An unspecified Apple supplier is planning to move a significant amount of production operations to India, according to The Times of India.
The unnamed Apple contract manufacturer is expected to shift six production lines in total, with the aim of accommodating the export of $5 billion worth of devices from India. Establishment of a new facility for these new Indian production lines is expected to generate employment for around 55,000 workers over the period of a year. It will begin manufacturing iPhones, but may expand to other devices in the coming years.
Apple suppliers Wistron, Pegatron, Foxconn, and Samsung, are all expected to set up production facilities in India. These vendors are expected to be joined by Indian vendors Dixon Lava and Micromax in supplying Apple.
Foxconn announced last month that it was planning to invest as much as $1 billion in India, and has already established its first manufacturing plant in India. Last month, Apple started making iPhone 11 at the Foxconn plant in India. This was the first time a top-of-the-line model was been manufactured in the country.
Many companies are planning to diversify their supply chains in an effort to reduce dependence on China, which has come under increased scrutiny amid the global health crisis and trade war with the United States.
The Indian government has motivated production with the "production-linked incentive" (PLI) scheme, designed to attract companies with large-scale requirements for electronic components and semiconductors. The government has pledged up to six percent of costs of locally produced goods over the next five years. 22 companies from various countries, including Taiwan, South Korea, and Germany, have already applied to the PLI scheme. There have been no applications from Chinese companies. The scheme has already exceeded the government's manufacturing revenue target.
India is the second-largest smartphone market, but Apple has generally struggled to establish a substantial foothold in the country in the past. Apple almost entirely sells China-made devices in India, but increasing local production would take advantage of the government's "Made in India" initiative, which could see Apple save as much as 22 percent on import duties and give it the option to reduce prices. Should Apple's supply chain expansion into India be successful, it may begin using the country as an "export hub."
Apple TV+ today provided a first look at "Long Way Up," an upcoming motorcycle series produced by and starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. The first three episodes will premiere September 18, followed by new episodes weekly.
The series will follow Ewan and Charley as they ride through Latin American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico:
Covering 13,000 miles over 100 days through 16 border crossings and 13 countries, starting from the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America, Ewan and Charley journey through the glorious and underexposed landscapes of South and Central America in their most challenging expedition to date, using cutting edge technology on the backs of their electric Harley-Davidsons - "LiveWire" in order to contribute to the sustainability of the planet.
"Long Way Up" will serve as a sequel to Ewan and Charley's previous motorcycle adventures in "Long Way Round" and "Long Way Down," which aired on British networks Sky One and BBC Two respectively in the mid 2000s.
Panera Bread today announced that it now offers customers 3% Daily Cash when they use the Apple Card with Apple Pay for purchases in the Panera app, on Panera.com, and at its restaurants across the United States.
Panera Bread is the first restaurant to offer 3% Daily Cash, with other participating brands including Apple, Nike, T-Mobile, Uber, Uber Eats, Duane Reade, Walgreens, and Exxon and Mobil gas stations. Daily Cash is automatically added to the Apple Cash card in the Wallet app, or it can be applied as a credit on your Apple Card statement balance.
This news confirms a 3% Daily Cash banner in the Panera app spotted by Appleosophy a few weeks ago. All other merchants offer 2% Daily Cash when using the Apple Card with Apple Pay, while the physical Apple Card provides 1% Daily Cash.
You can get Apple's AirPods with Wireless Charging Case for $139.98 on Amazon this week, down from $199.00. This sale represents a new low price for this model of Apple's 2019 Airpods.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This version includes Apple's Wireless Charging Case for the AirPods, allowing you to refuel the headphones on any Qi-compatible charging mat. AirPods support up to 5 hours of listening time on one charge, and the Wireless Charging Case provides around 24 hours of extra battery life.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
After rumors of a potential deal arose last week, Microsoft has publicly confirmed its intention to purchase TikTok in the United States and several other territories.
