#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH MANUAL#
#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH SKIN#
#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH SERIES#

The activity rings are a major part of the daily experience, and incredibly motivating. The fitness tracking element of the Apple Watch is still top notch. That’s thankfully because we don’t suffer with a heart condition, but like SpO2, we increasingly feel that these are features many people will opt out of in favor of the cheaper Apple Watch SE.

#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH SERIES#

The high/low heart rate detection is a superb life-saving tool, and proof that wearing your smartwatch could save your life.Īnd while the same can be said of ECG, it’s something we’ve used a handful of times in a year with the Series 5. Resting heart rate is tracked on the Heart app on the watch itself, and that data is available in Apple Health. And it can alert you to high/low heart arrhythmias, too. But right now, unless you specifically want this data in your life, it’s a small piece of the overall puzzle.Īs we mentioned, the Series 6 still has ECG capability to track Afib heart rhythms – just like the Series 5. It won’t suggest you get checked out for sleep apnea, nor does it measure breathing rate, or use SpO2 for any other measure than the saturation in your blood.Īpple has launched three health studies – for asthma, flu and respiratory illness, and heart disease – based on data from this sensor, so there’s every chance the Series 7 will use SpO2 to alert you to all kinds of conditions.

#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH MANUAL#

And with the COVID pandemic still ongoing, blood oxygen has been in the spotlight.īut taking manual readings isn’t really the best use of SpO2, and the fact the Apple Watch tracks it automatically, and during sleep, makes it one of the better integrations we’ve seen.Īpple hasn’t used this data to inform any medical outcomes, like it has with Afib detection via its ECG monitor. You can see how the Apple Watch displays blood oxygen (and ECG/VO2 Max) below.īlood oxygen is worth keeping an eye on, as drops during sleep can be a sign of a sleep disorder. We had to shift the Series 6 further up our arm each time. We did find it more difficult to obtain a manual reading than we have on any other device, with the Apple Watch warning it couldn’t get an accurate reading. The data lined up nicely against a medical grade SpO2 finger sensor we tried it against. It works fine, and we had no reason for any concern over accuracy. It’s a short, 15 second test with a nice animation, and you’ll find the results tucked in the respiratory section of Apple Health. SpO2 is tracked automatically through the day and night, and you can spot check from the Blood Oxygen app on the Series 6. It joins ECG as a feature exclusive to the Series 6, and another reason to spend the extra over the Apple Watch SE.

#SERIES 6 STAINLESS STEEL APPLE WATCH SKIN#

On the Series 6, the headline addition is the SpO2 sensor, which tracks blood oxygen by shining a red LED under the skin to track the color of your blood. While not a Series 6 feature, there’s been a big new focus on Apple Watch faces in watchOS 7, so there’s a substantial new bunch to choose from if you haven't used that before. This is probably the biggest mass appeal feature that would draw people to the more expensive Series 6.

Like Series 5, there’s an always-on display, which you don’t get on the Apple Watch SE. There’s the same digital crown, used to scroll through menus and summon the menu screen. It retains the upgraded shape introduced at Series 4, and uses the same screen tech and quality. However, appearance-wise everything else is the same as Series 5 and SE. The stainless steel Series 6 is a noticeable cut above the Apple Watch SE, and it’s great there’s now more choice of colors. But there’s also blue, PRODUCT(red) and graphite to choose from, joining the silver, grey and rose gold shades.Īnd if you really want to splash the cash, there are ceramic and titanium versions too. We reviewed the stainless steel in gold, which co-ordinates with my gold wedding ring. The Fitbit Sense also packs plenty of health features, although it’s nowhere near as good a smartwatch.Īnd then there are new Series 6 exclusive colors. When it comes to Apple Watch alternatives, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 offers a round-faced option at the same price point with similar features. The SE misses out on ECG, SpO2 and most importantly the always-on display. It’s undercut by the all-new Apple Watch SE, which starts at.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is a direct replacement for the Series 5, and starts at the same price point of. So where does that leave the Series 6? Read on to find out. We’ve already reviewed the new Apple Watch SE, which now feels like the mass appeal Apple smartwatch. The addition of SpO2 brings the Apple Watch’s spec sheet in line with the likes of Fitbit, but new colors and finishes make up for a lack of new features. While the Apple Watch has shown rivals the way, there’s a bit of catch up being played here. The Apple Watch Series 6 will go down as a minor leap forward in the story of Apple’s market-defining smartwatch.

Series 6 stainless steel apple watch