mm or 42.6mm x 36.5mm for the ceramic.

Display

From now on the specs are the same as the last generation, but we include them here for completeness. The display on the Series 3 has a resolution of 272 x 340 (38mm model) or 312 x 390 (42mm), a pixel density of 326ppi, and a brightness of 1,000 nits. These specs are identical to the Series 2, and mostly identical to the first-gen model, which only had a dimmer screen (450 nits).

Battery

Battery life is a claimed 18 hours, or "all day". The Series 2 (which was also advertised as having 18-hour battery life) was actually capable of lasting for two and a half days; the Series 3 isn"t quite up to that mark but is good for the best part of two.

Water resistance

Like its predecessor the Apple Watch Series 3 is rated as water-resistant to 50 metres under ISO standard 22810:2010.

Connectivity

Other than cellular, you get Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2.

Release date

The Apple Watch Series 3 was announced on 12 Sept; preorders began on 15 Sept; and they started to ship (and appeared in shops) on 22 Sept.

The Apple Watch Series 3 launches initially in the US, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, the UK, Germany, France and Puerto Rico. Other countries will follow in 2018.

If you"re in the UK you"ll need to be on an EE Pay Monthly or SIM-only plan to use the Series 3"s cellular capabilities, and using an iPhone 6 or later; you can browse the contract options here.

UK price

The Apple Watch Series 3 starts at £329 in the UK (for the GPS-only models) or £399 (if you want cellular capabilities). This is a straight one-for-one translation from the US prices, which start at $329 and $399 respectively.

Price varies widely based on the case material and strap you go for, although less widely than in the old days - there are no £13,000 gold models here. Cost ranges from £329 all the way up to £1,399, which is the price of two particularly extravagant Hermès offerings.

Here"s the full range. Remember that you can browse all the options and buy on Apple"s website.

Case	Strap	38mm, GPS	42mm, GPS	38mm, cellular	42mm, cellular
Silver Aluminium	Fog Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Gold Aluminium	Pink Sand Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Space Grey Aluminium	Grey Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Space Grey Aluminium	Black Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Silver Aluminium	Seashell Sport Loop	n/a	n/a	£399	£429
Gold Aluminium	Pink Sand Sport Loop	n/a	n/a	£399	£429
Space Grey Aluminium	Dark Olive Sport Loop	n/a	n/a	£399	£429
Stainless Steel	Soft White Sport Band	n/a	n/a	£599	£649
Space Black Stainless Steel	Black Sport Band	n/a	n/a	£599	£649
Stainless Steel	Milanese Loop	n/a	n/a	£699	£749
Space Black Stainless Steel	Space Black Milanese Loop	n/a	n/a	£749	£799
Silver Aluminium	Pure Platinum/Black Nike Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Space Grey Aluminium	Anthracite/Black Nike Sport Band	£329	£359	£399	£429
Silver Aluminium	Bright Crimson/Black Nike Sport Loop	n/a	n/a	£399	£429
Space Grey Aluminium	Black/Pure Platinum Nike Sport Loop	n/a	n/a	£399	£429
Stainless Steel	Hermès Noir Gala Leather Rallye	n/a	n/a	n/a	£1,299
Stainless Steel	Hermès Marine Gala Éperon d"Or	n/a	n/a	£1,199	£1,249
Stainless Steel	Hermès Indigo Swift Double Tour	n/a	n/a	£1,299	n/a
Stainless Steel	Hermès Fauve Barenia Double Tour	n/a	n/a	£1,299	n/a
Stainless Steel	Hermès Indigo Swift	n/a	n/a	n/a	£1,199
Stainless Steel	Hermès Fauve Barenia	n/a	n/a	£1,149	£1,199
Stainless Steel	Hermès Ébène Barenia Deployment Buckle	n/a	n/a	n/a	£1,399
Stainless Steel	Hermès Fauve Barenia Deployment Buckle	n/a	n/a	n/a	£1,399
White Ceramic	Soft White/Pebble Sport Band	n/a	n/a	£1,299	£1,349
Grey Ceramic	Grey/Black Sport Band	n/a	n/a	£1,299	£1,349

Apple Watch Series 4 release date, specs & price rumours

The Apple Watch Series 3 was unveiled on 12 Sept 2017, and hit the shops 10 days later. But we"re already looking ahead to Apple"s next trick: when will the Series 4 be released, and what new features and tech specs should we expect?

In this article we sift through the evidence and predict what new features and technologies the Series 4 will offer (such as a sophisticated EKG heart sensor), as well as discussing what we would like to see next.