The company has outlined its intention to "move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks." The two companies have provided formal notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of TikTok in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets. Microsoft has also entertained the idea of inviting other American investors to participate on a minority basis in the purchase.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke directly to President Donald Trump to discuss the potential purchase, and the President is understood to be personally involved as plans take shape. On Friday night, Trump reportedly said "As far as TikTok is concerned we're banning them from the United States." Trump said at this time that he did not support a deal between ByteDance and Microsoft, but since seems to have changed his position.
TikTok has come under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. government due to security concerns. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which can theoretically be compelled by Chinese law to hand over all collected user data. TikTok gathers a large amount of user data, and has raised considerable worries regarding censorship and privacy.
Microsoft says that it is "committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury." The operating model for TikTok under Microsoft would supposedly be built to ensure transparency to users as well as appropriate security oversight by governments in these territories, adding "world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections."
"Among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok's American users is transferred to and remains in the United States. To the extent that any such data is currently stored or backed-up outside the United States, Microsoft would ensure that this data is deleted from servers outside the country after it is transferred," Microsoft said.
TikTok is continuing to restructure its business operations in the West in an attempt to allay fears. The Sun reports today that the British ministers have approved plans to allow ByteDance to move its headquarters from Beijing to London. The move "risks a major row with Donald Trump," according to The Sun. The United Kingdom is not a jurisdiction included in the potential Microsoft deal, leaving British TikTok users subject to Chinese corporate data laws.
The discussions between ByteDance and Microsoft will reportedly complete no later than September 15. Negotiations are still preliminary, and there is "no assurance" that a deal will proceed. Microsoft has said that it will not provide a further update until there is a definitive outcome.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple has been hit with a $1.4 billion lawsuit by a Chinese artificial intelligence company that alleges Apple violated a patent it owns for a virtual assistant similar to Siri, according to a paywalled Wall Street Journal report.
Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co. said in a statement on Monday it was suing Apple for an estimated 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) in damages in a Shanghai court, alleging the iPhone and iPad maker's products violated a patent the Chinese company owns for a virtual assistant whose technical architecture is similar to Siri. Siri, a voice-activated function in Apple's smartphones and laptops, allows users to dictate text messages or set alarms on their devices.
As part of the lawsuit, Shanghai Zhizhen, also known as Xiao-i, wants Apple to cease "manufacturing, using, promising to sell, selling, and importing" all products that it says infringe on the patent, which was ruled as valid by China's Supreme Court in late June.
Apple didn't immediately respond to WSJ's request for comment.
The patent ruling is the culmination of several court trials between Zhi Zhen and Apple that's been ongoing for nearly a decade. MacRumors first reported on the Chinese AI firm's claim that Siri infringes on its patent rights in March 2013. The claim is specifically in relation to Xiao-i, a chat robot system the Zhi Zhen has been developing since 2003.
The Xiao-i bot began life as a chat bot for MSN and similar networks, but it has since migrated to a number of platforms including Android and iOS, and evolved to look quite similar to Siri. Zhi Zhen applied for the virtual assistant patent in 2004 and it was granted in 2009.
Siri was acquired by Apple in April 2010 under the direction of Steve Jobs, but Apple's first notion of a digital personal assistant was originally a concept video in 1987, called the Knowledge Navigator.
Investor Warren Buffett's stake in Apple has tripled in value to be worth over $100 billion, reports BusinessInsider.
The Berkshire Hathaway CEO spent $35 billion to acquire 250 million Apple shares between 2016 and 2018, according to his 2019 shareholder letter. Buffett has since sold some of his Apple holdings, and at last count owned 245 million shares, worth more than $104 billion.
Apple's third-quarter earnings pushed its stock price up by 10 percent to an intraday all-time high of $425 on Friday, raising its market capitalization to more than $1.8 trillion, making it the world's most valuable company. Both revenue and earnings per share were also June quarter records.
