Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing the watchOS 7 update.
To install the watchOS 7 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.
There's no word yet on what's new in the watchOS 7.1 update, but we'll update this article with details if changes and new features are discovered.
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 updates to developers, just one day after releasing the iOS 14 update and a few hours after hinting at the iOS 14.2 beta in an Xcode beta update.
iOS and iPadOS 14.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
There's no word yet on what's included in iOS 14.2, but it likely focuses on features, bug fixes, and tweaks that weren't able to be include in the initial iOS 14.2 release.
Once we download the update and dig into what's new, we'll update this article with details.
Update: iOS 14.2 introduces a new Shazam Music Recognition feature for the Control Center, making it easier to identify songs that you're listening to or that are playing around you.
Apple has also added a new music feature that displays Apple Music suggestions in the Control Center Now Playing widget when music is not being actively played.
Update: The iOS 14.2 update can now be downloaded over the air.
With the release of watchOS 7, Apple has added several new features to compatible Apple Watch models, such as new watch faces and sleep tracking, but it also drops support for the Force Touch gesture that some users may have come to think of as a second nature interaction on their wrist.
When users firmly pressed their Apple Watch screen, Force Touch technology would sense the extra pressure exertion and display additional content and controls depending on the context. But in watchOS 7, Apple has removed all Force Touch interactions from the UI, making the Force Touch sensor gasket in Apple Watch Series 5 and earlier models effectively superfluous.
Below, we've collected 10 new functions in watchOS 7 that replace our favorite Force Touch features on Apple's digital timepiece. Some are more well known than others, but hopefully you'll learn at least one thing about what a firm press on your Apple Watch screen used to do, and what you need to do now that it's gone.
1. Clear All Notifications
The Apple Watch's notifications dropdown can get busy pretty fast, especially if you often forget to dismiss an incoming alert after reading it. Rather than deleting notifications one by one, a Force Touch gesture let you clear them all with a tap.
Now you have to swipe down to scroll to the top of your notifications and then tap the Clear All button.
2. Create and Remove Watch Faces
To create a custom watch face with a background picture, you still open the Apple Watch Photos app and select a photo.
Instead of pressing firmly on the display like you used to, tap the Create Watch Face icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen instead, and then select Kaleidoscope or Photos.
3. Compose a New Message
On opening the Mail and Messages apps, you used to be able to reveal the option to compose a new message with a Force Touch gesture.
Now that's gone, you need to swipe down to reveal the New Message button at the top of your messages list.
4. Change Move Goal and Get a Weekly Activity Summary
Using Force Touch on the Activity app's main screen used to reveal a Weekly Summary showing how many times you've beaten your daily move goal so far this week. Pressing down on this screen again revealed a Change Move Goal button to adjust the amount of calories you're aiming to burn.
Both of these options have been replaced by individual buttons that you'll find right at the bottom of the Activity app's main screen, below today's activity stats.
5. Share Your Location With a Contact
When viewing a message in the Messages app, using Force Touch allowed you to quickly share your location with the message sender or view more details about the contact.
These options can now be found at the very bottom of the message screen, directly below the Instant Replies.
6. Switch Between App Grid View and List View
Force Touch in the App View would switch between the default honeycomb-style Grid layout and the alternative List View.
In watchOS 7, you can find both options in the Settings app under App View.
7. Hourly Temperature Forecast and Chance of Rain
The standard forecast display on the Apple Watch's stock Weather app shows the general weather conditions for the day ahead. Prior to watchOS 7, using Force Touch in the app displayed buttons for switching between weather conditions, chance of rain, and temperature.
Fortunately, you can still access these views just as easily by tapping the 12-hour forecast to cycle through them.
8. Control Camera Settings Remotely
With the Apple Watch Camera app open, Force Touch would reveal a hidden submenu offering access to your iPhone's HDR, Flash, Live Photo, and Flip controls.
In watchOS 7, all of these controls are accessed by tapping the three dots in the bottom-right of the screen, which reveal a vertical scrolling menu.
9. Switch Calendar View
Prior to watchOS 7, changing view options within the Calendar app could be done using Force Touch.
These options are now found in the Settings app under Calendar -> View Options.
10. Switch and Edit Watch Faces
Out of all the changes following the removal of Force Touch, this is almost certainly the least abrasive, and involves an almost identical gesture.
To switch between watch faces or customize the currently selected one, simply long press on the watch screen to invoke the watch face selector.
Final Thoughts
Force Touch was one of those Apple Watch features that was so discreet and unassuming that this arguably worked against it in the long run. Apple hasn't said why it removed the firm-press gesture in watchOS 7, but it could be that not enough users were aware of it for it to be genuinely useful.
