Today Apple announced an updated Series 8 Apple Watch and updates to the cheaper SE versions, but more excitingly, it announced a brand new Apple Watch Ultra designed for extreme conditions or sports.
First, the Apple Watch Series 8 gets updates from the old Series 7, but only a few big new features. One of these is an exciting new health feature: temperature tracking.
The temperature sensor is designed to help track menstruation and ovulation cycles. Tracking your morning temperature can be used to help determine when a person is ovulating, which is useful for someone trying to conceive a baby. It's also extremely useful for someone trying NOT to conceive using cycle tracking (also known as "the rhythm method").
Apple was criticized when it first rolled out its Health tracking app for Watch, which didn't include a period tracker - a seemingly basic feature that is widely used. For someone who is trying to do cycle tracking but has trouble remembering to take their temperature each morning, this could be a game changer.
Another new feature only on the Series 8 is less cheerful than baby-making: a car crash detector, which. well, grim. The Watch also has international roaming.
The Series 7 starts at $399 or $499 for cellular service.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is designed for extreme rugged conditions or sports.
It has a titanium case and a bigger battery that can last for up to 70 hours. Internally, the Ultra has a new compass and improved GPS for better tracking. It's also designed for extreme outdoor conditions like snow and wind. A new activity button and more grooved knobs are so you can use it while wearing gloves. A second speaker provides extra volume and voice clarity on calls even in wind. There's an 86 decibel siren for hikers who might get lost in the woods. It also has a depth gauge for scuba diving as well as other dive computer features that track water temperature and pressure gauges. The Ultra will also have new wristbands meant for diving, running, or hiking
The Apple Watch Ultra will cost $799 for all models, and be available starting Sept 23.
Apple also announced new AirPod Pros today, their first update since their original release. The new AirPods have a new chip, the H2 (previous versions had the H1), and several new features, like customized audio profiles, active noise cancellation that they say cancel twice as much noise as the first generation. They have also improved their Transparency Mode, which allows you to hear things going on around you while filtering out some of the louder noises, such as construction. The new AirPod Pros have capacitive touch swiping to adjust volume, and longer battery life, up to 6 hours of listening time (they say a 33 percent increase over the originals), and up to 30 hours of time with the charging case.
Apple clearly knows that everyone loses that charging case, so it's introduced something it calls "Precision finding" to help you navigate, step-by-step, to your lost charging case. The charging case also has a speaker now to help locate it, and to signal low battery. There's also a lanyard on the side of the case now, too.
The new AirPod Pros cost $249 and will be on sale on September 23rd, (you can preorder them on September 9th).