Apple Watch Series 6: A cheat sheet

Apple rolled out its Apple Watch Series 6 on September 15, 2020 throughout its Time Flies occasion with a brand new well being sensor that permits blood-oxygen monitoring and is “the most colorful lineup ever,” Apple COO Jeff Williams stated. The well being sensor shines crimson and infrared lights to calculate the colour of an individual’s blood, which signifies blood-oxygen stage, in 15 seconds. It additionally captures periodic background readings and shops them when you sleep, Williams stated.

This Apple Watch Series 6 cheat sheet contains particulars about extra options within the smartwatch, specs, pricing info and way more. This article might be up to date if there may be new info from Apple concerning the Watch Series 6.

SEE: Apple Watch Series 6: A cheat sheet (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

What is the Apple Watch Series 6?

The Apple Watch Series 6 is the successor to 2019’s high-end Series 5 Watch with a quicker processor and enhanced well being and design options. It comes with {hardware} enhancements, together with a quicker S6 System in Package (SiP), watchOS 7, and next-generation always-on altimeter. There are additionally a number of choices for Apple Watch finishes and bands.

The bulk of the core options and specs are the identical as Apple Watch Series 5, however there are some notable adjustments. For specifics, learn TechRepublic’s comparability of the Apple Watch Series 5 and the Watch Series 6.

SEE: Mobile system safety coverage (TechRepublic Premium)

What are the important thing options of the Apple Watch Series 6?

The most notable characteristic of the Apple Watch Series 6 is the blood-oxygen sensor. This is a very well timed characteristic as a result of pulse oximeters have been in excessive demand as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

The watch’s working system, watchOS 7, is powered with Apple’s new S6 silicon chip, and it has a dual-core processor that touts as much as 20% quicker efficiency. Apple reviews that the Watch Series 6 maintains its 18-hour battery life.

The Apple Watch Series 6 gives plenty of different well being and health options together with sleep monitoring, automated hand-washing detection, new exercise sorts, and an total deal with clients’ well-being.

Users can take on-demand measurements when they’re nonetheless, and the watch can even do periodic background measurements whereas they’re inactive, together with throughout sleep. All knowledge might be seen within the well being app, Apple stated; for example, a person will be capable to observe tendencies over time to see how their blood-oxygen stage adjustments.

The Apple Watch Series 6 has an always-on altimeter setting so a person can see elevation adjustments on a hike, for instance, in actual time. Users can measure their blood-oxygen saturation, which represents how a lot oxygen is carried by crimson blood cells from the lungs to the remainder of the physique, from the watch wherever they’re. The Apple Watch Series 6 additionally options an ECG app that the corporate stated can generate an ECG much like an electrocardiogram. 

Apple is partnering with well being networks and analysis universities to carry out numerous research, together with testing to find out if somebody has been contaminated with COVID-19 and to know how blood-oxygen ranges and different metrics can assist handle coronary heart failure.

At its WWDC 2021 keynote, Apple introduced watchOS 8, and with it, a number of new options together with larger entry with Wallet, extra capabilities with the Home app, new exercise sorts and an up to date Breathe app. When describing the brand new watchOS, Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice chairman of Technology stated, “With watchOS 8, we’re bringing more convenient access to places users live, work and visit with significant updates to Home and Wallet, expanding support for both physical and mental well-being and enabling richer personal connections with the new Portraits face and updates to Messages.”

With watchOS 8, Wallet brings extra contact-free methods for customers to entry the locations and issues they care about seamlessly and securely. First introduced at WWDC 2020, Ultra Wideband help is now obtainable for digital automobile keys on Apple Watch Series 6. Apple Watch customers can securely unlock their automobile from a distance and begin it from the driving force’s seat.

In fall 2021, customers can even be capable to add keys for his or her house, workplace and resort to Wallet and use their Apple Watch to unlock. Later in 2021, in taking part U.S. states, customers can add their driver’s license or state ID to Wallet—choose TSA checkpoints would be the first place customers can start utilizing their digital ID, in keeping with Apple.

Apple additionally redesigned the Home App in watchOS 8. The app now gives “more convenient access to accessories and scenes needed in a particular moment, and the ability to control accessories by room,” stated Apple. Users with a HomePackage-enabled digicam can now see who’s on the door from their wrist. Apple Watch customers can even use the Intercom characteristic to broadcast a message all through the house or to particular person rooms through HomePod, HomePod mini or different private gadgets.

New exercise sorts, like Tai Chi and Pilates, can be found on watchOS 8. According to Apple, “These workouts are supported by powerful, validated custom-built heart rate and motion algorithms to provide users with accurate metrics.”

Apple took a brand new strategy to mindfulness with its newest replace to watchOS—the Breathe app turns into the Mindfulness app in watchOS 8. Features embody an enhanced Breathe expertise and Reflect—a brand new session kind that may assist with specializing in conscious intention for as little as one minute and will be completed wherever, at any time. The Breathe and Reflect experiences additionally supply ideas to assist customers get extra from every session and have animations, stated Apple.

