The watchOS 7 brought a host of new features and changes to the existing Apple Watch lineup. However, it seems like Apple needs to address the update on Watch Series 3. The device owners are complaining of random reboots after installing watchOS 7 on their devices. Their watches are performing multiple restarts per day. Further it includes more bugs beyond that.
The latest development comes from Apple and MacRumors forums where Apple Watch Series 3 owners are complaining about random reboots, lockups, complications that fail to load, and sluggish performance. Apple released watchOS 7.0.1 but Engadget reports that it doesn’t appear to have addressed the glitches. The issue persists on Series 3 but other devices including Series 5 remain unaffected. While the experience is not great for the Watch Series 3 owners, it is likely to be patched in an upcoming release.
With watchOS 7, Apple included the ability to enable more than one type of complication. This means you can have the same complication on different watch faces. The company also made it easier to share watch faces with other people. Further, Maps on Apple Watch have also had some improvements. They include cycling directions as well as contextual service recommendations.
Apple Watch now alerts users if they’re spending too much time in a noisy environment. Ideally, you want to spend less than 40 hours per week in an environment that’s louder than 80 decibels. The watchOS 7 also brought improvements to Siri as you it comes with improved dictation which can be used in replying to texts, or searching using your spoken queries. There’s also a handwashing feature that helps you ensure you’re washing your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds. You can read more about all the new watchOS 7 features here.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Apple’s 27-inch iMac and more devices, on sale today
Deals. Let’s start today with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which is currently available for $171 off on Amazon, leaving it at $1228 shipped with the US warranty. The 2019 27in iMac is also up to $250 off, meaning you can find the 6-core Intel i5, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage variant for $1700 shipped. If you’re interested in the HomePod… for some reason… Best Buy also has it for $100 off, leaving it at $199. We also have more deals on Sennheiser headphones, Jabra Earbuds and more.
Qualcomm reportedly seeks US government’s permission to sell chips to HUAWEI
Last week we talked about how the Mate 40 Series might be the last Huawei phone powered by a Kirin processor and, if you watch that video I speculated about them turning to Qualcomm for SoCs and well…. According to the Wall Street Journal, Qualcomm made a presentation for the US government, to remove restrictions and let them sell Snapdragon chips to Huawei. They’re pitching it by saying how this ban could drive “billions of dollars” to foreign chip makers like Samsung and MediaTek and lifting this ban could help Qualcomm stay competitive. Qualcomm’s goal right now is to sell to every smartphone maker and if a shift in the 5G market share changed, this could be big for them.
We have new leaked renders of the upcoming Microsoft Surface Duo
I think it’s been 10 or 11 months since we’ve been waiting for the Surface Duo… Yeah. Well last week it went through certifications and it looked like we were getting closer to a launch date but, we still don’t have it. Now we have some new leaked renders from Evan Blass showing off the AT&T variant of this device. On these pictures we can see the phone both open and closed, showing off the interface. We also get to see the selfie camera and the pretty big bezels and, it looks like there’s still no main camera on the outside. There’s also that leaked video which surfaced months ago showing how you can interact with the phone without it being fully open. We’re still expecting this device to launch… sometime soon with the same dated specs.
First public beta for watchOS7 is available for beta testers
You will soon find Google Maps in your Apple Watch
After several developer betas, Apple just seeded the first Public Beta of WatchOS 7 to consumers. The update can be installed pretty much like an iOS beta by downloading the profile and since this is the first release, it might bring some serious bugs. It brings new features like sleep tracking, complications, and more. Speaking of new features, Google just announced several of them for Apple products that are independent of the beta. For example, now you get a fully working Google Maps app for the Apple Watch that works pretty similar to the iPhone app, letting you get walking, biking, public transit and car directions from your wrist. Some destinations need the iPhone to be able to work properly but, it also supports step-by-step and it gives you an ETA. Moving on to CarPlay, there’s a new Dashboard integration for the media app now, the calendar and turn-by-turn directions as well but it is now presented in a split-screen view.
