Apple Unveils Apple Watch Series 6 With Blood Oxygen Monitoring and New Color Options

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced the new Apple Watch Series 6, sporting several new features including blood oxygen monitoring and multiple color options.

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.

With Apple Watch Series 6, users can detect their blood oxygen right from their wrist, thanks to advanced algorithms that measure the color of the wearer's blood. 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.

It's capable of taking readings manually in 15 seconds, plus it gives periodic background readings, including while the user sleeps. The new Blood O2 feature will also support research studies that explore asthma, heart failure, and flu/covid studies.

The Apple Watch Series 6 includes a new sixth-generation chip, with a dual-core processor based on Apple's A13 chip, which is 20 percent faster than the previous generation model.

"Apple Watch Series 6 completely redefines what a watch can do," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "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."

In addition, the Series 6 has a 2.5x brighter outdoor always-on display, including an 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.

Exclusive to the Series 6 is a new blue aluminum case, an updated classic gold stainless steel, and graphite stainless steel, and an Apple Watch PRODUCT(RED).

There are also new watch faces with the Series 6, including a Tachymeter, MeMoji, Stripe faces to show pride, team colors, and more.

watchOS 7 also brings sleep tracking and will also soon give users warnings for low VO2 Max levels.

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

This story is part of our ongoing coverage of Apple's virtual "Time Flies" event today. Refresh for more details and follow our live blog.

Article Link: Apple Unveils Apple Watch Series 6 With Blood Oxygen Monitoring and New Color Options

 

[Justin Cymbal]

I wear my Apple Watch every day- I take it with me when I go on walks/hikes.

I do about 6 miles of walking a day and I’m glad that Apple continues to improve the health features each year

I am probably going to get the Nike version since it’s the same price as the basic version

 

[profets]

That Product Red Watch though....

 

[benshive]

Heart rate, ECG, VO2, and blood oxygen level along with everything else in the watch. It's really mind-blowing how much tech is packed into such a small device...

 

[furqan8421]

Any mention of another Hermès edition?

 

[bobenhaus]

My Samsung Phones does this stuff, wonder if I need watch as well ?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Blue is this year's color! can't wait for the iphone!

 

[Kulfon]

same design again

 

[JDHiro]

Love my S5, but the updates in this generation seem a bit too incremental to justify an update.

 

[Jaro65]

That blue looks really great.

 

[Che Castro]

Love my S5, but the updates in this generation seem a bit too incremental to justify an update.

There’s no competition, Apple can take it easy

 

[QCassidy352]

Love my S5, but the updates in this generation seem a bit too incremental to justify an update.

Agreed. Blood oxygen, always on altimeter, brighter AOD outdoors, 20% faster. Probably not gonna notice any of that in the day to day.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

They’re really doubling down on creating watch bands that would be annoying to use with a charging mat like the mythical AirPower.

 

[GIZBUG]

No mention of battery...
So we have to pay an steep price, for Blood O2 and a new color over the previous version? Pssst. No Thanks

 

[Veinticinco]

No titanium edition then? What’s “graphite stainless steel“?

 

[Veinticinco]

Also new faces exclusive to S6? Surely these should be updated with watchOS7 not hardware.

 

[GIZBUG]

This promo video cracks me up. I am waiting for the machine learning voice to say "what about a battery that lasts more than a day on a single charge?" and a person saying "Oh, it doesn't do that!"

 

[Ghost31]

Agreed. Blood oxygen, always on altimeter, brighter AOD outdoors, 20% faster. Probably not gonna notice any of that in the day to day.

I definitely won’t. Especially $400 worth of “notice”

 

[Dwalls90]

Love my S5, but the updates in this generation seem a bit too incremental to justify an update.

I have an S4 and feel this way. Likely a redesign next year so I may wait.

 

[Baymowe335]

How to charge Watch 6?

 

[aaronhead14]

The fact that they spun the lack of a power adapter as an “environmentally positive” thing is just infuriating! The reality is that Apple removed an essential accessory from the box so they could save on costs and charge you extra to buy it separately. Yet they lie to your face and tell you it’s because it’s “good for the environment.” Such bullcrap. The audacity! Just be honest to your customers.

 

[MacBebe]

With the blood oxygen sensor, it’s a buy for me to replace my series 4.
Oh, I like the Apple Watch video.

 

[Dwalls90]

No titanium edition then? What’s “graphite stainless steel“?

I think they only mentioned the new colorways, but most of those from previous series will be available for Series 6. That said, the "edition" models sometimes aren't carried forward from the prior series, so there may not be a titanium or ceramic Series 6.

 

[OllyW]

Any mention of another Hermès edition?

They showed one when they were discussing the new bands.

 

[Deliro]

No titanium edition then? What’s “graphite stainless steel“?

A lot of ppl probably can't justify premium materials in a piece of tech that will be a paper weight in a few years. With that said the titanium version looks good and the watch 6 may still be offered in that material.