The Ping-pong Problem in Apple Watch Series 9: What Have I Learned About the Last Days of Playing on the Apple Watch App Store?
The watch series prompted me to say pfffft. State of Mind is a new feature in the official version of watchOS 10. With the Health app, you can choose how frequently State of Mind to ping you, whether it’s at the end of the day or throughout the day. When prompted, you twist the watch’s crown to scroll through colors on a flower-shaped graphic to dial in exactly how pleasant or unpleasant you’re feeling, then answer a question or two about what the feeling is and why you’re feeling it.
But then I stopped. Who was I? I don’t think I am a paramedic. No one was coding on the table. Was my kid’s first grade teacher going to ruin his life if we arrived at 8:51 instead of 7:51? No. I recorded my state of mind. Then I went to the bathroom. It’s OK to stop and take a minute. Maybe several. I might even finish my cup of coffee before sitting down to work!
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 Review: New Chip and New WatchOS 10 Health Updates
Privacy in Apple: Double Tap in the Watch Series 9 and Redesigned for Improved Health Monitoring and Body Mass Measurements – A Prompt Review
Apple has carved out a reputation for itself as a privacy protector despite occasional stumbles. Beyond going toe- to-toe with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation to protect its customers’ privacy, Apple has built a suite of products that are safer to use than the competition. When you log your health data in an iPhone or Apple Watch, it is encrypted on the device and accessible only to you. It is also protected on it’s way to and from your storage. These layers of security let Apple offer ever-more-sensitive health-tracking features with each iteration of its products, like adding the ability to log your medications or track your menstrual cycles.
Apple’s new S9 chipset is used in the Watch Series 9, which is on sale and arrives in stores this week. This is the same processor used in the new watch. Both watches can process simple commands from the device itself. When your voice commands don’t have to travel to and from the cloud to be processed by Apple’s servers, the watch can deliver what you’re asking for much more quickly. This scheme also theoretically makes your interactions more private. That level of protection is reassuring when you’re taking care of your body, such as marking down days of your period or logging your weight on the scale.
Double Tap will be available via a software update in October, but Apple sent me a device with Double Tap enabled so I could experience it early for this review. The new feature has some limitations. Double Tap will not be able to use the AssistiveTouch features that allow you to pinch or clench your hand to control your watch. Assistive Touch must be turned off for Double Tap to work. You also can’t stop a workout mid-run, because there’s a lot of shaking and hand movement and just a lot of blood flowing all over the place. In my experience with the feature, I mostly like using Double tap to stop and start music on my Mini, as well as to start and stop timers. Other functions, like responding to texts, were a little confusing. I need to do more practice.
I’ve written about most of the new features in watchOS 10 in my preview earlier this year. In a nutshell, widgets are back in a big way. Apple’s native apps have been redesigned so they’re more glanceable, and there’s a hell of a lot less scrolling. The controls have also been reconfigured. The control panel is no longer visible after Swiping up. To get the control panel, you now have to press the side button while double-pressing the crown brings up your recent apps.
The Pink Series 9 and the Pink Ultra 2 are Made from More Recycling Materials: A Sneaky Look at a High-Rate, Low-Target Apple Watch
The aluminum Series 9 comes in a new pink color — and as far as design goes, that’s all that’s visibly new. The Series 8 and the Series 7 are the only ones that have the same design and 41mm / 45mm sizes.
Apple has always been known for its innovation, but Pink is the best color for the watch in years. First, it’s actually pink, unlike the green Series 7, which only looked green if the light hit just right. We have a queen and savior Barbie this year. Technically, it’s more Millennial pink than Barbie pink, but that’s probably a good thing. Normally, I kvetch about how Apple shies away from saturated color, but the extra subtlety here makes for a more versatile watch. The strap can de-emphasize the pinkness if the situation calls for it.
The Ultra 2 is even harder to differentiate from the Ultra. At Apple Park, a representative told me to put my Ultra in my bag since I might accidentally leave it behind. Even the back crystal on the Ultra 2 just reads “Ultra,” unlike the Series watches, which always specify which Series they are. This entire week, I’ve had to rely on very minimal signs of wear and tear on my original Ultra to tell these two watches apart.
