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Apple Watch Series 6 launches with Blood Oxygen Sensor

And a few other improvements

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If you ask most tech reviewers, the Apple Watch is the consensus best smartwatch right now. Such a distinction doesn’t stop the company from making it even better with the Apple Watch Series 6.

Blood Oxygen

New to the Apple Watch Series 6 is the addition of blood oxygen or SpO2 sensor. It’s a feature that’s been a staple into some smart bands and other smartwatches since 2019. It also plays a key part in our battle against COVID-19. Doctors say you should be concerned if SpO2 levels drop below 92-93 percent. 

The Blood Oxygen sensor employs four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs. This compensates for natural variations in the skin and improve accuracy This is also aided by four photodiodes on the back crystal of Apple Watch, to measure light reflected back from blood.

Apple Watch then uses an advanced custom algorithm built into the Blood Oxygen app, which is designed to measure blood oxygen between 70 percent and 100 percent. On-demand measurements can be taken while the user is still, and periodic background measurements occur when they are inactive, including during sleep.

All data will be visible in the Health app, and the user will be able to track trends over time to see how their blood oxygen level changes.

Most importantly, Apple will work closely with investigators at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University Health Network. It is one of the largest health research organizations in North America. This will help the company better understand how blood oxygen measurements and other Apple Watch metrics can help with management of heart failure.

Improved performance

The Apple Watch Series 6 is running a dual-core processor based on the A13 Bionic chip. This means it’ll run 20% faster than the previous generation while maintaining the same promise of an 18-hour battery life.

It also has the U1 chip and Ultra Wideband antennas for short-range wireless location. This supports features like next-generation digital car keys. Other improvements include faster charging and longer battery life for tracking certain workouts like indoor and outdoor runs.

The Always-On Retina display is now 2.5 times brighter than the Series 5 outdoors. Users can now also access Notification Center and Control Center with their wrists down.

There’s also a n always-on altimeter. It allows for detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of one foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.

Apple Watch Collection

Of course, it’s not Apple Watch without new colors, designs, and straps to choose from.

For the first time, a new blue color joins the silver, space gray, and gold aluminum case options, along with a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch with exclusive matching bright red bands.

Stainless steel models are now available in graphite — a rich gray-black hue with a striking high-shine finish — and an updated classic yellow gold color. Apple Watch Edition is available in natural and space black titanium.

There are also three new band styles: Solo Loop, Braided Solo Loop, and Leather Link wraps.

watchOS 7

The new hardware will be accompanied by watchOS 7. There are new watch face options, new health and fitness features, sleep tracking, automatic hand washing detection, and new workout types.

Also new is Family Setup. It extends Apple Watch to the entire family by allowing kids and older family members of the household who do not have an iPhone to benefit from all it has to offer.

Pricing and availability

  • Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) starts at $399 and Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499.
  • Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 27 other countries and regions.
  • Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 21 other countries and regions.
  • Apple Watch Nike is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and more than 27 other countries and regions. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-watch-nike or nike.com/applewatch.
  • New Apple Watch bands are available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop in (PRODUCT)RED will be available in late October. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are compatible with Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
  • watchOS 7 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on September 16, and requires iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14. Not all features are available on all devices.

Gaming

Nintendo officially announces Ocarina of Time remake

Coming in 2026.

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There are a few titles that an overwheling majority of gamers consider as an absolute must-play for other gamers. One of those titles is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally launched for the Nintendo 64, it’s not easy to play the iconic game today. But, later this year, the game is about to get much more accessible. Nintendo has officially announced a remake of Ocarina of Time.

Modern gamers might not realize the effect of the original Ocarina of Time on the RPG genre. Besides adding a third dimension to the then-fledgling Legend of Zelda series, the 1998 game also revolutionized the gaming world by popularizing targeting systems. That, and the refining of the formula in Majora’s Mask, makes Ocarina an essential in gaming history.

During today’s Nintendo Direct, the company capped off the hour-long presentations by announcing a remake of the game. Though the short, short trailer didn’t reveal any gameplay, it did confirm that the remake will retain the original’s more whimsical art style, as opposed to the realism put forth by the Breath of the Wild duology.

It’s not the first re-release for the game, though. In the past, Nintendo released remastered versions of the game for the GameCube and the 3DS. This is, however, the first official remake of the title for a much more modern system.