Apple's stock price dropped as low as $224 in March as concerns rose over the global health crisis, but has experienced a strong recovery since then, rising by over 80 percent in the last four months. Many other large tech companies, such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google parent company Alphabet, have experienced similar surges. Apple stock has increased by around 42% this year, growing Buffett's stake by $30 billion in the past seven months alone.
Apple is the largest investment held in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio, and worth more than four times as much as its second-largest holding; a $25 billion stake in Bank of America. Berkshire Hathaway's market capitalization currently sits at about $476 billion, suggesting its 5.7% stake in Apple accounts for more than a fifth of its entire value.
The value of the firm's Apple stake relative to the rest of its portfolio highlights the extent to which investors are increasingly favoring tech companies and neglecting more traditional businesses such as banks and insurers.
Apple last week confirmed that its "iPhone 12" launch will be delayed this year due to the ongoing global health crisis and restrictions on travel. Apple last year started selling iPhones in late September, but this year, Apple projects supply will be "available a few weeks later," suggesting a release sometime in October.
We're expecting a total of four OLED iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes in 2020. It's not clear if all iPhone models in the upcoming lineup will be available later than usual, or if some models will come out first followed by additional models, but a new DigiTimes report today cites supply chain sources suggesting Apple could adopt a phased launch approach.
Apple may launch its 5G iPhones in two stages, with two 6.1-inch models in the first and another two 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in the second, the sources said, adding that suppliers of SLP (substrate-like PCB) mainboards for the former models have recently kicked off shipments, with those for the latter to start in late August.
Shipments of flexible boards for new iPhones will peak some 2-4 weeks later than usual this year, the sources said.
Multiple rumors previously indicated the new iPhone won't launch on time due to development and production delays, as well as reports on delays from Apple suppliers like Broadcom and Qualcomm, but this is the first time we've heard word from the supply chain of a possible phased launch.
Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch iPhone and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag.
All of the iPhones expected in 2020 will use 5G technology, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo also thinks Apple's iPhone 12 models may not come with wired EarPods in the box to drive demand for the company's AirPods and cut down on costs.
As a result of the later phased launch of the new iPhones, Taiwan's PCB makers in the supply chain won't see their shipments peak until the fourth quarter this year, however the makers aren't worried by the delays in volume shipments to Apple, according to DigiTimes.
Apple's "Today at Apple" in-store creative sessions are returning to some retail locations in mainland China, following a pause due to the global health crisis.
Today at Apple will resume at the following nine stores across the country on Monday, August 3, writes Michael Steeber (via 9to5Mac).
The locations all feature Apple's latest store design with a video wall, where sessions will take place. A maximum of three sessions per day are scheduled at each store, and participants can expect changes to the usual session plan.
Sessions requiring headphones have been stricken from the schedule, as have those usually including community-based Walks, which are being replaced with photography and art sessions that abide by social distancing and hygiene rules.
The reintroduction of Labs and Performances by local artists, which often draw crowds, has been delayed. Forum cube seating is spaced further apart, so the maximum number of people at a session will be less than normal. Apple says it will also be disinfecting equipment used after each session.
In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted productivity app "Filter," utilities app "Hue Menu Bar for Philips Hue," and productivity app "TimeBloc" as three apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.
Apps to Check Out
Filter - Website and App Blocker (Mac, Free) - Filter is an app that lets users organize websites and apps to block into customizable lists that feature a duration or end time set by users. Once the blocker has been started, users will be unable to access the selected websites or apps, which can help reduce distractions and maintain focus. Although free to download, Filter's free version only features a blocking time limited to 10 minutes. The app's subscription, which has no limit on blocking time, is available in both monthly and yearly subscription options priced at $2.99 and $19.99 respectively.
Hue Menu Bar for Philips Hue (Mac, $3.99) - Hue Menu Bar lets users control Philips Hue lights directly from the menu bar on a Mac. The app's convenient location allows for easy lighting control without the need to open Apple's native Home app. The app also features the ability to switch between multiple Hue Bridges. In just a click, users are able to turn lights on and off, adjust brightness, change light colors for specific lights or entire groups, and more.
