Built-in ECG capability!
Apple has kicked off their iPhone event today by announcing a new version of their venerable watch. The Apple Watch Series 4 has a 30% bigger display compared to the previous model, with the company pushing the display to the very borders of the watch.
Aside from a new, larger watch face, Apple has also added new complications that give you a quick snapshot of your health metrics.
The digital crown has been improved and given haptic feedback, and the speaker is now 50% larger compared to the previous generation for clearer conversations when you’re making phone calls with the watch.
The rear of the watch is made of black ceramic and sapphire crystals. Radio waves can now pass through the rear and the front, making for clearer phone calls.
Apple’s new S4 chip that powers the watch has a new generation Accelerometer and Gyroscope, that has 2x dynamic range and up to 32 g-forces with 8X sample speed. All of that technical gibberish means that the Series 4 watch can detect if you take a slip or fall, and can send an alert or call to family or friends, along with your location. It’s a great addition that will definitely help differently-abled and elderly users of the watch.
Apple has also added new notifications for the Series 4 watch, including alerts for abnormally low heart rates, irregular rhythm (possible signs of atrial fibrillation) and ECG capabilities thanks to electrodes added to the rear of the watch and the crown. Apple’s Series 4 watch will be the first over-the-counter product that will carry this feature for regular consumers.
With all the new features, the Series 4 watch will still have the 18-hour battery life of the previous generation, and a 5-hour runtime without a paired iPhone for long runs. All of the previous bands and straps will be compatible with the new model.
Apple’s new Series 4 watch is priced at USD 399 (Php 21.4K) with GPS and USD 499 (Php 26.8K) with Cellular. Apple’s previous generation Series 3 watch is getting a price cut, dropping to just USD 279 (Php 15K).
