Wearable Computing & Fashion News - Page 1

The next non-Ultra Apple Watch may be thinner than previous models if a new report suggesting a thinner logic board turns out to be accurate. It's reported that the new Apple Watch will use resin-coated copper, a move which will allow Apple to make the wearable's logic board thinner than previous iterations.

Resin-coated copper is a thin layer of copper foil coated with a resin and while it's thought that such a move would have multiple benefits to the Apple Watch, the ability to make the logic board thinner is one that could be particularly notable.

By making the logic board thinner Apple could theoretically open up extra space within the wearable's chassis, allowing that space to be used for other things. The most obvious use would be to allow Apple to make the Apple Watch's battery larger, improving battery life. But it's also possible that Apple could simply make the overall Apple Watch thinner, a move that would be well received by some. However, with Apple thought to be working on new sensors that could monitor blood pressure and glucose levels, it's also possible that the saved space could be taken up by those sensors.

If you're yet to treat yourself to a new Apple Watch Series 9 and have been waiting for a way to get one and save money at the same time, you're in luck - especially if you happen to live in the United States. The watch, which was only released in September of last year, is now available in various configurations in Apple's refurbished store. All you have to do is place the order to save money.

First spotted by MacRumors, the refurbished Apple Watches start from $339 with savings of around 15% compared to the price you'd pay when choosing a brand-new model. These Apple Watches are only likely to be available for a limited time, however, with stocks often very fluid. Don't see the model that calls to you? Keep checking, these stock levels are likely to change regularly.

Refurbished Apple Watches are all checked thoroughly to ensure that they are working and they're cleaned so as to appear as if they were brand new. Products sold via the Apple refurbished store tend to be some of the best, arriving in condition so good that you'll be hard-pressed to spot a difference between it and a new model.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been on sale since September of last year and now Apple has begun to offer people the opportunity to buy one as a refurbished device from the Apple Store. Apple first started offering the same refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 models in the United Kingdom and China recently but this is the first time that we've seen this happen in the United States.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 would normally sell for $799 when buying a new model, but if you choose to go the refurbished route you'll pay just $679 instead. There are a handful of options available depending on when you choose to place an order. We've seen different color bands offered including the blue, orange, and white Ocean Band since MacRumors first spotted the new refurb option.

Alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple also released the Apple Watch Series 9 in September but so far there is no option to buy a refurbished model in the United States. Buying refurbished from Apple is the closest to buying new that you're likely to be able to get anywhere. Apple says that it checks all refurbished devices and any Apple Watches that require parts to be replaced simply aren't offered as a refurbished option. Refurbished models are also covered by Apple's one-year warranty while Apple's 14-day return policy is also offered. AppleCare+ can be bought by those who want additional cover.

Buying an Apple Watch Ultra 2 just got cheaper in China after Apple started to allow people to buy a refurbished model via its website. Apple regularly offers refurbished products but this is the first time that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been offered in this way outside of the United States. It now seems more likely than ever that the refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 will start to go on sale in other countries around the world sooner rather than later.

Buying a refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 will save you around 15% off the price of a new one, according to MacRumors which was the first to report on the new buying option. The refurbished products do tend to come and go in terms of stocks however, so make sure to place your order for a refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 if you want to be sure of getting one soon.

Apple's refurbished products have all been thoroughly checked and cleaned and come with the usual 12-month warranty and 14-day return window. They also offer people the chance to take out AppleCare+ for additional coverage while all wearables come with all of the usual accessories and are fully functional. Buying a refurbished product from Apple is definitely a batter option than buying refurbished elsewhere unless you can get a particularly good deal.

If you own an Apple Watch you'll already be very familiar with its various features, especially if you're someone who enjoys physical activities like walking or running. It's a wearable that has long been a go-to for people who want to maintain, or improve, their fitness. As part of that the Apple Watch collects a ton of data on the wearer's activity and movements and that means that it can be uniquely placed to offer insight into fitness data.

As part of that, new data shared by the Apple Heart and Movement Study offers some insights into the training habits of people who are working towards being able to run a marathon, a common thing that people aim for when they are trying to improve their fitness. The study looks into how Apple Watch wearers use their wearable when walking and running. It does that based on data collected from November 2019 through January 1, 2024, across almost 198,000 people who recorded at least a single walking workout and more than 99,000 people with at least a single running workout.