TimeBloc - Daily Planner (iOS, Free) - Productivity app TimeBloc lets users organize daily tasks in a simple manner. TimeBloc's timeline allows users to block their days into events that can be customized with icons and colored tags. Additionally, users can create routines that will seamlessly integrate into the timeline. The app also supports calendar integration, so users can import events directly into the app. TimeBloc is free to download, but advanced notifications, statistics, and the ability to create more than one routine and more than two calendars are limited to subscribers of the app's premium plan that's priced at $26.49 per year.
App Updates
Adobe Photoshop - Adobe this week updated its Photoshop app for iPad with two features that were previously limited to the desktop version of the software: the refine edge brush and the rotate canvas tool. The refine edge brush enables more precise image selection to achieve realistic selections of objects. The rotate canvas tool allows users to rotate a canvas using a two-finger rotation gesture.
Amazon Alexa - Amazon this week unveiled a redesigned Alexa app with a new home screen that features an Alexa button at the top of the screen that encourages users to tap the button or say Alexa to invoke the digital assistant. In addition, suggestions on the home screen are based on how customers have used the app and what Amazon services they take advantage of. The update will be rolling out to users worldwide over the course of the month.
Apple Store - Apple this week updated its Apple Store app with a new "For You" tab that offers easy access to order status, devices, accessory recommendations, services, and more.
Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.
Apple has expanded its partnership with American Airlines, as the airline is now offering free Apple TV+ streaming as an in-flight entertainment option (via The Points Guy).
Only select Apple TV+ shows like "The Morning Show," "Dickinson," and "Defending Jacob" are available for in-flight viewing at the current time. An American Airlines representative confirmed to The Points Guy that the airline will rotate content available from Apple TV+ each month.
Apple last year partnered with American Airlines to offer Apple Music streaming on any American Airlines flight in the United States equipped with Viasat satellite technology with no Wi-Fi purchase required. To access the service in-flight, however, an Apple Music subscription is required.
Aside from now being available as an in-flight entertainment option on American Airlines flights, Apple TV+ is available through the TV app on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as online at tv.apple.com.
A full list of Apple TV+ shows both released and in the works can be found in our Apple TV+ content guide.
Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today posted images of what seems to be a first-generation iPod Touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish.
The Twitter user claims that the iPod Touch prototype pictured has "the same coating as the 2013 Mac Pro." Had the finish been selected for the final product, it also would have been similar to the metallic glossy black finish that was included on the special U2 edition of the fifth-generation iPod in 2006.
The glossy black Mac Pro was announced at WWDC in 2013, with a radical cylindrical re-design. The design proved to be highly divisive, and the device has often been unofficially identified as the "trashcan" Mac Pro.
The first-generation iPod touch was released in September 2007. This prototype device, with no Apple logo on the rear, appears to vary considerably from the final released product. It retains the same plastic cut-out in the top-left corner, 30-pin connector, and lock button. Apple ultimately chose a mirror finish, which was similar to other iPods available at the time. The final mirror finish was criticized for its susceptibility to scratches.
Apple's glossy black finishes have similarly been criticized for durability. Apple warned users that its glossy Jet Black iPhone 7 would see "fine micro-abrasions" with use and instructed concerned customers to use a case, but no similar warning was given about other iPhone 7 colors.
Apple has experimented with glossy black finishes a number of times, such as on the iPhone 3G, Jet Black iPhone 7, and Space Black Apple Watch, in addition to the 2013 Mac Pro. The only remaining Apple device sold in glossy black is the Space Black Apple Watch in stainless steel or titanium.
@DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes.
Apple has asked landlords of its retail stores in the UK for a 50 percent cut to rent, reports The Sunday Times.
