From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Tim Cook introduced the Apple Watch Series 8 on Wednesday, the first big hardware product unveiled at the event. (Editor’s Note: Apple is widely expected to announce the Apple iPhone 14 lineup at the event, and the company did announce it. The event was livestreamed on the company’s YouTube channel and the company’s website, here, though Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the introduction that the event was pre-recorded. The Apple Watch was expected, as well, as WRAL TechWire previously published.)
“We’re previewing our best Apple Watch lineup yet,” Cook said.
Like prior versions of Apple’s smartwatch, the product is intended to motivate users to stay active and fit, Apple executives said.
Apple also noted the Watch’s emphasis on women’s health, with revamped period cycle tracking tools that can predict ovulation. The tracking data is on each device and only accessible through a passcode or face ID, according to the company. Apple does not have key to encrypted data and so it cannot access it without your express permission.
The announcement comes as data security for women has become a major flashpoint in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The watch will cost $399 for GPS model and $499 for cellular model.
Meet the Apple Watch Ultra
Apple unveiled a new higher-end $799 smartwatch designed for outdoor enthusiasts,
The new model, called the Apple Watch Ultra, is the “most rugged Apple Watch ever,” COO Jeff Williams said on Wednesday. It’s designed for “exploration, adventure and endurance,” he said, adding that it “has been in the works for years.”
The watch features the biggest, brightest display ever on Apple Watch, making it easier read in the harshest sunlight. It is more water resistant, can be used while wearing gloves and gets 36 hours of battery life on a single charge – and 60 hours if used with the new battery optimization setting coming this fall.
Apple Watch Ultra will also feature a wayfinder. It includes compass in the dial to work in night, ocean and other topographical conditions, according to Williams.
Editor’s Note: An earlier model of the Apple Watch, the Series 3, will be discontinued, according to reporting from MacRumors. The three newly announced Apple Watch models including the new Apple Watch SE, Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra can now be pre-ordered on the company’s online store, according to reporting from MacRumors.
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