Case and strap combinations can be made within collections (Apple Watch and Apple Watch Hermès) only. We're not sure why Apple isn't offering those alerts, and it makes it hard to say whether the SPO2 meter is particularly useful as a result. The watch uses data from the barometric pressure sensor, GPS, and nearby Wi-Fi networks to determine your exact location and update your elevation on the fly. You can also add your elevation as a complication on the watch face. Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) can use a cellular connection for Emergency SOS. To use Emergency SOS on an Apple Watch without cellular, your iPhone needs to be nearby. If your iPhone isn’t nearby, your Apple Watch needs to be connected to a known Wi-Fi network and you must set up Wi-Fi Calling. Blood Oxygen app measurements are not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor, and are only designed for general fitness and wellness purposes.

The hand-washing feature apparently wasn’t created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but its presence on the Apple Watch 6 is useful for reminding you to wash your hands for 20 seconds, providing a countdown as you do so. The ECG app and irregular rhythm notification require the latest version of watchOS and iOS, and are not intended for use by people under 22 years old. The ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 or later (not including Apple Watch SE). The irregular rhythm notification is not designed for people who have been previously diagnosed with AF. The watch offers information about this metric to help you interpret your data. It says that most people have a blood oxygen level between 95 and 100 percent. The first time I used this feature, the Series 6 said my blood oxygen saturation level was 99 percent. The second time I took a reading, it was after a three-mile beach run, and I was happy to see my SpO2 level was 100 percent. The Series 6 also features a new antenna with double the spectrum of the Series 5 that enables it to support 5GHz Wi-Fi for the first time. This can help free up congested 2.4GHz bands, while allowing access to potentially speedier 5GHz bands.

Apple Watch Series 6 Space Black (stainless steel and titanium)

Charge times are from 0–80% and 0–100% using the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2022 using pre‑production Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with pre‑release software, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable (Model A2515) and Apple 20W USB‑C Power Adapter (Model A2305). Charge time varies with region, settings and environmental factors; actual results will vary. With all the settings turned off you’ll get comparable battery life to the Apple Watch SE, but with more longevity during workouts or listening to music. The Apple Watch 6 is still a strong contender, which is why it's maintained a place in ours best smartwatch round-up, although it's not as high as it once was. Fast charging is compatible with Apple Watch Series 7 or later, including all Ultra models. It is not compatible with any Apple Watch SE model.

There’s no information on whether you spent time in deep sleep, light sleep or REM, nor any correlation with bedtimes, or how stressed you were during the day –these are fast becoming standard features on other fitness wearables, so we expected more from Apple here. Emergency SOS requires a cellular connection or Wi‑Fi calling with an internet connection from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone. Sadly, the Solo Loop we were sent for review purposes was too large – it hung like a bangle around the wrist – but we could see the promise of being able to just slip it over the wrist, and not have to mess around with clasps, or worry about it flopping around during the day. Apple Watch 6 display There are various opinions on what 'good' looks like for a percentage, but if you're over 95% then generally you're in a good place.

Cheap Apple Watch?

The final thing we tried was the Watch App Store, to see if it had progressed in the last year. In some ways it has, with there being more Apple Watch apps available than ever – but the opening screen of the App Store on the Watch makes you feel like there’s not much there. So it's not a new feature, but the question is how Apple is implementing it into the new watch, and whether it can be truly useful, especially when the world is facing a respiratory disease-based pandemic. Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a water resistance rating of 100 metres under ISO standard 22810. It may be used for recreational scuba diving (with compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 metres and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra 2 should not be used for diving below 40 metres. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en‑gb/HT205000. The Apple Watch 6 still feels like a fitness wearable for everyone, appealing to the masses rather than the fitness fiend. And that's the right way round – those who want something more dedicated can easily find it elsewhere. The international emergency calling feature requires an Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Cellular), Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) or Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) model. For a list of supported countries and regions, see apple.com/uk/watchos/feature-availability.

The Series 6 uses similar technology as a pulse oximeter—the device they clip onto your finger at the doctor's office—to measure your blood oxygen saturation. Its SpO2 sensor shines red and infrared light through your skin, onto the blood vessels of your wrist, and measures the color of your blood, which indicates the amount of oxygen present. Bright red blood is more saturated, and dark red blood is less so. Changes in your body or elevation can impact your blood oxygen level. Apple Fitness+ requires iPhone8 or later with iOS16.1 or later or Apple Watch Series3 or later with watchOS7.2 or later paired with iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14.3 or later. If you reside in the U.S. territories, please call Goldman Sachs at 877-255-5923 with questions about Apple Card. The first time you open the Blood Oxygen app on the watch, it takes you through some helpful tips to get a good reading. Apple says your watch band should be snug but comfortable, and to make sure the watch isn't too low on your wrist. You should keep the watch facing up and try not to move during the reading. Resting your arm on a table can help. One element we didn’t use much was Walkie-Talkie mode – in the last year, we’ve found that the people we would chat to (while hilariously saying ‘over’ at the end of each sentence) using this method has dropped to the point where we now feel like we’re just going to be irritating by requesting a chat.ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later (excluding Apple Watch SE) and can generate an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. Intended for use by people 22 years old and over. It’s a feature that started off being quite erratic for us, but over the space of a few days it became more accurate.

Apple Watch Series 9 has a water resistance rating of 50 metres under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 9 should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en‑gb/HT205000. The Apple Watch Series 6 design is the same as that of any recent Apple Watch (as in, from the Apple Watch 4 onwards). We noticed last year that the addition of the always-on display had a real impact on battery life, and while the new S6 chipset inside the Watch 6 has definitely improved the power efficiency, it hasn’t solved some key issues.

The Series 6 also features Apple's signature digital crown on the top right side. Press this button to return to the watch face; press and hold it to talk to Siri; or turn it to scroll, zoom, or adjust. Irregular rhythm notification requires the latest version of watchOS and iOS. It is not intended for use by people under 22 years old or those who have been previously diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF). In the Health app on your iPhone, you can view a record of all your measurements and see graphs of your blood oxygen level readings for the day, week, month, or year. It also shows your range and daily average, and you can filter the data to show just your SpO2 level in high-elevation environments or while sleeping. The hand-washing feature is also rather hard to please – if you’ve not got your hands near a running faucet, but are still washing them fairly vigorously, the Watch will pause the countdown timer. This feels unfair when you are actually washing your hands, but the upshot is that you just end up washing for longer to satisfy the Watchful gaze from your wrist. As it has been in recent years, fitness is the key focus of the new Apple Watch, and it’s more prominent than ever. A new sensor allows you to see how well-saturated your blood is with that ever-so-useful oxygen, and for the most part it works well.