Apple Watch 2 Rumors: Device To Be 40 Percent Thinner, May Debut At WWDC 2016

If new rumors are correct then the forthcoming Apple Watch 2 will focus more on internal upgrades rather than external changes. Apple analyst Brian White of the firm Drexel Hamilton has released a pair of release notes highlighting his upcoming Apple Watch and iPhone expectations through the end of 2016.

White predicts that the Apple Watch could be refreshed within the next two or three months. He believes the device will be 20 to 40 percent thinner than the first model and could be unveiled in June at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference or WWDC, which takes place between June 13 through the 17.

According to MacRumors, White's research notes say:

"Finally, we walked away with the sense that the Apple Watch refresh will not occur in September with the iPhone 7, but is more likely to occur within the next 2-3 months, and thus we believe an unveiling at WWDC in June makes sense. We believe Apple Watch 2 could be 20-40% thinner than the current Apple Watch."

The device did not show up during Apple's "Let Us Loop You In" event in March, which saw the introduction of the iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro, as expected. With the March event now behind us, multiple sources have reported that the next-generation Apple Watch could debut around September. This could be possible as the first generation wearable was announced in early September 2014 and launched late April 2015.

A few reports line up with this new timeframe. A report from G for Games said Quanta would begin trial production of the Apple Watch 2 by the end of that month. While a November 2015 report said Taiwan-based supplier Quanta was developing the Apple Watch 2 in time for a late second-quarter launch.

Meanwhile, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released his own research notes, which conflict with White's report. Essentially, Kuo states that the 2016 Apple Watch 2 will see some under-the-hood spec improvements and possibly minor form factor changes, while fans will have to wait until 2017 for a massively redesigned wearable from Apple.

Whether the next-generation Apple Watch is introduced in June or September, it appears that Apple may be stretching out the watch's release cycle.