Release date

Three generations in, we"re starting to get a feel for Apple"s smartwatch launch schedule, which was irregular early on but appears to be settling down into an annual event.

These are onsale launch dates; the first model in particular was announced a long time ahead of this.

It"s early days but our money is on an update in autumn 2018, and most likely in September alongside new iPhones.

There has been a separate rumour that Apple could release a between-full-updates "S" edition of the Apple Watch: presumably a Series 3S, which would add extra storage options the Series 3 and come out before the Series 4. But until we see concrete evidence, we"re not convinced by this.

Design

Apple"s pretty much kept the same design for three generations in a row (aside from some minor cosmetic tweaks, such as a new material and colour options, and a red spot on the cellular model). Having broken a significant boundary when adding the cellular connectivity feature in 2017, we think the company may focus instead on an all-new design in 2018.

The longest Apple has kept the same broad design in its iPhone line-up, as a comparison, is three generations, from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 8 - and the iPhone X ended that sequence a month later. Apple may feel that the watch sector is more aesthetically conservative than the phone one, but it would still be a surprise to us if they broke their record and had four essentially identical smartwatches on the spin.

Round face

But what would a reimagined Apple Watch look like? The circular-face rumour will inevitably reappear, but we"ve never liked the way that affects the interface on Android Wear watches (text gets squeezed at top and bottom, and usually ends up unattractively centre-justified). Apple"s interface control-freakery would probably preclude its catering for square and circular screens with the same OS.

Indeed, we would never have considered the round-face concept possible had we not seen the following drawing in a patent:



That patent is actually related to a strap design technology, which we will discuss below, and it could be round because Apple uses generic images for its patent designs to ensure a broad scope: this doesn"t necessarily mean a round design is being seriously considered.

There are many Android Wear smartwatches that have round faces now making us wonder if people really do prefer circles. Smartwatches like the Huawei Watch 2, Moto 360 2 and LG G Watch R look like traditional watches with completely digital, circular displays and are extremely popular. (Read our comparison of the Apple Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 here).

Modular straps or smart bands

This is one of the more prominent rumours we"re hearing. The idea is that Apple is considering producing new multi-function smart bands that it will sell with the Watch.

By moving some of the technologies from inside the watch face and into these smart bands Apple would be able to add new features without being as limited by the small size of the Watch face. This would enable Apple to add such features as a camera, or a bigger battery.

A number of patents have appeared suggesting that Apple has been working on this idea for some time. For example, a patent, originally filed in 2015, shows off a design for a band with its own battery.

The band could also house other components in a modular design, with each link performing a separate function. Users would be able to swap out modules depending on their requirements.

Another patent surfaced in May 2017 and was also filed in 2015. That patent is for "Display Module and System Applications", discovered by Patently Apple, shows an Apple Watch with a continuous display running from the watch face through the band. In the description that accompanies the image the patent states: "A flexible display panel #215, #315 (noted above) may be integrated into the smartwatch so that it spans both the watch face and band." This suggests that the watch face could extend into the band.



The patent also describes how a "module within the watch includes a processor and memory" and may also include a module to "communicate with a wide area network including a cellular data network".

Modular strap could also be useful for health monitoring.

Back in 2015, Cook said that while Apple had a keen interest in health-focused products, it decided against adding sensors to the watch because of concerns about FDA approval, which "would hold [Apple] back from innovating too much, the cycles are too long"; although Cook hinted at an accessory or app that could sit alongside it.

"But you can begin to envision other things that might be adjacent to it," he teased. "Maybe an app, maybe something else."

An interchangeable smart band would allow Apple to add health features to the Apple Watch. One area that the company is said to be interested in developing is glucose monitoring, and this could be offered via one of these smart bands. Smart bands should allow Apple to avoid submitting the watch for FDA approval: instead, only the band would need approval.

So perhaps an Apple Watch of the future could move some components into the strap, freeing up the watch face for other technologies.

Thinner & lighter

One of the bonuses of the modular bands described above is that it could free up the watch face, enabling Apple to make that thinner and lighter. (On the other hand, the whole watch could end up heavier if you include the pimped-up strap.)

New display design

Some illustrations in an Apple patent for "Display Module and System Applications," published in May 2017 by the US Patent and Trademark Office and discovered by Patently Apple, show what looks like it could be a new design for the Apple Watch. If you"d like to have an Apple Watch with a continuous display running from the face through the band, you might be pleased.

