After an entire year of silence (unless you count the software oriented event of WWDC 2020), Apple has finally taken the center stage once again and introduced a new Apple Watch at today’s live event. The new watch is presumably called ‘Series 6’ and continues to further power up this already incredible line-up of smartwatches, that no hardware maker has been able to catch up to.
Of course, there are the fitness and health features that we have come to expect from smart watches, including a new sleep app to help you track your sleep, as well as a handwashing guide that will allow you to achieve ‘peak hand cleanliness,’ by keeping tabs on your hand washing habits.
However, the most important one, or at least according to Apple, is the ability to calculate a person’s Vo2 max level, allowing you to check your blood oxygen level directly through your Series 6 watch, using infrared light. The whole process takes just 15 seconds, and has been hailed by Apple as ‘one of the best indicators for cardiovascular health.’ It becomes even more crucial, considering the times that we live in.
Moreover, it looks like the company has also managed to pack a lot of performance in a tiny frame, with the Series 6 featuring the A13 bionic processor from iPhone 11, adapted for the Series 6.
The phone also has a power saving ‘Always on Display,’ bridging the gap between smartphones and smartwatches even further. The company is heavy on power saving with this device (which goes well with its new ‘green’ initiative)dropping brightness down when you’re in daylight.
Then, there’s the new Family Setup, for extra paranoid parents. With this new feature, parents will be able to keep tabs on kids (or older adults), allowing them to set up their child’s watch using their own iPhone. This includes limiting messaging, location notifications (this is starting to sound like a Black Mirror episode) and many other controls.
All of this, and more, will be available starting Friday, at $399.