If landlords agree to cut rent by up to 50 percent and offer a "rent-free period" of an undisclosed duration, Apple is supposedly offering a considerable lease extension in return. The proposal is understood to relate to stores with several years left to run on their leases, meaning that landlords are not faced with making an immediate decision.
The tactic has reportedly caused "consternation" among property owners. In spite of all Apple retail locations being forced to shut due to the global situation, Apple reported a record $59.7 billion sales increase in the second quarter of 2020 and said that, while stores where closed, online demand for its products was "phenomenal."
The logic behind the request is based on a desire to bring Apple rent rates into line with other UK retailers, many of which have benefited from lower rents as landlords struggled to keep shopping centers occupied. Apple operates 38 retail locations in the UK, all of which shut in recent months. All UK stores have now reopened.
Apple retail outlets are among the most profitable in the industry and their popularity means that landlords tend to be desperate to keep them as a tenant. Apple declined to comment to the The Sunday Times.
Apple on Saturday removed nearly 30,000 apps from its Chinese App Store due to the apps lacking an official license from local regulators, reports Reuters.
The report, which cites data from research firm Qimai, says that 90% of the apps removed were games. The report also mentions that over 2,500 additional apps were removed from the China App Store over the first week of July.
Apple in February gave app developers an initial June 30 deadline to prove they had a license for their games, and the company last month froze updates for thousands of iOS mobile games lacking an official license.
Apple on July 8 reportedly warned developers of app removals should their apps not meet regulatory requirements.
Apple sent a reminder to game developers July 8 about its plans for the removal if they didn’t meet regulatory requirements for payments by the end of the month, Qimai said, citing an email from the iPhone maker.
The removal of apps lacking official licenses is said to come from increasing government pressure on Apple to comply with local regulations that have been in place since 2016.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple in March purchased weather app Dark Sky, and at that time, Dark Sky's developers said that the app's Android version would be discontinued on July 1, 2020. However, instead of shuttering the app on that date, the app's developers announced that the discontinuation would be delayed for another month.
Now that it's August, Android users are no longer able to access the app, and subscribers who were previously active will be receiving a full refund. Dark Sky previously said that its API will continue to function through the end of 2021, but no new API signups are being accepted.
Dark Sky was originally planning to shut down weather forecasts, maps, and embeds available on its website on August 1, but the app's developers today said that weather forecasts and maps on the Dark Sky website will remain active for the time being.
Apple has again extended its Apple Card COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program by a month, which will allow cardholders who apply for aid to defer their August payments without incurring interest charges.
Enrolling in the program can be done by opening up the Wallet app on the iPhone or iPad, tapping on Apple Card, tapping on the black circle with three dots, tapping on the message bubble, and then sending a message that states "I want to enroll in the Customer Assistance Program."
Confirmation of enrollment is sent to the email address associated with an Apple ID. Apple Card purchases will need to be paid off in the future, but the balance does not accrue interest when participating in the program.
Apple has been offering the Apple Card COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program since March, and has extended it each month as the coronavirus continues to impact Apple Card customers.
Apple sends emails about the Customer Assistance Program when sending monthly statement balances. A support document with more details has been updated with the August extension.
Another busy week of Apple news and rumors has wrapped up, with a lot of focus on Tim Cook's appearance at a Congressional antitrust hearing and a blockbuster earnings report.
We continued to hear rumors about the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, including a rare admission from Apple that the lineup will launch "a few weeks later" than usual. We also put together some scaled images that will let you see how small the new 5.4-inch screen size will seem for those considering Apple's upcoming compact flagship iPhone option.
Read on below and check out our video above for details on these stories and more from the past week!
Just How Small Will the 5.4-Inch iPhone 12 Screen Be? Try It Out for Yourself
Apple's iPhone 12 lineup coming later this year is strongly rumored to include a new smaller model with a 5.4-inch display that will result in the most compact overall device size in many years.
But for users on any of Apple's more recent flagship phones, will that screen size be too tiny to consider? We decided to find out and created scaled images of what the iPhone home screen will look like on the smaller screen so you can try it out for yourself using your current phone!
