The Apple Watch Series 6 will soon be presented by Apple. This new model that takes advantage of the update of watchOS will benefit from many additional features compared to the 5 Series while maintaining a design that respects its lineage. Here’s everything we know so far about Apple’s new smartwatch.
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The leader in the connected watch market, Apple will try to confirm its position in the sector in 2024 with the marketing of its Apple Watch Series 6. The Cupertino company will not revolutionize anything with this product, but rather will rely on its results by making some improvements here and there.
The American group must not take any risk given its advantage over the competition, whether it is its historical rivals (Samsung, Huawei…) or more specialized companies with wearables (Fitbit, Fossil, Garmin…). So let’s see what awaits us with the new generation of Apple Watch.
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What is the Apple Watch Series 6 release date?
Apple has not formalized a presentation date for its connected Series 6 watch. But it is very likely that it will be announced during the autumn 2020 keynote, the conference in which we will also discover the iPhone 12. Traditionally, the event takes place in the first half of September. But Apple’s plans could be reversed this year due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. According to various rumors, the keynote could be postponed to the end of September, or even to October. If we trust the strategy adopted for the previous models, the Apple Watch Series 6 would, therefore, be marketed ten days after its presentation.
What is the price of the Apple Watch Series 6?
The Apple Watch Series 4 was sold at its release for 429 euros in its version with GPS only and 100 euros more expensive (529 euros) in its version with mobile connectivity. The brand raised prices slightly the following year. The Apple Watch Series 5 was available starting at 449 euros and had to add another 100 euros for 4G support. For the Apple Watch Series 6, we can expect a price similar to that of the Series 5. Unless we see how it is said to change the screen technology. In this case, we can expect a price increase.
Which screen and which design for the Apple Watch Series 6?
Apple likes to look to the past right now. We noticed this with the iPhone- the iPhone SE takes the chassis of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 12, which would be inspired by the design of the iPhone 4. In the connected watches, Apple has also put on what has worked in the past. According to leaker Jon Prosser, a very credible source, the Apple Watch Series 6 will look a lot like the Apple Watch Series 4.
One of the persistent rumors about Apple Watch is the switch from an OLED screen to a microLED screen. This technology would provide greater brightness to the screen, which is very interesting when in direct sunlight. All with controlled energy consumption and maintaining excellent viewing angles. Another advantage of microLEDs is that it offers much better contrasts than can be seen with other LCD techniques. The microLED is, therefore, the perfect compromise between brightness, autonomy, and contrast.
We know that Apple has been working on microLED for years. Interest has increased recently since we learned that Apple had invested $ 300 million in a large factory dedicated to the production of microLED screens in Taiwan. It is almost certain that it is the Apple Watch that will primarily benefit from a microLED screen, followed by the iPhone. But according to some reports, it won’t be for 2020. OLED or microLED for Apple Watch Series 6, the trend therefore varies according to the sources. The integration of a microLED screen would undoubtedly be accompanied by an increase in the price of the connected watches.
A patent also suggests that the Apple Watch Series 6 could be equipped with Touch ID via a fingerprint reader under the screen. A technology that Apple has never used on any device so far, preferring to highlight its Face ID facial recognition system on its iPhone and iPad, while in the meantime Apple watches are deprived of biometric authentication. You currently need to enter a PIN or use your iPhone’s Face ID to unlock the Apple Watch, which isn’t very practical.
To do this, Apple plans to move the watch’s antennas from the dial to the bracelet, thus freeing up space for a scanner under the screen (or a larger battery in the dial). In addition to the design difficulties that this represents, it would mean that consumers would be limited in choosing the replacement bracelet. It would no longer be possible to obtain from a third-party manufacturer, and the cost of the bracelets would be much higher. That’s why it’s best to be wary of this information for the time being. A more reasonable short-term solution is to integrate the fingerprint reader with the scroll wheel.
Why it should stay on the device, a patent could suggest that Apple would get rid of the physical wheel in favor of a much more discrete optical sensor to obtain an even more refined design; this should not happen in this generation.
What autonomy for Apple Watch Series 6?
This is undoubtedly the main weakness of Apple smartwatches- their battery melts like snow in the sun. In many cases, the user must recharge it every day to avoid running out of charge. A problem that we see systematically on all models so far.
The new chip that will equip the Apple Watch Series 6 will probably consume less energy. But it is not certain that Apple will manage to increase the battery size this year. Autonomy will also depend on the screen technology used, OLED, or microLED. According to the specialized Apple leaker Nikias Molina, autonomy will still have a boost with this new iteration. It remains to be seen how far.
What are the new features?
Bloomberg was talking about it in 2024, the Apple Watch should finally benefit from its sleep tracking system according to the media The Verifier. Oddly enough, it has so far relied on third-party services to provide this option. This time it should be integrated directly into watchOS 7 and the Apple ecosystem. We may have confirmation of this information not in the fall, but as of WWDC 2020.
We have been talking about this for a long time, the Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to measure the level of oxygen in the blood (SpO2). Several sources have confirmed the option, and mention of this feature has been detected on iOS 14. If the pressure is considered too low (less than 80%), the wearer will receive a notification. An oxygen level in the blood must be between 95% and 100%.
A direct result of measuring blood oxygen levels, the Apple Watch Series 6 could detect panic attacks, says Jon Prosser. The connected watch would be able to detect hyperventilation in the user by analyzing the oxygen level in the blood and will match this data to that of the heart rate to determine if the wearer has a panic attack.
The device may even include a panic attack. In this case, a warning message will appear on the screen and the system will offer a series of breathing exercises to try to calm the user down. If he runs or drives, watchOS will advise him to stop this activity. This is probably the “mental health” feature promised by leakers Max Weinbach and EverythingApplePro.
