More than a year has passed since the Apple Watch was released and attention is turning to the next wearable the tech giant has in store.
analysts reckon more than 12 million watches have been shifted so far, which would make Apple the market leader in the smartwatch sector – despite grumbles from some that the device has been a flop.
We’re expecting to see a second generation device at some stage this year – possibly even in the middle of June – and the Apple Watch 2 rumour mill is in full swing. So what will Apple introduce to silence the critics? 
Design
The first note, issued by Apple analyst Brian White, of Wall Street firm Drexel Hamilton, makes for the most exciting reading. He believes the next wearable could be “20 per cent to 40 per cent thinner”.
However, a contrasting report by Ming Chi-Kuo, who is renowned for his accuracy, says fans should not expect a big design overhaul.
The watch will adopt the same upgrade cycle as the iPhone, he says, with “S” models simply featuring hardware updates released in alternate years to the major developments. As such, he believes the Apple Watch 2 will come with very minor design changes, but will boast brand new specs underneath.
Hardware and new features
One of the biggest hardware additions could be the inclusion of a FaceTime camera, a rumour that has been peddled as far back as last June. 9 to 5 Mac says a small camera capable of recording video could be embedded into the top bezel, allowing wearers to answer calls from their wrists.
Pocket Lint cites rumours that the watch will get a faster wi-fi chipset to handle more data transfer and make for more accurate location services. A bigger battery made possible through a thinner display could also be on the cards.
However, one of the biggest rumoured features is cellular connectivity, with improved functions when the watch isn’t paired to an iPhone.
Users would have to pay for a data plan, but Apple Watch would be able to receive messages away from a wi-fi connection and without being paired to an iPhone, alongside a host of other features, such as GPS functions and streaming Apple Music.
Software
Trusted Reviews say it’s likely the Apple Watch 2 could come with a brand new iteration of the firm’s watch operating system. WatchOS 2 launched in September 2015, so expecting WatchOS 3 at some point this year isn’t radical. The site adds that our first look at the new system could come at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference next month.
Apple has also hinted at the future of its software, issuing a blog post in April telling developers that from 1 June, all Watch apps submitted to the App Store must be native – created for the Watch and the Watch only, rather than built with iPhone support in mind.
Reveal
Some of the earliest Apple Watch 2 rumours centred on a reveal at some point early in 2016 -specifically April, given that the first watch, which was introduced alongside the iPhone 6 in September 2014, hit stores the following April.
Apple did pencil in a keynote event for that month, but the device did not emerge. Instead, we were treated to the iPhone SE and a 9.7ins iPad Pro.
