- Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE during its Time Flies event.
- Apple Watch Series 6 has the ability to measure your blood oxygen levels, has a new S6 processor, and comes in a variety of new colors, including blue and Product Red.
- Apple Watch SE starts at $279, ships with many of the same features as the Apple Watch Series 6, and contains the same S5 processor as the Series 5.
In a normal year, this might be around the time that Apple would be inviting members of the press to Apple Park in Cupertino, California to attend the latest hardware showcase where all the new iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad models would be revealed. But with the novel coronavirus pandemic still raging in the United States, Apple has been forced to forgo any in-person events and make most of its announcements with press releases. That finally changed on Tuesday as Apple took to the virtual stage for its first big event since WWDC over the summer.
Apple announced the “Time Flies” event last week, and as the name implied, Apple Watch models took center stage. Not only did the flagship Apple Watch Series 6 make its debut with a series of compelling new features — Apple also unveiled a new Apple Watch SE that should attract a new audience with its lower price point.
Apple Watch Series 6 comes in a variety of new colors, including a new blue aluminum, classic gold, graphite, and for the first time, Product Red. Apple went all out to make this the “most colorful lineup ever.”
Apple Watch Series 6 is the first Apple Watch with the ability to monitor blood oxygen levels. It uses red and infrared light to detect the color of your blood, which can determine the blood’s oxygen content. This takes just 15 seconds to complete, and Apple says the app that measures blood oxygen can be used for “fitness and wellness purposes.” The company is also partnering with health networks to study heart health using this new feature. They even want to find out if the feature can be useful in the detection of COVID-19 as the pandemic rages on.
As for specifications, the Series 6 gets a boost with the new dual-core S6 processor, which is 20% faster than the S5 that powered last year’s Apple Watch Series 5. Apple says the S6 chip is based on the iPhone 11’s A13 processor, and represents the biggest leap in performance for the Apple Watch in years.
Finally, Apple revealed a bunch of new watch faces and bands, for consumers who like to customize.
Before moving on, Apple also announced the Apple Watch SE, which will serve as a successor to the Series 3. Apple Watch SE has the same S5 processor as the Series 5, which Apple claims will double the performance of the watch over its predecessor. It has a larger display, fall detection, sleep tracking, compass, altimeter, Family Setup, face sharing, and fall detection. Basically, everything you expect from an Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Series 6 will start at $399, while Apple Watch SE will start at $279. Both are available to purchase today and will begin shipping on Friday, September 18th. Apple also confirmed that it will continue to sell the Apple Watch Series 3 for $199, in case you don’t care about any of the new features.
