Apple Event 2020
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While I can appreciate the reduction in cost likely was a factor, I wouldn't doubt that the environmental aspect was also a genuine concern.
Their ideal customer is somebody who upgrades devices frequently and then participates in the trade-in programs, but the adapters and such are not part of those trade-ins. So if you get a new phone every year for 4 years, you have 4 adapters. It's not a far stretch to imagine that their own employees said "You know, this feels wasteful" and management said "Hmmm not only is it an environmental problem, but we could also reduce costs."
But it's impossible to say for sure from an outside view.
Reduce, reuse and recycle.
I don't think most people get a new phone every year, hence the "is this worth the upgrade?" Conventionally speaking, most tech reviewers tend to suggest that the latest model usually isn't worth the upgrade if you have the last model, and only in some cases is it a compelling upgrade from two releases ago.
Release a new phone every year isn't the same thing as encouraging everyone to upgrade every year.
I'm a geek and I could afford buying the latest phones, but in practice I almost always get a phone at least 2 generations behind.
That said, looking at people in town, there's a significant number who do get the latest model. I always wonder how they can afford it.
So in some sense, if you replace your phone as soon as a new one is available, you pay about 50% of the new phone's cost every year. So it's not quite as expensive as you'd think. (And yes, iPhones sell for a little over 50% of their purchase price after a year.)
I can't find it these days because their website has gotten more and more full of information, but they used to have a page that specifically said they had a plan to eventually manufacture all iPhones from old iPhone parts.
If you participate in Apple's trade-in programs, consumption isn't an issue. They have a greater capability to successfully recycle the components than anybody else will (e.g., if you send your used phone to some other place to be disassembled).
"If you participate in Apple's trade-in programs, consumption isn't an issue."
If that's how you feel, then Apple's marketing has done its job of removing environmental concerns from your purchasing decision even though there is still a lot of waste in buying a new phone yearly.
Another factor is the EU slowly closing down on their loopholes for nonstandard chargers. They are probably trying to minimize costs in preparation for the eventual reckoning (i.e. which production and packaging chains will have to be modified).
My wife has Series 3 and I have Series 5, but I haven't seen a major difference between the two. Series 5 is slightly sleeker and smaller, but the updates didn't feel important enough for her to upgrade.
I know sometimes something in the software update can glitch and cause aggressive battery consumption. I wonder if you were affected by something like that (which is something they should address to prevent from happening in the future).
https://www.apple.com/watch/battery/#:~:text=Apple%20Watch%2....
If you use your Watch more passively, all-day performance is not out of the question. It all depends on your individual use case.
Besides, 18 hours should be sufficient since you ought to be getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night anyway. Somewhere in that offtime is when you can charge. I do it overnight, but plenty of people charge during their morning routine (shower, etc.) and say it charges more than enough to last all day.
My expectation is each time the chip will be more efficient, but they can choose to use that on a brighter screen/more features, or better battery life.
If I recall correctly a finger pulse oximeter requires a sensor below the finger which records the absorption of infrared light.
>Accuracy of Wrist-based Pulse Ox
Pulse Oximetry (Pulse Ox) readings are available for certain Garmin wearables. It can provide an estimation of the user’s peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2%) at any given time the feature is accessed. The feature can also be set to track in a continuous manner during a period while the user is asleep. For certain devices, it can also be used to track periodically throughout the day along with a view of the user’s altitude or elevation.
While every effort is made to ensure a high degree of accuracy, there are certain limitations that can cause inaccurate measurements. The user’s physical characteristics, fit of the device, and presence of ambient light may impact the readings. Garmin may release device software over time to improve aspects of the measurements. The Pulse Ox data is not intended to be used for medical purposes, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
Excessive motion and the position of the device can impact the accuracy of the readings. It is important to keep your arm/sensor still for approximately one minute for best accuracy.
Spoiler alert: You can't.
I'm referring to streaming via cellular. Not sure about playing offline via non-cellular though, I haven't looked into that.
It's definitely not great for new customers though, and it absolutely should not be $30, but for people like me it's a positive move forward to reduce waste.
Power adapters that use a USB connector have been commonly included with a large fraction of consumer devices for at least a decade now. Most of us already have several that we aren't using.
USB power adapters have also been by far the most common when people explicitly purchase a power adapter, such as when they want a higher wattage adapter to charge faster than the basic one that came with some device, or they want to replace a single port adapter with one with multiple ports to better utilize their outlets.
Result: probably 95+% of consumers in the US who would buy an Apple device already have plenty of USB charging ports available.
Or at their scale does it not really make a difference?
EDIT: nvm lol, forgot that you can just swap out the loops still
It's just unnecessary. The people who want or have one or the other won't care that another watch already had it if their chosen watch is adding the feature.
Garmin has that, but does it integrate the same way?
So yes features are good, but making them easily usable is also important. Being first isn’t the only thing that matters.
Apple's just coasting at this point. I was considering getting the iPhone 12, but at this point I'm expecting a similar dud launch next month from Apple, so I'd rather give my money to Nvidia for an RTX 3080.
Stop mailing it in Apple.
I'm certain they're spending large amounts to make it happen, since they could easily double their sales once they roll out that feature.
I've seen patches on the the upper arm that have to be replaced every week or two, sensors that clip on the ear or the skin that stretches between fingers, and things that have to be surgically implanted under the skin, but my understanding is that all of these, even the non-invasive ones, have to be approved by the FDA as medical devices, and come with a pretty substantial legal responsibility.
A blood oxygen sensor helps literally everybody, even the diabetic, while a glucose monitor--assuming it can be made reliable from the wrist--benefits a smaller set. A large set, to be sure, but still a smaller set than "everyone."