That's a shame, because just like 3D Touch on iPhone, Apple implemented the haptic feedback technology across the entire watchOS interface, putting additional functionality right at your fingertips. Of course, 3D Touch went the same way as Force Touch on Apple Watch when the iPhone XR was launched, which some would argue suffered from the same lack of discoverability.
The iPhone XR introduced Haptic Touch to replace 3D Touch. While Haptic Touch (aka long press) is essentially a feedback mechanism, 3D Touch offered genuine input options like Peek and Pop. This change has since expanded to the entire iPhone lineup, which has allowed Apple to remove the capacitive layer integrated into the iPhone display.
Will you miss Force Touch after updating your Apple Watch to watchOS 7? Are there any other Force Touch gestures we missed? Let us know in the comments.
Apple earlier this week debuted an all-new radically redesigned iPad Air that's set to ship in October, but ahead of the release date, Apple invited members of the Chinese media to a special hands-on event to test out the new iPad Air models.
Several videos demoing the 2020 iPad Air have been shared on YouTube, and while these videos are in Chinese, those interested in the new iPad Air may want to check them out to see details on size, the USB-C port, and the way the new Touch ID top button works.
This first video has an excellent close up look at the iPad Air's casing and edge-to-edge display, Apple Pencil support, and Touch ID top button, as well as a comparison with the older iPad Air model that had a more rounded case design and the 11-inch iPad Pro.
There's an interesting demo of Touch ID working at around 4:40 minutes in, showing off its speed and the button in action in both portrait and landscape modes.
The second video also has demos of the Touch ID button at about three minutes in for those interested in seeing it in action, as well as a good look at the different colors. The new iPad Air comes in rose gold, green, and blue in addition to the traditional space gray and silver colors.
The third video offers up another close look at Touch ID, color options, the new edge-to-edge display, display comparisons with other iPads, USB-C port, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard support. There's also a bonus look at some of the new Apple Watch Series 6 models and bands.
Though the new iPad Air models were announced on Tuesday, Apple isn't accepting orders until an unspecified date in October, so it's going to be awhile before we get to see them in person. We can expect to see U.S. media reviews at some point in the future, likely shortly before the launch date.
Alongside macOS Big Sur beta 7, which was seeded out to developers this morning, Apple shared the Xcode 12.2 beta. The release notes for the new Xcode beta mention SDKs for iOS 14.2, iPadOS 14.2, tvOS 14.2, and watchOS 7.1, suggesting these are updates we’ll be seeing in the near future.
Xcode 12.2 beta includes SDKs for iOS 14.2, iPadOS 14.2, tvOS 14.2, watchOS 7.1, and macOS Big Sur 11. The Xcode 12.2 beta release supports on-device debugging for iOS 9 and later, tvOS 9 and later, and watchOS 2 and later. Xcode 12.2 beta requires a Mac with Apple silicon running macOS Big Sur 11 or later, or an Intel-based Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 or later.
There are, of course, always new iOS 14 betas provided shortly after the software sees a public release, but that the numbering is iOS 14.2 instead of iOS 14.1 is unusual.
Apple does sometimes skip numbers with iOS releases, especially as of late when SDK changes are required, but it’s possible that the iOS 14.1 update will be reserved for the new iPhone 12 models that are not yet out, while iOS 14.2 will be a wider device release. Of course, iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 could also be for the new iPhones and the new iPad Air.
Either way, we’re likely going to get new iOS 14 developer betas as soon as next week with new features, bug fixes, and changes that were not able to be included in the release version of iOS 14, which came out yesterday.
Amid rumors that Apple is continuing to work on some kind of wireless charging mat after the failure of the AirPower, 9to5Mac has shared a video said to depict an Apple "magnetic wireless charger prototype."
The charger is a flat white disc with some kind of connector at the back, which appears to allow it to attach to another device. The circular shape resembles the Qi-based wireless charging coils built into iPhones, and the connector indicates that it could be a component of a larger accessory.
Rumors have suggested that the iPhone 12 models have a ring of magnets inside for attaching them to wireless charging accessories, but it's not known if the prototype is related. Component photos have previously depicted alleged iPhone 12 internals that feature the rumored magnet layout.
There is no word on what this charger is, how Apple will use it, or if it is somehow representative of a future wireless charging accessory that Apple will release.
There is a possibility that this is some kind of accessory that Apple will use as a display in its retail stores, as other curious mounts spotted in the past have turned out to be for retail use. It's also possible that this is some kind of demo unit designed for Apple's Made for iPhone partners to provide instructions on future wireless chargers.
Apple on Tuesday introduced a new Fitness+ home workout service that offers guided training videos that can be watched on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV and monitored with the Apple Watch.
Given that Fitness+ provides videos that are ideal for people who are unable to visit gyms and other facilities, it has been seen as a logical response to the ongoing health crisis, but Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams today told Reuters that it was planned long ago.
