Category: Smart Watch

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Smart Watch

6 Interesting Things About The Apple Watch Ultra 2!

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features are amazing and more innovative than the last one! In case you have missed anything in the Apple “Wonderlust” Event today, this article is there for you! In this article, we will delve into the Apple Watch Ultra 2 features so that you don’t miss anything!

Apple Watch Ultra 2 – Interesting Features!
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the most premium watch. It is built to last more than any other smartwatch! It is good for users and is good for the environment as well. Apple is minimising their carbon footprint by using Recycled Cobalt in the battery, Recycled material straps, not using leather and instead going for Fine Woven! In the world of smartwatches, this watch is a game changer. With the new and improved features this watch is bringing to the table, it is a treat for all tech lovers worldwide. Now let’s talk about the features:

New Colour Options
Yes, you heard that right! The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 has multiple colour options. Apple has partnered with Hermes and Nike to create Fine Woven straps and incredible Stainless Steel Cases!

The Titanium finish of the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s case has a smooth and darker finish. This case will let you enjoy your life without worrying about the damage. It can easily survive in extreme temperatures and is easy on your hand as well.

3000 nits Brightness!
Yes! The Apple watch Ultra 2 comes with a maximum brightness of 3,000 and a minimum brightness of 1 nit! This will have an amazing viewing experience in all conditions, regardless of where you are!

A New Gesture For Apple Watch!
This is one of the best features of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 features! The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with an interesting new gesture feature that is going to make you use your watch even more conveniently! Users can Double Tap on the screen with their Index Finger and Thumb and control a lot of things on their phone and the watch. You can use this gesture to – pick up calls, end calls, snooze your alarm, take a picture, and much more! You name it!

Flashlight Boost!
Now, this is one feature we all have been waiting for! The Apple Watch Ultra 2 will let you boost your Flashlight performance to see better in the dark. Thanks to its 3,000 nits brightness, it is even brighter when you use the Flashlight on the watch!

New Watch Faces
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with new watch faces, which you will be able to download and save! This means more customisation options for you to play and express your watch how you want it to! Apple has been working on the user experience for quite a while now, and it is always good to see better watch faces!

Percision Finding For iPhone!
Thanks to the Precision Finding Feature, you can now find your iPhone even more precisely in the Apple Watch Ultra 2! The Apple Watch Ultra 2 will show you exactly how far you are from your phone in terms of Direction and Feet.

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Smart Watch

How Is The Apple Watch Ban Going To Impact You?

Apple is no longer allowed to sell Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States due to a patent infringement case related to the SpO2 sensor. The watches will disappear from the official website starting December 26 and here is how this ban will impact you.

Apple is in trouble as they are no longer allowed to sell their latest models of watch bands namely, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the USA because of the recent ban by the International Trade Commission. The sale has already halted from its website as of December 21st and its retail stores will also stop selling the two models by the 24th of December. This is a major setback to Apple, especially during the time of Christmas when Apple could make the biggest revenue hit.

So, let’s dive into the issue and figure out what are its consequences, and most importantly how is it going to impact you.

Why Is the Apple Watch Banned?
The US International Trade Commission recently imposed a ban on two of the latest models of Apple watch bands namely, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the USA. The decision was made in response to a patent battle with Masimo Corp., a health technology business, over a critical component of these watches: the blood oxygen measurement technology.

Masimo Corp. is a medical device company that sells its own health and wellness wearable products. It is mainly known for its Pulse Oximetry technology, a way of measuring oxygen levels in the blood. Apple Watch has used this feature since 2020 on the back of Apple Watches that help consumers know their blood oxygen levels.

Consequently, ITC, in January 2023 found out that Apple infringed the patent rights of Masimo by using the Pulse Oximetry technology, and as a result, these Apple Watch models were banned from being imported, which had a direct impact on Apple’s sales in the US market.

This is bad news for Apple as watch sales in the year 2022 hit $52 million. This decision affects not just Apple but also its global network of suppliers that produce and assemble its components as the Apple Watch is a massive player in the wearable market as a whole with Apple selling more watches than the entire Swiss Watch industry at over 15.4 million units.