Of those people, more than 50% of the people who recorded either exercise achieved a 5K (3.1 miles) distance or more at least once. The study goes on to wonder that if all the running and walking workouts were added together in a given period, how long would it take to reach the 26.2-mile marathon point?

If you own an Apple watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 you might have been suffering from so-called ghost touches since the models launched back in September of 2023. But now Apple has a fix, and it also seems that the problem is affecting more devices than was first thought.

While it was thought that the ghost touch problem was limited to Apple's latest wearables, the company has now apparently admitted that the issue is affecting those who own Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra devices as well. That's according to information shared in a memo that was sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Those service providers have been told that they should not replace the watches of those who report the ghost touch issue, but should instead tell users to try a forced restart of their devices instead. That force restart involves pressing and holding the side button and Digital Crown at the same time for 10 seconds or until the watch restarts. Apple also says that affected Apple Watch owners should be told to make sure that they are running the latest versions of watchOS, perhaps suggesting that the company intends to release a software fix for the issue at a later date.

If you're planning to pick up a new Apple Watch this year it might be worth your while waiting for the new model this September after a new report claimed that Apple intends to bring a new OLED display upgrade to bear.

The report, courtesy of The Elec, claims that Apple will use a new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for the upcoming Apple Watch. The wearable has previously been tipped to be called the Apple Watch X, with Apple celebrating the wearable's 10th birthday as it did with the iPhone and the iPhone X.

According to the report, the new display technology uses a method of applying oxide on the driving TFT and switching transistors behind each pixel. Those switching transistors control the voltage that is applied to each cell, giving Apple more control over the amount of light that passes through each of the Apple Watch display's pixels. Current Apple Watches only use LPTO TFT on a few switching transistors.

The Apple Watch had long been rumored to be planned to gain a new microLED display at some point and while that might still happen, a new report note claims that Apple's in-house team has been wound down in recent weeks which also means that there are being job cuts. It's reported that the cost and complexity of the development of the technology was simply too great, with Apple now having chosen to reorganize the teams that worked on engineering the displays. Several dozen roles in the United States and Asia are said to have been eliminated.

The move to microLED technology would have allowed Apple Watches to feature brighter and more vibrant displays, but that now seems to be a feature for much further down the line. There was also the assumption that microLED technology would expand to other products in Apple's lineup, but again, that now seems to have been put on the back burner.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the move to cancel the project came around the same time that Apple also chose to ditch its plans to launch an autonomous car. It's said that, in both cases, Apple is giving affected people the chance to locate new jobs within the company while those who cannot find a new job will be laid off and provided severance.

If you're in the market for a new smartwatch in 2024 you might have an unexpected option to consider if a new report is any indication. The report claims that while we already knew that there would likely be two new Samsung Galaxy Watch models to look forward to, there might actually be a secret third option in the mix.

That's according to a post on X by the known tipster @kro_roe that was spotted and then picked up by 9to5Google. Details are extremely hard to come by right now, but the report claims that there will be three models of Galaxy Watch 7 to choose from rather than the more familiar two.

As the 9to5Google report notes, there had already been reports of an additional square display-equipped version being launched to go with the normal Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 7 Pro, but at this point, it's difficult to be sure what Samsung's plans really are.

The Apple Watch's primary mode of interaction is of course touching its display while Siri is also an option for those who aren't infuriated every time they use it. But when Apple released watchOS 10 and the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra last year it also added a new option: gestures. The Double Tap gesture allows people to tap their fingers together to interact with on-screen menus in much the same way they can when using the Apple Vision Pro, but it seems that Apple isn't finished. New gestures could be on the way.

That's according to a new report that points to an Apple patent that offers an array of different types of gestures that could potentially be used to interact with the Apple Watch without having to touch it. That could be hugely beneficial for a variety of reasons including a really simple one - using your Apple Watch when it's cold and you're wearing gloves.

In the case of this new patent, Apple includes a few different options including a flat palm with fingers outstretched and then moving the fingers from side to side horizontally. Apple hints that such a gesture could be used to answer calls or reply to messages, while another example is a clenched fist that could also trigger specific features or menus. Other examples of gestures mentioned include rotating the hand and holding it in a specific position while it's possible that Apple could generate more gestures in the future.