Twitter purportedly expresses interest in acquiring TikTok US operations
TikTok is reportedly suing Trump administration over executive order threatening a ban
Let’s talk about Tik Tok because, it’s actually a pretty big deal right now. If you haven’t been following, the US President basically told them that they had 45 days to sell the US arm of Tik Tok to a US company or they would be banned in the States. Well, since them we’ve seen Microsoft interested in buying and now, it looks like Twitter wants in too. According to Reuters, Microsoft is still the front runner but, Twitter has apparently approached ByteDance to make the acquisition. The problem is that Twitter is worth around $30B which is almost the value of the Tik Tok assets being purchased here so, they would need to raise additional capital to make this deal happen. However, it looks like ByteDance doesn’t want to stay quiet, they will reportedly be filing a federal lawsuit in Southern California for the President’s “far-reaching action which is unconstitutional, based on pure speculation.” We’ll keep you posted to see what ends up happening here but, in the meantime Facebook already launched a copy cat with Instagram Reels because… it’s Facebook.
Story of the day:
iPhone shipments could decline by up to 30% if Apple axes WeChat from App Store: Kuo
And finally, speaking of bans since it seems to be the major topic of discussion today, it looks like Apple will be affected by another ban too. There was recently an executive order, kind of like the one with Tik Tok, to end US transactions with WeChat and Tencent. And by the way, WeChat is like all our social media, chat and payment services baked in one, so for China it’s pretty much everything. Well, according to a new report from Ming Chi Kuo, Apple could suffer a lot from this as WeChat currently has 1.2B monthly users and banning it globally from the App Store would be catastrophic . He laid out different scenarios as to how this might affect iPhone sales, in the best case, shipments would be affected by 3%-6% but, in the worst-case scenario, iPhone shipments globally would decline by 25-30% and this also translates to other products like the Apple Watch, AirPods and even Macs. Kuo is even recommending that investors should reduce their stock holdings of companies in Apple’s Supply Chain due to the risks this WeChat ban. The order will apparently happen on September 20th so, let’s see what happens.
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The new watchOS 7 public beta is available for grabs. This new version finally includes a Sleep Tracking feature for the Apple Watch. It also brings Wind Down, which will help you establish a bedtime routine, a new Sleep Mode that activates Do Not Disturb, and dims the display on your watch.
Your Apple Watch will also be able to wake you up using haptic vibrations. It gives you weather reports and info on your watch’s battery life. You will also be told if you have washed your hands for the appropriate amount of time with automatic handwashing detection. The Maps app will also support directions for Cyclists, and Siri will provide spoken translations and more.
Rumors have long suggested that the upcoming Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to monitor your blood oxygen levels — something competing smartwatches and trackers already do — but according to recent reports Apple’s won’t stop there.
watchOS 7 will allegedly use all of the information it can gather in order to introduce and focus on new mental health-related features. The information was shared by Jon Prosser on the Geared Up podcast, and he said:
What their biggest focus on is right now and I hope it comes this year, it might come next year, but I hope it’s coming to WWDC is mental health capabilities. Where they can take the oxygen levels in your blood with your heart rate and determine if you’re hyperventilating. They can identify a panic attack before it happens and warn you on your watch. Especially if you’re driving, they’ll ask you to pull over and they’ll offer breathing exercises once you get pulled over.
Jon Prosser
It’s not certain whether said features will be available this year, or maybe in 2021, though Prosser is hopeful it happens in 2020. If, indeed, said features require a hardware sensor for blood oxygen monitoring, chances are Apple will hold back on the announcement until said sensor is available on an upcoming Apple Watch.
If, however, current and older Apple Watches will be able to detect, with their current hardware components, blood oxygen levels, we should expect an announcement at the upcoming WWDC.
Alongside these features, Apple is also expected to introduce capabilities related to stress levels and sleep tracking.
We get new information concerning the next Apple Watch Series 6 that may finally arrive with Touch ID and watchOS 7 could drop support for the Series 2