Senior Vice President of Design, Watch, & Health, Apple Inc.
Apple Watch Series 6! Watch the full reveal here
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About Jeffrey Williams
At Apple’s September 2024 event, Williams introduced the Apple Watch Series 10, describing it as “the biggest wearable display we've ever built, even slightly bigger than Apple Watch Ultra!” He stated that “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion, and the display is central to everything you do with it.” During a December 2024 Red Chair Chat at NC State, Williams reflected on his career, noting that he joined Apple in 1998 when the company “had just lost a billion dollars, was almost, had to borrow money to make payroll.” He said that ideas at Apple “surface sort of anywhere across Apple” and that the company does not have “the idea department or the innovation department.” He also recounted receiving daily letters from Apple Watch users about the device’s impact on their health, saying it “helped save their life.” Williams has a history of discussing Apple’s manufacturing and health initiatives. In 2017, he announced a $200 million commitment from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky facility for advanced glass technologies, stating, “It’s only fitting that the first commitment from that fund be for Corning.” He described the original iPhone’s shift from plastic to glass, saying Steve Jobs insisted “when it ships in June, it needs to be glass.” In 2015, Williams called the car “the ultimate mobile device” and said Apple explores “all kinds of categories” where it can “make a huge difference.” He has emphasized Apple’s vertical integration, stating, “I know of no other company as vertically integrated,” and noted the company’s focus on health, saying, “We view the fact that you wear this, we have an opportunity and maybe even a moral obligation to try to help people live a healthier life.”
Transcript (3 segments)
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Jeffrey Williams0:00
Each year Apple Watch raises the bar, adding new features and technology that improve our lives. This year Apple Watch takes another big leap forward, and I'm excited to show it to you now. This is the new Apple Watch Series 6, the perfect combination of powerful features and beautiful design. Series 6 is our most colorful lineup ever. There's a new blue aluminum case, this updated classic gold stainless steel finish, a new gray black stainless steel called graphite, and for the first time, a stunning new Apple Watch Product Red. Now on the inside, Series 6 is packed with incredible technology, including a new health sensor that enables an amazing new capability. Let's take a look. With Apple Watch Series 6, you can measure your blood oxygen right from your wrist. The new health sensor in Series 6 shines red and infrared light onto your wrist and measures the amount of light reflected back. Advanced algorithms use this data to calculate the color of your blood, which indicates the amount of oxygen present. The new Blood Oxygen app lets you take a measurement in just 15 seconds. And Series 6 also captures periodic background readings and stores them in your Health app, so if you wear your Apple Watch to bed, it can record background measurements while you sleep. I'll hand it over to Sumbul to talk more about blood oxygen and its importance to your health.
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Sumbul Desai2:46
Blood oxygen saturation, also known as SpO2, is like a vital sign. It's a key measurement that contains critical information about your breathing and circulation. Apple Watch is already a powerful health tool with apps that measure heart rate and heart rhythm, and now adding blood oxygen brings another valuable health measurement to users. Blood oxygen and pulse oximetry are terms that we've heard a lot about during the COVID pandemic. As you breathe, your heart and lungs work together to deliver oxygen throughout your body. Blood oxygen saturation is an indication of how well this system is functioning and of your overall respiratory and cardiac health, and pulse oximetry is how you measure it. Now the Blood Oxygen app on Series 6 lets you measure your blood oxygen for fitness and wellness purposes from your wrist anywhere and at any time. This is a great new tool for your overall well-being. And to enable future medical discoveries, we're launching three new health research studies to learn how longitudinal blood oxygen measurements along with other health metrics from Apple Watch can help manage conditions that affect the heart and lungs. First, to study how to better manage and control asthma using physiological signals from Apple Watch, we're collaborating with the pulmonary experts at the University of California Irvine and Anthem. Second, to learn more about how metrics including blood oxygen can be used to manage heart failure, we're partnering with one of the largest research organizations in North America, the University Health Network and the investigators at the University of Toronto. And finally, as we all continue to learn more about COVID and understand the interplay with influenza, we're partnering with the investigators of the Seattle Flu Study and faculty from the University of Washington School of Medicine. We will explore how changes in blood oxygen and heart rate can be early signals of the onset of these respiratory conditions. So that's the new blood oxygen feature. We're so excited to bring this important new health capability to our users. Now back to Jeff to tell you more about the new Apple Watch Series 6.
