Apple Watch refresh tipped for March event

Apple plans to unveil the second iteration of its Apple Watch at a March event, a year after its formal launch at San Francisco’s “Spring Forward” gathering, 9to5Mac reports (via Pocketnow). Possibly launching alongside the second-gen Watch could be the long-rumored iPhone 6c, the site added.

Among the changes to the Watch, according to the report, may be the addition of Wi-Fi networking, to reduce the wearable’s dependence on a host iPhone. A user-facing Facetime camera is also allegedly being tested, as are “sleep tracking and health sensor technologies.”

As for the 6c, it is speculated to be a downmarket, smaller model (around 4 inches) in the vein of the iPhone 5c, although it may be housed in a metal, instead of plastic, enclosure. 9to5mac suggests that it will be powered by Cupertino’s A9 microprocessor.

Among the many things observers will be looking at, whenever the next-generation Watch does debut, is Apple’s approach to customers who purchased the luxe gold Watch Edition, a $10,000-and-up accessory with limited technological shelf life. Suggestions that have been floated include everything from offering Edition buyers discounts on an upgrade to actually endowing their existing timepieces with some capabilities of the newer hardware.