Other notable updates to watchOS Eight embody:

• Sleeping respiratory fee: Now, the Apple Watch Series 6 with watchOS Eight will monitor customers’ time asleep, coronary heart fee, blood oxygen and sleeping respiratory fee, which is the variety of breaths per minute, utilizing a built-in accelerometer. Users can view this info, together with tendencies over time, within the Health app on iPhone.
• Portraits Watch Face and Photos: watchOS Eight introduces new methods to view and interact with customers’ favourite images proper from their wrist. Apple’s new Portraits watch face brings portrait images shot on iPhone to Apple Watch with “an immersive, multilayered effect, intelligently recognizing faces in photos and cropping in to highlight the subject,” defined Apple. The Photos app has additionally been redesigned, providing customers new methods to view and navigate collections, Memories and Featured Photos through Apple Watch. Photos will also be shared by means of Messages and Mail with the brand new Share Sheet characteristic.
• Messages and Contacts: watchOS Eight gives new instruments in Messages—customers can mix the usage of Scribble, dictation, emoji or choose from a whole bunch of trending GIFs, all throughout the identical message. For dictated messages, customers even have the choice to edit introduced textual content. watchOS Eight additionally brings the Contacts app to Apple Watch, so customers can simply browse, add, edit and share contacts immediately from the app.
• Focus: The Focus characteristic is a “powerful set of tools available in iOS 15 to help users reduce distraction and be in the moment,” in keeping with Apple; now, Focus is obtainable on watchOS 8. Apple Watch Series 6 will mechanically align with Focus on iOS, so notifications from individuals and apps are filtered based mostly on the person’s present exercise.
• Multiple timers: Apple Watch Series 6 can now set a number of timers and be given a particular label utilizing Siri (e.g., “Laundry Timer” or “Cooking Timer”).
• Always-On show: In watchOS 8, extra Apple Watch apps help Always-On show, together with Maps, Mindfulness, Now Playing, Phone, Podcasts, Stopwatch, Timers, Voice Memos and extra. watchOS Eight additionally allows builders to maintain their apps well timed and related with a brand new Always-On API for third-party apps.
• AssistiveTouch: Designed to help Apple Watch customers with upper-body limb variations, this characteristic allows one-arm utilization of Apple Watch by sensing easy hand gestures to permit interplay, with out touching the show. With built-in movement sensors, customers can reply incoming calls, management an onscreen movement pointer and floor an motion menu that may entry Notification Center, Control Center and extra.
• Find Items/Find Devices: On Apple Watch Series 6, customers can find tagged gadgets utilizing Find My community. The new Find Devices app helps customers find misplaced Apple gadgets which can be signed in utilizing the identical Apple ID.
• Music: The Music app has been redesigned and now permits customers to share songs, albums and playlists by means of Messages and Mail. Users can even get pleasure from music and radio multi functional place.
• Weather: The app now helps Severe Weather notifications—displaying authorities alerts about sure extreme climate occasions. The app additionally options Next Hour precipitation alerts and up to date issues.
• Apple Fitness+: The health service expands its providing in watchOS Eight with Picture in Picture help and new filtering choices. With watchOS 8, customers can now cease and begin an in-progress exercise on any system. 

What is Family Setup?
Apple debuted a brand new Family Setup characteristic so mother and father can arrange managed Apple watches for youngsters and different relations who haven’t got iPhones. Parents can even handle which contacts their youngsters can talk with and arrange location alerts, in addition to a do-not-disturb mode when they’re in class.

In addition, watchOS 7 gives options for older adults, comparable to a simplified on-boarding and configuration course of and an extra-large watch face to show the time. 

At WWDC 2021, Apple introduced that Family Setup will now embody the flexibility so as to add transit playing cards from Hong Kong, Japan and choose China mainland and U.S. cities. Calendar and Mail additionally now embody the choice so as to add a Google account.

SEE: BYOD (bring-your-own-device) coverage (TechRepublic Premium)

Specs for the Apple Watch Series 6

• Processor: S6 chip System in Package (SiP), a 64-bit dual-core processor based mostly on the A13 Bionic chip
• Design: U1 chip and Ultra Wideband antennas
• Operating system: watchOS 7 or increased
• Sizes: 40mm, 44mm
• Battery life: 18 hours
• Water resistance: Up to 50 meters
• Music storage: 36 GB
• Sensors: ECG, SpO2, coronary heart fee, altimeter

What are the colour, bands, and show choices for the Apple Watch Series 6?

The Apple Watch Series 6 is obtainable in Space Gray, Silver, Blue, Gold and Apple Watch Product Red aluminum case choices.

Apple gives a water-proof “Solo Loop” strap that’s produced from a stretchable, steady piece of silicone that may be slipped on and off with none buckles or changes. It is obtainable in a spread of types and 7 colours. The watch additionally is available in a braided Solo Loop strap produced from yarn and is obtainable in 5 colours.

Another choice is a brand new leather-based hyperlink strap with versatile molded magnets.