Impact of the Ban
The ban does not only impact the sale of Apple Watches but it also has many other impacts that are a matter of concern for Apple Watch users. It includes preventing the repairing of other watch models, pulling out the online sale of the latest smartwatches, and financial implications on the markets of different countries.

Let us discuss all the major impacts in detail below.

1.Preventing Repairs of Out-of-Warranty models
This recent ban might affect the existing Apple Watch users. Apple stated in a memo sent this week to its customer support staff that it will no longer be fixing out-of-warranty Apple Watch Series 6 products. With the new modifications, Apple will no longer be able to repair older iPhones’ hardware; however, the company will still be able to assist customers with software-related concerns. This implies that you will not be able to get an Apple Watch with a blood oxygen sensor that is out of warranty — serviced, repaired, or replaced in any way. For example, Apple will not be able to assist you in any way if the screen on your Apple Watch Series 6 is broken.

Additionally, Apple won’t be able to exchange a watch that is purchased even before the ban. It can only be returned or refunded. This means that anyone who receives an Apple Watch for Christmas cannot exchange it for a new model if they need a different size or colour, which seems particularly disappointing for Apple and their customers.

2.Impact on the Online Sales of Apple
The ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 could have an impact on Apple’s product strategy, as both watches are crucial to the company. The ban may cause Apple to shift its focus to other products, such as the Apple Watch SE, which is unaffected by the ban. Concerns have been raised about the ban’s potential impact on iPhone sales. The ban might have an impact on Apple’s overall sales and profits, especially given the popularity of the impacted models.

3.Impact on the Consumers in USA
Consumers in the USA will be impacted the most as Apple has already suspended its sales and services in the country. To biggest downside is that people cannot gift the latest model of Apple Watches to their loved ones on Christmas. However, there are no restrictions on use for customers who purchased the impacted models before the ban’s adoption, and Apple’s warranty services continue to operate normally, ensuring that devices inside the warranty term can still undergo servicing.

Only the new users are going to suffer because of the unavailability of these products both online as well as offline. However, some third-party retailers like Target Corp., Walmart Inc., and Best Buy Co. can continue selling the smartphone despite the ITC restriction because it only affects Apple’s direct sales channels.

4.Impact on the Consumers in India
The impact of the ban in India is minimal. ITC only bans the sale of these models in the USA. In India, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are available and continue to remain on sale. However, it might affect the import of some Apple Watch models, including the Series 6, 7, 8, and Ultra models, as well as the current Series 9 and Ultra 2, which possess the blood oxygen feature. However, the major impacts of the ban on other countries except the USA are yet to be determined. But most likely if the issue is not resolved in a few weeks then this ban would result in suspending sales of these two Apple Watches in India as well.

What can Apple do now?
To prevent the ban on the Apple Watch, Apple is taking several measures. The Biden administration is “tracking” the US Trade Representative’s potential veto over the decision to ban almost all Apple Watch sales in the US owing to the patent issue. However, the ban is scheduled to take effect on December 26, 2023, and the White House has not yet stepped in.

To resolve the matter, Apple is looking into several options, including possible settlements and licencing deals with Masimo. If possible, the corporation is also thinking about changing the software to get around the ban. Given the popularity of the impacted models, it is anticipated that the ban will have some effect on Apple’s overall sales if it does go into force.

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Smart Watch

Redmi Buds 5 Pro With 52dB ANC & Dual Driver Make Market Entry

Exciting news from Xiaomi, its Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro with dual driver will touch the market soon. The new earbuds come with 52 dB active noise cancellation and dual driver. This is the major difference from the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Pro. The Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 touched the market earlier this year. It features Bluetooth v5.3 with the LHDC 5.0 audio codec compatibility. Additionally, it also has Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.

Redmi Buds 5 Pro: Features
The charging case of Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro has a sleek and round pebble design. The earbuds come with cosy ear tips to wear for a long time. It offers an IP54 dust and waterproof rating to use in any circumstances. You will see a powerful battery with it. It offers a 38-hour battery life. Moreover, each earbud lasts a total of 10 hours, and when merged with the case, you get a total of 38 hours of durability. It supports quick charging, allowing two hours of continuous music playback with just five minutes of charging.

The Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro offer a dual driver consisting of an 11mm titanium-coated dynamic driver and a 10mm piezoelectric ceramic tweeter. This configuration ensures clear highs and powerful bass. Xiaomi has done the finest work on noise reduction. The earbuds gain up to 52 dB of noise reduction depth. It keeps adaptive AI adjustment and delivers a smooth calling experience. Interestingly, it also comes with 49ms low latency, 9m/s wind noise resistance and a 4kHz noise reduction frequency band.

The earbuds got professional audio certifications from three major audio authorities: Kugou Music’s Viper Atmos, NetEase Cloud Music’s NetEase Cloud Sound, and QQ Music’s Zhenpin Master Tape and Zhenpin Space Audio. This certification makes it alone from their price range earbuds.

Redmi Buds 5 Pro Offers A Special Gaming Edition
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro offers a special gaming edition in black and orange colours. In addition to Bluetooth 5.3, it also has 2.4 GHz connectivity for a powerful wireless connection. It is used in conjunction with a USB-C dongle and offers an ultra-low latency mode of 20ms. With the special edition, you can experience a lag-free gaming experience.

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Smart Watch

OnePlus Watch 2 Leak Reveals Specifications And Design

OnePlus is gearing up to launch its new smartwatch called the OnePlus Watch 2. This upcoming smartwatch will be the successor to the original OnePlus Watch. A new leak has revealed the features and specifications of the OnePlus Watch 2 ahead of its launch.

OnePlus Watch 2 Specifications Leaked
According to a report by MySmartPrice, the specifications and design of the OnePlus Watch 2 have leaked. These renders are based on the prototype of the device currently in the testing phase. This means there is a slight possibility that the final device could differ from the one shown in the renders.

The OnePlus Watch 2 leak reveals it will have a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a circular design. The smartwatch will have a metal design with two buttons on the right side. It will be available in two strap rubber straps with black and white colour choices.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor will power the OnePlus Watch 2 and have all the essential health sensors required for tracking apart from a charging connector underneath the display.

It Is Likely To Run On WearOS
Furthermore, the watch is likely to run on wearOS 4 instead of the proprietary RTOS used by OnePlus, but there is no concrete information regarding the same. However, it would be unusual for the company to use such a latest chip for its custom software.

The OnePlus Watch 2 will arrive in early 2024, along with the OnePlus 12. It is likely to launch in China before debuting in the international markets.

The OnePlus 12 will use the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a new Sony LYTIA sensor for the primary camera. Furthermore, the upcoming flagship will also have a new Oriental 2K display from BOE with 2600 nits of peak brightness.

The phone will have up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. It will run on Oxygen OS 14 based on Android 14 out of the box. The OnePlus 12 will pack a 5,400mAh battery with 100W fast wired and 50W wireless charging.

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Smart Watch

Apple’s iOS 17.1.1 Fixes Wireless Charging & Watch Battery Drain Issues

Apple recently released the iOS 17.1.1 update with the goal of resolving long-standing issues with wireless charging and Apple Watch battery drain. Although it hasn’t been widely announced, people who have been dealing with these annoying issues will feel a significant sense of relief from this update.

In addition, the iOS 17.1.1 update can fix a number of bugs. One of which is the inaccurate snow depiction in the Weather lock screen widget. It also addresses a significant issue that certain iPhone 15 owners have brought to Apple’s attention. After wireless charging in some automobile models, Apple Pay and other NFC services become unavailable.

iOS 17.1.1 Addresses Issues With Wireless Charging
Users of Apple devices are increasingly choosing wireless charging more and more. Nonetheless, several users faced challenges such as irregular charge rates and issues with connectivity.

Moreover, iOS 17.1.1 mainly fixes wireless charging problems with some automobile models, like the BMW and Toyota Supra. In addition, these issues were interfering with NFC capabilities, especially with Apple Pay for owners of the iPhone 15 series. This update’s defect has been recognized by Apple and resolved.

