The Apple Watch Series 6 will feature an OLED screen like previous models, according to a leaker of upcoming Apple products, suggesting the company isn't quite ready to use its in-house MicroLED display technology in consumer products.
Apple reportedly has a secret manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California where it is designing and producing test samples of displays that use MicroLED, a technology that will follow OLED. MicroLED screens can result in devices that are slimmer, brighter, and use less power.
The technology isn't expected to reach an iPhone for another year or so, but there is precedent for new screen technologies showing up in the Apple Watch first. When it was introduced in 2014, the Apple Watch had an OLED screen. The technology then migrated to the iPhone X three years later.
Apple is said to have been testing prototype Apple Watch models with MicroLED displays since 2017, and rumors have suggested an Apple Watch with a microLED display could launch as soon as this year.
However, the Twitter account @L0vetodream, whose short Apple leaks come prefaced with "in my dream," this morning claimed the Series 6 "will continue [to] use the display from JDI."
Over the last couple of years, JDI Display has supplied some of the OLED displays for Apple Watch models, and Apple has been gradually increasing its proportion of orders from the manufacturer, which was recently buoyed by a $200 million investment from Apple to enable larger production of OLED displays for iPhones.
Apple Watch Series 6 models, which are in development for a fall 2020 launch, are rumored to feature faster performance, better water resistance, and improved wireless transmission for faster Wi-Fi and cellular speeds.
According to code found in a leaked version of iOS 14, Apple is working on watchOS 7 and Apple Watch Series 6 features that will allow the Apple Watch to detect blood-oxygen levels and panic attacks. Apple may also add a new fitness app and a sleep tracking app to the Apple Watch.
The anonymously-run Twitter account @L0vetodream accurately revealed several details about the new iPhone SE before any other leakers that we know of, including that the device would launch in the second week of April and come in three storage capacities.
Likewise, the account accurately claimed that new iPad Pro models would launch in the third week of March. It has also hinted at a 2021 release for a rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Now you have new ways to mark time. The Taptic Engine inside your watch can silently tap out the hour on your wrist. You can set a chime to ring in the new hour. And when you hold two fingers on your watch face, it will tell you the time out loud.
Question everything. Ask Siri to search a topic and then scroll through the web pages for the top results on your watch face. Now you have all the answers closer at hand.
Discover new apps while barely lifting a finger. Browse curated collections. Search using Scribble or Dictation, or even enlist the help of Siri. Tap on an app and scroll to read about it, browse screenshots, and check reviews.
The latest chapter in Apple Watch. With the new Audiobooks app, Apple Books titles in your Reading Now list are automatically synced to your watch. In the middle of a book, you can’t put down? Just tap the cover and hit play to pick up where you left off, no matter what device you were using last.
Multiply your powers. Calculator, Voice Memos, and redesigned Reminders. Now you can access your favorite Apple apps even more easily.
Keep pace over the long run. Daily metrics from your watch are stored in the Activity app on your iPhone. Trends compares your latest 90-day averages to longer-term performance over the past 365 days. If you’re losing ground, you’ll receive tailored coaching suggestions to get you back on track.
Tracking is as simple as tapping. Use the Cycle Tracking app to log daily information about your menstrual cycle. You can add flow information, record symptoms such as headaches or cramps, and easily see cycle length and variation. It all comes together in a simple, graphical chart in the redesigned Health app on your iPhone.
Where are you in your cycle? Using information you’ve logged, the Cycle Tracking app on Apple Watch can alert you when it predicts that your next period or fertile window is about to start.* You can even track results from an ovulation prediction kit and readings from a basal body thermometer.
If it’s too loud, you can feel it. Your watch monitors your environment’s ambient noise and tracks the duration of your exposure. When Apple Watch detects that the decibel level has risen to a point where hearing could be affected, it can notify you with a tap on the wrist.