Numerals will be displayed in 3 ways. The Apple Watch Series 6 additionally comes with seven new watch face choices, together with Stripes, Chronograph Pro, GMT, and Artist. For occasion, customers might choose from emoji faces that transfer and react to the touch; or, the striped faces might be matched to what somebody is carrying or to characterize a favourite crew. There are additionally watch faces for individuals fascinated about numerous actions comparable to browsing and pictures. There is a watch face that shows a number of time zones on the identical time.

With the discharge of watchOS Eight comes Apple’s new Portraits watch face. This characteristic brings immersive, multilayered portrait images shot on iPhone to Apple Watch Series 6.

SEE: All of TechRepublic’s cheat sheets and sensible particular person’s guides

Is the Apple Watch Series 6 eco-friendly?

During its Time Flies occasion, Apple workers mentioned how eco-friendly each the corporate and the watch are usually not simply by way of power utilization however within the supplies which can be used. The Apple Watch Series 6 is made with 100% recycled tungsten and doesn’t comprise these dangerous chemical compounds: BFR, PVB, beryllium or mercury. Also, the Apple Watch Series 6 is made with arsenic-free glass.

One important change is that Apple is eradicating the USB energy adapter from the Apple Watch, in keeping with Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of surroundings, coverage, and social initiatives.  

The Apple Watch Series 6 has an energy-efficient design so when somebody is outdoor the show will be learn even within the solar. Plus, it’s 2.5 occasions brighter than the Apple Watch Series 5.

What is Apple One?

The firm is bundling a few of its providers below a brand new plan known as Apple One. There are three tiers for the subscription service: 

• An particular person plan comes with iCloud, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+ and begins at $14.95 per thirty days;
• a household plan prices $19.99 per thirty days and will be shared with as much as 5 relations; and
• the premier subscription service prices $29.95 per thirty days and contains these providers plus information and health subscriptions and will increase storage to 2 TB.

The new service is obtainable this fall on a 30-days free trial foundation. For extra particulars, learn sister website CNET’s article on Three large questions that have to be answered concerning the Apple One subscription bundle.

What is Apple’s Fitness+ service?

Apple will roll out a brand new subscription-based service known as Fitness+ later this yr to be used with the Apple Watch. Fitness+ gives 10 sorts of digital exercises, music, and improved health monitoring options. Many of the exercises require dumbbells or no tools in any respect. Each week a brand new, huge number of exercises might be delivered. 

The health service expands its providing in watchOS Eight with Picture in Picture help and new filtering choices. With watchOS 8, customers can now cease and begin an in-progress exercise on any system.

The service was “designed with privacy in mind,” and nothing is saved, the corporate stated. 

Fitness+ is $9.99 per thirty days or $79.99 per yr. The first three months are free.

SEE: 5 Apple Watch apps to simplify your workday (TechRepublic)

What is the worth for an Apple Watch Series 6? 

The Apple Watch Series 6 begins at $399 (GPS) and $499 (GPS + Cellular). 

In tandem with the Apple Watch Series 6 announcement, Apple stated it has additionally created the Apple Watch SE mannequin, which comes with the identical options as final yr’s Watch Series 5 and retails for a extra inexpensive value that begins at $279.

The Apple Watch Series Three continues to be obtainable for $199.

For extra particulars, learn this comparability of the Apple Watch Series 6 vs. Watch Series Three and Watch SE.

When and the place can I purchase an Apple Watch Series 6?

Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) is obtainable to preorder now from Apple.com, within the Apple Store app, and from retail shops, together with Best Buy, Target, Amazon and B&H. It might be obtainable to buy starting September 18, 2020 within the U.S., Puerto Rico and 27 different nations and areas.

The mobile model (GPS + Cellular) of the Apple Watch Series 6 is obtainable to order now from Apple.com and within the Apple Store app, with availability starting September 18, 2020 within the U.S., Puerto Rico and 21 different nations and areas. For service availability and particulars about which nations and areas it is obtainable, go to apple.com/watch/mobile.

If you may have an older Apple Watch mannequin and plan to improve to the Series 6, find out about choices for promoting, buying and selling in, donating, or recycling your present Apple Watch.

What are the highest alternate options to the Apple Watch Series 6?

If you do not need to be tied to Apple’s smartwatch ecosystem and need not learn iMessages out of your wrist, there are different choices. Here are three alternate options to the Apple Watch Series 6.

One high-end choice is the Fitbit Sense, which retails for $329. The Fitbit Sense comes with instruments for stress administration, coronary heart well being, SpO2, pores and skin temperature, amongst others. Fitbit was the unique fitness- and activity-tracking sensible band firm, launching its first product in 2009.

Another Apple Watch different is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. Its options embody sleep monitoring, superior exercise monitoring, an above-average battery life, and an ECG sensor to diagnose atrial fibrillation. The Galaxy Watch Three prices $399.

The Garmin vivomove HR, which begins at $199.99, gives wellness monitoring instruments, comparable to all-day stress monitoring and a leisure timer. The watch additionally contains superior sleep monitoring with REM sleep. The vivomove HR additionally shows steps, energy, distance, coronary heart fee, depth minutes, and VO2 max.

Editor’s word: This article was up to date by Kristen Lotze to replicate the watchOS Eight announcement and updates. 

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