Apple Watch Series 7 models are equipped with a new module that enables 60.5GHz wireless data transfer, according to FCC filings viewed by MacRumors, but this functionality may be reserved for Apple's internal use only for now.
The filings indicate that the 60.5GHz module is only activated when the Apple Watch is placed on a proprietary magnetic dock with a corresponding 60.5GHz module, but this dock will likely be reserved for use by Apple employees. For example, it's possible that Apple Stores might use the dock to wirelessly restore an Apple Watch, and if so, it will be interesting to see if Series 7 models still have a hidden diagnostic port for wired connectivity.
The dock has a model number of A2687 and it is powered by a USB-C port, according to the filings, which were first spotted by Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley. The filings were submitted in late August and made available last week.
Here is the FCC label image for the dock:
It's unclear how fast the Apple Watch's wireless data transfer would be, but our understanding is that USB 2.0 speeds up to 480 Mbps might be possible. It's also unclear if the technology will ever be made available as a consumer-facing feature on the Apple Watch or other Apple products in the future, such as a long-rumored portless iPhone.
Apple hasn't announced a release date for the Apple Watch Series 7 yet, and there still isn't a tech specs page for the new models on the company's website. Apple has only said the Series 7 models will be "available later this fall."
For reference, 802.11ad wireless offers 10 Gbps data over 60 GHz wireless, 802.11ay is up to 40 Gbps over the same frequency. Those are called Wigig and offer short range but high speed data and it could replace wired connections if reliable enough.
I wonder what would be the possible use of that. It’s not like Apple Watch stores that much data locally.
The transmission speed has been rumored for a couple of years now for Apple’s AR goggles/glasses because WiFi and Bluetooth are too slow for the amount of date needed. While this is totally expected for the iPhone, which will probably be needed to tether to the glasses, the revelation that the protocol is included in the Apple Watch tells us two things. The glasses may be coming sooner than later (next year probably before September) and that the watch can be used to control the glasses. Note that the glasses may not have multiple methods of communication to hold costs down, so they may have needed to add to the watch to avoid giving the glasses Bluetooth or some other low-speed alternative.
So this is how they are going to add data transfer to MagSafe and ditch the lightning port altogether. Personally I’d rather they just add a stupid C port to the phone already
Tuesday September 14, 2021 12:23 pm PDT by Juli Clover
At today's "California Streaming" event, Apple announced a new USB-C Apple Watch charging puck designed specifically with the Series 7 models in mind.
Priced at $29, the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C cable can charge an Apple Watch Series 7 33 percent faster than the standard Apple Watch charging puck, reaching an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes.We wanted to make charging your...
Tuesday February 8, 2022 8:15 am PST by Joe Rossignol
CalDigit today introduced its new Thunderbolt Station 4 dock with 18 ports, which it claims is the most on any Thunderbolt dock ever.
The dock features three Thunderbolt 4 ports, with one of them providing up to 98W of pass-through charging to compatible Macs, including the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The dock is also equipped with three USB-C ports (3.2 Gen 2), five USB-A ports...
Thursday February 24, 2022 1:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has begun offering additional trade-in savings on the Apple Watch Series 7 when customers upgrade from an earlier model during February, which is Heart Month.
Apple is offering all customers who trade in an Apple Watch this month up to $235 in extra trade-in savings to encourage owners of older Apple Watch models to upgrade to the latest model.
The extra trade-in values apply to...
An Apple Watch has been credited with saving a woman's life after it contacted emergency services when she fell, leading to a lung cancer diagnosis, ABC Action News reports.
71-year-old grandmother Raylene Hackenwerth, from Saint Petersburg, Florida, fell in early March, triggering her Apple Watch's Fall Detection feature. The Apple Watch's Fall Detection feature can tell when a wearer has...
Apple is planning an entire revamp of its Apple Watch lineup for 2022, including an update to the Apple Watch SE and a new Apple Watch with a rugged design aimed at sports athletes, according to respected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
Writing in the latest installment of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said that for 2022, alongside the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple is planning an update to ...
Amazon has returned with all-time low discounts on the Apple Watch Series 7 today, reaching up to $50 off many models of the newest Apple Watch. Compared to other Apple products, the Apple Watch Series 7 remains one of the most consistently discounted devices in Apple's lineup for 2022.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Thursday September 30, 2021 3:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The Apple Watch Series 7 will ship in mid-October with pre-orders to begin "as early as next week," claims leaker Jon Prosser, citing sources "familiar with the release."
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 7 at its September "California Streaming" event alongside the iPhone 13 models, but at the time, said the new Apple Watch would ship later in the fall.
There has been no official...
Thursday October 14, 2021 3:13 pm PDT by Juli Clover
It's Friday, October 15 in New Zealand and Australia, which means it's Apple Watch Series 7 launch day. Customers in that part of the world are always the first to get their hands on new devices due to time zone differences.
Apple Watch Series 7 models are now beginning to arrive to customers who pre-ordered on Friday, October 8, and new Apple Watch owners are sharing photos on Instagram,...
While Apple's early M1-based Macs can only officially support a single external display, there are ways around the limitation. Anker is launching a new 10-in-1 USB-C docking station today which delivers just that.
The Anker 563 USB-C dock includes two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort port, and it leverages DisplayLink to carry multiple video signals over a single connection. Given that this hub...
The Apple Watch Series 8 could feature an all-new design with a flat display, according to the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro."
In his latest video on the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Jon Prosser highlighted information from ShrimpApplePro that suggests the Apple Watch Series 8 could feature a flat display in what seems to be a design originally rumored for the Apple Watch Series 7. ...
Earlier this week, The Information's Wayne Ma outlined struggles that Apple has faced during the development of its long-rumored AR/VR headset. Now, in a follow-up report, he has shared several additional details about the wearable device. Apple headset render created by Ian Zelbo based on The Information reporting For starters, one of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike...
Apple today shared a new ad highlighting iPhone privacy features like App Tracking Transparency and Mail Privacy Protection that are designed to give users more transparency and control when it comes to their personal data being collected.
The ad revolves around a young woman named Ellie who discovers that her personal data is being sold at an auction house, with bids being placed on her...
Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and could see a debut in the not too distant future, reports Bloomberg. Apple has also ramped up development of the software that runs on the headset, with that software expected to be called "RealityOS," or rOS for short. Render via designer Ian ...
Apple on May 16 released iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, bringing improvements for Podcasts and Apple Cash, the ability to see Wi-Fi signal of HomePods, dozens of security fixes, and more.
Top Rated Comments