Apple Watch Series 6: Everything we know so far (Updated: Sep. 9)
- Apple unveiled the Watch Series 6, priced at $ 399 and released on September 18.
- The new smartwatch includes blood oxygen monitoring that can be helpful with COVID-19 and other health problems.
- There’s also a budget Apple Watch SE on September 18 for $ 279.
The rumors were true: Apple launched a number of new smartwatches without waiting for new iPhones. The company unveiled the Apple Watch Series 6, an evolution of its wearable that’s even more focused on health.
The new Apple Smartwatch offers blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring that allows you to keep track of the health of your heart and airways. This can be especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic when low blood oxygen levels can be a sign that you have the virus.
The Apple Watch Series 6 should also be more powerful overall. It includes a new S6 system on the chip that should be up to 20% faster. A brighter display will help you see the screen on sunny days, and an altimeter will help you measure progress as you hike.
Style is also an important factor. You will find aluminum cases in blue and red as well as new carriers. Solo loop made of elastomer and yarn completely eliminates fasteners, buckles or other fastenings, while attaching a new leather link with no hole to go through. There is no such thing as titanium
It comes with watchOS 7 and introduces Family Setup, a feature that lets you turn on features for kids without them having to have their own iPhone. A school time mode helps kids avoid distractions. In countries where Family Setup is available, you will need an Apple Watch Series 4 or higher.
Continue reading: The best smartwatches you can buy
A new service, Apple Fitness Plus, offers guided, Apple Watch-oriented workouts by “world-class” trainers that are updated every week. You start videos on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV and the workouts are automatically synced to your watch to show your metrics, interval countdowns, and even completed ringtones. Apple Music subscribers can save playlists from the service for later playback. Apple Fitness Plus costs $ 10 per month or $ 80 per year and will be available in six countries by the end of 2020.
Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $ 399 for a GPS model released on September 18. Be warned, however: in order to cut costs and reduce the environmental footprint, Apple is not shipping the USB power adapter. You’ll either need to connect a computer or use an existing adapter if you don’t want to buy a new Power Brick.
There’s also a new budget model that straddles the line between Series 3 (which stays at $ 199) and Series 6. The new Apple Watch SE (above) uses the S5 chip instead of the S6 and doesn’t have an EKG or an always-on screen, but still includes the Series 6 accelerometer, gyroscope and altimeter and a modern display. It starts at $ 279 for a GPS model and will also be available on September 18.
While these new smartwatches don’t matter much if you’re a staunch Android fan, they could be key to keeping Apple ahead of its competitors. Apple did better than Samsung and other smartwatch challengers back in 2020, and that on models that have been around since September 2019. The new models could boost demand from people looking to stay fit during the pandemic and the Apple Watch SE, which could particularly appeal to cost-conscious types who still want most of the latest fitness features.
