Apple Developing Enhanced Low Power Mode in watchOS 9 for Apple Watch

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 12 Apr 2022

Apple Watch Unsplash

The Apple Watch has an average one-day battery life that requires frequent use of the Power Reserve mode. It helps maximize the usable time when running low on charge by disabling all the watch features and showing you just a simple clock. Bloomberg reports that Apple could upgrade this experience significantly in watchOS 9.

According to a new report from the publication, Apple is developing a new low power mode that doesn’t reduce the Apple Watch to an analog watch with a screen instead of a dial. The new mode will reportedly allow the wearer to access a limited suite of smart features without taking a heavy toll on the battery.

The feature could be handy for those who wish to use the Apple Watch for sleep tracking or navigation without having features such as heart rate monitoring draining the battery passively.

This year, the Apple Watch could be upgraded to sport a body temperature sensor. The report claims that although it is unlikely the sensor will be used to show a direct reading, it could help with fertility planning and the detection of blood pressure issues.

The report also suggests Apple Watch could incorporate new features such as blood pressure monitoring and non-invasive blood sugar monitoring for diabetics in the coming years. Better support for third-party blood glucose meters should be added to the wearable and Health app “in the interim.” In the near future, the Health app could also get a slew of new features such as women’s health, sleep, fitness, and medication management.

watchOS 9 could also expand the Apple Watch’s atrial fibrillation detection feature to “calculate what is known as “burden,” or how often a person is in a state of atrial fibrillation across a certain period.”

Changes to the built-in watch faces are also said to be on the cards. The company is expected to reveal all about this software update at its upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference commencing June 6. Meanwhile, advanced features like blood pressure monitoring have reportedly been delayed until 2024 due to technical issues.

What features would you like to retain even when low power mode is enabled on Apple Watch? Tell us in the comments section below.

[Via Bloomberg]