Apple Watch 7 has a secret wireless module, which cannot be used
Apple Watch 7 has a secret wireless module
It runs at 60.5 GHz, but can only be used for internal purposes: does it anticipate the iPhone project without ports?
(Photo: Apple) Among the novelties of the new Apple Watch 7 there is a module wireless that works at 60.5 GHz able to communicate with a secret dock for wireless data transfer, but the user is not able to exploit it: it is in fact deposited for an unspecified internal use. Its existence was found in the technical documentation relating to the seventh generation of the Californian smart watch.As reported by MacRumors, in fact, reference is made to the presence of the secret dock within the deposited files at the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) or the Federal Communications Commission. In the description you can read how the module is activated only when Apple Watch 7 is placed on a proprietary magnetic dock capable of communicating at 60.5 GHz. There are no photos of the dock, you can only know from the files that it is powered via usb type-c and that it is recognized by the acronym A2687, as specified in the documentation that was filed last August, but which was published in the past few hours.
(Photo: Fcc via MacRumors) What can this tool not available for use by the user do? It is possible that this is a communication system reserved for diagnostics, which could be useful when taking the smartwatch to assistance, for example to try to correctly reset the device in the event of a malfunction. In this sense, it could replace the classic wired connection that is usually used by manufacturers for this purpose.
The wireless data transfer to the secret dock should reach a speed similar to that of the USB 2.0 standard ie 480 mbps. Will it be possible to exploit the module for consumer use? Difficult, but it could be Apple itself to make this communication usable in the future, especially in view of the possible project of the iPhone without ports that will recharge the battery via MagSafe - hot topic after the decision of the EU on the single standard - and will transfer data. wireless in a fast and stable way.
In the meantime, all that remains is to wait for the precise release date of Apple Watch 7, which for now has been made official together with the iPhone 13, but which will be kept waiting for a few more week.
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You’re not allowed to use the Apple Watch Series 7’s secret wireless dock
The Apple Watch Series 7 has a new 60.5GHz module that works with a secret, corresponding dock, according to FCC filings (via MacRumors). The new wireless data transfer feature is designed to pair with a corresponding dock that Apple will use for currently unknown internal purposes. When the Series 7 watch is placed on that pad, it’ll activate the module — customers won’t actually be able to use it.
Now, this is technically nothing new for the Apple Watch, which has included a hidden physical diagnostic port since its inception. Without actually seeing an Apple Watch Series 7 in person (and checking to see if Apple is removing the physical port), it’s hard to say whether this is some new, nascent Apple technology or just a more convenient method for running hardware diagnostics for Genius Bar employees.
But the news comes just as the European Commission has announced plans to require all smartphone manufacturers to exclusively use USB-C ports on their devices in an effort to reduce e-waste. Combined with existing rumors that Apple has plans to remove all the ports on its iPhones — something that would be a more pressing concern if Apple was looking to sidestep the new EU proposal — and there’s been a lot of theorizing around the new 60.5GHz tech.
The argument is that Apple could potentially be looking to incorporate the new wireless data transfer technology into its existing charging standards, like MagSafe, on a future iPhone, selling a proprietary dock that enables wireless data transfer to a linked computer to replace a physical Lightning cable.
It’s a theory that has some merit; the port-less iPhone rumors have been around for a while, and they come from the generally accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It’s hard to imagine Apple giving in and suddenly offering a USB-C iPhone that would circumvent both its MFi licensing fees and its control over its most important (and lucrative) devices.
That said, the timing is probably a little too convenient here; it seems highly unlikely that Apple was working to lay the groundwork for a replacement standard that would slot neatly into a port-less iPhone, revealed on the exact day that the EU standard was announced.
There are also plenty of past internal Apple features that have similarly never come to fruition for any compelling consumer use. There’s the aforementioned Apple Watch diagnostic port, which has lain dormant for half a decade now despite dreams of battery life-extending bands and other accessories. Or, consider the Apple TV’s hidden USB-C or Lightning ports, which can’t even accomplish a task as simple as charging an Apple TV remote after all these years.
Then again, one never does know with Apple. If the company is looking to ditch charging ports — due to EU rules or its own whims — then it’s possible the new 60.5GHz module is a first look at how Apple will attempt to accomplish it.