At a minimum we want it to match the Apple Watch 4’s life, but ideally, we want it to be even better, comfortably offering two or more days of life between charges. That would also make it more viable for sleep tracking – a feature that Apple is rumored to be adding.
While this change would take some getting used to for longtime Apple Watch users, it could lead to a sleeker Apple Watch 6, and may even reduce the likelihood that you’ll perform accidental inputs while putting clothes on or working out. There’s no telling if this feature will arrive in time for the Apple Watch 6 (or any Apple Watch at all), but it would be a significant change, similar to Apple dropping the home button in 2017’s iPhone X.
Production delays are hitting the supply chair hard right now, and we're seeing several companies push back releases. Though our iPhone SE 2020 review is live at last, the phone launched a few weeks after most analysts initially expected. Apple is probably doing what it can to keep its fall event on track, but we wouldn't be surprised if the keynote is later than September this year.
However, you can expect to get a sneak peek at the Apple Watch 6’s software before then. Apple typically unveils its latest mobile software every June at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2020); due to the coronavirus pandemic, this will be an online-only affair this year. We'll probably hear about Watch OS 7 at the event, which is slated for June 22.
What’s less clear is what will happen to the lower end of Apple’s watch lineup. The Apple Watch Series 3 currently sits as Apple’s budget option, starting at $199 for GPS and $299 for cellular. It’s possible that the Series 3 will get an even steeper price cut with the Apple Watch 6 replacing the Series 5. Alternatively, Apple could keep the Series 5 around at a lower price.
Apple Watch Series 6 Features
Activity trends. Cycle tracking. Hearing health innovations. The App Store on your wrist. With watchOS 6, you get the insights you need to stay healthy and fit. And more updates and surprises to make you fall in love with Apple Watch all over again.New Ways to Stay Connected
From pretty to practical. Whether you’re seeking more functionality at your fingertips or just want to give your wrist a flash of fashion, there are all-new faces to suit your moods and serve your interests. Go deeper with a tap. New complications give you instant access to more of the apps and features you want, right where you want them. See current decibel levels, cellular strength, or chance of rain. Tap to record a voice memo or dive right back into your audiobook.Now you have new ways to mark time. The Taptic Engine inside your watch can silently tap out the hour on your wrist. You can set a chime to ring in the new hour. And when you hold two fingers on your watch face, it will tell you the time out loud.
Enhanced Siri
What song is this?” Hear a new track that catches your ear? Just raise your wrist and ask what it is. With cellular connectivity, Siri and Shazam help you discover the latest tunes even when you don’t have your phone.Question everything. Ask Siri to search a topic and then scroll through the web pages for the top results on your watch face. Now you have all the answers closer at hand.
App Store
You can’t beat the location. Shop tens of thousands of apps and download them directly to your wrist. From fitness to finance, maps to music, it’s never been easier to find new apps.Discover new apps while barely lifting a finger. Browse curated collections. Search using Scribble or Dictation, or even enlist the help of Siri. Tap on an app and scroll to read about it, browse screenshots, and check reviews.
The latest chapter in Apple Watch. With the new Audiobooks app, Apple Books titles in your Reading Now list are automatically synced to your watch. In the middle of a book, you can’t put down? Just tap the cover and hit play to pick up where you left off, no matter what device you were using last.
Multiply your powers. Calculator, Voice Memos, and redesigned Reminders. Now you can access your favorite Apple apps even more easily.
Activity Trends
The latest trend in fitness. Yours. Your Activity rings are a great snapshot of your Move, Exercise, and Stand metrics throughout the day. But your watch captures so much more, from exercise minutes to running pace, to cardio fitness. The new Trends feature shows whether any metric is headed up or down over time, so you can keep it going or turn it around.Keep pace over the long run. Daily metrics from your watch are stored in the Activity app on your iPhone. Trends compares your latest 90-day averages to longer-term performance over the past 365 days. If you’re losing ground, you’ll receive tailored coaching suggestions to get you back on track.