MacRumorsin March discovered signs of the new Fitness+ service in a leaked version of iOS 14, confirming that Apple was working on it well before people began working and learning from home.
Work on Fitness+ started "quite a while ago" as a "natural extension goal of Apple Watch, which is to help people live a better day." Apple has long had a focus on encouraging people to be more active with the Apple Watch, offering an Activity app with daily movement goals.
"At least pre-Covid, if you could write one prescription for the world from physicians, it would have been to be more active. It's so powerful," Williams said in a press briefing. "So anything we do in that realm that helps people be more active is something we're excited about."
Fitness+ will offer workouts across a range of categories, including yoga, dance, treadmill walk and run, cycling, HIIT, rowing, core, strength, and mindful cooldown.
Apple films workout videos using a team of trainers in Los Angeles, with the exercises focusing on using little to no equipment.
Apple is planning to launch Fitness+ by the end of the year, with Apple charging $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Those who buy a new Apple Watch Series 3 or later will get a free three month trial.
Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the sixth beta and more than two months after the new update was unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
The macOS Big Sur beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
macOS Big Sur introduces a refreshed design to the Mac operating system, overhauling the entire look from the curvature of the window corners to the dock icons to the system sounds. Everything feels fresh but familiar, with a lighter and more modern appearance. There's a new customizable Control Center that mirrors the Control Center on iOS devices, putting key system controls right at your fingertips.
The Notification Center has been redesigned with iOS-style widgets that are available in multiple sizes, plus there are more interactive notifications that are now grouped by app to make it easier to see what's going on. Safari is faster and more battery efficient, plus there's a new start page that can be customized with wallpapers and sections that include Reading List and iCloud Tabs, which makes Safari more tailored to your individual usage needs.
Tabs have been redesigned, there's a built-in language translation feature, Chrome and Firefox Extensions can be ported to Safari, and YouTube supports 4K video playback. There's also an option to choose which sites an extension works with for greater privacy. Speaking of privacy, a new Privacy Report feature lets users know the trackers Safari is blocking when you visit websites.
Messages is more similar to the Messages app on iOS with support for pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, and Memoji creation, plus the built-in search feature has been overhauled to make it easier to find links, photos, and conversations in the app.
Apple redesigned the Maps app to add support for Look Around, indoor maps, and Guides, which are lists of notable attractions, restaurants, and more created by trusted sources. Maps can also be used to generate directions for cycling routes and electric vehicle trips that can be sent to iPhone, and shared ETA updates are now viewable on the Mac.
Photos includes a better Retouch tool, Apple Music's For You section has been replaced with a Listen Now section, HomeKit Secure Video cameras support Face Recognition and Activity zones, and Siri can answer a wider range of questions than before.
In the future, the macOS Big Sur App Store will help users better understand privacy practices with clear info on the information that an app collects, and after installing macOS Big Sur, you'll see faster updates that begin in the background and then finish more quickly to make it easier to keep your Mac up to date.
Apple in the third beta of macOS Big Sur changed the battery icon for the Battery section in System Preferences, refining the design to make it look more clean and streamlined. The beta testing period also brought a new design for the Music app icon (it's red), and some color changes to the buttons and icons inside the music app.
For more on everything that's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup.
Apple on Tuesday introduced the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE, and orders kicked off on the same day.
The first Apple Watch Series 6 and SE deliveries are expected on Friday, and orders in the United States, UK, and other countries have begun shipping out ahead of tomorrow's delivery date.
Not all of those who purchased an Apple Watch on Tuesday will be getting their new watches this Friday because many Apple Watch Series 6 combinations featured delivery estimates of September 25 to September 29 from the time that orders kicked off.
In the United States, some of those who have estimates of September 25 to September 29 may get their orders somewhat early, as there are reports on the MacRumors forums from users who are able to track their shipments using reference numbers (typically a phone number or an order number) or advanced tracking features offered by FedEx and UPS.
Apple Stores that are open may have some Apple Watch Series 6 and SE stock available starting tomorrow as tomorrow is the official launch date, but no in-store availability is listed as of right now.
Many orders placed today for new Apple Watch models will see delivery dates in early October.
The Apple Watch Series 6 introduces blood oxygen monitoring for the first time, adding new LEDs and infrared light to detect the percentage of oxygen in the blood. Low blood oxygen can be a sign of a medical emergency that needs immediate attention.
There's also a new S6 chip, improvements to the Always-On display, new blue and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum colors, and new Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop band options that fit over the wrist with stretch and have no clasps. The Series 6 is priced starting at $399.
The Apple Watch SE is Apple's new low-cost Apple Watch. It's identical in design to the Series 6, but it does not have blood oxygen monitoring, it cannot take ECGs, it has a slower S5 chip, and it is available in aluminum only. The SE is priced starting at $279.
