Apple Watch Series 7 recording an ECG. Will the 8 Series offer new health monitoring?
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July 7 update below. This publication was first published on July 4, 2022.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is expected this September. But according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, not one, but two new Apple Watch models could include a body temperature sensor.
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Gurman says this feature had been rumored for a long time, but its inclusion was far from certain. Gurman says it depends on whether “capacity exceeds meeting during internal testing.” Now, however, he thinks it’s likely, “Now I think the feature is a test.” This will be in the Apple Watch Series 8, but not in the low-priced second-generation Apple Watch SE, which is also believed to be in development. The second watch that will likely be capable of this is “a new rugged edition aimed at extreme sports athletes.”
July 7 update. Details of this year’s Apple Watch models are popping up fast and thick. The latest revelations come from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who has set out more details for the 8 Series, SE and the new rugged watch.
For the 8 Series, it states that the screen size will be exactly as it is currently, which was expected and that the new Apple Watch SE will have the same screen size; in the case of the SE, this is one more step compared to the current SE which has a slightly smaller screen. This leads me to believe that the design of the 8 Series and SE will be identical to the current 7 Series.
But most of Gurman’s comments refer to the model designed for extreme sports fans, the rugged Apple Watch.
The screen, as mentioned below, is corroborated by Gurman as almost 2 inches diagonally, although he believes this means a screen about 7% larger than before. It will have a resolution of about 410 x 502 pixels, which means it will have the same level of detail as the Series 7, meaning the same pixel density is expected.
The larger screen, Gurman says, could show “more fitness metrics or information on the dials at the same time. The company added several new fitness features to watchOS 9, such as multisport workouts and improved intensity tracking during exercise routines “.
Previous changes in screen size have resulted in more faces of Apple Watch being exclusive to larger screens, so this is the next step in that direction. This new size means, “The nearly 2-inch display of the rugged model will make the display one of the largest offerings from a conventional smartwatch maker.”
Then there is the material for the housing. Apple has so far made watches with five different metals: aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and ceramic, in addition to the original edition of the watch that came in gold. Gurman says “The extreme sports watch will use a strong metallic material instead of aluminum.” Could this be an unused metal before, or perhaps the return of pottery?
It will also have a “more tear-resistant screen,” though it’s unclear if that statement compares to the aluminum watch or the more expensive models that have a tougher sapphire crystal front.
Oh, and there’s another additional feature revealed: a larger battery, “allows athletes to keep track of workouts for longer periods of time,” Gurman has been told. This is interesting. Apple has always strived to ensure that no matter what watch you choose, battery life is the same at all. Will this change now or will the battery be able to do more active things but have the same battery life?
Gurman also says the new watch will have the same S8 as the other 2022 releases, though he comments it will have “performance similar to the Apple Watch Series 7’s S7 chip, which was on par with the S6’s the Apple Watch Series. 6 two years ago. This will be the first time the company has maintained the same overall performance on the Apple Watch for three generations in a row. “
My opinion is that Apple ensures that their processors do the job smoothly and responsibly. Perhaps this is more of a sign of how powerful the current chip is that needs little updating. In any case, I think Apple would not launch a watch at this stage of the product’s life, without it performing well.
July 6 update. Following the news of the body temperature sensor, comes a report of a surprisingly different look for this year’s Apple Watch. For the first time, according to Ross Young, an analyst and visualization expert, there will be three sizes of Apple Watch.
This is not to say that each model will come in three different sizes. Rather, a model could come with a whole new size, i.e. a 1.99-inch diagonal screen. So while the current models have box sizes of 41mm and 45mm, and these will continue, it looks like there will also be a 47mm model. This is about a 5% increase in screen size.
This report was backed by another analyst, Jeff Pu, who, as reported by MacRumors, said that in addition to the usual watch sizes, there will be a “high-end” model with a larger screen. .
It seems that the rumored Apple Watch robust will be the model with the new larger screen. A larger screen suggests a revised design, as does the sturdiness. When Apple launched the flat-edge iPhone 12, it said the new shape helped make the phone more robust (not to mention the ceramic shield on the front). So could the flat-edge Apple Watch design that seemed to leak last year be that of this harder watch?
If so, we could see, for the first time, Apple launching new watches with a different design language: the Apple Watch Series 8 which matches the style of the current 7 Series, along with the rugged new-looking watch.
There will also be, it is expected, a new Apple Watch SE that will likely look like the 8 Series and potentially the first generation SE will remain in the range to become the entry level price option lower.
As such, it could mean that 2022 will be the biggest step change for the Apple Watch in years. For now, let’s get back to the new health feature expected in the 8 Series and the rugged watch.
It means the Apple Watch can tell you if you have a fever. Well, after the last two years, any kind of early warning information about a possible illness would be fantastic, right?
But it’s not a thermometer. “The body temperature function won’t give you a specific reading, like with a forehead or wrist thermometer, but you should be able to tell if you think you have a fever. Then you might recommend talking to your doctor or using a dedicated thermometer.”
The current Apple Watch may feature heart rate variability (HRV), small variations from one heartbeat to the next, and Covid is believed to carry deep HRV. So it’s already possible that the Apple Watch will be able to detect Covid early and accurately, though that’s not something Apple has ever claimed for its laptop.
So something like a fever warning could be interesting and see that Apple brings the Watch even further to health surveillance.
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