The Apple watch has a lot of changes
The Rise of the Wear OS OS Operating System: Apple’s New Health and Fitness, the Glassy Pixel Watch, and the upcoming Ultra 2
It is a little crazy to think about where Google’s Wear OS operating system was three years ago, and how far it has come since. The user interface wasn’t silky smooth, there were hardly any first-party apps (nor third-party apps), and the health and fitness tracking features were not as robust nor as reliable as the likes of what Samsung and Apple offered on their respective smartwatches.
The health and fitness capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 9 are less impressive than the health and fitness abilities of the PixelWatch 3, although after several weeks of wearing them the results have been spot on. My sleep data is quite similar to that of the heart-rate measurements, and the Pixel Watch has reliable auto-workout detection.
Ultimately, these running features are one extra tool in the kit, and that’s exactly how they should be treated. If you are an experienced runner you should look at Coros or Garmin for more guidance.
Loss of Pulse Detection is the next new health-related feature on the Pixel Watch 3, and it can be genuinely life-saving … if it works. I didn’t stop my heart to try it, not that it’d work anyway. I expect that it will be cleared for the US soon, though it has been authorized only in Europe so far.
The Watch Series 10 is markedly thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the Series 9. Apple says it has the biggest wearable display Apple has ever built, even bigger than the already huge Watch Ultra, and it has the company’s first-ever wide-angle OLED display that is 40 percent brighter than its predecessor, designed to be read at any time and from any angle. Apple’s lighter than Series 9 despite its increase.
The Watch Ultra 2 didn’t get a big update, but instead gets some new styling. The black finish on it and a new black Milanese loop is designed for water sports. On the screen, users will get a whole new slew of water-sports-related features. Even though this watch looks amazing, you might not want to lose the blood oxygen sensors if you have an older model like the Watch Series 6. Most of the new updates arrive on the watch through the phone app and WatchOS 11 anyways.
Preorder the Series 10 now and it will be delivered on September 20. Preorders of the Watch Ultra 2 are currently available at $799, and it will be available on September 20.
Detecting Sleep Apnea in the Apple Watch using Accelerometer and Machine Intelligence-Induced Integer Sensing
It has new rounded corners that make it look softer, and a brand new jet black aluminum finish that is polished with Silicon nanoparticles to make it reflective. (Don’t worry, it still comes in the popular rose gold and silver.) It also features new hardware upgrades to make it thinner and lighter. Most notable are a new metal backing that integrates the antenna into the housing, and new thin speakers that can actually play music and podcasts.
Apple wants the Applewatch to be seen as a comprehensive health device and it takes another step towards that goal by detecting sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop and start breathing as you sleep, which reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. It can lead to life threatening events, like a stroke or heart attack. The company uses the watch’s accelerometer and machine intelligence to monitor your sleep disturbances over the course of 30 days and warn you (and/or your partner) that you might have sleep apnea.
