GoKawiil
Tech News
Bloomberg reports Apple is prototyping a screenless fitness tracker with a fabric band and sensor-equipped module, similar to Whoop's wearables. The device is described as being in early development, with a possible release no earlier than 2028 if Apple proceeds. Whoop's existing products include a medical-grade EKG variant and batteries lasting over 14 days.
Apple's watchOS 27.2 beta 2, released to developers, brings back the App Switcher feature that had been removed in watchOS 27. Instead of the old double-click of the Digital Crown, users now activate it by pressing and holding the bottom of the screen while inside an app, then turning the crown to scroll through recent apps.
WhatsApp is rolling out an update that lets Apple Watch users react to messages with any emoji from watchOS's full library, organized into eight categories including Smileys, Nature, and Objects. Previously, reactions on the Apple Watch app were limited to six default emojis, requiring an iPhone for anything else. Tapping and holding a message still shows the six defaults, but a new picker offers recent emojis and the complete system set.
New code found in iOS 27.2 beta 2 shows Apple continuing development of an internal feature called AutoLock, which detects signals like sudden acceleration, loss of connection to a paired Apple Watch, or extended network dropout to guess that an iPhone has been snatched and lock it automatically. The code also reveals safeguards, including biometric checks, familiar-location detection, and a voting system where certain signals can veto a false lock trigger. The feature remains inactive and unavailable to users in this beta.
A CNET journalist testing the Apple Watch Series 4's ECG feature against a hospital-grade electrocardiogram unexpectedly had the device flag an irregular heartbeat in his own heart, matching the hospital's findings. Doctors later determined the anomaly was benign, likely caused by stress and sleep deprivation, but the moment shifted his view of the watch from a novelty gadget to a legitimate health tool. He later gave Apple Watches to his parents, and one flagged an issue that led to his father's diagnosis and treatment for a serious heart condition.
BLAVOR has released a 20000mAh Solar Power Bank aimed at fall camping and tailgating season. The device integrates four cables directly into its housing (two USB-C, one Lightning, one USB-A) alongside three extra ports, letting users charge up to six devices without packing separate cables, plus a solar panel and a top-mounted Qi wireless pad for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple's new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 use a Health Sensing System that samples heart rate every five seconds instead of every five minutes, requiring the optical sensor's green light to flash almost continuously. To avoid that light being visible in dark settings, Theater Mode automatically slows heart rate readings back to five-minute intervals, but a new setting lets users override this and keep continuous measurements.
Apple's official refurbished store is now selling the entry-level 2026 Studio Display with a Tilt-adjustable stand for $1,359, down $240 from its $1,599 list price, though supplies appear limited. The deal arrives alongside other launch-week discounts, including AirPods Pro 3 at $50 off timed to iPhone 18 Pro delivery day, early markdowns on the new Apple Watch Ultra 4 and M6 Mac mini, and a $50 discount on the upcoming 2026 Mac Studio ahead of its release.
Apple has built native live step tracking directly into the watch face on the new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, joining live heart rate as a standard complication option from the Fitness app. Previously, step data was only viewable inside the Fitness or Health apps, even though third-party apps like Pedometer++ had offered on-face step counts for years.
An Android Authority writer tested the new Apple Health app included in the iOS 27.2 developer beta, which adds an AI-powered 'Insights' tab and reworks how the app surfaces raw health data. The rebuilt app will only run on iPhones capable of Apple Intelligence, meaning iPhone 15 Pro or newer, while Google's competing Health app supports a much wider range of older devices. The writer, who previously switched from Apple to Google's Fitbit-based Health platform, says the new design has him reconsidering that move ahead of its planned public release later this year.
Apple's overhauled Siri AI, rolling out as a beta through a waitlist in iOS 27, promises richer answers, personal context search through messages and notes, and onscreen awareness. Despite these upgrades, users on social media report recurring problems including network errors that produce a vague 'Sorry, something went wrong' message and failures to locate reminders, lists or alarms that the older Siri handled without issue.
Apple's newly released Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 do not appear on the supported hardware list for the handwashing detection and timer feature, even though the feature remains active in watchOS 27 and Apple Health on older models like Series 11 and Ultra 3. It's unclear whether this is an intentional hardware limitation or simply an oversight in Apple's documentation.