7 cool features coming to the Apple Watch

1. Watch Faces and Sharing: Apple’s WatchOS 7 has a whole host of new customization tools, health, and fitness features. There is more scope for personalization now, you can also share a Watch Face via Messages or Mail. Not only can you find them on the App Store, but now websites and social media channels will also link to them. New faces include the Chronograph Pro with a tachymeter to measure speed and Dawn Patrol, which can show surfers tide, wind speed, and water temperature from a favorite surf spot.

2. Sleep: watchOS 7 introduces sleep tracking through the detection of micro-movements from the watch’s accelerometer, which signals respiration during sleep. Users can see a visualization of their previous night’s sleep, including periods of wake and sleep. They will also see a chart showing their weekly sleep trend. The watch will even remind you to charge if the battery is too low within an hour of bedtime.

3. Automatic Handwashing Detection: Using motion sensors and the in-built microphone, the watch can now tell if you are washing your hands and automatically initiate a 20-second countdown timer. Handy in the Age of Covid-19.

4. Workout Types and Fitness App: There are four new workout types: Core Training, Dance, Functional Strength Training, and Cooldown. Apple Watch combines data from the heart rate sensor and inputs from the accelerometer and gyroscope to measure different body-to-arm motions typical with dance routines. The redesigned Activity app on iPhone is now called Fitness. It provides a streamlined view of data including daily Activity, Workouts, Awards, and Activity Trends on one tab, and Activity Sharing and Activity Competitions on another.

5. Translation services: Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, can now translate many languages from the wrist. Apple Neural Engine can process dictating messages and more, and Apple Watch now supports Announce Messages with Siri.

6. Maps: Cycling directions are available right on the wrist. Directions are large and easy to read, and Maps can direct when to dismount and walk the bike, or take the stairs to save time.

7. Mobility Metrics: The Health App can now monitor details like low-range cardio fitness, walking speed, stair-descent speed, stair-ascent speed, six-minute walk distance, double support time, step length, and asymmetry. While these may seem unnecessary to most, this data is important to the clinical community monitoring patients’ ability to move safely with age. Apple says that for the first time, it will make available a public beta version at beta.apple.com. The software update will be available this Fall for Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch Series 4, or Apple Watch Series 5 paired with iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14 or later.