Sometimes you might not want certain pictures shot on your iPhone or iPad to be visible in your Photo Library, but for whatever reason, you might not want to outright delete them either. That's why Apple's Photos app includes an option to hide certain photos from the main library.
Prior to iOS 14, this option would hide pictures from the Photos and For You sections of the Photos app, but they would still show up in the Albums section under an album called "Hidden," which wasn't exactly an inconspicuous way of squirreling away private pictures.
With that in mind, Apple has added an option in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 that allows users to hide the Hidden album from the Photos app, quite literally. The following steps run you through the process of hiding a picture and then making sure the Hidden album is concealed in the Photos app.
Once you've completed the steps, the Hidden album won't show up in the Photos app; just be aware that you'll still see the Hidden album when you use the image picker in third-party apps, so it's not completely invisible from prying eyes.
How to Hide a Photo
Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the pictures you want to hide.
Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. (It looks like a square with an arrow pointing out.)
In the Share Sheet's actions menu, select Hide.
Tap the prompt that appears at the bottom of the screen to confirm.
Again, this hides the photo from the general album view, but conspicuously places the photo in an album called "Hidden". To hide that "Hidden" folder in iOS 14:
How to Hide the 'Hidden' Folder in Photos
Launch the Settings app.
Scroll down and select Photos.
Make sure the switch next to Hidden Album is in the grey OFF position.
If you ever want your Hidden album to appear in Photos again, go to Settings -> Photos and then toggle the switch next to Hidden Album so that it's in the green ON position.
Note that while the album is hidden in the Photos app, it can appear in the photo picker from 3rd party apps. At best this just makes it harder for casual snoopers from running across your private photos.
The Apple Watch Series 6 offers a number of compelling updates on 2019's Series 5, offering a new S6 processor, a U1 ultra-wideband chip, and blood oxygen monitoring, for a price starting at $399. At the same time, Apple introduced an entirely new model of Apple Watch; Apple Watch SE. This new model offers many of the Apple Watch features that have made the device so popular over the years, but at a much more competitive price starting at $279.
The Apple Watch Series 6 has since been discontinued by Apple and replaced with the Apple Watch Series 7, but the Series 6 is still available from some third-party retailers for prices much lower than the original $399 starting price.
As these two models share many key features, including design, water resistance, and an optical heart sensor, it may not be immediately obvious which model is better for you. Is it worth purchasing the cheaper model with fewer features? Our guide answers the question of how to decide which of these two Apple Watch models is best for you.
Comparing the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE
Most of the features of these two models of Apple Watch are the exactly same. Apple lists these identical features of the two models:
Similarities
44mm or 40mm case size
Retina LTPO OLED display, with brightness of 1,000 nits
GPS and GPS + Cellular models
64‑bit dual-core processor
W3 wireless chip
Digital Crown with haptic feedback
Optical heart sensor
High and low heart rate, and irregular heart rhythm notifications
International emergency calling, emergency SOS, and Fall Detection
Apple's breakdown shows that the two models share an overwhelming majority of features. Even so, there are a small number of meaningful differences between the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE that are worth highlighting, such as ECG and blood oxygen monitoring.
Improved battery life for certain workouts, faster charging
New Colors: Blue and (PRODUCT)RED
Apple Watch SE
Retina display
S5 SiP with 64‑bit dual-core processor
Optical heart sensor only
Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see what exactly both of the latest Apple Watch models have to offer.
Displays
Both the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE come with a Retina LTPO OLED display, with a brightness of 1,000 nits. The key difference, however, is that the Series 6 has an always-on display. This means that even when you lower your wrist, the display remains on, so you can always see your watch face without having to raise your wrist correctly.
The Apple Watch Series 6 always-on display is up to two and a half times brighter than the Apple Watch Series 5 outdoors when the user's wrist is down, making it much easier to see a watch face in bright sunlight. When their wrist is down, users can also now access Notification Center and Control Center, tap on complications, and swipe to change faces without having to wake their watch screen.
The Apple Watch SE does not have an always-on display, meaning that users will have to raise their wrist or tap the display to see their watch face.
Other than this feature, the high-resolution Retina displays themselves are the same between the two models. Unless you feel that you particularly need to see your watch face at all times without raising your wrist, the Apple Watch SE's display will be more than adequate for your needs.
S6 vs. S5 Processor
Both processors in the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE are 64‑bit dual-core chips. The newer S6 processors are based on the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, and are up to 20 percent faster than the previous S5 processors. Apple says that this allows apps to launch 20 percent faster, while maintaining the same "all-day" 18-hour battery life.
The Apple Watch SE inherits the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 dual-core processor, which still "delivers incredibly fast performance," according to Apple. The S5 is up to two times faster than Apple Watch Series 3.
