With the upcoming unveiling of Samsung’s Gear Fit 2 Pro at IFA, its rival company isn’t holding back as Apple is set to unveil its LTE-enabled Apple Watch 3 in September. The new Apple smartwatch, which will likely be called Apple Watch Series 3, will be unveiled alongside the much-hyped Apple iPhone 8.
Specifications and features
According to MacRumors, well-known KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo stated that the third-generation Apple smartwatch will likely not support phone calls. He added that although it is feasible that Apple will be adding a voice service to replace its call functionality, Apple should first work on refining its data transmission.
With that said, there’s a possibility that the traditional call feature will not be present. Although this is the case, the most accurate Apple analyst did not deny the possibility of the smartwatch supporting VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services such as FaceTime and Skype calling. Furthermore, CNBC reported that the Apple Watch 2’s successor will likely house an eSIM, and may not be supported by all mobile carriers or operators. Rumor has it that only major carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will be able to sell the third-generation LTE-enabled Apple Watch.
Digging deep into its specs, Kuo stated that Apple may still be using Qualcomm’s chipsets due to its superiority over Intel chips.
The popular analyst also reiterated that the Cupertino-based company has no plans to create an Android app for the upcoming watch.
Apple’s other investments and partnerships
Just like Samsung, Apple is also fond of investing. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Cupertino-based multinational technology company will venture into Hollywood by investing $1 billion into producing and acquiring original TV content next year.
An unnamed source from the publication said that the MacBook-maker will likely compete with HBO.
The iPhone-maker's budget seems substantial, but based on the spending of other popular platforms such as Amazon, HBO, and Netflix, the budget isn’t really enough. According to The Verge, Netflix is expected to spend over $6 billion this year, while HBO spent approximately $2 billion last year. Looking at the numbers, shows like “Game of Thrones” reportedly cost as much as $10 million an episode, while other genres such as comedy cost less, at around $2 million per episode.