The Series 9 and Ultra 2 are made with more recycled materials. The Sport loop is made of recycled yarn, up from zero. The Ultra 2 is made from recycled titanium, while the Series 9 is made from recycled aluminum. The speckled flecks in silicone Nike straps you’ll see throughout this review are also recycled. Apple also sent me its FineWoven strap, which is made of 68 percent post-consumer recycled material and is meant to act as a leather alternative. ‘Cause Apple doesn’t do leather anymore.
FineWoven is fine. It’s kinda like suede: soft and a lil’ fuzzy. If you scrape it with a nail, it shows the scratch like suede would. It’s hard to say whether it’ll develop a patina, as I simply haven’t had it long enough, but I wouldn’t recommend working out in it (or in any leather strap, for that matter). The texture of the strap looked fetching on my unit, but it was not appreciated by my co-workers. Most said they weren’t fans but couldn’t articulate why. If you’re wondering if you should get an apple, I’d go to an Apple Store first.
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
Double-Tap Precision Finding Siri: Small but Smart Improvements on an Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Review: Small, Smart, and Unusual
First off, the improved Neural Engine on the S9 SiP means Siri processing happens on device. That leads to better dictation and the ability to issue calls when not in use. You will be able to ask health-related queries later this year.
While it’s great that there are Korean words in the texts, it also messed up some names of our favorite K-pop singers and actors. I still have to enunciation when using foreign words in English, even if it’s not a perfect test. I have used the actor’s name as a litmus test over the past few years. In the last couple of years, it would sometimes get tripped up on it. I am happy to say that this year it nailed it 100 percent.
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
A Review of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2: Small but Smart Improvements Double Tap Precision Finding a Timer for Workout and Homework
What might be more useful is the fact that you can issue Siri basic tasks when you have no internet or cellular connectivity. I was able to ask for help on my watch and phone when I was in the air, such as setting up timers and working out using airplane mode. Say your laundry room is in the basement, your hands are full with a laundry basket, and you forgot your iPhone upstairs. You can ask to set a timer and not worry about it. This won’t work as often when there is a need to pull information from the internet. But, if you do get a weather update preloaded from when you had internet, I found that Siri can still give you an update. It is not the most up-to-date information.
The S9 SiP also results in greater power savings, but you should already know that Apple’s reinvested that somewhere other than better battery life. In this case, Apple decided to make the displays brighter. The Series 9 now goes up to 2,000 nits from 1,000 nits, while the Ultra 2 is 50 percent brighter at 3,000 nits. Indoors and outdoors, it’s difficult to tell the difference if you don’t have older models on hand for comparison. And even if you do, as I did, it can still be difficult to tell under certain lighting conditions.
Apple uses the ambient light sensor a lot. You can go up the Series 9 or Ultra 2 brightness to maximum, but that does not mean the watch is giving you everything it has. It depends upon your environment, which means giving your eyes a break and saving battery. You’re most likely to see the difference outside on a very sunny day.
I am still interested in battery life. Without any low-power settings, I’ve gotten roughly 25 to 30 hours on both the 41mm and 45mm Series 9 and about two and a half days on the Ultra 2. We will have to see how both watches fare after I get back to training; I was recovering from a calf strain.
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
The Double-Tapping Gesture: How Much Time Do You Need to Use it? (The Case of Ultra 2 and Series 9)
Perhaps the most novel update to the Series 9 and Ultra 2 is the double-tap gesture. Or, as my colleague Dan Seifert more accurately describes it, the pinchy pinch. It is similar to double-clicking a mouse, except you are pinching with your thumb and index finger. We got a different Series 9 loaded with a preview version of the feature, so I could try it out.
Say you get a text. If you double-tap, it’ll bring up the ability to reply via voice messages. The second time you double tap it will send the message. For a timer, double-tapping once will pause the timer. You have to do it again to unpause it. When the timer goes off, pinchy pinching will stop the timer. I’ve also used it to control the camera shutter, control my music, snooze alarms, scroll through watchOS 10’s widget stack, and answer / end calls.
It is an excellent feature, but not without its quirks. For one thing, it comes with a learning curve. For it to work, you must first do the raise-to-wake gesture. This is to stop people from jumping into it. You also have to learn the timing. Between actions there is a slight pause, because too fast or slow won’t work. When I was first trying out demos at Apple Park, I was definitely too fast and aggressive. I got the hang of it quickly once I got my review unit.