The S5 was already a capable processor when it premiered in the Apple Watch Series 5, and the S6 simply offers a more refined chip. The minor performance improvements of the S6 chip do not seem to be enough to justify getting the Apple Watch Series 6 over the Apple Watch SE unless you absolutely need faster app launch speeds. For the vast majority of users, the Apple Watch SE's processor will be suitably fast and efficient.
U1 Ultra-Wideband Chip
Only the Apple Watch Series 6 contains the U1 ultra-wideband chip. Apple says that the U1 on Apple Watch will "enable short-range wireless location to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys," but it is as yet unclear what else the chip may offer.
The distance between two devices that support ultra-wideband can be measured precisely by calculating the time that it takes for a radio wave to pass between the two devices, with much more accuracy than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi.
Although Apple has increasingly been implementing the chip on its new devices, it has yet to unlock substantial new features on the Apple Watch. The U1's functionality on Apple Watch Series 6 may well be expanded in the future.
Since the U1 chip currently has such few use cases, it is not worth getting the Apple Watch Series 6 simply because of it. Nevertheless, if you plan on keeping your Apple Watch for many years, the U1 chip will likely make it a much more future-proof model, due to the high chance that more functionality will come to it in the coming years.
Health Monitoring
Apple Watch Series 6 offers blood oxygen monitoring; a brand new health monitoring feature never seen before on the Apple Watch. The feature measures the oxygen saturation of the user's blood, so they can better understand their overall fitness and wellbeing. Oxygen saturation, also known as SpO2, represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body, and indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.
The Apple Watch Series 6 has a blood oxygen sensor on its rear with an array of four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs. They measure light reflected back from blood, and using an advanced custom algorithm, can determine blood oxygen saturation between 70 and 100 percent.
On-demand measurements can be taken using the Blood Oxygen app, and periodic background measurements are also taken, including during sleep. All data is visible in the Health app, and the user is able to track trends over time to see how their blood oxygen level changes.
Moreover, the Apple Watch Series 6 contains the electrical heart sensor from previous models that is used to take electrocardiograms, or ECGs. The Apple Watch Series 6 has electrodes built into the Digital Crown and an electrical heart rate sensor on the rear. With the ECG app, users touch the Digital Crown and after 30 seconds, receive a heart rhythm classification. It can classify if the heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether there are signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that may lead to major health complications. All recordings, their associated classifications, and any noted symptoms are stored in the Health app in a PDF that can be shared with physicians.
The Apple Watch SE does not have a blood oxygen or electrical heart sensor to monitor either of these health statistics. However, the Apple Watch SE is not without the ability to record any health data.
The Apple Watch SE has an optical heart sensor to monitor heart rate, and can give notifications about high and low heart rate, and as well as irregular heart rhythm. The lower-cost model can also still perform emergency SOS, Fall Detection, and noise monitoring, just like the Apple Watch Series 6.
The additional health monitoring features of the Apple Watch Series 6 are the main appeal of the more expensive model. If you believe that ECG and blood oxygen monitoring will be important to you, you should consider the Apple Watch Series 6. If these advanced health features are less of a priority for you, the Apple Watch SE still has some insightful health monitoring capabilities.
Battery
Both Apple Watch models retain what Apple calls an "all-day" battery life of around 18 hours.
Apple Watch Series 6, however, offers faster charging, completing a full charge in under one and a half hours, and improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs. The Series 6 has also been optimized to be theoretically unaffected by its always-on display.
Since the battery life of both models is virtually the same, it is probably not worth favoring the Series 6 simply on the basis of faster charging and slightly improved battery usage during particular activities. The Series 6's battery and charging enhancements instead remain an important indication of how the device offers a range of small but meaningful improvements over the Apple Watch SE.
Design
The Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE share the same basic design, but differ when it comes to materials and color options.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in aluminum, stainless steel, or titanium, while the Apple Watch SE is only available in aluminum. Apple Watches with stainless steel or titanium also use a sapphire crystal screen, whereas the aluminum models use Ion-X strengthened glass.
The Apple Watch Series 6 in aluminum is available in Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Blue, or (PRODUCT)RED. In stainless steel, it is available in Silver, Graphite, or Gold, and in titanium, it is available in Titanium or Space Black. The Apple Watch SE is only available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
If you prefer stainless steel, titanium, or a Blue, (PRODUCT)RED, Graphite, Titanium, or Space Black finish, you should get the Apple Watch Series 6 as it is the only model to offer these materials and color options. If, however, you are content with a light-weight aluminum casing, and basic Silver, Space Gray, or Gold finishes, then the Apple Watch SE will be sufficient.
