This week on AI: Two new Apple Watches, mysterious health gadgets, all-glass iPhones & more

There's no mystery. It's either a medical edition of AW or simply the new version of the watch that everyone gets. A band with such features makes no sense: it stops people spending an AW amount of money, it negates the opportunity to capitalise on AW and make medical cool and cool more powerful. And needing to wear two devices for all the functionality doesn't sound right. No, Apple are researching this stuff and when they are ready AW gains such features. A hydration sensor that can tell you when you need to consume water would be a true innovation and a sensor that reads your blood sugar level in a reliable non-invasive manner would totally transform many people's lives. Which number AW it ends up being is anyone's guess. AW5 would be mine.

ireland said:

A band with such features makes no sense: it stops people spending an AW amount of money, it negates the opportunity to capitalise on AW and make medical cool and cool more powerful.

How so? Why can't the 2nd gen Apple Watch not only have more tech, but also include more options for connecting Smart Bands either from Apple or from 3rd-parties that will help solidify Apple as these de facto smartwatch company because of the vast range of options that will be available, just like wit their 2-year iPhone cycles and mFI program allowing for a huge number of compatible accessories? Why discount an Apple Watch that will be great for someone that will need to go hiking/camping for a week to the person that just wants it warn them if there is a medical issue in which they might suffer? There the opportunities are massive.

ireland said:

There's no mystery. It's either a medical edition of AW or simply the new version of the watch that everyone gets.

I respect your opinion but see things differently.

I think that Apple is exploring "health" in a wide variety of areas (fitness, clinical, etc.) and using a wide variety of form factors (Watch, Phone, etc.). If it makes sense to use Watch as the right form factor for a particular health function, then Apple will... but I don't think that they're constraining themselves to that device. Within 10 years I predict Apple will have multiple health-related wearable form factors; Watch is just installment #1.