Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 6, introducing a revolutionary Blood Oxygen feature that offers users even more insight into their overall wellness. Apple Watch Series 6 delivers many notable hardware improvements, including a faster S6 System in Package (SiP) and next-generation always-on altimeter, along with its most colorful lineup yet, featuring a beautiful palette of new case finishes and bands. watchOS 7 brings Family Setup, sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, new workout types, and the ability to curate and share watch faces, encouraging customers to be more active, stay connected, and better manage their health in new ways.
“Apple Watch Series 6 completely redefines what a watch can do,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “With powerful new features, including a Blood Oxygen sensor and app, Apple Watch becomes even more indispensable by providing further insight into overall well-being.”
Blood Oxygen Sensor and App
Apple Watch Series 6 expands the health capabilities of previous Apple Watch models with a new feature that conveniently measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood, so they can better understand their overall fitness and wellness. Oxygen saturation, or SpO2, represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body, and indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.
To compensate for natural variations in the skin and improve accuracy, the Blood Oxygen sensor employs four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs, along with the four photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch, to measure light reflected back from blood. Apple Watch then uses an advanced custom algorithm built into the Blood Oxygen app, which is designed to measure blood oxygen between 70 percent and 100 percent. On-demand measurements can be taken while the user is still, and periodic background measurements occur when they are inactive, including during sleep. All data will be visible in the Health app, and the user will be able to track trends over time to see how their blood oxygen level changes.
Apple is joining forces with researchers to conduct three health studies that include using Apple Watch to explore how blood oxygen levels can be used in future health applications. This year, Apple will collaborate with the University of California, Irvine, and Anthem to examine how longitudinal measurements of blood oxygen and other physiological signals can help manage and control asthma.
Separately, Apple will work closely with investigators at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University Health Network, one of the largest health research organizations in North America, to better understand how blood oxygen measurements and other Apple Watch metrics can help with management of heart failure. Finally, investigators with the Seattle Flu Study at the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine and faculty from the University of Washington School of Medicine will seek to learn how signals from apps on Apple Watch, such as Heart Rate and Blood Oxygen, could serve as early signs of respiratory conditions like influenza and COVID-19.
Design and Performance
Apple Watch Series 6 improves performance through redesigned hardware that packs even more features and power into the same impressively small design. Using a new dual-core processor based on A13 Bionic in iPhone 11, the upgraded S6 SiP runs up to 20 percent faster, allowing apps to also launch 20 percent faster, while maintaining the same all-day 18-hour battery life. Additionally, Apple Watch Series 6 features the U1 chip and Ultra Wideband antennas, which will enable short-range wireless location to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys. Apple Watch Series 6 offers faster charging, completing a full charge in under 1.5 hours, and improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs.
An enhanced Always-On Retina display on Apple Watch Series 6 is up to 2.5 times brighter than Apple Watch Series 5 outdoors when the user’s wrist is down, making it much easier to see a watch face in bright sunlight. When their wrist is down, the user can also now access Notification Center and Control Center, tap on complications, and swipe to change faces without having to wake their watch screen.
Always-On Altimeter
The always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks. This feature allows for the detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of 1 foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.
Apple Watch Collection
This fall, customers have more choices than ever with stunning new cases and bands to suit every style preference. For the first time, a new blue color joins the silver, space gray, and gold aluminum case options, along with a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch with exclusive matching bright red bands. Stainless steel models are now available in graphite — a rich gray-black hue with a striking high-shine finish — and an updated classic yellow gold color. Apple Watch Edition is available in natural and space black titanium.
Three all-new band styles offer customers innovative options that provide a tailored and comfortable fit without traditional clasps or buckles. In an industry first, the ultralight Solo Loop introduces a continuous and stretchable band design that comes in two materials: soft silicone and braided yarn. A special UV treatment process used on the soft silicone of the Solo Loop creates a smooth, silky finish, while a precision-braiding machine interweaves the 16,000 polyester yarn filaments, made of 100 percent recycled material, with ultrathin silicone threads, giving unique stretchability and a distinct look to the Braided Solo Loop. To ensure the best fit, a new sizing system offers nine available lengths for the Solo Loop styles. The first-of-its-kind Leather Link wraps elegantly around the wrist, effortlessly attaching on the other side with flexible molded magnets.
Apple Watch Nike now comes with new colors for the Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop, and a new Nike Compact watch face allows for multiple Nike Run Club complications. Apple Watch Hermès offers stainless steel cases in silver or space black paired with Single or Double Tour styles in an assortment of vibrant new colors. The fall collection also unveils the Hermès Attelage Single Tour and slimmer Attelage Double Tour bands, which feature a refined connection to the case that reflects the brand’s equestrian heritage, and a new Hermès Circulaire watch face that offers increased options for complications.
watchOS 7
With watchOS 7, customers can take personalization to the next level with seven new watch face options, including Stripes, Chronograph Pro, GMT, and Artist, while curating, discovering, and sharing new watch face configurations with others. New health and fitness features, including low-range VO2 Max, sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workout types, can help users better understand overall well-being. Conveniently accessible on the wrist, Maps includes cycling directions and Siri offers language translation.
