Imagine going to work, the gym, school, or anywhere else without a phone and still getting virtually and socially connected. Although nothing seems out of reach in this time and age when it comes to technology, you’re probably thinking, “Is it possible?” For Apple Watch users, this might not be news. But for those who haven’t used an Apple watch yet, especially the latest Apple Watch Series 7 GPS+Cellular, perhaps it’s high time you get to know the endless possibilities of Apple’s smartwatch. Read on and discover the Apple Watch because there’s still more than meets the eye.
Oh, the many things an Apple Watch can do! Where to even begin?
1. Sleep soundly with native Sleep Tracking
Sleep tracking is not new in Apple Watches. In fact, a lot of sleep-tracking apps became available in the App Store when Apple Watch was first introduced in 2015. It was all the rage – and kinda still is – because you get insights about your sleeping trends and habits, which help make the necessary shifts and adjustments for a healthier lifestyle. But now, the Apple Watch is finally offering its own native sleep tracking. The 2020 watchOS 7 update enabled Apple Watch Series 3 and higher models to provide native sleep tracking to its users.
Sleep App
It allows users to add, change, and adjust bedtime schedules. Sleep app helps you develop a bedtime routine, create sleep and wake-up time goals—and ultimately achieve them. To minimize distractions, it provides you with three (3) modes/ display options:
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Turn On at Wind Down
The Sleep Focus, the Sleep app feature that filters out notifications and phone calls, begins by default at wind down, or the time you transition from activities to sleep.
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Sleep Screen
When bedtime starts, the sleep mode icon appears on the Apple Watch’s Control Center. It locks the watch’s screen, turns off the Always On Display feature, and goes into Do Not Disturb mode.
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Show Time
The Sleep App shows the date and time on iPhone and Apple Watch when Sleep Focus is on.
Respiratory Rate
If you think sleep tracking is a great way to monitor your health, just wait—it gets even better! The release of watchOS 8 last year now lets you monitor your breathing rate as you sleep. This version upgrade is helpful, especially for people who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). An article from inquirer.net shows how prevalent OSA is becoming, currently affecting an estimated 4 to 6 percent of the Filipino population. Gifting an Apple Watch to a loved one to monitor health cases like this is one of the great ways to show how much you care. Note that it cannot cure sleep disorders and if you or your loved one suffers from one, only a sleep specialist can help you get proper treatment and cure. However, Apple Watch can help monitor sleep abnormalities and inconsistencies so you’ll have an idea of when to see a doctor.
Your Sleep and Respiratory Rate Data is accessible on your iPhone through the Health app, where you can change and adjust sleep schedules.
2. Get a workout that works out.
Smartwatches have ultimately changed the way people work out. You used to track the time on a watch manually while doing activities or carry a heavy phone with you on your runs. But with the smartwatch, you can now track and monitor activities in one convenient device and still do more! So, with many available smartwatches in the market, what sets the Apple Watch apart? Answer: A lot—and you can start with how it tracks your workout routines.
The Apple Watch features a Workout App and an Activity App. Both aim to monitor your fitness and get you moving. But here are the key differences between the two:
Activity App:
- It is an activity tracker.
- The Activity app measures activities through the accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors.
- It collects data from your active minutes, represented by an Activity ring, which is a three-ring, three-colored icon on your watch that stands for Move, Exercise, and Stand.
- The activity ring fills with color as you go on with your day-to-day tasks, prompting you to hit a goal based on your daily averages.
Workout App:
- It uses the same motion sensors as the Activity app, with an additional GPS tracker and heart rate sensor.
- The Workout app tracks individual workout sessions in 18 workout types.
- It now features about 2,000 workout activity options.
- It shares information with the Activity app, so your workouts align with your activity goals.
- Its workout type features a wheelchair option for people using manual wheelchairs, which is great because it helps them get therapeutic activities.
- A customization button named “Others” is in its featured workout types, where you can add a workout not included in the default options.
While the Workout and Activity apps may give you additional tasks, they help you avoid becoming inactive so you can minimize your health risks. All your activities and workout data automatically reflect on the Health App of your iPhone. The advanced features of these apps can be enjoyed by the users of Apple Watch Series 7 GPS+Cellular and other Series 7 models, Apple Watch SE, and other watch models that run on the latest watchOS 8.
3. Meditate using the Mindfulness App
Along with the update of watchOS last year to its latest version, watchOS 8, the Breathe app also took a new form—the Mindfulness app. It’s the improved Breathe app that promotes enhanced mindful meditation. It gives you 5-10 minutes per day to reframe your thoughts and self-reflect.
The daily stressors we face and the unexpected emergence of Covid-19 that takes a toll on our mental, emotional, and physical health. The Breathe and new Reflect sessions of the Mindfulness app help re-center energy and detoxify thoughts. According to the National Library of Medicine, mindfulness and meditation have therapeutic effects in facing the Covid-19 global crisis. With Apple Watch supporting mindful exercises, users get help handling the present challenges.
