APPLE Watch Series 2
Hiren Kumar Bose on the Apple Watch’s latest avatar in ceramic casing, brightest display so far in an Apple device and with handcrafted bands, courtesy Hermés
The Apple Watch Series 2 looks a whole lot like the first-generation Apple Watch, but it’s got a load of internal improvements and a few external ones, too! Its “swim-proof”, meaning it’s water resistant up to 50m.
Interestingly, Apple Watch Series 2 has a speaker that pushes the water out of the speaker when you’ve completed your workout. It’s got a second-generation System in a Package that makes it 50% faster. It’s home to a new GPU for two-times faster graphics and a dual-core processor.
According to Apple the Apple Watch Series 2’s display is the brightest display ever shipped on an Apple device. It means that runners, bikers, et al will finally be able to get in their GPS-tracked workouts without having to bring their phones along with them. It comes in a pearl-like white ceramic case which is four times harder than stainless steel.
As with the maiden Apple Watch this too pairs with the iPhone and sports an all-new user interface. Users can choose between numerous watch faces that will display whenever the watch is lifted upwards for viewing, access a Home screen full of apps, and see notifications pushed from the iPhone. 38mm and 42mm versions are available to accommodate different wrist sizes, the latter at higher prices.
A traditional watch dial on the side of the device has been repurposed as a Digital Crown, allowing you to scroll, zoom, and navigate through apps without covering the display. Light and heavy “Force Touch” inputs are sensed by the Retina display, and the Watch includes haptic feedback capabilities via a “Taptic Engine.” An inductive wireless charging solution based on MagSafe will recharge the watch every night.
Apple Watch includes a collection of sensors that can measure your pulse and other health data, plus fitness apps that can share data with the Health app in iOS 8. Also, the haptic feedback and biometric sensors allow for interesting new messaging features that let users tap and draw to communicate; users can record and send their heartbeats to one another.
As for bands, there are a couple new Hermés bands: a single tour band with a deployment buckle and a double-buckle cuff. With a design process driven entirely by a shared ambition for ultimate beauty and utility, the collection pairs Apple Watch Series 2 with finely handcrafted leather bands in distinctive styles from Hermès, and features exclusive watch face designs inspired by the iconic Clipper, Cape Cod, and Espace Hermès models.
“Ours is a partnership born of parallel thinking and mutual regard — we share similar preoccupations, ever evolving and refining our design,” said Jonathan Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “We are united by the same vision, the uncompromising pursuit of excellence and authenticity, and the creation of objects that remain as relevant and functional as they are beautiful. This is a new step of our attelage (coupling),” said PierreAlexis Dumas, Hermès’ executive vice president, in charge of artistic direction.
The expanded Apple Watch Hermès collection includes a new style — the Double Buckle Cuff in Swift and Epsom calfskin leathers, inspired by an archetypal Hermès sandal design by Pierre Hardy, creative director of Hermès shoes and jewelry, elegantly framing the wrist in new colors including Rose Jaipur, Étoupe, and Bleu Agate. The new Single Tour Deployment Buckle band is a reimagined take on a classic form, pairing the elemental simplicity of Hermès Barénia calfskin leather with the modernity of an Hermès hidden deployment buckle, which opens with a click of two side buttons. The classic Double Tour and Single Tour styles continue for fall in refreshed colours including Anémone.
