Apple Watch - page 2

With the launch of Apple Watch Series 11 likely just weeks away, rumors about what to expect remain surprisingly rare. Still, we know a fair amount about what’s coming, based on watchOS 26 and Apple’s usual moves. Additionally, some rumored Apple Watch Ultra 3 features might arrive on the regular model, too.

So, will Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 bring only minor upgrades, as in the last few years? Or will 2025 be the year Apple recaptures the buzz surrounding its smartwatch, adding exciting new features?

Here’s what we know about Apple Watch Series 11 so far.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: A string of leaks from Majin Bu showcase a new line of “TechWoven” iPhone cases. This looks to be Apple’s replacement for the hated FineWoven cases, with a new material that will make the whole thing less sucky.

But does the world really need a replacement for leather iPhone cases?

Also on The CultCast:

• iPhone 17e might take a welcome trip to the Dynamic Island, and the Apple Watch might add Touch ID.
• An eye-popping eight-display setup leaves us slightly amazed and full of questions.
• Anker’s brand-new iPhone power bank is super-slim and super-cool.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

A redesigned blood oxygen measurement capability will arrive Thursday for Apple Watch models that lost access to the feature due to a patent dispute.

Apple found a workaround that involves the Apple Watch testing the user’s blood oxygenation level, then displaying the reading on a paired iPhone.

Update: Apple released iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 with the promised workaround.

When we polled Cult of Mac readers on what feature they want most in Apple Watch Series 11, the answer came through loud and clear: Bring back the Blood Oxygen app! None of the rumored upcoming Apple Watch features drew more attention than one that went missing last year over a patent dispute.

Unfortunately, the Blood Oxygen app remains tied up in U.S. courts. Apple needs to work out the problem, and soon. The missing Blood Oxygen app is undoubtedly hurting Apple Watch sales and angering customers. And it’s only going to get worse when the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 launch next month — assuming Apple doesn’t come up with a workaround.

Strap on a refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 — with the elusive Blood Oxygen app and cellular connectivity — for just $123.99 (regularly $399).

If you’ve been thinking about getting an Apple Watch but aren’t interested in paying full price for the newest model, the Apple Watch Series 6 is a smart, cost-effective option. This refurbished 44mm GPS + Cellular version works for fitness tracking, everyday health monitoring and basic communication. And, unlike on more recent models, you can track your blood oxygen levels!

How many times have you been out and about only to find your iPhone, Apple Watch or AirPods battery dead or running on empty right when you need it? That’s why Anker offered its MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. The tiny Anker travel charger folds up so you can forget about it in your bag or coat pocket until the need for charging arises.

And right now, you can get the snappy little charger for just $62.99. It’s on sale for a limited time at Amazon and direct from Anker.

You can download the watchOS 26 public beta right now. With it, you can try out the great new Liquid Glass design coming to the Apple Watch before Apple ships the update to everyone. And you can check out Workout Buddy, the AI-powered coach that gives you encouragement during your workouts.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software is buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. This particular beta is a rough one, with lots of broken animations and features. A lot of apps you use probably won’t work correctly. I strongly recommend that you at least wait for the public beta — it’ll be available starting in July.

If you’re still sure you want to try it out, you’ll need to install iOS 26 on your iPhone first. I’ll show you how.

There’s still plenty of time left in Amazon Prime Day this week to snag deals on multi-device MagSafe chargers from Belkin and other makers. So if you want, say, Belkin’s MagSafe 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Pad for nearly half off — or other good deals on chargers for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods from various companies — see the Amazon links below. And note that Prime Day prices may fluctuate.

This year’s Amazon Prime Day sale may be the best one yet to score a deeply discounted Apple Watch — if supplies last.

Last year, models like the Apple Watch SE and Series 9 hit their lowest ever prices on Prime Day. This year sees all the major Apple Watch models at record lows, including the latest Series 10, the already low-price SE and the refreshed Ultra 2.

However, there’s a strong possibility stock may sell out before the four-day sale ends.

After a very modest refresh last year, rumors indicate the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — set to launch this September alongside the iPhone 17 series — will mark Apple’s most ambitious wearable update yet.

Here’s what we’re expecting in 2025’s major overhaul of Apple’s rugged smartwatch. Keep reading or check out our latest video. 

Despite their sleek designs, Apple products boast impressive durability. And now, for the first time, the company has provided a look into one of its 200 durability labs, where it rigorously torture tests its products.

Apple conducts several types of trials on its devices, including environmental, liquid, drop and vibration stress tests.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple reportedly plans to release its cheapest MacBook ever next year. This low-cost laptop might run on an iPhone chip and help Apple convince more people to switch from Windows machines.

Could playful colors — and possibly a plastic case — make this low-end Apple laptop a hit?

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple might lean on Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT to power the long-delayed smarter Siri.
• A new timeline lays out what to expect from the next three years of Apple Vision headsets and smart glasses.
• In the how-to segment, we discuss our picks for the best Apple Watch faces. We also talk about why you might want to change things up.
• In the new listener question segment, we explain what to do when you’re low on iCloud storage.
• And in an all-new Under Review, Leander describes the benefits of three inexpensive aftermarket CarPlay screens.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video, embedded below.

