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Apple Watch

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Apple Watch is Apple's wearable is designed to help you stay active, motivated, and connected. It runs watchOS, and it comes in 40mm and 44mm size options.

How to see all Apple Watch apps

History

The original Apple Watch (later called Series 0) was released on April 24, 2015, after years of rumors. While there was a lot of initial hype around it, the third-party watchOS apps were slow to launch due to API limitations. Native apps were available in watchOS 2. The original watch came in 38mm and 42mm sizes.

The Series 2 Watch was released on September 16th, 2016 along with a Series 1 Watch. The Series 2 included the S2 chip, built-in GPS, and water-proof construction. The Series 1 included the S2, but lacked GPS and waterproofing.

The Series 3 Watch was released on September 22, 2017, and it included an LTE option and the S3 chip. The Series 4 Watch was released on September 21, 2018. New hardware included the S4 Chip, Electrical heart sensor w/ ECG app, and larger display (40mm and 44mm sizes).

Apple Watch Series 5 was announced during Apple’s fall event on September 10, 2019. Customers were able to purchase the device later that day, and it was released on September 20. The headline feature for this model was the wearable’s always-on display. The new display always shows the time and complications and is also the first from the company to include a built-in compass.

Apple launched international emergency services to every cellular model. Series 5 also brought back ceramic white, and new natural brush and space black titanium models.

Apple Watch Series 6 was unveiled on September 15, 2020 at the “Time Flies” event alongside the more affordable SE and new iPad Air. New features of the Series 6 include blood oxygen monitoring, new watch colors, faster S6 chip, new watch faces, and more.

Apple Watch features

Apple Watch is designed to help you stay active, motivated, and connected. The newest versions are Series 6 and SE while Apple still sells Series 3 as the most affordable option.

Features include:

  • Heart rate monitoring (all models)
    • Including high, low, and irregular heart rate notifications
  • ECG readings (Series 4 and later)
  • Blood oxygen monitoring (Series 6)
  • Workout tracking, Activity Rings, competitions, and awards
  • Works with Apple Fitness+
  • Sleep tracking (with watchOS 7)
  • GPS and GPS + Cellular models
  • Always-on display (Series 5 & 6)
  • Water-resistant to 50 meters
  • Emergency SOS and fall detection
  • Phone calls and Messages
  • Music, Podcasts, and more
  • Third-party apps available through App Store built into watchOS

watchOS

watchOS is the dedicated software that runs on Apple Watch. The current version is watchOS 7 that was released in fall 2020 and is compatible with Series 3 and later.

watchOS 7 brought new features like native sleep tracking, Family Setup, watch face sharing, new workout tracking types, cycling directions in maps, and automatic handwashing reminders.

Apple Fitness+ support and new cardio fitness notifications came with watchOS 7.2 And watchOS 7.4 is coming with the exciting new Apple Watch unlock for iPhone feature.

Current Apple Watch lineup

For all the latest deals on Apple Watch, bands, and accessories, check out 9to5Toys.com.

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Why Apple Watch Ultra might say you’ve finished a race before reaching the finish line

I used to write a lot about run tracking with the Apple Watch and how it performed during races. It’s been a while, though, because, well, I haven’t run much since the pandemic. I should probably change that.

Anyway, I found myself nodding my head in total agreement this week while reading Victoria Song’s piece on The Verge about training with the Apple Watch Ultra. In the article, Victoria investigates why running distance tracked by the Apple Watch can greatly vary from the distance of a set race course.

It also includes some really good stuff from folks who work on the watch at Apple.

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watchOS 10 to include revamped apps to take advantage of Apple Watch Ultra’s larger display

free apple watch ultra

watchOS 10 is shaping up to be a major update for Apple Watch users, including a new focus on widgets as a way to give users access to glanceable pieces of information. Now, Bloomberg reports that watchOS 10 will also revamp “all of the core apps” to take better advantage of larger Apple Watch screen sizes.

