Apple Watch Series 2 review: Fitness first
As the Apple Watch continues to polarise opinion, Apple has released a new version of the smartwatch which hopes to address many of the concerns of the first outing. It's called the Apple Watch Series 2.
The new watch features a much greater focus on fitness; it's a device that tries to bridge the void between a basic fitness tracker, like products from Fitbit, and a full-blown dedicated sportswatch, such as those from Garmin.
Does the Series 2's shift towards fitness, with its inclusion of built-in GPS tracking and water-resistance for swimming, pay off? Is there enough new to appeal to those who couldn't fathom why they should buy the original model in the first place?
Apple Watch Series 2 review: Design
When it comes to looks, the Watch Series 2 is virtually identical to the original. It comes in the same two sizes (38mm and 42mm), features a rectangular display, a digital crown control, and a single button on the side.
The straps available for the first Apple Watch still fit the Series 2 and, if you're an upgrader, you'll notice nothing different in terms of the look and feel on your wrist. We like the square design, and some of the new watch faces being introduced in the latest WatchOS 3 operating system now make much better use of the space available to them compared to some of the first iterations.
For 2016 the Apple Watch range has changed slightly, too, now offering a few more partnerships to appeal to different users. That ludicrously expensive £10,000 gold Apple Watch has been retired, and in its place a slightly more affordable glossy white ceramic model - which has been buffed for over two hours, of course - sits in the range, costing a mere £1,249-£1,299 instead. Still not exactly a bargain, but it does look nice. There are also new Hermes models with exclusive straps and watch faces. And pushing the fitness angle even further there's a dedicated tie-in with Nike, which comes with a very holey, and therefore flexible, strap, along with two bold watch faces that use the Nike design language and iconography.
The latter will be available slightly later in the year, in October. Aside from the exclusive watch faces and straps, there is no difference in technology between all the different models. An owner of the Hermes edition gets exactly the same on-the-wrist experience as the owner of the Nike Watch+ version. Nike has confirmed that the Nike Watch app will be available to all on release, whichever Watch you buy. Apple Watch Series 2 review: Upgrades It might look the same, but virtually everything inside the Series 2 has been upgraded or changed compared to the original. There is a more capacious battery (that's why the Series 2 is around 1mm thicker - but you won't notice), there is a brighter screen, there is a faster processor, and there is GPS. The Series 2 is also completely water-resistant down to 50m. And while Apple is clearly not expecting you to dive to Advance Padi levels with the Watch, it is designed to withstand the pressures of swimming.
Faster processor Apple claims the new S2 Watch processor is 50 per cent faster than the original, too, and that is certainly noticeable in the speed at which apps can load. From a cold start they can still take a few seconds, but if you've got them in your "dock" then they load instantly. Load times are nowhere near as long as they were on the first Apple Watch, and the days of the screen going blank before the app had even loaded are now a thing of the past. Brighter screen As the Watch Series 2 is expected to be used under water or on a run, it now sports a much brighter screen - two times brighter, in fact.