Aside from the new colors, the design of the Apple
Watch Series 6 looks very familiar to us. It is available in the same 40mm and 44mm sizes as before and is compatible with all straps introduced to date. The aluminum version uses the always-on Retina display in ionX glass, while the titanium and steel versions both feature more scratch-resistant sapphire glass. The rear crystal of the Apple Watch has been redesigned with four clusters of LEDs used for ECG functionality and the new Blood Oxygen app. It also houses four photodiodes for use with the Blood Oxygen app and a conductive ring for heart rate measurement.
The OLED screen of the Apple Watch Series 6 has the same scale and resolution as its predecessor, but with an increase in screen brightness from 200 to 500 nit. This makes it much more visible, especially when outdoors. The functions of the watch are controlled entirely through a combination of using the touch screen, the digital crown and the side button.
The entry-level model Apple Watch SE loses some of the more advanced and premium features but is offered at a much lower price. More or less it's a combination of an Apple Watch Series 5 and an Apple Watch Series 3. Both models run WatchOS 7, so the software experience is the same, with the only differences based on the integrated hardware technology.
The SE version does not have the always-on display, does not have ECG (electrocardiogram) functionality, nor the new SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen monitoring (which Series 5 also had). It retains the processor from 2019 Apple Watch Series 5 but does not include the Apple U1 chip, which can be used to open car doors and find other Apple devices nearby. The equipment of the Apple Watch SE includes a heart rate sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, waterproof design, speaker, GPS and cell phone holder.
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With WatchOS 7, there are many new features for both the new and previous Apple Watch models, including Family Setup, sleep tracking, new watch faces, and a Memoji app. Family Setup lets you set up multiple Apple Watches from a single iPhone and is really simple to use. It also offers parents useful controls on what children can and cannot do, such as who can contact them or what they can do with the clock during class hours. Family Setup requires a cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 4 onwards, and also works with Apple Watch SE.
Monitoring of blood oxygen levels is now adopted in many of the most recent smartwatches and now Apple has also decided to integrate this important sensor. Apple Watch uses the Blood Oxygen app to perform a spot check, as well as automatically take measurements at night, which can be viewed in the Apple Health app, with trends over time.
Data on blood oxygen levels may indicate sleep disturbances such as sleep apnea. Apple is also launching three new research projects to study the relationship between blood oxygen saturation and asthma, heart disease, flu and COVID-19. Recall that among new health and fitness features, VO2Max monitoring has also been added, including notifications if your VO2Max drops.
Unsurprisingly, the new Apple Watch Series 6 uses the company's sixth-generation S6 chip, based on the iPhone's A13 Bionic chip and optimized for Apple Watch, which unlocks new features and performance. It's 20% faster than the S5 and maintains 18-hour battery life, even with demands for nighttime SpO2 readings, with a 2.5-fold increase in always-on display brightness in daylight.
There is also a new always-on altimeter, to keep altitude data under control, as well as a new U1 chip and ultra-wideband antennas, which enable features such as unlocking the car without a key.
The battery of the Apple Watch series 6 is slightly larger, but the autonomy remains the same, also due to the SpO2 sensor. The reload time has instead been reduced considerably; a full charge takes 1.5 hours, compared to the Apple Watch SE which fully charges in about two and a half hours.