Mindfulness app runs with Apple Watch models updated to watchOS, therefore compatible with Apple Watch Series 3 and later. Guided meditations are also available in the Fitness+ app subscription on iOS.
4. Stay focused with Focus Mode
With life going back and forth between real and virtual comes the influx of high-volume information. More than usual, this leads to information overload. The Focus Mode solves this problem by allowing you to filter your notifications. Unlike the Do Not Disturb option that totally eliminates distractions, it offers several Focus options for you to manage instead.
You can choose from default focus options like Driving, Work, Personal, and Sleep. Or you can customize it by adding and scheduling an activity where you want to receive notifications. You can also turn it off completely.
The new Focus feature works with Apple Watch Series 3 and later models running on watchOS 8.
5. Live better with the Heart Rate Monitor.
“Health is wealth.” Apple Watch takes this saying seriously. That’s why it focuses on developing health-centered features like heart rate monitoring.
Heart Rate Monitor
It has an optical heart sensor that calculates the number of times the heart beats per minute through the green light absorption of the blood on the wrist. This process is called photoplethysmography and supports 30-210 beats per minute (bpm). Your heart’s bpm data and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) can be viewed from the Heart Rate app.
Aside from your heart health, the heart rate monitor also helps other apps to provide more accurate insight. For instance, the Workout app and Breathe sessions use it to measure:
- Calories burned
- Change in heart rate
- Heart rate recovery speed
Of course, accuracy also depends on other factors, like the fit of your Apple Watch to your wrist. It must comfortably lay flat on your wrist.
ECG App
Another Apple Watch feature worth mentioning is the ECG app. While the heart rate monitor gives an overview of your heart rhythm, the ECG app offers an in-depth analysis of your heartbeat and rhythm. It measures the strength of electric pulses that make your heart beat. You can access your heart health data through the Heart Rate and ECG app of your watch or the Health App of your iPhone.
People suffering from irregular heartbeats, like arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation (Afib), can benefit from the tracking ability of these features. Needless to say, the Apple Watch only provides support. You still need to get a proper medical diagnosis to prevent or cure heart disease.
6. Raise your blood oxygen to a healthier level.
The optical heart sensor, the technology used by the heart rate monitor, is the same technology that the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 models with the latest watchOS version use to measure blood oxygen level or saturation. However, it has undergone a redesign to measure blood oxygen levels more accurately.
Blood oxygen level
It refers to the percentage of oxygen that your red blood cells circulate from your lungs throughout the rest of your body. The average blood oxygen level should range from 95 to 100%. Some people with sleep apnea, asthma, or lung disease may read between 90-92%. This below-average reading is called hypoxemia and needs medical attention.
Knowing your blood oxygen saturation tells you how well your body can absorb oxygen and how well your heart, lungs, and circulatory systems work. It also alerts you about any abnormalities in your body so that you may act on them as soon as possible.
How to take a blood oxygen measurement:
- Wear the Apple watch snugly but comfortably on your wrist.
- Lay your hands flat and relaxed against a firm surface while your wrist is touching your Apple Watch facing up.
- Press the digital crown to access the apps and tap on the Blood Oxygen App.
- Tap Start and stay still while the 15-second timer runs to allow the watch to record your blood oxygen level.
- You’ll see your blood oxygen level as percentages on the Blood Oxygen app on your watch. Tap Done to exit the app.
Note: It will fluctuate or give different results at different times of day depending on how active you are. Moreover, blood oxygen is also randomly recorded when background measurements are on. You can set the Blood Oxygen app on your iPhone using an iPhone 6s or later models with the latest version of iOS.
7. Stop resisting the waves—it’s water-resistant!
One amazing feature of all Apple Watches that you can enjoy any time of the year, especially during the summer, is their water resistance. Of course, this varies to a certain degree depending on the watch model you’re using. If you’re using the Apple Watch 1st Generation and Series 1 models, they are splash and water-resistant. But Apple does not recommend plunging them even in shallow water. Apple Watch Series 2 and later models can handle water pressure to an extent and, therefore, are usable for water sports and activities in shallow water.
The Apple Watch Series 7 GPS+Cellular and all variations of the Apple Watch Series 7 are swim-proof, with ISO standard 22810:2010 and WR50 water resistance. It means that watches in this selection can survive up to 50 meters of water level. Additionally, these are protected by crack-resistant front crystal and dust-resistant housing with IP6X certification.
So go have fun in the pool or scuba dive using later Apple watch models on the beach because the Apple Watch has you covered.