Other Apple Watch Options
Apple also offers the Apple Watch Series 3 for $199. This older model offers substantially fewer features and has a smaller screen. The Apple Watch Series 3 is still a capable device, with 8GB of storage, water resistance up to 50 meters, an altimeter, Emergency SOS, and an optical heart sensor. Functionally, it is more pared back than the Apple Watch SE, being thicker with larger bezels.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is really only intended for those who want an Apple Watch at the lowest possible price, but it will certainly be the least future-proof model. Given that the Apple Watch Series 3 is a much older model, if you can afford an Apple Watch Series 6 or Apple Watch SE, you should definitely prefer those newer options.
Final Thoughts
The Apple Watch Series 6 is very much an improvement over the previous Series 5 model, offering new features such as blood oxygen monitoring, the S6 and U1 chips, and an always-on altimeter. With its always-on display, advanced health monitoring features, and range of colors and finishes, the Apple Watch Series 6 will be the model of choice for those that more out of their wearable. If you are particularly interested in health tracking, or simply like a particular casing and color combination, the Apple Watch Series 6 will be the best model for you.
Alternately, if you are on a budget and are not particularly attracted to the additional features of the Series 6, the Apple Watch SE is a very compelling option. The Apple Watch SE is the go-to model for many Apple Watch customers, particularly those that are new to the device.
The Apple Watch SE will likely be the most popular model of the two, so for most potential customers, this will be the default choice. As it shares so many features with the Apple Watch Series 6, you should only choose the more expensive model if you value additional features such as the always-on display or advanced health monitoring and can justify the added cost.
Deals have emerged this week on the previous generation Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple Watch Series 5, following Apple's announcement of Series 6 and SE models of the wearable device.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the Apple Watch Series 3, Amazon is offering the 38mm GPS model for $169.00, down from $199.00. Likewise, the 42mm GPS model is $30 off, priced at $199.00, down from $229.00. These match previous low prices on Series 3 models, and are a great entry point for the Apple Watch.
If you're shopping for the Apple Watch Series 5, Amazon has the 44mm GPS Gold Aluminum Case with Pink Sport Band for $329.00, down from $429.00. At $100 off, this is an Amazon all-time-low price. This is the only Series 5 model on sale on Amazon this week.
Apple has today unveiled two new children's programs titled "Stillwater" and "Doug Unplugs" that will be coming to Apple TV+.
Stillwater is an animated series based on the book series "Zen Shorts" by Jon J. Muth. The series centers on three siblings who have a wise panda, called Stillwater, as their next-door neighbor.
The panda provides children with "a deeper understanding of their feelings, as well as mindfulness tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges" through stories and humor. The character also "brings newfound fun and adventure for the three, opening their eyes to the quiet wonders of the world around them, and guiding them to their place within it."
The cast includes James Sie, Eva Binder, Tucker Chandler, and Judah Mackey. Stillwater arrives on Apple TV+ on December 4.
The report also outlined another new show called "Doug Unplugs," a story about a young robot "who senses there's more to life than just the facts. While other robots plug in for their daily download, curious Doug unplugs and journeys into the human world, and with his best friend Emma, experiences its wonders firsthand."
The DreamWorks Animation production for Apple TV+ is based on the "Doug Unplugged" book series by Dan Yaccarino, and is set to premiere on November 13. The cast features Brandon James Cienfuegos, Kyrie McAlpin, Eric Bauza, Mae Whitman, Leslie David Baker, and Becky Robinson.
Apple also confirmed that the second seasons of "Ghostwriters" and "Helpsters" will premiere on October 9 and October 16 respectively.
The new season of Helpsters will feature a number of guest stars, including Terry Crews, Danny Trejo, Gabby Douglas, Christopher Meloni, Richard Kind, Michael Ian Black, Janeane Garofalo, Michelle Buteau and Judah Friedlander, with musical guests including Talib Kweli, Matt Berninger, Jason Mraz, K. Flay, Norah Jones, and Ingrid Michaelson.
Created in partnership with Gamevice, the Razer Kishi is a dual-sided game controller that attaches to the top and bottom of the iPhone. The controller plugs into the Lightning connector, allowing it to be powered by the iPhone rather than a battery, and this also provides for a low-latency connection.
Priced at $99.95, the Apple-certified controller features a directional pad, two thumbsticks, A-B-X-Y buttons, and shoulder bumpers.
Apple is now selling Logitech's Keys-To-Go, a portable Bluetooth keyboard designed for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Retailing for $69.95, the keyboard features a fabric design with soft and silent keys, an attachable iPhone stand, a full row of iOS shortcut keys, and up to three months of battery life on a single charge.
After Apple announced its Apple One service bundles at its "Time Flies" event earlier this week, there was uncertainty among some users with older Apple IDs about whether Apple One would work with multiple Apple IDs.
