Apple Watch

Apple Watch now doubles as a hearing health monitor thanks to new noise level detection features in watchOS 6. After being turned on by the user, the new Noise app on Apple Watch can measure decibel levels and send alerts when a noisy environment that could affect hearing is detected.

So how accurate is the Apple Watch at measuring sound? One Apple Watch customer who works as a test stand operator for a nuclear motor facility put the new Noise app to the test.

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[Update 9/24/2019: This is still the default behavior two years later, and it can be especially frustrating on the new Apple Watch Series 5.

The new Apple Watch has an always-on display that shows your watch face and the Workout app even when your wrist isn’t raised, but all other apps are blurred out with a digital clock in the corner. That includes the Now Playing screen even if audio is playing from your iPhone, preventing your watch face from showing at a glance.

Read below for instructions on disabling the default auto-launch audio apps feature.]

watchOS 4 introduced a new default behavior to auto-launch audio apps when you wake the screen while playing audio on your Apple Watch or iPhone.

Auto-launching Now Playing can be useful when you’re playing music from the watch or a podcast from the phone for example. Instant access to play/pause and seek controls on the watch screen and the ability to spin the Digital Crown to adjust volume is really great when using AirPods since they lack physical controls. It’s sort of like the Now Playing card on the iPhone lock screen.

But this behavior isn’t always ideal on the Apple Watch. Luckily there’s a simple way to turn it off.

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If there’s one thing every Apple commentator agrees on, it’s the trend of steeply rising iPhone prices over the past few years.

Yet that’s only half true, shows one Apple analyst…

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The Activity app for Apple Watch and iPhone has come a long way over the last several years. It gets even better this year with the incredibly useful “Trends” feature and more in watchOS 6 and iOS 13.

One feature I would really like to see come to the Activity app, however, is support for adding Notes to workouts. Here’s how that could work.

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Fall detection on Apple Watch Series 4 (and now Series 5) has been credited with saving lives all over the world in the year since the feature was introduced.  The latest real-world story is a great example of why people of all ages should consider turning on the feature.

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On the eve of tomorrow’s Apple Watch Series 5 release, Apple has released watchOS 6. It’s a major new update for the Apple Watch that adds new watch faces, new complications, a standalone App Store, enhanced Siri support, and much more. Watch our hands-on video covering the top new watchOS 6 features, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple Watch coverage. 
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Apple Watch has a major new software update out today that brings loads of new features to existing models. Look for the watchOS 6 update inside the Apple Watch app on the iPhone after updating to iOS 13, then head below to find the top features included in the new update.

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Apple Watch is still a maturing product category for Apple, and that shows in the adoption data. According to CNBC, Apple says a whole 70% of Apple Watch customers are buying their very first model. That means that 30% of Apple Watch customers are actually upgrading from older models, but Apple hasn’t fully tapped into the upgrade pool yet.

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After you read my re-review of the Apple Watch Series 3 at its new Fitbit-killing price, dig into the just-released early reviews of the brand new Apple Watch Series 5. This year’s hardware builds on the success of Apple Watch Series 4, touting a new always-on display and built-in compass. Here’s what the reviewers are saying:

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Apple Watch Series 5 is here with an always-on display and newly added compass, but Apple’s $200 entry level model is worth a serious look for buyers on a budget. Apple Watch Series 3 matches the new Fitbit Versa 2 in price while offering much deeper iPhone integration.

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Apple Watch Series 5 is the first version to include a built-in digital compass, but Apple hasn’t managed to change the laws of physics when it comes to how magnets work. For that reason, Apple suggests using certain bands over others if compass reliability is important to you.

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Apple Watch Series 5 debuted this week with an all-new titanium case that touts a “superb strength-to-weight ratio.” Apple says the new premium material in the titanium watch is lighter than stainless steel models, but how much of a difference should you expect?

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Fans of the new Meridian watch face that was revealed during the Apple Watch Series 5 portion of yesterday’s Apple event don’t have to wait until next Friday’s hardware release in order to take the new watch face for a test drive. Today’s release of the watchOS 6 GM includes the new Meridian watch face as the default option for Apple Watch Series 4 and higher.
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Apple today has released the GM seed for watchOS 6 to developers. Today’s release follows Apple’s special event yesterday where it unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 5 and much more.

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It’s the morning after, and time to provide my take on everything Apple announced in yesterday’s keynote. Some of it was as expected, some of it was a surprise – and some of it was notable by what the company didn’t announce.

The stars of the show were, of course, the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the ridiculously-named iPhone 11 Pro Max…

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Apple already unveiled the all-new Apple Watch Series 5 and new Apple Watch Studio experience, and now we’re collecting even more tidbits about this year’s flagship Apple Watch.

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Apple has unveiled an all-new Apple Watch with its first-ever, always-on display. The new display will always show the time and complications.

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Today, September 9th marks the fifth anniversary since Apple Watch and Apple Pay were unveiled. It also happens to be the anniversary of when Apple loaded U2’s album Songs of Innocence onto all of its users iTunes accounts before releasing a tool a week later to let frustrated customers remove it (and of course, Tim Cook and Bono’s finger tap). Follow along for a look at how Apple’s payment platform and market-leading wearable have evolved over the years and where they’re heading next.

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We reported yesterday that Apple Watch sleep-tracking looks set to become a standard feature.

Today, 9to5Mac has learned from sources inside Apple that the company is working on sleep tracking for the Apple Watch, which won’t require any special hardware to work. The new feature could be announced as early as next week when the company is expected to announce the next generation iPhones and possibly a revised Apple Watch with titanium and ceramic options.

Currently, there are a number of third-party sleep-tracking apps available for the Apple Watch, but one question with them is: if you wear your watch at night as well as during the day, when do you charge it?

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