The battery in an Apple Watch 2 can fail, and even swell up. This is a rare problem, but Apple will fix the watch if it occurs.
Swelling is a problem that has long plagued lithium-ion batteries from laptops, phones, and other electronics. The only fix is a replacement of the battery.
In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: When it comes to fitness apps on Apple Watch, sometimes it feels like Cupertino is running before it can walk. Fancy new features like Heart Rate Recovery are very welcome, but a few of the basics remain missing.
Apple could make major strides when it releases watchOS 5. So in the second of three posts about the future of watchOS, I’ll focus on five essential fitness features I’m hoping we’ll see at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
You’ll find that story and more in this issue. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.
The latest watchOS beta warns that support will end soon for applications that haven’t been updated for years. This is part of an ongoing push by Apple to get all third-party apps that were written for the first-generation Software Development Kit updated to something more recent.
Unfortunately, this drive is instead causing some developers to drop their out-of-date Apple Watch apps.
When it comes to fitness apps on Apple Watch, sometimes it feels like Cupertino is running before it can walk. Fancy new features like Heart Rate Recovery are very welcome, but a few of the basics remain missing.
Apple could make major strides when it releases watchOS 5. So in the second of three posts about the future of watchOS, I’ll focus on five essential fitness features I’m hoping we’ll see at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
Surprisingly, the Apple Watch Series 3 has been out for six months already. While time has flown by (pun intended), the Series 3 watch has easily become one of my favourite Apple releases of the past year. Although I’ve already done a full review, I wanted to revisit it now that half a year has passed to tell you about my experience with it, what I like, what I don’t and if it’s worth it.
Check out the video below.
An Australian woman claims her mother-in-law was killed in their home by unknown assilants, but data from the victim’s Apple Watch contradicts that testimony.
An Apple Watch tracks the wearer’s heartbeat. This means it knows exactly when that heart stops, allowing Adelaide police to know precisely when this murder had taken place. And that was far earlier than claimed.
Apple is going all-in on MicroLED displays, a new report claims. The company is reportedly gearing up to use the next-gen displays in future Apple Watches, Macs and even an as-yet-unreleased wearable device, which could be Apple’s augmented reality glasses.
The first MicroLED displays may arrive sooner than expected, too.
Apple Watch sells very well, but apparently not strongly enough for some companies. A deadline requiring developers to base their apps on newer versions of watchOS just passed, and some businesses choose to pull their software rather than update it.
Instagram garnered the most attention, but there are surely other examples.
This week on The CultCast: Apple has powered up the new iPad so much, it’s hard to resist! We’ll tell you why we’re so excited. Plus: What you need to know about iOS 11.3; everything Apple revealed at its “field trip” event; a reliable report says Apple Watch Plus is incoming; and you asked, we answer — from the best Home apps, to our Mac mini predictions, to Commando versus Predator, we answer your most burning questions.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.
In the three short years since Apple Watch debuted, Cupertino has massively improved its smartwatch. Remember the early days, when Glances took ages to load, only to show out-of-date information? When the Fitness app refused to stay in the foreground during a workout? Or when the side button launched a doodling app?
Since the launch, Apple has rolled out big upgrades to watchOS every year at its Worldwide Developers Conference. But there is still loads more that could be done to really unleash Apple Watch’s full potential.
With this year’s WWDC confirmed for June, here’s my wish list of the all the new watchOS stuff I’m hoping will be announced in San Jose, California. It’s a pretty long list, so I’ve broken it down into three separate posts, starting with usability. In followup posts, I’ll focus on fitness, apps and setup.
Celebrate spring with new iPhone and iPad cases, plus new Apple Watch bands, all now available in seasonal colors. Yellow, blue and pink are everywhere, with leather, silicone and nylon as materials.
Your wardrobe changes with the seasons, and your phone, tablet and watch can bust out in brighter colors, too, now that winter is behind us.
Apple Watch isn’t just growing in sales — it’s about to grow in size, too. At least, that’s the prediction of an analyst with long track record for accuracy.
A larger display would make room for a bigger battery. Apple likely will build new health features into its updated wearable as well.
Spotify will finally deliver its first Apple Watch app this year, according to a new report.
