Did Apple just announce their plan B?

The Apple Watch series 7 was not what we expected. So many recent rumours from trusters rumour rousers were way off the mark and the new devices bear practically no resemblance to what we have available to buy.

I say available to buy, but all we know is that the series 7 is ‘coming later this fall’ which suggests that the rumours of production delays were true. The rumours of smaller bezels were also true, but almost everything else was incorrect which makes me wonder if Apple just announced a plan B device in place of the slab sided mockups which are actually the series 8?

Either the slab sided mockups were deliberately leaked to put people off the scent or they were made up elsewhere and happened to gain traction, or as I said Apple had to scramble because they could not create it in time. A production delay could also be evidence of Apple switching back to an interim design late in the cycle, but who knows for sure?

The bigger screen is nice to have, the faster charging is useful and the improved app designs in some areas will be helpful, but WHY IS THE BATTERY LIFE STILL THE SAME AS IN THE SERIES 6?

In a world where almost every other smartwatch measures battery life in days or weeks having to charge an Apple Watch every single day is starting to feel like a fault rather than a feature that could be improved. It is the one aspect of the Apple Watch that really annoys me and it is the singular reason why my wife does not use one anymore. She simply cannot get through a longer run (half to full marathon) using GPS, music and tracking, and this is why she uses Garmin. Otherwise it would be the Apple Watch all the way for her.

So, the series 7 will be skipped by me simply because of the battery. If Garmin brings 4G and a better screen the fenix I am gone in an instant.

If I find time I will write something about the new iPhone and iPads tomorrow.