Apple Watch Series 6 Could Feature Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor, Pulse Oximetry and Sleep Tracking Support

[mrex]

Maybe TouchID will unlock local MacOS devices? It’s a drag to go back to my iMac and have to type in my password when I can unlock my iPhone, iPad and MacBook by just looking or touching.

I know... That read as though I am so entitled and spoiled.

MacOS already has this function ”unlock with a watch”, been along time there.

Touch ID would be awesome because it would help make the Apple Watch more independent of the iPhone. If you use your watch without an iPhone typing in the passcode quickly becomes a pain.

Well, i do it now only once a day at mornings when taking it from the charger and putting it around my wrist. It keep unlocked until i take it off. Not sure why you should type the passcode any other time?

 

[redgreenski]

Better battery is really all I want. Pulse oximetry and sleep tracking are things I would never use. Biometric unlocking is great on a phone, which one typically locks and unlocks many times per day. I usually unlock my watch once, maybe twice per day, and I don’t see the point. (I do have a s5, so I’m probably not the intended audience for this.)

This is exactly my problem with the watch. I really wish they came out with a version that gives 5 day battery life. Maybe make it a little thicker and take out all those damn sensors.

 

[The Game 161]

I really don’t see a need for Touch ID in an Apple Watch. I mean you don’t even need to put in your pass code as soon as you unlock your iphone your watch is working with no pass code needed.

 

[Tech198]

TouchID on a watch ? Would this be in case someone else is wearing it. I guess Apple is trying to 'unlink' the watch and phone, particually now the watch has got cellular access and you can leave you phone at home.

(poor man's attempt), but they ARE trying.

 

[McTool]

Apple will certainly need to improve battery life in a big way for people to use sleep tracking...

Autosleep only uses about 10% of battery life over night. So that’s not an issue.

 

[BobSc]

"unlocking it on a standalone basis requires a numerical code to be entered."

It's a 4 digit code. That's hardly high tech crypto.

I changed all my 4 digit codes to 6 digits. 4 just isn't secure enough, IMHO.
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For what reason does it need Touch ID? For the 4 seconds after you put it on in the morning (assuming you haven’t already unlocked it with your phone)?

For various reasons, I take off and put my watch back on multiple times a day. I'd love touchID. So much easier than entering my 6 digit code multiple times each day.

 

[chucker23n1]

For various reasons, I take off and put my watch back on multiple times a day. I'd love touchID. So much easier than entering my 6 digit code multiple times each day.

You don't need to; you can just unlock your iPhone instead. That will unlock the watch.

 

[AppleMango]

I wish they would make the cellular watch work anywhere on travel.

 

[recoil80]

I wonder if it could be use instead of TouchID on Macs without the sensor, so the iMac, Mini etc.
Now you can unlock the Mac just by wearing the Watch, but maybe they could have something else in mind.

 

[chucker23n1]

Now you can unlock the Mac just by wearing the Watch,

You already can.

 

[bryn0076]

It's been rumoured for many years; I would love love love love love love love blood glucose monitoring. That would revolutionise my health care.

On a side note - I've owned almost every model of the Apple Watch - all of them aluminium. Without fail I would end up being disappointed with dents and scratches. This time around I splashed out on the stainless steel model. That's what, 18 months and there is looks almost brand new. I'll now get the SS every time

 

[chucker23n1]

It's been rumoured for many years; I would love love love love love love love blood glucose monitoring. That would revolutionise my health care.

I'm sure Apple has a team of researchers looking into that, but I wouldn't be too optimistic that we'll see non-invasive blood sugar monitoring any time soon.

 

[randyhudson]

There is NO way a 3mm portion of your finger could reliably identify you. There's also no way to build it using a crown that rotates and clicks.

The only way this could happen would be if the crown became rigid/fixed like the home button.

 

[ChrisA]

Sleep tracking implies a MUCH better battery. It means the watch does not need to be put on a charger at night and can be left on your wrist for well over 24 hours. It also means a fast charge rate.

But when would you charge it? I have a Fitbit Versa and I charge it when I am in the shower. I charge my Versa about 40 minutes every couple of days. Perhaps the new Apple Watch is going to be this good?

Google bought Fitbit. I think Apple will now have some real competition once Google takes over development. Apple likely knows this and is trying to stay ahead. But itbit/Google already has a week-long battery and a $99 price.

 

[CordovaLark]

I guess the rumors, years ago, that Apple was working on the Watch being apple to measure blood glucose levels were either untrue, or they can't get it to work.

 

[I7guy]

Sleep tracking implies a MUCH better battery. It means the watch does not need to be put on a charger at night and can be left on your wrist for well over 24 hours. It also means a fast charge rate.

But when would you charge it? I have a Fitbit Versa and I charge it when I am in the shower. I charge my Versa about 40 minutes every couple of days. Perhaps the new Apple Watch is going to be this good?

Google bought Fitbit. I think Apple will now have some real competition once Google takes over development. Apple likely knows this and is trying to stay ahead. But itbit/Google already has a week-long battery and a $99 price.

If Apple wanted to lower the bar in the AW to get a week long battery, they could have.

 

[chucker23n1]

Sleep tracking implies a MUCH better battery. It means the watch does not need to be put on a charger at night and can be left on your wrist for well over 24 hours. It also means a fast charge rate.

I've been doing sleep tracking on my Watch (with Autosleep) for years now. I charge it a little before sleep, and a little longer during breakfast/shower.

This is with a Series 0. A newer Watch will fare even better.

Google bought Fitbit. I think Apple will now have some real competition once Google takes over development. Apple likely knows this and is trying to stay ahead. But itbit/Google already has a week-long battery and a $99 price.

I don't think Apple cares about week-long battery life. They set a target and change the other specs around to hit it.

Apple might be interested in competing in the $99 market with a separate Watch SKU, but almost certainly not with the current one, when they can charge up to $1299 and people pay for it. If I were Google, I'd be more worried about Xiaomi and others, who can provide a $30 fitness tracker that's good enough — and yet haven't managed to pose a major threat to Apple. Price isn't everything.

 

[GalileoSeven]

Sleep tracking together with pulse ox gives you info on whether or not you have sleep apnea as well. I think this will be a huge upgrade.

If **both** make it into Series 6 and the battery life is pretty decent as well, this could be the point where I take the plunge.

 

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

It's inevitable that the next generation Apple iWatch will be as powerful as the iPhone. Tim Cook is going to do just that!

 

[name99]

It's inevitable that the next generation Apple iWatch will be as powerful as the iPhone. Tim Cook is going to do just that!

What do you mean by "as powerful"?
In terms of the CPU they are not just there, they're at about the iPhone 6 (A7) level.

The A12 larger core was about 4x the (single threaded) performance of the A7, and the small core (the one used on aWatch 4 and 5) is about 1/4 the (single threaded) performance of the large core.
Now it's not a pure oranges to oranges. The Tempest core in the watch is doubtless clocked a lot slower than it's clocked inside a phone, and the memory system also probably runs slower. Still, in principle, if connected to enough battery power...