It could get an official reveal at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June alongside “StreamKit,” a new framework for watchOS 5 that will boost the cellular Apple Watch’s standalone capabilities.
This week, you can get the Apple Watch Series 1 sport model in both sizes at all-time low prices. You can also take advantage of discounts on Apple Watch and iPhone stands, an iMac and iTunes gift cards.
Apple Watch can accurately detect atrial fibrillation, a serious heart condition that is a leading cause of stroke, and could also help identify if you’re at risk of a apple watch heart attack.
This advanced feature remains in testing. However, a new medical study offers proof that wearables can do far more than simply track fitness. In fact, they could actually keep the wearer alive.
Spring has sprung, and there’s a whole bunch of new Apple Watch bands to celebrate. They sport “vibrant colors and unique designs,” Apple says — and they’ll be available to purchase from select stores and carriers around the world later this month.
Apple reportedly operates a secret manufacturing plant in California where it produces MicroLED displays, a new type of screen that could make future gadgets “slimmer, brighter and less power-hungry.”
Right now, the company is said to still be in the testing phase, manufacturing small quantities of the displays. The tech likely won’t arrive for years. But by developing its own custom displays, Apple could further differentiate its devices from rival products.
Apple constantly wins plaudits for being a brand consumers feel passionate about, but Fitbit Chief Financial Officer Bill Zerella doesn’t think that applies to the Apple Watch.
Speaking at the recent Roth Investment Conference in Laguna Beach, California, Zerella said that, “I have yet to meet anyone who owns an Apple Watch who’s passionate about the product.”
Android Wear, Google’s operating system built to be a rival to Apple’s watchOS, is getting a huge name change.
And the iPhone is a big reason why.
My grandfather, who fought in World War II, wore a beautiful mechanical watch. It had an eye-catching expansion band — a stainless steel link bracelet that stretched like elastic. He always took it off to play cricket, and I remember it dangled loosely around my skinny kid’s wrist when I tried it on. He loved that watch, and so did I.
Now I’m wearing a similar expansion bracelet on my Apple Watch courtesy of Speidel, the storied watch-band maker from Providence, Rhode Island. Introduced in the late 1950s, Speidel’s Twist-O-Flex Stainless bracelets are some of the most iconic bands in all of watchmaking. Now they’re available in three finishes for the Apple Watch.
Fitbit is stepping up to compete better with the Apple Watch with the Versa smartwatch. The new wearable looks similar to Apple’s watch, and offers music playback and other capabilities. Plus, it arrives at a lower price point — just under $200.
The Versa’s unveiling comes just after Apple surpassed Fitbit in the wearables market. Apparently, people want much more from their devices than just counting steps.
Are you taking full advantage of all the neat new features in your shiny Series 3 Apple Watch? Cellular connectivity grabbed the headlines, but that isn’t the only hardware addition Cupertino managed to cram into a wearable that was already bristling with sensors.
Apple Watch Series 3 models also boast a barometric altimeter. If you think you don’t need one of those, think again. The altimeter makes Series 3 watches the ideal companion for hill workouts. That’s a type of training you really should be doing but probably aren’t.
A new Apple Watch band can detect dangerous levels of potassium in your blood without the use of needles.
KardiaBand takes an electrocardiogram, then uses a specially designed algorithm to identify abnormal patterns. AliveCor says its Apple Watch band can detect hyperkalemia with 94 percent accuracy. Such a diagnosis usually would require invasive blood tests
In the world of watch straps, we think Ottm, a manufacturer of wooden Apple Watch bands, offers one of the best unboxing experiences.
The box itself is plain and simple, but the package is thoughtfully designed, containing extra links and a pin removal tool that makes it very easy to adjust your new band.
The bands are awesome, too. Made from zebrawood and/or sandalwood, each hand-finished strap is eye-catching, comfortable and unique.
We made a video to show you what to expect. And, check out Ottm’s wooden Apple Watch bands in the Watch Store.
There are great deals, and then there are great deals. These are the latter kind: Right now, you can get the best prices we’ve ever seen on certain iPads and iMacs. Or you can score a $60 cash card when you purchase an Apple Watch from a certain retailer. You’ll find those great buys and more in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.