New wristband design

There are also patents that relate to the design of the wrist band: first spotted by AppleInsider in 2016, Apple has filed a patent for a Magnetic Wristband. The patent details a wristband for the Apple Watch that would feature a set of magnets embedded into it, allowing the two sides to join together.

For consumers, this means that when worn, the magnets would hold the Apple Watch in place (much like Apple"s Milanese Loop) - but it"s when the watch is taken off that the new band comes into its own.



The strap could be wrapped around the watch, which would suspend the screen in the middle of the straps: ideal for protection when being stored or transported. As well as offering additional protection, the strap could also double up as a stand (ideal for Apple"s nightstand mode) as it"s been designed to roll up behind the watch, propping it up.

New features

Now you"ve got a good idea of what the third-generation Apple Watch will look like, we"ll look at possible Apple Watch Series 4 hardware features.

Built-in camera

The current Apple Watch can be used as a camera viewfinder so that you can take a remote photograph with your iPhone, but it can"t actually take photos itself or make video calls. However, if the rumours about the modular straps are correct, a camera could find its way into the Apple Watch soon.

Apple has patents for a wearable device that features a front-facing camera. It was rumoured to appear in the Series 2 and 3, but the feature wasn"t announced. It"s likely we could see this feature being included in the next iteration.

Opinions differ on whether this is intended to cater for FaceTime or selfies (or both), and whether it will offer video or just stills photography. The new camera would be integrated into the top bezel of the watch.

This feature does sound interesting, though we"re not too sure how many people would actively FaceTime via a watch. It would be painful holding up the wrist for more than a few minutes, for one thing.

Still, Apple has already made its watch partially FaceTime-ready: watchOS 2 brought support for FaceTime audio calls. Does that indicate that it"ll soon move on to video calls? Perhaps.

Patently Apple, meanwhile, has spotted an Apple patent that appears to support the inclusion of a selfie camera - a front-facing stills camera, in other words; not necessarily one that"s capable of FaceTime video - in an Apple Watch in the future.



Patent 20160174025, which pertains in seemingly broad terms to methods for "facilitating access to location-specific information using wireless devices", but actually focuses on wearables, contains a reference to digital photography and its use "to capture images of the user". Also see: How to write apps for the Apple Watch.

Better battery life

Calls for the Apple Watch battery to improve were answered with the release of the Apple Watch Series 2, which features a battery that should last two days between charges (the original Apple Watch needed charging every day).



Better battery life also opens up more functionality in the Apple Watch, mainly with regards to sleep tracking. One problem with the Apple Watch battery is that the necessity of charging it at night means that people can"t use it for sleep tracking. With a longer battery life, users could wear the Apple Watch to bed and get accurate stats about their sleep - information that"s pretty popular, judging by the success of sleep-tracking apps such as Sleep Cycle.

Fortunately, it looks like Apple may be taking note. According to Economic Daily News Apple"s focus with the Watch 3 is battery life, as per a January 2017 report on 9to5Mac.

Related: How to improve the Apple Watch"s battery life and Best Apple Watch charging docks

New health sensors

Ahead of its original launch back in April 2015, there was a lot of talk regarding Apple"s plans for the wearable and specifically that it"d be loaded with health sensors. So far that"s not proven to be the case, with heart-rate and activity tracking offering a standard level of fitness tracking, but nothing more. There were reports at the time of launch suggesting that the sensors available at the time just weren"t accurate enough - and no risks can be taken when it comes to health monitoring.

In an interview with The Telegraph in November 2015, Tim Cook hinted that the company may make a medically approved device, but it wouldn"t be the Apple Watch. Cook explained that the disruption that FDA accreditation would cause to the product release cycle ultimately put him off having the Apple Watch vetted for full-blown health use. Although with this being said, it hasn"t completely put him off the idea of building a product for use in the medical world:

"We don"t want to put the watch through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process. I wouldn"t mind putting something adjacent to the watch through it, but not the watch, because it would hold us back from innovating too much, the cycles are too long. But you can begin to envision other things that might be adjacent to it - maybe an app, maybe something else."

As we discussed earlier in this piece, the company may have found a way around the need for FDA approval, by placing these health related sensors in interchangeable straps that can be worn with the watch.

EKG sensor

In December 2017, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on embedding sophisticated EKG technology in the watch itself (which brings back the FDA issue, so this might be one for the Series 5). Whereas the current watch line-up are capable of monitoring present heart activity and collating past data, this feature would make the watch far more capable at predicting upcoming heart-related problems.