Some users have two Apple IDs, often split between one for iCloud services and one for purchases and subscriptions. This is a result of the fact that the iTunes Store account and Apple's various cloud service accounts were originally separate. As these accounts were eventually upgraded into modern Apple IDs, it left many users with two different Apple IDs. Although Apple allows users to use both accounts on their devices with various workarounds, the problem has never been fully addressed and Apple does not allow users to consolidate multiple accounts.
MacRumors reader Richard raised a potential issue with Apple One and multiple Apple IDs following the announcement of the new service:
I actually have a question after the announcement of the new Apple One subscription. I, like many older Apple users, have two Apple IDs — one for all of my iCloud services and one for all of my purchases, Apple Music subscription, etc.
We all know Apple has failed to allow any type of merging, but has continued to support two Apple IDs. My question for them is, how will that change with Apple One? Because the subscription service offers a subscription for iCloud storage and my other subscriptions, which span across two Apple IDs...
Since Apple One includes subscriptions to services such as Apple Music, which some users will have registered to the Apple ID that was originally their iTunes Store account, and a subscription to iCloud storage, which some users will have registered to the Apple ID that was originally for Apple cloud services, it was not immediately clear if Apple will support multiple Apple IDs for Apple One.
Microsoft's Senior Cloud Advocate Christina Warren raised the question on Twitter, and received a reply from Apple's Chris Espinosa, which was spotted by 9to5Mac.
It manages that. I just double-checked.
— Chris Espinosa (@cdespinosa) September 17, 2020
Espinosa, who was Apple's eighth employee and pioneered Apple's Family Sharing feature, which deals with multiple Apple IDs within a family, confirmed that Apple One will manage users with multiple Apple IDs. It is unclear if this will involve any new consolidation of accounts, but the news will placate many users who were concerned about being excluded from Apple One.
The launch date of Apple One is as yet unconfirmed, but the service bundles are expected to arrive this fall.
The Apple Watch SE is set to start shipping Friday, September 18, but the first hands-on reviews of Apple's lower-cost wearable are now appearing online. Several journalists and media outlets were provided with review units, and so far Chris Velazco from Engadget and Victoria Song from Gizmodo have shared their opinions after 24-hours with the wearable.
Given that the Apple Watch SE is a lower-cost option that does not introduce any new features, reviews have focused on the balance of features that Apple chose to include in the device. Nonetheless, the Apple Watch SE is being treated as a welcome, good value-for-money option. Song outlined the features that the Apple Watch SE is lacking:
For starters, you're not getting the electrocardiogram app for atrial fibrillation detection or the new blood oxygen-monitoring sensor. You're also not getting the always-on screen that was introduced with the Series 5, the Series 6's faster S6 chip, or the U1 Ultra Wideband chip. From a charging standpoint, the Series 6 will also go from zero to 100% a bit faster at 1.5 hours versus the Watch SE at 2.5 hours. For wifi, the Series 6 supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz, while the SE only supports the former.
In spite of these drawbacks, she was positive about the Apple Watch SE's performance, and said that "you're not giving up as much as you might think."
The S5 chip is, so far, still snappy. I have zero complaints about downloading or launching apps. I'm sure the S6 chip is faster, but the S5 is better than simply "fast enough." So far, the tilt-to-wake responsiveness for the Watch SE's display is also pretty great. I’m not sure if it’s just my memory failing me, but it feels faster than I remember it being on the Series 2, 3, and 4. Perhaps it's the S5 chip?
In terms of performance and battery life Velazco was similarly positive:
In other words, you can expect performance that's in line with what was -- up until just recently -- Apple's flagship wearable. I haven't had the SE long enough to fully test its battery life, but I easily got a full day of use from the Series 5 when it launched, and the SE might last a little longer since it doesn't have an always-on display to worry about.
Song also commented on the lack of always-on display found on the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6, but said "I don't feel cheated by not having an always-on display."
Unsurprisingly, the reviews tended to convey some disappointment about the Apple Watch SE lacking advanced health features such as ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, but ultimately resolved that they were not of vital importance. Song said:
ECG and atrial fibrillation notifications are wonderful innovations. But unless you have a heart condition, or are in the at-risk age range for Afib, it's not the most necessary feature. Lacking ECG doesn't mean you won't get the potentially life-saving warnings if your heart rate suddenly skyrockets or plummets beyond your normal range. That's something that comes with watchOS—even the Series 3 has that capability. As for blood oxygen-monitoring... this is also a cool innovation that, generally speaking, wearables companies haven't figured out how to implement in a truly meaningful way just yet... you won't be missing out on the vast majority of what makes an Apple Watch great if you don't have blood oxygen-monitoring.
Velazo echoed the sentiments, saying that Apple Watch SE "still has most of the health-focused features Apple has rolled out in the past few years, like fall detection, alerts for excessive ambient noise, and non-ECG-based heart rate monitoring."