In other iPhone 12 news and rumors this week, we saw leaked photos of the alleged 5.4-inch displays and the RAM portion of the main A14 chip that will power the iPhone 12 models.
Apple also announced a four-for-one stock split that will take place at the end of the month, bringing the company's share price down to around $100 after it broke through the $400 mark following the earnings report.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Testifies in U.S. Antitrust Hearing
While Cook was spared some of the grilling focused on the other executives, he still faced a number of questions about Apple's policies and actions while documents released as part of the hearing revealed additional tidbits.
During the hearing, Cook argued that Apple treats App Store developers fairly and that there is an abundance of options in a "street fight for market share in the smartphone business." He was also questioned about parental control apps and Apple's Screen Time feature, as well as the recent "Hey" email app controversy.
In other documents shared by the committee, it was revealed that Apple back in 2011 considered increasing its commission on some subscription apps to 40% from the usual 30%, while in 2016 Apple considered halving its commission for Amazon in order to get an Amazon Prime Video app on the App Store.
Battery Likely for Upcoming MacBook Air Spotted in Certification Listings
We're expecting the MacBook Air to be one of the first Macs to make the transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon later this year, and regulatory certifications for a new battery that looks to be for the MacBook Air have recently appeared online.
We don't know the timing of a release for the MacBook Air, but the Apple Silicon version is expected before the end of the year. Meanwhile, leaker Jon Prosser says an updated iMac should launch in August, attempting to tamp down some rumors from last weekend that a debut was imminent.
Apple Patent Suggests Two iPads Could Be Connected Together for Notebook-Style Computing
A pair of patents revealed this week shed some light on some interesting work Apple is doing, but it's hard to say whether any of the technology will make its way into future products. The first patent covers a dock accessory that would let two tablet devices like iPads be connected together to operate similarly to a notebook computer.
The second involves headphones that use a hybrid audio system that combines traditional air-based audio transmission with bone conduction, avoiding some of the drawbacks of regular bone conduction audio implementations.
macOS Catalina 10.15.6 appears to have a significant bug affecting virtualization software like VMware and VirtualBox. The bug results in repeated crashes when trying to run virtual machines and it looks like it will require a fix from Apple to address it.
In the meantime, users are urged to avoid upgrading to 10.15.6, or at least shut down virtual machines when not in use and reboot frequently to try to avoid the crashes.
Slack developer Felix Rieseberg transformed an entire 1991 Macintosh Quadra with Mac OS 8.1 into a single Electron app, including several apps and games from a 1997 demo CD.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Certification for a 1.17Wh battery with a capacity of 303.8mAh was issued on June 23 by the KTR, a Korean regulatory body that approves and tests new hardware ahead of public sale.
The battery seems to be destined for a future Apple Watch, given the shape, capacity, and model number of A2327. The current Apple Watch Series 5 has a 296mAh battery, a similar model number of A2181, and is visually identical. The battery is also listed in the filing as for "fitness," which would be an appropriate categorization for Apple Watch.
A larger 303.8mAh in a new Apple Watch would offer a larger capacity than in previous generations. This could be facilitated by the removal of the Force Touch technology layer, which was made defunct in WatchOS 7. Without this component in future Apple Watches, internal space could be made available for a slightly larger battery.
Apple claims that Apple Watch Series 5 offers an 18 hour battery life, but since this new battery is only slightly larger, it would be unlikely for the Series 6 battery life to be considerably better. Any significant battery life improvements would be more likely to come from improved power efficiency rather than a larger battery.
Earlier this week, it was rumored that Apple Watch Series 6 could feature blood oxygen monitoring, which could consume more power and account for the need for a larger battery.
Apple Watch Series 6 models are expected for a fall launch, and are rumored to feature faster performance, better water resistance, and improved wireless transmission for faster Wi-Fi and cellular speeds.