Family Setup and Optimized Features for the Entire Family
Family Setup in watchOS 7 extends Apple Watch to the entire family by allowing kids and older family members of the household who do not have an iPhone to benefit from the connectivity, safety, and fitness features of Apple Watch. Kids can take advantage of communication and personalization capabilities, access Emergency SOS at any time, enjoy an Activity rings experience that has been optimized just for them, and utilize a new mode called Schooltime, which can help them stay focused and attentive while learning at home or in the classroom.
watchOS 7 also offers optimized features for older adults, starting with a simplified onboarding and configuration process, along with a refreshed X-Large face that shows the time and a rich complication at a glance. Older adults can also benefit from a new Health Checklist in the Health app on iPhone, which offers the ability to track whether health features like fall detection have been enabled in one centralized view.
Pricing and Availability
• Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499.
• Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 27 other countries and regions.
• Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 21 other countries and regions. For carrier availability, visit apple.com/watch/cellular.
• Apple Watch Nike is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and more than 27 other countries and regions. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-watch-nike or nike.com/applewatch.
• Apple Watch Hermès is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US and more than 14 other countries and regions. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-watch-hermes or hermes.com/applewatchhermes.
• New Apple Watch bands are available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop in (PRODUCT)RED will be available in late October. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are compatible with Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
• watchOS 7 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on September 16, and requires iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14. Not all features are available on all devices.
• When customers buy directly from Apple, Apple Watch Studio gives them the exclusive opportunity to pick their preferred case and band combination to create a look that is uniquely their own.
• Customers looking for convenient, contactless service are able to find many of the same shopping and support services from apple.com. Customers can chat with an
Apple Specialist and get shopping help, choose monthly financing options, trade in eligible devices, and get Genius support and no-contact delivery. In-store pickup is also available. Customers are encouraged to check apple.com/retail for more information on the health and safety measures in place, and the services available at their local store.
• Customers in the US can trade in their eligible device for an Apple Gift Card or credit toward their purchase. If the device is not eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free.
• Three months of Apple Fitness+ are included for customers who purchase Apple Watch Series 3 or later starting September 15, 2020. This extended trial is available for a limited time.
• Customers in the US who buy directly from Apple can choose Apple Card Monthly installments to pay for their Apple Watch over 24 months, interest-free, and get 3 percent Daily Cash back all upfront. Customers who choose to pay in full with their Apple Card also get 3 percent Daily Cash back.
• Customers can extend their limited warranty with AppleCare+ and get accidental damage coverage and 24/7 priority access to technical support.
• Customers who buy Apple Watch directly from Apple can enjoy a free Online Personal Session with an Apple Specialist to help them explore and discover all the amazing things they can do with their new Apple Watch.
• In line with Apple’s commitment to the environment, there are industry-leading amounts of recycled content in Apple Watch Series 6, with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the Taptic Engine, nearly 100 percent recycled tungsten throughout the product, and a 100 percent recycled case on aluminum models. Apple is also helping the environment by removing the AC adapter that could become electronic waste from Apple Watch Series 6 packaging, and helping its Apple Watch manufacturing partners transition to renewable energy.
I really miss Steve Jobs.. and the times of Phil Schiller, Scott Forstal.
Don’t get me wrong, Nothing against diversity but apple presentation fells like they are trying to fill the quota only. They already had a diverse group of people, even more, a Mexican (Carlos Slim) was one of their biggest shareholders. Advances in apple are not as awesome as before.
1000% agree~! Keynotes under Steve were smart, exciting and of course, surprising. Who can’t forget the genius, the showmanship, when he pulled that tiny iPod Nano out of that mysterious small pocket of a jean? Or just seconds when he was teasing of the announcement of the iPhone? Apple will never be the same. Specially under SJW, Virtual Signaler Virtuoso, Climate Cult Priest.. Timmy. To this date, seeing him on the keynotes makes my stomach revolts when he tries to be “funny”, or when he pukes the over-saturated “we’re thrilled” (which now is a requirement to be mentioned in the script of everyone). The only one I can stand is Federighi…
Maybe you’re not part of the audience that Apple wants to do business. You should consider making your own computers and social media stuff so you can be as exclusive and unwelcoming as you want to be.
So you believe in diversity of everything…except thought?
How progressive!
Towertone puts words in other’s mouths.
Nobody is going to argue Jobs wasn’t an effective pitch man, but Apple is no longer the underdog trying to convince Windows users to try Macs.