Apple Watch Battery Drain Is Resolved By WatchOS 10.1.1
After installing watchOS 10.1 earlier this month, a number of Apple Watch users reported that their batteries were draining more quickly. Users naturally turned to social media to share their observations and confirm that this was not a unique incident.

Subsequently, Apple admitted the issue and said it would release an update, which watchOS 10.1.1 released today, fulfilled. According to Apple, the update specifically fixes an issue that could cause the battery to drain more quickly for some users.

With these two updates, Apple has demonstrated its continued dedication to enhancing device functionality. Also, it gives customers a more dependable and seamless experience. Furthermore, to take advantage of these improvements, users are urged to keep their devices up to date by applying the most recent software update.

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Smart Watch

Double Tap Hand Gesture On Apple Watch: 5 Surprising Killer Facts

Check out the new double tap hand gesture of Apple Watch – an intuitive and groundbreaking feature that’s set to revolutionise how you interact with your wearable device, making it effortless and utterly user-friendly. Want to know about its superpowers?

The brand new double tap hand gesture Apple Watch Series 9 has to offer has taken the town by storm, and we’re equally thrilled by its arrival for the first time! With this year’s grand launch event, Apple has once again taken a bold leap forward with its innovative technologies loaded in Apple’s new edge smart devices. The buzz surrounding this double tab feature is electric, and rightfully so.

Imagine having the power to control your world with a simple double tap – a gesture that’s not just intuitive but also remarkably impactful. Does that sound exciting? Without much ado, let’s dig into this game-changing feature that has the power to make our lives more effortless.

Double Tap Hand Gesture on Apple To Answer or End Calls.
Suppose you get a call, and your smartwatch starts ringing. You are in the middle of something important. Instead of taking your phone out or reaching out to your smartwatch to take action, you can make the double tap hand gesture to answer the call. When the conversation is over, another double tap effortlessly ends it. It’s a seamless and convenient way to stay connected without missing a beat.

1.Double Tap To Snooze Your Apple Alarm
We all know the struggle of waking up in the morning. Eyes snap open with a blaring alarm sound, and next comes the useless flapping of hands here and there in the dark to find the snooze button. Not anymore! With the double tap hand gesture, you can now give yourself a few extra minutes of sleep without fumbling for buttons to stop the noise. A gentle double tap gesture and your alarm snooze. Now, you can peacefully get back to your sweet dreams.

2.Start A Timer Or Resume Using Double Tap
Cooking, workouts, or simply keeping track of time—starting and pausing timers has never been more intuitive. Just a quick two-finger tap, and your Apple Watch timer is under your control.

3.Double Tap & Control Camera on Your Smartphone
Are you that person in the group who always gets cut out from the group pictures because you are the one taking them? Or someone who gets blurry, awkward poses in a stint to make it before the timer runs out for capturing? It is time to put an end to this injustice for good! You can use the double tap hand gesture to snap a picture through your Iphone. All you have to do is be a part of the group-ies and pose with a brimming smile.

4.Using SmartTV Becomes Easier
Have you ever imagined your smartwatch could be your part-time remote control? Yes, that’s right! You can actually play media on your smart TV with the double tap hand gesture for your Apple Watch. This is possible when you do a screencast or screen mirroring through your phone. No more fighting over the remote or frantically searching for it in the dark corners of your couch. You’ve got it all under your fingertips!

In A Nutshell…
The double tap hand gesture in the Apple Watch Series 9 is unarguably the future of wearable tech unfolding before our very eyes. Whether you’re a tech-savvy person or someone just dipping their toes into the world of smartwatches, this feature is designed to be both captivating and incredibly easy to use.

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Smart Watch

Apple Watch Series 9, SE And Ultra 2 Launched: Price, Specs

Apple has finally launched the next generation of Apple Watches at its Wonderlust event. The company unveiled the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple has launched the Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, focusing on better performance with new chipsets and improved sensors.

