Apple Watch 2 release date, features, apps and specs
Learn all the latest about Apple's new wearable
Apple Watch 2 Edition
Apple Watch Edition is the top of the range version of Apple's first smartwatch, costing from 8,000 for the 38mm 18-carat rose gold case version with a white fluoroelastomer band, all the way up to 13,500 for the 38mm 18-carat yellow gold case with bright red Modern Buckle and 38mm 18-carat rose gold case with rose grey Modern Buckle.
According to MacRumors, just under 2,000 units of the first version of the Apple Watch Edition were sold online in the US in the first three months it was on sale.
This may seem puny compared to the Apple Watch Sport's 1,950,909 units and Apple Watch's 1,086,569, but bearing in mind the cost and the fact this is purely US sales figures and that there was only a limited number produced, this isn't bad at all. Additionally, the fact the Edition was only available in store at first means a chunk of sales are missing from these stats, as they only cover online purchases.
An Apple Watch 2 Edition is highly likely to make an appearance in September, particularly as Apple is still angling its wearable as a fashion and lifestyle device. What will separate it from the original Edition, other than enhanced specs, would likely be new casing materials, with titanium, palladium and platinum all having been suggested so far.
Special Editions
In January 2016, Apple released a special model of the Apple Watch Sport for the Chinese market ahead of the Chinese New Year. The device features a red fluoroelastomer strap - considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture and also deeply associated with the Chinese New Year - and a choice of silver aluminium or gold aluminium case.
Could we see such special editions in the Apple Watch 2? Potentially, yes, but it's unlikely they will appear straight off the bat.
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Jane McCallion is ITPro's Managing Editor, specializing in data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure. Before becoming Managing Editor, she held the role of Deputy Editor and, prior to that, Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialize in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.
Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.