[ad_1]
Apple has introduced a lower-cost version of its popular smartwatch and expanded health-tracking features, including a blood oxygen tracker and an altimeter.
The tech company announced the latest round of Apple Watch updates at a scaled-down event Tuesday, held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. CEO Tim Cook spoke from an empty auditorium at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The event made no mention of a new iPhone. The company typically launches its new iPhones around this time of year, but production problems caused by the pandemic have delayed the launch of the devices until at least October, the Associated Press reported.
Apple
Apple Watch updates
The latest version of the popular Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to read a user’s blood oxygen level in 15 seconds using a combination of red and infrared light to analyze the color of a user’s blood. That feature could be timely given that COVID-19 frequently attacks the lungs. The company says it will partner with health researchers to focus on the role of blood oxygen levels in the coronavirus, executives said.
The new watch will also feature a built-in altimeter to measure users ‘altitude, a new app that tracks users’ sleep, and will be available in a range of colors.
The scaled-down Apple Watch, called the Apple Watch SE, will cost $ 279, notably less than the starting price of $ 399 for the high-end Series 6. The cheapest watch follows in the footsteps of a budget iPhone the company released five months ago as the economy crashed and unemployment rates rose to a maximum of 90 years.
Other features include a new family plan that allows parents to set up Apple Watches for their children from a single iPhone. Family Setup allows parents to assign phone numbers, track the location of their children, and offers a number of parental controls such as “do not disturb” mode and the ability to choose who their child can communicate with.
The Apple Watch SE will retail for $ 279 and will be available for purchase beginning Friday.
Service package
Apple also announced a new fitness subscription service designed for its watches for $ 10 per month, as well as a new option that will bundle its existing music, video, news, and game services in one package that will cost between $ 15 and $ 30 per month.
Tens of millions of people subscribe to Apple’s various services, which has helped the company double its revenue over the past four years within a division that continues to create new subscription products for the more than 1 billion iPhones, iPads, watches and other existing devices that are already in use. .
The services bundle is “a smart strategic move to further monetize its gold installed base,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, estimating that the new offerings could increase Apple’s service revenue by 5% to 7%. annual.
Apple’s services division includes the company’s App Store, which has been criticized for charging fees of up to 30% for developers to sell products there. Apple is in a legal dispute with Epic Games, the creator of the popular game Fortnite, on a feature that allows Fortnite players to bypass the app store to make virtual purchases.
New iPad
Apple also announced updates for its iPad. Notable new features include a handwriting recognition feature called Smart Select that allows users to jot down notes in any text field using the Apple Pencil accessory and dual-speaker audio in landscape mode when the iPad is rotated horizontally.
The new iPad Air 4, also unveiled today, will have a slightly larger screen as it is losing its home button. Touch ID, which unlocks the device by recognizing a fingerprint, will be integrated into the top button of the iPad. It will also have a USB-C connection instead of a lightning port, something Apple’s laptops and iPad Pro already use, CNET reports.
The entry-level iPad model costs $ 329, while the iPad Air starts at $ 599.
The new iPad and Apple Watch will also include more recycled components. Apple already uses recycled aluminum in its products; the next generation of technology will also use recycled soldered tin and recycled rare earth elements.
New IOS
Apple will also launch its new operating system, iOS 14, on Wednesday. However, a long-awaited feature will be missing, an anti-tracking system. Apple delayed anti-tracking functions operating system shortly after Facebook complained that the features would hamper its ability to run targeted ads To the people.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