Overall, Velazco described the SE as "a mixed bag of the best parts and features from the last few years of Apple Watch history," and notes that it is "surprisingly similar" to the high-end Apple Watch Series 6. Song said that the Apple Watch SE "feels like an extremely good deal... Apple may have a real affordable winner on its hands."
More detailed, longer-form reviews of the Apple Watch SE will be arriving soon.
First impressions of the Apple Watch Series 6 have now been shared by select media outlets and YouTubers, providing a closer look at the device's new features, including blood oxygen measuring and a brighter always-on display.
Starting with blood oxygen measuring, Engadget's Valentina Palladino noted that the Apple Watch needs to be worn in a certain way to get a successful reading:
It took at roughly seven attempts of fiddling with the placement before I got it to work. Data came most often when the Watch was as far up my arm as my small/medium sports band would allow when secured on the third notch. Apple provides guidelines in the blood oxygen app that explain proper placement, and one of the things it advises is not to position the Watch too low on the wrist.
Palladino suggested that the new Solo Loop band may have been Apple's way of addressing this matter, as it kept the Apple Watch flush against her skin for accurate blood oxygen readings. Apple says the Solo Loop comes in nine sizes to provide an "ultracomfortable" fit, with a wrist sizing guide available on its website.
TechCrunch's Brian Heater was disappointed that the Series 6 continues to have the same advertised 18 hours of battery life as previous models, especially with the addition of sleep tracking. However, during its Time Flies event this week, Apple indicated that the Series 6 can charge 20 percent faster than the Series 5.
The Verge's Dieter Bohn said his favorite new feature is the brighter always-on display, which he described as "very bright." Bohn also offered praise for the new (PRODUCT)RED finish option, which looks quite vibrant in his photos.
Powered by a new S6 chip, Apple says the Series 6 is up to 20 percent faster than the Series 5. Rolling Stone's Brandt Ranj said that in real-world use, the Series 6 feels "incredibly fast," noting that apps load more quickly, Siri feels more responsive, and animations like the closing of Activity rings look a lot smoother.
A few days after Apple announced new iPads and Apple Watches, some of these devices have started appearing in the hands of reviewers. In regards to the 10.2-inch iPad, so far Scott Stein from CNET and Chris Velazco from Engadget have shared their opinions on the latest low-cost iPad.
Given that this iPad lacks the complete design overhaul seen on the 2020 iPad Air, it's come off as a bit underwhelming in these first hands-on previews. That still doesn't undermine what Velazco described as welcome "extra power" under the hood for the 10.2-inch iPad.
That's because of the biggest new addition to the iPad: the A12 Bionic chip, leading to a performance boost that was "noticeably smoother" to Velazco, even when gaming.
Multitasking on the 2019 model could feel a little choppy at times, but I haven't noticed any of that yet, even when running two apps side by side with a third in a floating window.
I've also tried a handful of games over the past day, including Redout and Oceanhorn 2 -- two titles that gave last year's model some trouble. Thankfully, none of the little hiccups I ran into with that earlier model have shown up here yet, but that’s not to say they won’t. The A12 packs a redesigned GPU alongside more raw compute power than the A10 Fusion found in last year's iPad, so it’s no surprise that this iPad runs with less fuss.
Stein echoed similar sentiments, noting that while there's not a lot to say about the new iPad, the A12 is a "big difference" in comparison with the previous generation. He noted that if you have an iPad that's a few years old, this could definitely be a solid upgrade, particularly if you don't care about the more pro-level features of an iPad Pro or iPad Air.
Stein did note a few ongoing gripes with the iPad, relating to the lack of USB-C and the lack of compatibility with Apple Pencil 2 (it only supports Apple Pencil 1). Despite these woes, Stein said that this will still likely be the iPad to buy for most consumers, given its cheaper entry point.
Apple's fancy iPad is still a few weeks off. Do you wait for that? It depends on whether you're willing to spend more and you think you'll need the extra processing oomph. The new Air may have a sharper design and could be the best all-around iPad, but it's hard to beat what's essentially last year's iPad Air right in front of me for just $329.
I haven't spent more than a day with the new iPad, so more impressions to come. But there's nothing I've seen so far that changes my previous advice. For most people, this is the iPad to buy.
More hands-on impressions of the newest iPad and Apple Watch models should be coming soon. If you're curious about unboxing videos for the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, we've accumulated some of these right here.
Apple Watch Series 6 offers blood oxygen monitoring; a brand new health monitoring feature never seen before on the Apple Watch. The feature measures the oxygen saturation of the user's blood, so they can better understand their overall fitness and wellbeing. Oxygen saturation, also known as SpO2, represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body, and indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.
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