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Jeffrey Williams4:57
Whether you're measuring blood oxygen, making a phone call on your watch, or simply checking your activity rings, it's all made possible by Apple silicon. Inside Series 6 is our sixth generation system in package. It's a purpose-built design that's absolutely unique in the industry. It includes a high-performance dual-core processor based on the A13 Bionic in iPhone 11, but optimized for Apple Watch. The S6 is up to 20% faster than the previous generation. Series 6 also has great new features that are perfect for when you're out and about. Let's head outside and take a look. Because of its energy efficient design, Series 6 has an even better always-on display, making it easier to read your watch on sunny days without having to wake the display. Now it's two and a half times brighter outdoors when your wrist is down. Series 6 also features a new always-on altimeter that provides continuous elevation throughout the day. So on your next hike, you can see your elevation change in real time right on your watch face. And at any time, no matter where you are, you can measure your blood oxygen saturation right from your wrist. Now let's talk about watch faces. The watch face is fundamental to the Apple Watch experience, and we're taking faces further this year, starting with some great new designs. And we'd like to share them with you now. The watch face is the most powerful and personal aspect of Apple Watch. Our approach to face design begins with a deep respect for the history of timekeeping. We combine that sense of craft with the powerful technologies and capabilities of Apple Watch to create these new faces. The GMT face shows multiple time zones at once and takes into account where you are. The Count Up face lets you start tracking elapsed time from any given point. And inspired by classic racing watches, the Chronograph Pro face features multiple time scales including a tachymeter to measure speed based on time traveled over a set distance. In the Typograph face, numerals can be displayed in three custom type styles and four different scripts. Every combination is tailored to fit the face perfectly. We also collaborated with the artist Jeff McFetridge to create a unique piece of art for your watch. There are millions of combinations, and a different one animates when you raise your wrist. The Memoji face brings your favorite Memoji to your watch. Each one moves and reacts to your touch. And with the Striped face, you can show your pride in who you are, support your favorite team, or even match what you're wearing. We're so proud to add to the legacy of Apple Watch faces with this new collection. In watchOS 7, we also gave developers new tools to build even more specialized watch faces. So if you're into surfing, there's a watch face for that with apps like Dawn Patrol to check surf conditions. Or if you're into photography, there's a watch face for that with apps like Lumi to help you track the sun's position. Or if you're a healthcare provider, there's a watch face for that with apps like Notable to see your upcoming appointments. Watch faces have always been a great way to personalize your Apple Watch. Another is interchangeable bands. Now traditional watch bands have a clasp or buckle, and they're limited to a few preset sizes for fit. Well today we're excited to introduce something completely different. We call it the Solo Loop. The Solo Loop is remarkably simple: no clasp, no buckle, no overlapping parts, just one continuous piece. Made from custom liquid silicone, the Solo Loop is stretchable so you can easily slip it on and off your wrist. It looks great, and it's durable and it's swim proof, so it can go anywhere. It's available in a range of sizes so you can find your most comfortable fit, and it comes in seven fantastic colors. This new band style is so comfortable we did another version called the Braided Solo Loop. It's made from 100% recycled yarn that's meticulously braided with ultra thin silicone threads, and it will be available in five colors. We're also offering a new take on the leather band with the new Leather Link, with no loopback or clasp of any kind. There are also great new updates for Apple Watch Nike with fun new Sport Band and Sport Loop colors, plus the new Nike watch face. And for Apple Watch Hermès, we're introducing the new Attelage band in both single tour and double tour. That's Apple Watch Series 6, the most advanced Apple Watch ever. We think you're going to love all the amazing new features.