Out of the many dozens of options, which is the coolest Apple Watch face? Every time I see someone wearing an Apple Watch, I try to scope out which watch face they use. Nine times out of 10, they use either the Modular face or the Photo face (with a Sport band).

This is despite the Apple Watch offering dozens of watch faces, allowing for all kinds of customizability.

If you want to spice up and individualize your Apple Watch, here are the best and coolest faces. And in our video, I rank every watch face on a tier list.

Looks like Samsung might push the boundaries of wearable health technology with its upcoming Galaxy Watch, due in July. Its features go beyond what Apple Watch currently offers. Galaxy will include a groundbreaking, needle-free blood analysis tool among other intriguing features, according to a new report.

The new capabilities might offer a prescription of sorts for future Apple Watch upgrades.

Connect Apple Watch to a treadmill at Planet Fitness, and other exercise equipment, for more accurate health data inside the Fitness and Health apps on your iPhone. After all, if you’re working out, you want to make sure your Apple Watch gives you credit for it.

Here’s how.

Apple took the wraps off watchOS 26 on Monday, showcasing its new Liquid Glass design and other key new features. The Workout app gets the biggest makeover, featuring a new Workout Buddy that delivers personalised attaboy messages when you need a little extra mojo.

Other apps get improvements in watchOS 26, too, and a long-missing app finally makes an appearance.

The upcoming version of watchOS reportedly will shake up the Apple Watch’s Control Center by adding support for third-party widgets. Right now, it only surfaces toggles for Wi-Fi, Battery, Focus mode, and other system settings.

However, like the iPhone, Apple supposedly will open the watchOS Control Center and allow for greater customization.

While your Apple Watch excels at measuring some fitness metrics, when it comes to calorie counts, it struggles and flails like me on a too-rare gym visit. A new study raises questions about how much trust you can place in data gathered by the smartwatch.

Basically, Apple Watch is great for measuring heart rate and counting steps, but not so much for tallying calories burned. It’s a common problem with consumer-grade health devices.

There’s less than a week to go until WWDC, the annual developer fest where Apple takes the wraps off its latest OS releases. While the rumor mill has mostly focused on iPhone this year, there’s plenty for Apple Watch fans to look forward to.

Rumor has it that the next big watch update — possibly dubbed “watchOS 26,” in line with Apple’s rumored naming convention shakeup — will get a fresh new user interface, Apple Intelligence, conversation transcriptions and a smart AI coach that delivers tailored health and fitness advice.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and take a closer look at what’s in store for Apple Watch.

A tiny new silicon micro-speaker could transform future wearables — like Apple Watch and other smartwatches — by dramatically reducing thickness while improving audio quality, xMEMS Labs said Tuesday. It unveiled Sycamore-W, an ultra-thin micro speaker engineered for wrist-worn devices. It could make more room in devices as new features like AI interactions become more prevalent.

“Sycamore-W redefines audio for smart watches, combining compact design with robust performance to meet the demands of next-generation wearables,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development. “As the wrist becomes a key interface for ears-free, hands-free AI interactions, Sycamore-W empowers manufacturers to deliver premium audio in smaller, lighter more durable devices.”

The Apple Watch Translate app can help you quickly speak in a different language while you’re abroad, right from your wrist. Translate between 20 different languages by speaking out loud, play translations out of your Apple Watch speaker and build a list of favorite phrases you can play instantly.

Apple Translate doesn’t support as many languages as the more popular Google Translate — but Google doesn’t have an app for the Apple Watch. The fastest and most convenient way to speak another language from your wrist is with Apple’s app.

Keep reading or watch our video here.

May 2, 1995: Apple enters the wearables space with its first watch. However, the first Apple watch is a timepiece with no fitness-tracking tech, no on-screen notifications and a whole lot of 1990s styling.

The device comes two decades before wearables actually will become a thing. A regular wristwatch, the freebie gadget is available via a special mail-in offer to Mac OS upgraders.

You can manually add a workout to Apple Fitness+ if you need to log some exercise while you weren’t wearing your Apple Watch. Maybe your watch ran out of battery at the start of your run, or maybe you simply forgot to turn it on. By adding a missing workout, you can give yourself credit for the exercise you did.

This power could be used for evil as well as good. You could, hypothetically, say you ran a three-hour marathon every day last week. But you would only be fooling yourself.

To find out how to add a workout to Apple Fitness+, watch our short video or keep reading below.

Confused about which Apple Watch to buy? With Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE currently vying for your wallet’s attention, it all depends on what you want out of a smartwatch — and how much you’re willing to pay.

This buying guide breaks down what each Apple Watch does best, helping you match your needs (and budget) with the right device, whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer or simply looking for a reliable, everyday smartwatch.

There are a few useful things you can do with an old Apple Watch after you upgrade to a new one. You might think of the Apple Watch as being a disposable product — because who would wear two watches? But there are actually quite a few surprising use cases for having a daily Apple Watch and a secondary watch.

Keep reading or watch our latest video.