It is rumored that Apple is about to release a new smartwatch this year. The Apple Watch Series 4 is expected to introduce new features and and a design improvement over the 2015 classic version. Although, users have been more concerned whether Apple will finally allow third-party individuals to develop their own watch faces for the Apple Watch.
If the latest unearthed code from the watch OS 4.3.1 update is any indication, the upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 could finally offer support to third-party developers to use their own watch skins and design. As reported by 9to5Mac, a certain line of code in the watchOS update states "this is where the 3rd party face config bundle generation would happen."
At this point, only Apple is the provider of available watch faces for the smartwear. Some of the usual watch faces for the Apple Watch are the simple analogue clock and digital faces. There is also a special Apple Watch face featuring a more advanced Siri home screen, wherein the device information are displayed. Other watch faces that feature popular media contents from Pixar, Disney, Nike and Hermes are also available, but these are still provided by Apple.
An earlier prediction for the Apple Watch Series 4 suggests that the smartwear will receive extended battery life, as well as a larger display. It is not known how the smartwatch will get longer battery life, although it is likely that the device will use bigger battery cell compared to the previous model. As for the display, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the Apple Watch Series 4 will sport a "more trendy form factor design." The increase in screen size could go as high as 15 percent, thus making the current 38mm and 42mm size variants reach 1.54-inch and 1.76-inch measurements, respectively.
The Apple Watch Series 4 is also tipped to highlight more advanced health-focued apps. Some of the rumored new medical features inclde an embedded EKG module and a non-invasive glucose monitor. More details will be revealed in the coming months as the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) inches closer, in which Apple is expected to announce its latest hardware line-up for 2018.
