Apple Series 6 Brings Blood Oxygen Monitoring & Product (RED) Edition

 

Apple debuted the 2020 Apple Watch line-up, with the Apple Series 6 as the star and the Apple Watch SE as a great entry to the ecosystem.

You can read more about what the Apple Watch SE does and if it’s worth an upgrade here. 

Now let’s see what the Apple Series 6 brings to the table / wrist.

First off, it features a 40 mm or 44 mm always-on Retina display. 

This removes the need to shake your wrist to see the dial and also makes it easier to see in sunlight.

At the reveal, Apple said “the future of health is on your wrist” and the Series 6 certainly has a lot going on.

The Apple Watch 6 has a new sensor to measure your blood oxygen level in just 15 seconds. 

Theoretically, this could also be helpful in detecting COVID-19 symptoms, as infected people sometimes have abnormally low-oxygen levels.

Apple is also partnering with researchers to see how blood oxygen levels information can be used for future health applications, from detecting early signs of infection to management of heart failure. 

The ECG sensor also makes a comeback, along with fall detection. 

Even more, Apple introduced a new fitness service called Fitness+, which brings Peloton-type workouts to your device for $10 per month. 

For trekking and hiking, the always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation and can be shown as either a workout metric or a watch face complication.

With the debut of WatchOS7, there are seven new watch face options, plus the anticipated ability to share new watch faces with friends.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in 40 mm or 44 mm options and starts at $399 for the GPS model and $499 for GPS and Cellular.

For customization, Apple really did pull all the stops.

“For the first time, a new blue color joins the silver, space gray, and gold aluminum case options, along with a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch with exclusive matching bright red bands. Stainless steel models are now available in graphite — a rich gray-black hue with a striking high-shine finish — and an updated classic yellow gold color,” says the company.

While all of them look amazing, the (Product)RED variant is the most striking, especially since the sales will financially support people impacted by HIV/AIDS.