8. Ease the fall with an Emergency Call.
Time is crucial during accidents and medical emergencies. Perhaps one of the most valuable features of the Apple Watch is its ability to detect a hard fall and call emergency services for the user. This feature is named Fall Detection and Emergency SOS. It’s useful not only for the elderly but also for the young and handicapped. Arguably, this is one of the best ways to show your loved ones that you care. It also lessens the anxiety of stepping out of the house and not being around your loved ones.
The Fall Detection contacts emergency automatically if it senses that the user is immobile for a minute. The emergency call will still push through using only a WiFi or LTE connection and even without an iPhone. In the event of other emergencies, the user can press and hold the side button and slide the Emergency SOS option to call for help. By pressing and holding the side button until it beeps and a countdown appears, the watch itself will do the call for an emergency.
9. It’s a handier way to call, text, and access media—literally!
Being connected now extends beyond the dimension of a phone, thanks to Apple Watches. It has become possible to take calls, send messages, and access other media on a device much more convenient than a phone.
Messages
You can receive messages on your Apple Watch and reply using several methods:
- Dictation
- Scribble
- Prepared response
- Using QWERTY and QuickPath keyboard exclusive for Apple Watch Series 7 users
- Through your iPhone
Photos and Videos
You can access photos and play audio and videos sent via messages on your watch. You can extend the life of audio, videos, and images on your Messages by keeping and saving them.
Calls
When it comes to calls, you need to raise your wrist for older Apple Watch models to see who’s calling. For models starting from Series 5, except Apple Watch SE, the Always-On Retina display feature allows users to see call notifications immediately.
You can also call others using your Apple Watch. You can even call without your iPhone on Series 3 and later models. As long as your watch is connected to an LTE or WiFi connection that your iPhone has connected to in the past, you’re good to go.
10. Connect, Detect, and Protect With Find My
Lost, stolen, or misplaced Apple devices, missing items, and even people can easily be located using the Find My feature on your Apple Watch. Here are the three (3) ways you can use the Find My feature of the Apple Watch.
Find Devices App
As long as Find My is on and your Apple Watch is connected to your Apple ID, you can find any missing Apple devices, like your iPhone and iPad, using the Find Devices app. You can see its location on the map, even if the device is powered off, in low power mode, or in Airplane mode. In case a device is lost or stolen, you can turn on the Lost Mode on the Find Devices app to mark the device as lost.
Another way to find a lost or misplaced device, arguably the simpler option, is to play a sound on the device using your watch. You’ll get directions toward the device or gadget you misplaced. In case you forgot a device, you’ll also receive a notification on your watch to keep it from being lost.
Find Items App
If you lost an item other than a device and connected to an AirTag, you can use the Find Items App. This app works with accessories included in the Works With Apple Find My Network and signed in on the same Apple ID as your Apple Watch.
Find People App
The Find People app helps you find friends and family members who use the Apple Watch Series 3 or later models or any of these devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch SE. This app allows them to share their locations with you. It appears on a map so you can quickly find them. It also lets you know when they leave or arrive at various store locations.
11. Get unlimited virtual connection with Family Setup.
If you have children or generally want to take care of your family members so they too can enjoy the benefits provided by iPhone even when they don’t own one, the Family Setup is for you.
Here’s a simple way to set up Apple Watch for your family member:
- Turn on a family member’s watch and hold it near your iPhone.
- Wait for the message “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch” on your iPhone screen, then open the Watch and tap on “Pair New Watch”
- Agree on the Terms and Conditions then set a passcode for the watch.
- Pick a family member and enter their Apple ID password.
- Turn on features you want the watch user to access like Ask to Buy.
- Set up your shared contact, manage them in Screen time on your iPhone, and turn on Schooltime.
Tap OK when you’re done.
By setting up a family member’s Apple watch, you can track what your kids do or watch on their devices. You can also monitor their screen time. It keeps track of family members’ locations and makes it easier to get family members on the same page for any plans. Most importantly, your family members who don’t have an iPhone can still call, text, and share photos with you using only their Apple Watch. It makes connecting easier in general, especially during emergencies.
Family Setup is only available for Apple Watch users who are part of the Family Sharing Group. It requires a cellular-capable Apple watch, so models like Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 4, and all later models are supported with this feature. Also, these devices should run on watchOS 7 and later.
The future is on your wrist.
Apple Watch revolutionizes how we see time. Now, the watch on your wrist is not only there to remind you of the time that has passed. It also gives you hope—a healthier, more connected future.
With Apple continuously upgrading the features of the Apple Watch, Power Mac Center also commits itself to provide Filipinos with Apple devices that can change the way we deal with fitness, health, and life itself.
Witness the larger, most advanced screen display, upgraded durability, improved user interface, and enhanced health apps on the Apple Watch Series 7 variants. Get the Apple Watch Series 7 GPS+Cellular for as low as PHP 2,499.17 on a 12-month installment plan with 0% interest. Visit Power Mac Center to learn more about the Apple Watch Cellular Price and available installment plans.
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