When Apple introduced its Watch family of smart-watches back in September, it emphasized that the devices were powered by the S1 system-in-package (SiP), which is completely encapsulated in resin to protect the electronics from the elements, impact, and wear. While Apple did not disclose a lot of information about the S1 SiP, its look reveals that it has an application processor (that integrates dynamic random access memory), a custom NAND flash storage chip, a variety of sensors and special-purpose chips, wireless connectivity as well as various I/O and power ICs (integrated circuits). Apple itself calls the S1 as “an entire computer system on a single chip.”
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At present, nothing particular is known about the capabilities of the S1 SiP, but the fact that it integrates so lot of various hardware blocks indicates that it could be very powerful and feature-rich. Given the fact that the evolution of electronics is very rapid these days, the S1 SiP could power a smartphone several years ago. The problem is that no matter how good the S1 is, the S2 will inevitably be better and will therefore make all S1-based devices outdated once it is released.
According a report from
Forbes, which cites industry insiders, “the case of Apple’s Watch could spring open, and will not be hermetically sealed like the iPhone.” The fact that the device is not hermetically sealed was confirmed by Apple when it said that the Watch is protected against splashes and dust, but is not water-resistant. It is reported that users will be able to remove the S1 SiP and replace it when Apple introduces new system-in-package, which will give the Watch a longer lifespan, critical to buyers of expensive models.
In a bid to ensure future upgradeability, Apple needed to create a platform with a battery, buttons, touch-screen and optical heart rate sensor (that uses infrared and visible-light LEDs and photodiodes to detect one’s heart rate) that was not going to change over time. Technologically, it should not be too hard to do, but the obvious problem is that both battery and display degrade over time, which affects user experience.
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Apple is clearly not a fan of upgrades. Its smartphones and tablets still do not feature card readers and sport batteries that cannot be removed by the end-users. Therefore, it will be a huge surprise if Apple actually allows the end-user to upgrade Watch or Watch Edition timepieces themselves.