Timmy is trying to sell Apple subscriptions and sealed battery gadgets to people all over the world. Jobs couldn’t make subscriptions any more attractive now than when he tried pushing MobileMe. Subscriptions are about as sexy as watching paint dry. It doesn’t matter who pushes it. Tim was at least smart enough to let others do much of the talking.
Truth is, most senior management at Apple has been mailing it in for years. Eddie, Phil, Tim, and so on are more interested in extracurriculars. So in a pathetic attempt to distract potential customers that Apple is just like every other huge corporation run by out of touch rich old white men, the marketing department had to humanize its appearance. To appeal to people of different colors, creeds, languages, opinions, and resources – Apple tries to show they have people that appear to have diverse backgrounds.
That’s a lot more than can be said for the MDN commenters that keep buying Apple stuff and cheering stock overvaluations but bitch endlessly about Apple not being the cute little company it was decades ago. If you want to hear how great design ideas you could buy from a washed up old Apple exec, you might want to join a Jony Ive blog and check out his next xmas tree design.
Or does old white guy Towertone think that the future of Apple is best served by having the Ghost of Steve Jobs deliver all the product announcements?
I never said anything about Jobs, Cook, diversity, design nor market.
So who’s putting words in other’s mouths and a foot in their own?
Typical dumb-fuckin lefty who can’t understand the written word so he has to make up a straw man argument to win the battle that’s only in his head.
And hiding behind your changing name gives you even less credablity.
Judging from that idiotic nick of yours, I’m sure you are one prime specimen of the disturbed, mentally challenged, recent generation who do not accept opinions that are different. I have ALL the right to criticize current Apple’s leadership even though I am not an investor, but a customer for the last 20 years. Investing THOUSANDS of dollars several iPods, iPhones, Macs and services.
I wont be surprise if you were a child while Steve was running Apple.
No…. but all leftists are brainless simpletons. And this white male doesn’t give a crap about your diversity. Go segregate.
You guys realize that the design of the Apple Watch is effectively identical to Series 1. How can a tech company like this get away with that. 5 years with no real design change. I have the Series 5 Nike edition and HATE IT. The only thing stopping me from not wearing it is the 2-3 features that I use it for, which is to stream music to bluetooth earbuds in the gym and track fitness. And telling the time. That’s about it. It has a fatal flaw for me: the digital crown. It presses against my wrist when I’m exercising e.g., doing squats… and puts the watch into shutdown mode. There’s no escaping it, no matter whether I put the face below my wrist or slide it back in the traditional position. The digital crown is useless as is a lot of the software on it. Screen is too small, and it’s somewhat confusing to use.
Need a big redesign: bigger screen, thinner, no digital crown (just a capacitive element that senses your fingers and you can interact with it that way). And a redo of the software on the Apple Watch. Man, what a mess.
Exactly. Old Apple management has been mailing it in for years. Design leadership, especially in GUI, has dissipated. A new color is touted as innovative. Hardware is scheduled to be updated less frequently than automobiles. For the first time since launching the iPhone, Apple didn’t have a new model ready to reveal in September.
Apple wants to have ultimate gatekeeper power for its device stores but it doesn’t demonstrate superior apps of its own anymore. You may not care about Fortnight, but if any large app developer got tired of Apple’s store dictates and stopped selling for iPad and iOS, don’t deceive yourselves. TikTok users would happily switch to Android. No matter how much Apple wants to hype its silicon, end users don’t care what’s sealed inside the boring flatscreen. The app is the most important thing, and Apple has stopped being the best. They got fat and lazy taking a 30% cut of other company’s apps.
Bean counters run the show, that’s clear. Apple interests have strayed from user control and experience, it’s all about money now.
This latest product announcement confirms that Apple leadership is more interested being a bank or cable tv operator than a company that empowers users with the best personal computing hardware and software. You pay a premium for the Apple name, but all you get is a subset of the same apps that are available elsewhere. Compatibility of PC and Mac is thrown into question now. iOS usability remains poor as it always has, thanks to no user friendly file system. iPads are glorified netbooks, apps censored by Apple. Sharing or transferring data between apps or devices remains a mess. Every company including Apple is focusing on hostage taking of YOUR DATA. They don’t guarantee where it goes or who snoops in it, but if you miss your monthly fee you can kiss it goodbye.
More diversity would help. Someone at Apple who actually uses a Mac should appear more than once a blue moon. An advocate for end user’s data integrity and privacy. That would be a welcome change. Apple talks a lot but doesn’t guarantee anything.
Braided Solo Loop bands look nice, but I’m baffled by the sizing chart. I’m a larger-than-average dude but with scrawny little wrists for my size, and the sizing chart lands off the scale for me (about a 14 if it went that far). For comparison, I use the third hole on a large 44 mm Sport Band. Pretty sure there are millions of people out there with bigger wrists than mine, yet they don’t even make one big enough for me.
If the altimeter is sensitive enough, I can use it to make sure that I’m standing up all the way before I try to go anywhere.