Cycle Tracking
Knowledge is healthy. Gaining insight into your menstrual cycle can help provide a clearer picture of your overall health. In addition to simply ensuring that you’re prepared, you’ll have more information to help you track irregularities and symptoms and enrich discussions with your doctor.Tracking is as simple as tapping. Use the Cycle Tracking app to log daily information about your menstrual cycle. You can add flow information, record symptoms such as headaches or cramps, and easily see cycle length and variation. It all comes together in a simple, graphical chart in the redesigned Health app on your iPhone.
Where are you in your cycle? Using information you’ve logged, the Cycle Tracking app on Apple Watch can alert you when it predicts that your next period or fertile window is about to start.* You can even track results from an ovulation prediction kit and readings from a basal body thermometer.
Hearing Health
When it goes to 11, take five. Noise can rise to levels that may damage your hearing without your even realizing it. The new Noise app senses when the roar of the crowd or the rumble of machinery reaches a level that may pose a risk. So you can step out or plug up to give your ears a needed break.If it’s too loud, you can feel it. Your watch monitors your environment’s ambient noise and tracks the duration of your exposure. When Apple Watch detects that the decibel level has risen to a point where hearing could be affected, it can notify you with a tap on the wrist.
Better Battery Life
The Apple Watch 5 actually has worse battery life than the Apple Watch 4, and while there’s a good reason for that (the addition of an always-on screen), we’d still like to see some big improvements for the Apple Watch 6.At a minimum we want it to match the Apple Watch 4’s life, but ideally, we want it to be even better, comfortably offering two or more days of life between charges. That would also make it more viable for sleep tracking – a feature that Apple is rumored to be adding.
Sleep Tracking
We’ve been asking for sleep tracking on the Apple Watch for years and so far Apple hasn’t listened. There are rumors that sleep tracking might be in the works, so this might be something we finally get. But on the other hand, with third-party apps offering it, Apple might decide not to bother.Optical Sensor
The Apple Watch 6 also could drop one of the wearable’s most defining features: the Digital Crown. A newly discovered Apple patent shows a design for an on-body optical sensor, which would sit flush with the watch case and eliminate the need for a protruding physical button.While this change would take some getting used to for longtime Apple Watch users, it could lead to a sleeker Apple Watch 6, and may even reduce the likelihood that you’ll perform accidental inputs while putting clothes on or working out. There’s no telling if this feature will arrive in time for the Apple Watch 6 (or any Apple Watch at all), but it would be a significant change, similar to Apple dropping the home button in 2017’s iPhone X.
Apple Watch 6 Release Date
A new Apple Watch has been announced every September since the debut of the Series 1 and Series 2 models in 2016. We would expect that trend to continue in 2020, with the Apple Watch 6 likely debuting alongside the iPhone 12, but this year the world is facing unprecedented obstacles.Production delays are hitting the supply chair hard right now, and we're seeing several companies push back releases. Though our iPhone SE 2020 review is live at last, the phone launched a few weeks after most analysts initially expected. Apple is probably doing what it can to keep its fall event on track, but we wouldn't be surprised if the keynote is later than September this year.
However, you can expect to get a sneak peek at the Apple Watch 6’s software before then. Apple typically unveils its latest mobile software every June at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2020); due to the coronavirus pandemic, this will be an online-only affair this year. We'll probably hear about Watch OS 7 at the event, which is slated for June 22.
Apple Watch 6 Price
The Apple Watch 5 currently starts at $399 for the GPS only model and $499 for the GPS + cellular variation. Apple has employed this pricing structure for several years now, so we don’t expect it to change much for the Apple Watch 6.What’s less clear is what will happen to the lower end of Apple’s watch lineup. The Apple Watch Series 3 currently sits as Apple’s budget option, starting at $199 for GPS and $299 for cellular. It’s possible that the Series 3 will get an even steeper price cut with the Apple Watch 6 replacing the Series 5. Alternatively, Apple could keep the Series 5 around at a lower price.
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