We didn’t know when the remake will officially launch, but it’s coming out within this year.

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Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold

Some hidden references were not hidden enough.

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No, Apple did not officially launch the iPhone Fold yet.

However, WWDC 2026 had a few surprises for those attentive enough to go deeper into the event’s announcements. And it all revolves around iOS 27.

Of course, the main event of WWDC 2026 is the first peek into the upcoming mobile operating system. Though we already covered everything that Apple visibly announced, something hidden has essentially confirmed the band’s first foldable phone.

On X, Sam Henri Gold, an engineer, spotted a few crucial references to a foldable form factor. Hidden underneath the recently released iOS 27 beta are mentions of “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” The code also includes references to the number of displays a single device has.

Notably, iOS 26 did not include such mentions. It can’t be purely coincidental. Unless Apple is suddenly shipping iOS 27 out to foldables from other brands (highly unlikely), this is the prelude to an iPhone Fold coming later this year.

Now, rumors of an iPhone Fold have been making the rounds for a while now. But they haven’t been as strong as this year. There’s heavy speculation that the brand’s first foldable phone is coming later this fall.

There’s still a nonzero chance that it makes an appearance during WWDC 2026, but don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apple traditionally reserves the conference for software developments. Fall is the usual playing ground for Apple’s hardware.

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Apple Intelligence gets smarter across apps

Beyond Siri AI

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Apple Intelligence

Alongside the debut of Siri AI at WWDC26, Apple also unveiled the next generation of Apple Intelligence, bringing new AI-powered features to Photos, Safari, Messages, Shortcuts, Home, and other apps across its ecosystem.

Powered by a new privacy-focused architecture, Apple Intelligence now integrates more deeply across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. The company says the update makes everyday tasks easier with smarter editing tools, improved web browsing, more capable communication features, and expanded automation options.

New AI editing tools come to Photos

Apple is introducing several new editing features to Photos.

Spatial Reframing lets users adjust the composition of a photo after it has been taken. The feature uses AI to generate only the parts of an image needed to accommodate the new perspective while keeping the original scene intact.

The Photos app is also gaining an upgraded Extend tool, which can expand images, straighten horizons, and adjust aspect ratios without cropping out important elements. Meanwhile, the Clean Up tool now delivers more realistic results when removing unwanted objects from photos. Apple says AI-edited images will automatically include a hidden SynthID watermark.

Safari gets smarter browsing features

Apple Intelligence is also changing how Safari works.

A new feature automatically organizes tabs into topics, making it easier to manage research, trip planning, and other projects spread across multiple pages. Safari can continue grouping new tabs into existing topics as users browse.

Another feature called Notify Me can monitor webpages for changes, such as product restocks or price drops, and send notifications when updates occur. Safari can also generate custom browser extensions through a new Describe an Extension tool that builds extensions based on a user’s written instructions.

Apple is also expanding the capabilities of the Passwords app. Eligible accounts can now be automatically upgraded to stronger passwords, with Apple Intelligence handling the process on a user’s behalf.

Messages, Calendar, and Shortcuts gain AI assistance

Messages and Mail are becoming more proactive with contextual suggestions.

Users can receive one-tap recommendations to create reminders or notes based on conversations. Messages can also help locate specific photos by recognizing people, locations, and keywords mentioned in chats. Smart Reply can now adapt responses based on a user’s writing style.

Apple is also bringing AI assistance to Calendar and Shortcuts. Users can create calendar events simply by describing them, while a new Describe a Shortcut feature can automatically build automations based on natural language instructions.

The Phone app is gaining Call Context, which can surface information such as reservation numbers and confirmation codes when users contact a business. Apple says the feature runs entirely on-device and does not share information with the company.

New features for Home and accessibility

The Home app is becoming smarter with AI-generated video descriptions and improved search tools for HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

Users can search security camera footage using natural language and review automatically highlighted noteworthy events. Apple Intelligence can also group related notifications into a single activity to reduce clutter.

Accessibility features are also receiving upgrades. VoiceOver can provide richer image descriptions, while Voice Control allows users to describe onscreen controls instead of memorizing exact button names. Accessibility Reader now supports more complex documents and can provide summaries and translations on demand.

Availability

The new Apple Intelligence features are available for developer testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta will launch next month through the Apple Beta Software Program.

Apple plans to release the features this fall as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 for supported Apple Intelligence-compatible devices.

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