Apple Watch 6: All the latest news and rumours

In a few months, Apple is set to launch its next smartwatch – so what’s going to be new for the Apple Watch 6? Here are all the speculated new features.

The Apple Watch 5 was awarded 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, earning its place as our top-choice smartwatch of the year. But how can Apple improve on excellence with this year’s sequel? The following article draws together all the news and speculation about the forthcoming device, from its design to all of the new hardware and software features that you can expect.

Release date – When will the Apple Watch 6 be released?

We’re relatively sure that the Apple Watch 6 will be launched in September 2020, and it will likely appear next to the iPhone 12. Our evidence lies in the well-established launch pattern over recent years, as shown below:

• Apple Watch – April 2015
• Apple Watch Series 1 & Series 2 – September 2016
• Apple Watch Series 3 – September 2017
• Apple Watch Series 4 – September 2018
• Apple Watch Series 5 – September 2019

But remember that products due for release this year could well see their expected launch schedule disrupted or delayed by the current coronavirus pandemic.

Price – How much will the Apple Watch 6 cost?

The Apple Watch 5 has a starting price of £399, and so we reckon that the Apple Watch 6 will cost a somewhat similar amount upon launch. Of course, the final price will vary significantly depending on which strap you choose to complement your timepiece; some designer options from esteemed brands like Hermès go for as much as £1,399.

The Apple Watch’s steep price makes it an unattainable luxury for many consumers but, fortunately, the Apple Watch 3 is still on sale for just £199. That price makes it a more affordable proposition for fitness fans who seek a wearable that’s nonetheless seamlessly integrated into Apple’s tech ecosystem.

Apple Watch 6 – Design

The Apple Watch’s design these past few years has been composed of a rounded square screen with the crown on the side. It’s unmistakable, it’s iconic, and it looks like it’s here to stay for the next generation too.

Will look the same as Series 4

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 22, 2020

Jon Prosser was on the inside track for all the insider information ahead of the recent launch of the iPhone SE 2, so we reckon you can trust him when he says that the design will not be changed from the Series 4. But even though the outward design might stay identical, looks can be deceiving: the internal capabilities will surely receive some impressive upgrades if the rumours are anything to go by.

Apple Watch 6 – New safety features

Thanks to a detailed inspection of a snippet of code in iOS 14, 9to5 Mac has discovered a few intriguing heart health features that are supposedly joining the Apple Watch 6. The first of these is a tracker for blood oxygen saturation, which will include an automatic notification when levels are so low as to be potentially dangerous.

The second upgrade applies to the existing ECG feature, which will now enable more accurate readings at heart rates between 100 and 120bpm. Both of these new rumoured features could prove to be genuine lifesavers, so it’s impossible to underestimate their importance.

According to AppleInsider, there’s another potential lifesaver on its way to the smartwatch. This feature, which has also been registered for a patent, would be able to tell when the user accidentally falls into water, and could then notify friends or even the emergency services of the danger.

Apple Watch 6 – New hardware features

An official filing uncovered by Patently Apple seems to imply that the Apple Watch 6 could tote a fingerprint sensor for TouchID biometric identification. Early reports suggest that this feature will be built into the crown of the watch rather than the screen, which seems to be a surprising – even inelegant – solution. According to The Verifier, an in-screen fingerprint scanner may arrive with the Apple Watch Series 7 further down the line in 2021.

On top of this, 9to5 Mac has suggested that the next Apple Watch will have a micro-LED rather than OLED display, which would save a significant amount of power and would prevent the risk of burn-in that comes part and parcel of other screen types. It still seems a little early for this much-anticipated technology to make its way onto to the mainstream market, but it would represent a great leap forward for the industry if true.

Apple Watch 6 – New software features

In a further update, 9to5 Mac also named some lifestyle features that will apparently be joining the Apple Watch 6.

Firstly there will some changes made to watch face designs, including the ability to share your customised watch face with friends, a new tachymeter feature and also the option to add photos from shared albums to create your personalised watch faces.

On top of that, parents will wrest back some control of their children’s smartwatches thanks to the ability to set up an Apple Watch via the parent’s phone. This function comes along with a new time management tool called Schooltime that restricts the usage of certain apps within a timeframe (i.e. during the school day).

Did I just find a mention of the unannounced Sleep app for the Apple Watch? https://t.co/J41JlCIyPI pic.twitter.com/4gor3I8AuL

— Daniel Marcinkowski (@dmarcinkowski_) October 7, 2019

Finally, we’re very relieved to hear that a native sleep tracking feature is at last set to make its debut on the Apple Watch, several years after even some of the very cheapest competing wearables on the market have adopted the feature. It’s good news, but it must be said that it’s long overdue.

In big news to Apple Watch users, The Verifier reports that both the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 will be abandoned by the newest WatchOS 7 software update, in which case they wouldn’t adopt the new software features mentioned in the above article.

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