Apple Debuts Apple Watch Series 6 With Blood Oxygen Feature And Hardware Improvements

Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 6, introducing a Blood Oxygen feature that offers users deeper insight into their overall wellness,...

Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 6, introducing a Blood Oxygen feature that offers users deeper insight into their overall wellness, the wearable also includes multiple hardware improvements.

The new Blood Oxygen feature conveniently measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood, thus, they can better understand their overall fitness and wellness. Oxygen saturation, or SpO2, represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body and shows how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.

Here is how it works, according to Apple:

To compensate for natural variations in the skin and improve accuracy, the Blood Oxygen sensor employs four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs, along with the four photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch, to measure light reflected back from blood. Apple Watch then uses an advanced custom algorithm built into the Blood Oxygen app, which is designed to measure blood oxygen between 70 percent and 100 percent. On-demand measurements can be taken while the user is still, and periodic background measurements occur when they are inactive, including during sleep. All data will be visible in the Health app, and the user will be able to track trends over time to see how their blood oxygen level changes.

Using a new dual-core processor based on A13 Bionic in iPhone 11, the Series 6 comes in with the S6 SiP that runs up to 20 percent faster, allowing apps to also launch 20 percent faster while maintaining the same all-day 18-hour battery life.

Additionally, Apple Watch Series 6 features the U1 chip and Ultra-Wideband antennas,3 which will enable short-range wireless locations to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys.

New to the Apple Watch is the faster charging, meaning Series 6 can complete a full charge in under 1.5 hours, and improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs.

Other features includes an enhanced Always-On Retina display that is up to 2.5 times brighter than Apple Watch Series 5 outdoors when the user’s wrist is down, an  always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks, and a beautiful palette of new case finishes and bands.

Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499. It is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18.