Apple Watch Series 9: Specifications And Price

The Apple Watch Series 9 has received some serious upgrades in the performance department thanks to the new S9 chipset. It uses a 5nm architecture and is a substantial improvement over the previous S8 chip. Apple claims it is the most powerful chipset with 5.8 billion transistors, which is 60 per cent more than Series 8 and 30 per cent faster.

It also has a four-core Neural Engine that can process tasks like Siri requests on the device without requiring cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. This is the biggest performance upgrade since the S6 processor used in the Series 6. Furthermore, it is also more power efficient, offering an 18-hour battery life.

In addition, the Apple Watch Series 9 also gets the new U2 Ultra WideBand (UWB) chip, which enables Precision Finding for iPhones.You can navigate to your iPhone with directions and a vibration to help you locate the device. This offers improved location accuracy and more reliable FindMy capabilities. Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Ultra 2 have been launched with these new chips.

The Series 9 has an Always-On Retina Display with slim bezels that can go as bright as 2,000 nits and as low as one nits. This is more than twice the brightness of the Series 8. You can activate a new Double Tap gesture by tapping your index finger and thumb together twice.

You can use this gesture to answer a call, stop a timer, snooze alarms or scroll through widgets. This is useful if your other hand is occupied and you want to perform actions on your watch. The feature will be available on Series 9 starting next month.

WatchOS 10 has a new Name Drop feature, which can help share your personal information with another user when in the vicinity of their device. The new operating system also allows interaction with HomePod devices and improved Find My functionality.

The Series 9 will be available in Aluminium options of Pink, Starlight, Silver, Midnight and Product Red and stainless steel options like Silver, Gold and Graphite. It is available in India for a starting price of Rs.41,900 and will go on sale in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, respectively.

Apple Watch Ultra 2: Specifications And Price

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is lighter and faster than before. Similar to the Series 9, it uses the new S9 chip apart from the U2 Ultra Wide Band Chip. It features a 49mm titanium case with MIL-STD 810H certification, IP6X dust resistance, and 100 meters of water resistance.

The Ultra 2 has the brightest display on the smartwatch, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits. It offers up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge and 72 hours on the low power mode. The Night Mode will be automatically enabled in a dim environment, and the new watch face will show you information like Altitude, Depth and Seconds.

Like its predecessor, it retains the customizable action button for quickly starting workouts or using the compass. The Ultra 2 features the S9 chip with 5.6 billion transistors and a 60 per cent performance improvement over the previous generation. Thanks to the dual-frequency GPS, it can now track your workout sessions and location more accurately.

It also gets all WatchOS 10 features, like the Double Tap gesture, which will be available in October. Apple has also focused on sustainability by promising to make all products carbon-neutral by 2030. The watch’s Alpine Loop and Trail Loop bands are made from recycled materials. The Apple Watch Ultra starts at Rs.89,900 in India and will be available in a single size of 49mm from September 22.

Apple Watch SE: Specifications And Price

Apple announced a refresh of the Apple Watch SE made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium. The new watch has a Sports Loop strap that offers 75 per cent carbon footprint reduction.

It runs on the older S8 chip and has a Retina display with 1,000 nits of brightness. The watch also offers GPS connectivity and up to 18 hours of battery life. It runs on watchOS 10 and provides safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS.

The watch is water resistant up to 50 meters and has GPS and cellular connectivity options. It lasts 18 hours on a single charge and comes with a Low Power Mode. It will be available for a starting price of Rs.29,900 from September 22.

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Smart Watch

How Smart Watches Work

There’s no doubt that with the popularity of smartphones that can manage virtually every aspect of our lives, the trend in technology is to get more and more “connectivity” into smaller and smaller packages.

Simultaneously, wrist watches have become a lesson in technological redundancy for many people. Ask a friend for the time of day and they’re just as likely to glance at their smartphone as they are to look at an actual wrist-bound timepiece. The newest wave of smart watches aims to change all that

Smart watches are digital watches that do more – a lot more – that your old analog time tracking device. We’re not talking about that once-amazing calculator watch that you had in elementary school. These are full-fledged digital tools.

