Apple Watch 2 may have a 35% larger battery, suggests new photo leak

A fresh leak on Chinese social media site Weibo of the Apple Watch 2 hints the device may have a 35% larger battery. The battery is reportedly for the 42mm model, which currently runs on a 246 mAh battery.

The leaked photo shows off a 334 milliamp-hour battery for the second-generation Apple Watch. Currently, the 42mm models of the Apple Watch have a 246 milliamp-hour battery capacity. As for the smaller 38mm model, currently equipped with a 205 mAh battery, the leak does not suggest any change.

Although it may be a rumour at this point, the leak follows an earlier report that said the Apple Watch 2 was expected to have a brand new design for an ultra-tiny CPU, which might be an ARM Cortex A32 processor. The A32 promises better battery life with faster performance and lower power usage. It is also expected to incorporate new power management features.

Apart from the battery specs, analysts have predicted some major changes to the unreleased wearable like a 20-40% thinner frame than the current Apple Watch. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also predicted that the Watch 2 will include GPS radio, barometer and waterproofing technology.

A recent patent had hinted that the watch could feature gesture controls making it possible to control the smartwatch with a few quick, specific finger movements including some sign languages. Using the sign language method, the paired iPhone will be able to recognise signs and convert them to spoken or written language.

The Apple Watch is rumoured to be released alongside the iPhone 7 at a September event where the company will also unveil public OTA versions of its operating systems like iOS 10, tvOS, watchOS 3 and macOS Sierra.