Citing "people familiar with the plan", the site said that one version being tested "requires users to squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers [which] then passes an imperceptible current across the person"s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates."

Health-related hires

The company is certainly showing interest in health. In December 2015 and January 2016, Apple posted two listings looking for biomedical engineers with a background in "medical, health, wellness and/or fitness sensors, devices and applications". Although there is no mention of the Apple Watch in the listings, it"s widely assumed that the roles are related to the listing for a fitness software engineering manager, which went up in November and is specifically for the Apple Watch.

BuzzFeed News also reported that over the last three months, Apple has stolen employees from all over the medical field. An example given by the news outlet is Anne Shelchuk, who has a doctorate in biomedical engineering. Shelchuk left the ultrasound software company ZONARE Medical Systems back in November to work with Apple"s health technology team, according to her LinkedIn.

Along with Shelchuk, Apple has reportedly snapped up medical engineer Craig Slyfield, system design engineer Nathan Clark, who has a patent for a device that separates cells, Jay Mung, who worked on sensor algorithms for Medtronic"s continuous glucose monitoring systems and Jennifer Hillier, a former exercise physiologist at the University of California.

The company is said to have been investigating ways in which the watch would be able to "non-invasively monitoring blood glucose", according to a CNBC report, and the company is said to have hired 200 health PhDs to help it innovate in this area. Reports suggest that the next Apple Watch could offer blood sugar monitoring.

Software

Whatever design and features the third-generation Apple Watch sports, we assume it"ll boast watchOS 5. According to the usual schedule this will be announced at WWDC 2018 in June of that year, and released the following autumn.

watchOS 5 will bring a range of new features and interface tweaks to the Apple Watch. These will be optimised to run best on the new Series 4 hardware, but owners of most or perhaps even all Apple Watch models will be able to upgrade and get the new features for free. This may not be the best of ideas in some case, since our original model has slowed down noticeably since upgrading to watchOS 4 and even our Series 2 is not what it used to be.

Tech specs

It"s very early to speculate about the Series 4"s innards, but we"ve heard one credible rumour already:

Liquid crystal polymer antenna

Ming-Chi Kuo has published a report predicting that the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) circuit board tech currently used in the iPhone X and iPhone 8 will be rolled out across the Mac and Apple Watch ranges. In the case of the next watch this will be used in the cellular antenna.

LCP is more resistant to heat and moisture than other technologies, but when used in the antenna it adds the benefits of a more stable frequency signal transmission.

UK price

At time of writing, the Apple Watch Series 3 starts at £399 (with cellular) or £329 (without) in the UK; in the US the equivalent figures are the same, only in dollars.

Depending on how radically Apple rethinks the Series 4, we"d expect pricing to remain the same or almost the same when the new models are released; any previous-generation watches that remain on sale will get a juicy price cut.

You might not have to pay full price for the Apple Watch - here are some Apple Watch deals and our Apple Watch buying guide so you can avoid paying more than you need to.

Best shows on Netflix (December 2017): 60 fantastic Netflix series

Welcome to TechViral’s constantly updated guide to the best shows on Netflix right now. It"s the most authoritative, in-depth guide to the best Netflix series around, offering all the information you need to make sure that you avoid the clangers and get binge-watching the best television shows available on the streaming platform.

[Update: Whether it"s the zany comedy of Rick And Morty, the cold, calculating killers of Mindhunter or the bloodlust of The Punisher you are after, this best shows on Netflix list has it all.] 

We’ve chosen the 60 best Netflix shows that you need to watch. Whether you are into meth-laced dramas (Breaking Bad), talking horses (Bojack Horseman) or fear-inducing dystopias that are far too close for comfort (Black Mirror) there’s something for you on the list.

Want to know more about Netflix"s take on binging? Watch our very own Jon Porter live on the couch discussing his time at Netflix HQ!

Netflix is currently the hottest streaming service on the planet. Not only is it creating fantastic original shows - House of Cards, Orange is the New Black - it is teaming up with the likes of Marvel to adapt famous superheroes for the small screen. And it’s just bought its own graphic novel IP so expect more original comic-book content soon.

It’s also trialling news things, such as the Puss In Boots choose your own adventure show and is a big advocate for 4K and HDR. Oh, and it finally did something it said it never would - allow you to download many of its shows to watch Netflix offline.

It"s fair to say there’s never been a better time to bag yourself a Netflix subscription and binge watch, so get stuck into our gallery and let us know if your favourite show isn"t on the list.