Apple Watch Lineup Expands Ahead of WatchOS 2

Apple's lineup of high-tech timepieces is getting some new additions.

Cupertino today introduced a number of new Apple Watch cases and bands, which are on sale now, including gold and rose gold aluminum sport models. Also on the Apple Watch front, the company announced plans to release its watchOS 2 as a free upgrade on Sept. 16.

The new operating system "makes apps faster and more fluid by running natively on Apple Watch," and brings some new watch faces along with the ability for third-party apps to display information on the watch face. A new feature called Time Travel lets you easily scroll through upcoming events. You'll also be able to more quickly respond to Mail with dictation, Smart Replies, or emojis.

As for the new colors, Apple introduced four new Sport Band hues: fog, turquoise, vintage rose, and walnut to go along with the existing white, blue, green, pink, and black options. The new gold aluminum and rose gold aluminum models can be paired with lavender, white, stone, or midnight blue Sport Bands, while the silver aluminum version is now available with orange or blue Sport Bands.

In addition, the stainless steel Apple Watch collection is also getting a variety of new bands, including a two-toned black or saddle brown Classic Buckle while the space black stainless steel model is now available with a black Sport Band. The Apple Watch Edition also now includes an 18-karat rose gold case with a midnight blue Classic Buckle.

Apple also collaborated with designer fashion label Hermes to create a new collection of timepieces in stainless steel with leather bands (pictured above). The Apple Watch Hermes starts at $1,100 for a single-strap band and will be available beginning Oct. 5.

Head over to the Apple Watch gallery to check out the full lineup.

"Our customers love Apple Watch and tell us its incredible health and fitness features are having a huge impact on their lives," Apple's Senior Vice President of Operations Jeff Williams said in a statement. "We're excited to expand Apple Watch's functionality with watchOS 2 and offer even more personal choice with beautiful new styles and colors."

Also today, Apple showed off the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, a new iPad Pro and updated Apple TV.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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