Watches on the Rise
Smart watches haven’t exploded in popularity for various reasons. The technological hurdles are high. And the fashion faux pas are, well, unforgivable.

Let’s start with the tech side. Because human wrists are only so big, wrist watches must be extremely compact. In turn, this means the display must be small. That means a populace accustomed to ridiculously oversized smartphone screens must learn to use a substantially smaller interface on a smart watch.

t also means that software developers must find intuitive graphical interfaces that fit a watch’s limited display area. As programmers who create smartphone apps can attest, this challenge can make or break a product.

Battery life is another notable design challenge. Current battery technology will only power a glowing smart watch with myriad functions for a few hours. After that, it’s back to the charger.

And then, of course, there’s the fashion aspect of smart watches. Like it or not, a watch is a fashion item, and it reflects directly on your ability to dress yourself properly in the morning. Most manufacturers are still struggling to combine features and fashion in ways that don’t shriek “geek.” The designs tend to be clunky, obnoxiously large and likely to clash with any wardrobe that rises above casual.

Product to Watch
So far, no smart watch has captured the imagination and devotion of consumers. With so many companies dumping so much time and money into these products, it seems likely that at some point, a smart watch will strike industry gold.

It may be that the rumored products from Apple and Google could be the ones to succeed. Apple is known for its ability to combine usefulness with aesthetics, and Google’s deep pockets and sprawling Android user base could help put a smart watch over the top.

Until the first home-run product arrives, it’s anyone’s guess as to where watches will go from here. Perhaps they’ll always be considered smartphone accessories, permanently tethered to a more powerful handheld device. Or maybe an innovative user interface and better battery life will result in watches that cast off master gadgets as unnecessary, and perhaps … unfashionable.

It might be that the limited real estate of a watch is simply too difficult of a hurdle for contemporary technologies to overcome. At the moment, each manufacturer is basically going fishing – throwing out their lines of products in the hopes that at least one of them will snag a following. So far, Pebble (perhaps the biggest underdog in the entire lineup) has done best, selling more than 250,000 units in its initial offering.

If such a small company can find a niche with its digital contraptions, you can bet that bigger corporations are working to do the same.

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Smart Watch

Apple watchOS 9.2 Update Released, Brings Improved Battery Life On Apple Watch Ultra

Apple has released a bunch of updates today to all its devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, media streaming devices, and computers. Alongside iOS 16.2 for iPhones and iPadOS 16.2 for iPads, the company also released the watchOS 9.2 update for Apple Watches. The new update brings improved battery life for some Apple Watches in certain conditions, improvements to automatic workout detection, and the ability for family members to control HomePod and other smart home devices, and more.

Let us check out all watchOS 9.2 features that are coming to Apple Watches.

Apple watchOS 9.2 Update: New Features
With the watchOS 9.2 update, Apple Watches can automatically start Outdoor Run workout when you arrive on a known running track and offer additional track-specific metrics. You can compete against your previous workout records in Outdoor Cycle, Outdoor Run, and Outdoor Wheelchair using the Race Route feature. The update also brings the improved Kickboxing workout algorithm for more accurate tracking metrics.

Apple Watches running watchOS 9.2 can display environmental noise levels using the Noise app while wearing AirPods Pro (1st Gen) and AirPods Max when ANC is turned on. The Family Setup feature lets members in the family to control HomePods and other smart home devices using the Home app. They can also unlock compatible smart door locks using the Wallet app.

The new software also brings improved accessibility features, including the support for visualise when Siren is in use on the Apple Watch Ultra and improved response time and accuracy of hand gesture controls for Assistive Touch and Quick Actions.

The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen), Apple Watch Series 8, and the Apple Watch Ultra also gets improved crash detection performance. There were a few bugs that caused interruptions in the Mindfulness app during sessions and caused incorrect time to be displayed just after dismissing an alarm. Those bugs have been fixed with the watchOS 9.2 update. The update also improves battery life during multiworkouts on the Apple Watch Ultra in power saving mode.