release date, price, news, everything you need to know

Shift the June 21, 2020 at 12 h 46 min

The Apple Watch Series 6 will soon be presented by Apple. This new model taking advantage of the watchOS update will benefit from many additional features compared to the Series 5, while retaining a design that respects its lineage. Here's everything we know so far about the new smart health connected smartwatch from Apple.

Leader in the smart health connected watch market, Apple will try to confirm its hold on the sector in 2020 with the marketing of its Apple Watch Series 6. The Cupertino company will not revolutionize anything with this product, but rather rely on its achievements while making a few improvements here and there. The American group does not need to take any risks given the lead it has over the competition, whether on its historic rivals from tech (Samsung, Huawei, etc.) or from companies more specialized in wearable (Fitbit, Fossil, Garmin…). So let's see what lies ahead with the next generation of Apple Watch to come.

What is the release date of the Apple Watch Series 6?

Apple has not formalized a presentation date for its Series 6 smart health connected watch, but it is very likely that it will be announced at the fall 2020 keynote, the conference where we will also discover the iPhone 12. Traditionally, the event takes place in the first half of September. But Apple’s plans could be turned upside down this year due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. The keynote could, according to several rumors, be postponed until the end of September, or even in October. According to the strategy adopted for the previous models, the Apple Watch Series 6 would then be marketed ten days after its presentation.

What is the price of the Apple Watch Series 6?

In France,Apple Watch Series 4 was sold when it came out at a price of 429 euros in its version with GPS only and 100 euros more expensive (529 euros) in its version with mobile connectivity. The brand had raised prices slightly the following year. The Apple Watch Series 5 was available from 449 euros and again had to add another 100 euros for 4G support. For the Apple Watch Series 6, we can expect a price similar to that of the Series 5. Unless we witness how it is rumored a change in screen technology. In this case, we can expect a rise in prices.

What screen and what design for the Apple Watch Series 6?

Apple likes to look into the past right now. We noticed it with the iPhone: the iPhone SE taking the chassis of the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 12 which would be inspired by the design of the iPhone 4. On smart health connected watches also Apple put on what worked in the past. According to leaker Jon Prosser, a very credible source who has been leaking leaks of upcoming Apple products for months, the Apple Watch Series 6 will look a lot like the Apple Watch Series 4.

One of the persistent rumors about the Apple Watch Series 6 is the switch from an OLED screen to a microLED screen. This technology would provide a higher brightness to the screen, which is very interesting when you are in direct sunlight. All with controlled energy consumption and maintaining excellent viewing angles. Another advantage of microLED, it offers much better contrasts than those that can be seen with other LCD techniques. The microLED is therefore the perfect compromise between brightness, autonomy and contrast. To learn more about this subject, we refer you to our large file devoted to the differences between screen technologies.

We know that Apple has been working on microLED for years. Interest that has intensified recently since it was learned that Apple had invested $ 300 million in a large factory dedicated to the production of microLED displays in Taiwan. It’s almost a given that the Apple Watch will benefit first from a microLED screen, the iPhone later. But according to some reports, it will not be for 2020. OLED or microLED for the Apple Watch Series 6, the trend therefore varies depending on the sources. The integration of a microLED screen would undoubtedly be accompanied by an increase in the price of smart health connected watches.

A patent also suggests that the Apple Watch Series 6 could be equipped with Touch ID via an on-screen fingerprint reader. A technology that Apple has never used on any device so far, preferring to highlight its Face ID facial recognition system on its iPhone and iPad, while Apple Watches are deprived of biometric authentication. Currently you need to enter a PIN or use the Face ID of your iPhone to unlock your Apple Watch, which is not very practical.

To do this, Apple plans to move the watch's antennas from the dial to the bracelet, freeing up space for a scanner under the screen (or a larger battery in the dial). In addition to the design difficulties that this represents, it would mean that consumers would be limited in the choice of replacement bracelet. It would no longer be possible to source from a third-party manufacturer and the cost of the bracelets would be much higher. That’s why it’s better to be wary of this information for now. A more likely short-term solution is to integrate the fingerprint reader with the scroll wheel.

Because it should stay on the device. A patent could suggest that Apple was going to get rid of the physical wheel in favor of a much more discreet optical sensor to obtain an even more refined design, this should not happen on this generation.

How long does the Apple Watch Series 6 last?

This is undoubtedly the main weak point of Apple's smart health connected watches: their battery melts like snow in the sun. In many cases, the user has to recharge it every day to prevent it from falling out. A problem that we see systematically on all models so far.

The new chip that will power the Apple Watch Series 6 will likely consume less power. But it is not certain that Apple will succeed this year in increasing the size of the battery. Autonomy will also depend on the screen technology used, OLED or microLED. According to Apple specialist leaker Nikias Molina, autonomy will in any case take a boost with this new iteration. It remains to be seen to what extent.

What new features are expected from the Apple Watch Series 6?

Bloomberg was talking about it in 2019, the Apple Watch should finally benefit from its own sleep tracking system according to the media The Verifier. Strangely enough, it had relied on third-party services to offer this option. This time it should be directly integrated into watchOS 7 and the Apple ecosystem. We may have confirmation of this information not in the fall, but as of WWDC 2020.

We've been talking about this for a long time, the Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to measure the oxygen level in the blood (SpO2). The option was confirmed by different sources and the mention of such a feature was spotted on iOS 14. If the rate is considered too low (below 80%), the watch wearer will receive a notification for this. to warn. A level of oxygen in the blood should be between 95% and 100%.

Arising directly from the measurement of blood oxygen levels, the Apple Watch Series 6 could detect panic attacks, says Jon Prosser. The smart health connected watch would be able to detect hyperventilation in the user by analyzing the oxygen level in the blood and will couple this data with that of the heart rate to determine if the wearer is having a panic attack. The device could even anticipate a panic attack to come. In this case, an alert message will appear on the screen and the system will offer a series of breathing exercises to try to calm the user. If he is running or driving, watchOS will advise him to stop this activity. This is most likely the "mental health" feature promised to us by leakers Max Weinbach and EverythingApplePro.

We've already told you stories from Apple Watch rescuing its owner by calling for help. The Series 6 could go even further by determining if you are drowning or in danger of drowning and if necessary, contact the emergency services. To determine the risk, the system would use your calendar and location data to estimate whether or not you are likely to be in these waters voluntarily or if you accidentally got there. It is a patent that describes such a technology, which could however never see the light of day, or land on future models.

The famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also goes there from his predictions by announcing that the Apple Watch Series 6 will offer overall performance on the rise: it will faster and will offer a better connectivity than previous models. It also ensures that we can expect a better water resistance.

Another leak leaves hope for the integration of a tachometer able to accurately measure speed (walking, running, swimming…) as well as the distance traveled. This is good news for athletes who have not been spoiled with Apple Watch's fitness features until now. Finally, new parental control options should see the light of day.

AB SMART HEALTH REVIEW