It’s also not the best at multitasking. If you navigate away from a timer, for example, you won’t be able to just double-tap to pause or restart while it’s running in the background. You can double-tap whenever it goes off, since it is back at the forefront. The same goes for snoozing alarms. If you have a lot going on at the same time, you will probably have to use either your hand or your computer in order to do so.
Another thing: I wish it were slightly more customizable. Apple designed this to be intuitive, but not everyone will think double-tap ought to do the same thing. I get why in the Messages app, the gesture will bring up a voice reply. If I could use it to scroll through the quick text replies and send it, I would love it. Apple is aware of this, as you can customize what the double-tap will do for music playback and the smart widget stack. You can make a decision on whether the gesture will pause or play a track. (I prefer the skip function!) For the smart stack, you can decide between scrolling through widgets or selecting the first one you’ve got pinned up top.
I also dig that you don’t have to use your index finger. It works with your middle, ring, and pinky fingers, but it might not work well for the latter two. In the case you lose or break your index finger, it is wonderful that you have alternatives.
Apple isn’t the first to come out with a gesture-based smartwatch feature. Samsung also has something very similar to AssistiveTouch for its Galaxy Watches. That said, Apple’s taking it a step further and making this part of the default system interface. It’s a powerful example of how accessible design benefits everyone. I hope Apple continues to iterate and improve on this feature and that other smartwatch makers follow suit.
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
Precision Finding on the Series 9 and Ultra 2: How you lose your phone in the covid-19 epidemic? A scavenger hunt with an old friend
Some of us never misplace our phones. Precision Finding on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 is not for those people. This is for those of us who ring our phones multiple times a day and lose them in odd places. I left my phone in my fridge at the peak of the covid-19 epidemic because I was confused.
Precision Finding on the Apple Watch is similar to how you find AirTags with your phone. At first, you call your phone and bring up the control panel. You will see an approximate distance once you are within range of your phone. When you are six feet away from your phone, you will hear a sound on your phone.
Owen sent me to test the feature on a scavenger hunt in his office. He hid an iPhone 14 Pro Max paired with an Ultra in one area and an iPhone 15 paired with a Series 9 in another. I heard the ring first, but I didn’t have a clue where it was. Once I was close to 50 feet, the Series 9 picked up a signal. It only took about three minutes for me to locate my phone after that. Finding the iPhone 14 Pro Max was hard, since I had to use sound, and my Ultra lost connection more than once because of all the walls. It took about double the time to find the 14 Pro Max.
We also tested the feature outside, and this time, the range extended to roughly 80 feet on account of all the open space. When Owen was using the phone, it was hard to get a precise lock. Instead, an icon pops up, letting you know that the phone is currently in motion. In other words, this feature works better if your phone is stationary.
This feature only works with the iPhone 15 lineup, which has a new second-generation UWB chip. If you upgrade only the Apple Watch, then this isn’t a feature you will have right away. Also, for now, it’s limited to your phone only; you can’t use this to find an AirTag with your Series 9 or Ultra 2.
There are two new watchfaces we didn’t get to see in the first stage, the solar Analog face and the Modular Ultra face. The solar analog face is on the simpler side. Its main thing is that the light trail behind the second hand changes from light to dark depending on whether it’s day or night. The Modular Ultra face is exclusive to the Ultra and Ultra 2 but is a dream for data nerds, aka me. You can pack in six small ones and a larger one in the center. The can show either elevation, depth, or seconds in real time.
Got any lingering questions about double tap, precision finding, Siri, the S9, why they didn’t call this the Ultra Deuce? I’ll be answering your questions live today, September 20th, from 12:30-1:30PM ET! There is a quickpost that you can just post your questions in.
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. We started recording how many times you have to agree to use the device in order for us to review it.
You can only use the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 with an iPhone. Those terms of service and privacy agreements have already been agreed to. The Series 8 will come with their own agreements, like Apple Pay, Apple Music, or Fitness Plus. The Health app has its own terms and conditions.
Source: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 review: small but smart improvements
What Is the Best Way to Enable Cellular on T-Mobile? Why you may have to agree to the terms of your carrier’s terms
If you choose to enable cellular service, you’ll also have to agree to your carrier’s terms. I activated cellular on T-Mobile and was told to sign a mandatory agreement.
