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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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An Apple Watch-wearing Pope Leo XIV holds in a host during his first official mass

Newly-elected Pope wears Apple Watch on first official mass

If you think tech nerds are excessively obsessive about their hobbies, you don’t know watch nerds. The horology corners of the internet host deep, sprawling discussions that make even the longest John Siracusa explainer or episode of The Talk Show seem superficial.

Recently, none other than the newly elected Pope caught the attention of this ever-watchful crowd. And it turns out, His Holiness is an Apple Watch guy.

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Apple Watch in significant global decline for two years now; new features needed

Apple Watch in significant global decline for two years now; new features needed | Low-key photo of a blue cellular Apple Watch

Global Apple Watch shipments have now been in significant decline for two years, according to a new market intelligence report. The news is made worse by all competing premium smartwatch brands seeing their shipments grow during the same period.

The report lays the blame on fewer reasons to upgrade, suggesting that Apple needs to focus on introducing new features and possibly design changes too …

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If Apple’s going to make a barely blue product, it should be an Apple Watch

If Apple's going to make a barely blue product, it should be an Apple Watch | A watch face whose blue color is constantly changing

I know, I’m writing about the Apple Watch and a subtle shade of blue while illustrating the piece with a dumb watch with very unsubtle blue face, but bear with me here.

A report yesterday suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro is going to be available in the Sky Blue, the name Apple gave to the subtle blue tint of one of the M4 MacBook Air options …

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How closing your Apple Watch rings helps sleep, heart health, and mental wellbeing

Apple Watch Activity rings

Ahead of the Apple Watch’s 10th anniversary on April 24th, Apple is out with new research data today that highlights associations between the closure of Activity Rings and sleep, heart health, and mental wellbeing. The data comes from data contributed by over 140,000 participants in the Apple Heart and Movement Study…

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Three reasons Apple tariffs absolutely won’t be reapplied

Three reasons Apple tariffs absolutely won't be reapplied | Stock image of a graph showing plunging values

Let’s see, where are we in the Trump tariff saga? After the White House increased tariffs on Chinese imports <counts> five times in the space of nine weeks, we then got a “pause” and an exemption on consumer electronics products – before the latest development.

Namely, the White House yesterday said that the exemption, which covers all Apple products, was only a temporary one, lasting 1-2 months. However, there are three reasons why this is exceedingly unlikely to be true …

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This is Apple’s unreleased 10th anniversary Apple Watch band [Gallery]

Over the years, we’ve seen a handful of unreleased Apple Watch bands emerge outside Apple, but this one might be my favorite. The Apple Watch will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this month, and it turns out Apple made a special edition anniversary Apple Watch Sport Band to celebrate.

Here are a bunch of images showing it off…but you’ll probably never be able to buy it.

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A plastic Apple Watch SE doesn’t make sense – and Apple may have given up on the idea

apple watch se 2

A Bloomberg report last year revealed that Apple had been experimenting with the idea of building an Apple Watch SE made of plastic in an effort to cut costs. However, it seems that the company has now given up on changing the material of the entry-level Apple Watch, which, let’s be honest, should always be metal.

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