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Apple Watch Ultra gets new competition from Garmin Pro smartwatches

Garmin Pro smartwatches

The Apple Watch Ultra was launched to appeal to those wanting a more rugged and powerful version of its existing wearable, and a new range of Garmin Pro smartwatches is now following suit.

While a different proposition to the $800 Ultra, the new Fenix Pro and Epix Pro models do have some overlap, including the starting price …

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Ohio police credit Apple Watch for alerting them to car crash over the weekend

iPhone 14 crash detection iOS 16.3.1

Police in Ohio are crediting the Apple Watch with notifying them of a fatal car crash that occurred over the weekend. Sadly, the car crash left one person dead and another person in critical condition. The cause of the crash is still being investigated, but police in Columbus, Ohio, say they used a combination of technology to locate the incident.

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There’s still one AirPower feature Apple should release

AirPower

Ah, AirPower, Apple’s ambitious wireless charging mat unveiled in September 2017 and canceled in March 2019. Who could forget the unreleased product that never even got a price tag?

Multidevice Qi chargers and Apple’s MagSafe technology have long since made AirPower look basic and dated. Even Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger hasn’t caught up with fast charging capabilities on newer devices.

Still, there’s one AirPower promise that only Apple could fulfill to make the canceled wireless charging mat completely obsolete while improving another product.

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FitnessView Teams for iPhone and iPad launches as a valuable tool for coaches and trainers

FitnessView Teams

Funn Media, the developer behind Calory, WaterMinder, and more has launched a new version of its FitnessView activity tracker for coaches, trainers, and dieticians. FitnessView Teams is an elegant solution to track and manage the health and activity data on iPhone and iPad for entire teams or multiple clients using Apple Watch to help you deliver insightful and actionable feedback.

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Here’s a closer look at the new 2023 Pride theme for Apple Watch and iPhone

Here's a closer look at the new 2023 Pride theme for Apple Watch and iPhone

9to5Mac revealed a first look at the 2023 Apple Watch Pride face and band last month, and Apple officially announced them on Tuesday. While the new band won’t be available in stores until May 24, the company has confirmed that the new Pride watch face and wallpaper for iPhone are coming next week with watchOS 9.5 and iOS 16.5. Here’s a closer look at what they look like.

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Apple vs. Masimo court battle ends in mistrial; jury 6-1 in favor of Apple

Apple vs Masimo mistrial | Apple Watch O2 reading

The Apple vs. Masimo court battle has ended in a mistrial, after six of the jurors found that Apple had not stolen trade secrets to create the O2 sensor in the Apple Watch – but the seventh juror disagreed.

The judge had already rejected half of Masimo’s patent infringement claims before handing the rest of them to the jury to decide …

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Apple Watch may finally work with multiple iPhones and iPads, and here’s why that matters

Apple Watch may finally work with multiple iPhones, and here's why that's a good thing

When Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2014, it made it clear that the device is a companion accessory to the iPhone and that they were meant to work together. And while you can pair multiple Apple Watches to the same iPhone, you can’t use the same watch with multiple iPhones. That might change soon according to a recent rumor, and here’s why that matters.

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Readdle launches overhauled Calendars app for Apple Watch with new UI, 6 watch faces, more

Readdle Calendars for Apple Watch

Readdle is out with a major update for its Calendars app on Apple Watch. The release comes with what the company calls an “intuitive and functional” new UI, half a dozen watch faces optimized with its Calendars app complications, a tasks list view, the ability to accept and decline meetings, and more.

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Report: Apple Watch users are highly loyal and ready to spend over $500 on their next upgrade

poll watchOS 10 features Apple Watch

Time and time again, Apple Watch has come in atop of the broader smartwatch market. A new report from Counterpoint Research today further highlights the Apple Watch’s success, finding that Apple “has the highest stickiness for any smartwatch brand.” That is, people who buy an Apple Watch enjoy it and are unlikely to jump ship to another smartwatch brand.

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