Apple Watch Series 6 Health & Fall Detection Technology
Apple users always anticipate the next product release, and it is no wonder why. For the past decade, Apple has been at the forefront of innovation making technology more accessible and helpful to everyone. In September 2020 users were delighted to see the Apple Watch Series 6 was available and even more advanced than most were expecting. From fall detection technology to EKG capabilities, the Apple Watch Series 6 could be your next best health investment.
Hardware: Watch Series 6’s blood oxygen sensor
The Watch Series 6 has the latest S6 chipset from Apple while the Series SE has the S5 system. While the Watch SE’s setup isn’t as advanced as the Series6, Apple said the SE is twice as fast as 2017’s Series 3.One major update that’s only on the Watch Series 6 are sensors that measure your blood oxygen levels. Known as an oximeter, this feature can gather important information about your breathing and blood circulation in 15seconds, and lend key insight about your overall respiratory and cardiac health. It’s particularly important for those affected by COVID-19, since blood oxygen levels are indicative of how severely the disease is affecting your body.Read more: Apple Watch SE: Um, what exactly is the point of this $279smartwatch?The Blood Oxygen app.AppleThe accompanying Blood Oxygen app will take measurements in the background, like during sleep, but you can manually activate a reading too. Data is viewable through the built-in Health app, where you can see your levels and track trends over time.Both watches also have an optical heart sensor to measure heart rate. But theWatch Series 6 also has an app for its electrical heart sensor (abbreviated asECG or EKG), which debuted on the Watch Series 4, to detect irregular heart rhythms.Lastly, Watch Series 6 has an Ultra Wideband, or U1 chip. Available in iPhones starting with the iPhone 11 line, this chip is for “spatial awareness,” and it helps devices find other devices more precisely when they’re in close proximity. When it debuted last year, Apple said this chip would improveAirDrop, a service that lets iPhone users quickly share files with nearby iPhones. Tantalizingly, Apple added that “that’s just the beginning” of its uses. Many believe that the U1 chip is actually laying the groundwork for along-rumored Apple tile tracker.Read more: Apple Watch SE vs Series 6 vs. Series 3: How to choose?
Apple Watch and Fall Detection Technology
Fall detection technology and assistance is built into the Apple Watch Series 6.Apple was one of the first companies whose primary customers are not olderadults but to introduce fall detection technology. While wearable falldetection tech is not innovative, bringing it to a new audience via the AppleWatch was. Apple brought fall detection technology first in Series 4 and ithas continued it through each following offering.The Apple Watch Series 6 follows suit and has fall detection technology. Thismeans that the watch has special sensors that can detect when there has been a sudden shift or fall. The watch then asks the user if they need to call emergency services. If the user does not respond in one minute, the device will call emergency services on behalf of the user. Fall detection technology, including what Apple uses, is remarkably accurate and can literally save lives. In April 2020, an Apple Watch Called 911 when a man in Arizona fainted and collapsed while wearing his Apple Watch. The fall detection tech noticed the fall and when the man did not respond within one minute, his Apple Watch contacted emergency services, giving latitude and longitude coordinates, that helped first responders reach the man. First responders credited the technology for getting assistance to the man when heneeded it most.
Apple Watch SE 2 release date and price
So far there’s no news on when the Apple Watch SE 2 might launch, but the original Apple Watch SE was announced on September 15, 2020, so we thoughtthere was a fair chance the Apple Watch SE 2 will land in September of this year – clearly that didn’t pan out. Instead, we’ll likely see the watch come out in 2022, possibly at the beginning of the year but more likely alongside the iPhone 14.Then again, since Apple has only launched one Apple Watch SE model so far,there’s not much to go on, so there’s a chance the Apple Watch SE 2 won’t even land ever.There aren’t any price rumors yet either, but the original Apple Watch SE starts at $279, with prices rising for LTE, a larger size, or different strap types. There’s a fair chance that the Apple Watch SE 2 will have a similar starting price, but we can’t be sure for now.The Apple Watch SE is fairly affordable (Image credit: TechRadar)
What we want to see
There are some key improvements that we want from the Apple Watch SE 2, including the following.
Design: Similar looks, but Series 6 has more design options
Both the Watch Series 6 and the SE have the same display and resolution, soyou’ll get the same viewing experience. They’re also water resistant so you can swim with them, and they work with Apple’s two new bands, the Solo and Braided loops.The Watch Series 6, however, has more design and color choices. In addition tothe standard silver, grey and gold aluminum colors, the Series 6 comes in blue and red. It also has steel and titanium variants, with different color optionin both materials. Hermès, the luxury fashion company and longtime partner of Apple Watch also has new bands of its own for the Series 6.Lastly, the Series 6 has an always-on display. Originally introduced in the Watch Series 5 last year, it means that the display is constantly on and you don’t need to raise your wrist or tap the screen to look at the time or checkfor notifications.The Watch Series 6 with its new loop bands.
