4 Cool Features That’ll Make You Want to Buy a New Apple Watch

Some of the most exciting upcoming Apple Watch features will only be supported on the latest models.

Published 2 hours ago

·

When watchOS 26 is released in September, it promises to deliver a “Liquid Glass” redesign and several new features to your current Apple Watch.

That said, there’s a little bit of catch. While watchOS 26 will be supported on all Apple Watch models that are Series 6 or later, some of the more advanced new features require a newer model.

Specifically, you’ll need Apple Watch released in the last two years — so, Series 9 or later — to take advantage of them. If you bought a Series 8 or the original Ultra, you’re going to be missing out.

The missing features

First and most importantly, there’s Wrist Flick. This is a simple movement — quickly roll or (“flick”) your wrist away from you — that will quickly dismiss things like app notifications, incoming calls, and timers.

This is an Accessibility feature similar to Double Tap, but promises to be a lot more practical for the everyday user.

Apple Watch watchOS 26 wrist flick — Wrist Flick may be the most useful Apple Watch feature that Apple has released in years.

Second, there’s automatic volume adjustments. When your Apple Watch detects you’re in a situation with others around, it will automatically lower the volume level of notifications so that they’re less obtrusive.

According to the watchOS 26 press release, this will impact notifications, timers, alarms, incoming calls and Siri interruptions. (Of course, if you keep your Apple Watch on silent, this won’t affect you.)

Automatic Volume Adjustments for Apple Watch — Automatic volume adjustments might convince you to take your Apple Watch out of permanent silent mode.

Third, there’s the improvements to Smart Replies. When you receive a text, your Apple Watch will suggest more tailored quick responses based on the conversation context and the person you’re communicating with.

And finally, there’s Live Translation in Messages. This harnesses Apple Intelligence to automatically translate incoming texts, enabling you to communicate more easily with someone who speaks a different language.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 in silver or black — The Ultra 2, both silver and black versions, will support the most advanced watchOS 26 features.

Which Apple Watches will support them?

Only Apple Watch models that have been released in 2023 or later will support the most advanced watchOS 26 features. If you want to take advantage of them, you’ll need a Series 9, Series 10 or Ultra 2, or any of the next-gen Apple Watches announced this fall.

The reason only these newer Apple Watch models are supported is due to their increased processing power. They need to have either an S9 SiP or S10 SiP processor, which was released with the Series 9/Ultra 2 and Series 10, respectively.

Additionally, to take advantage of Live Translation in Messages, you’ll also need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, meaning any iPhone 16 model or iPhone 15 Pro/Max, as well as an upcoming iPhone 17 model.

To learn more about watchOS 26’s upcoming features, check out Apple’s blog post.

About the Author:

Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.