New Apple Watch 6 and watchOS 7 leaks point to TouchID, new mental-health tracking feature and more

It is now the 16th week of 2020, one widely accepted among leakers as the one in which the much-hyped iPhone SE 2 (or 9?) is projected to launch (which, in turn, causes the scheduling of OnePlus' and Honor's own impending debuts to make even more sense). However, consumers are still equally ready for the Cupertino company's new wearable as well.

This device is probably to be called the Apple Watch Series 6, a product with which the rumor mill is not yet done. A new round of putative details on the same have been presented in a new video on the EverythingApplePro YouTube channel. Some have come via the XDA's Max Weinbach, although others are exclusively revealed here via another leaker, The Verifier.

This new collection of tips indicate that the new 'underwater mode', patented earlier by Apple for next-gen iPhones, is also coming to the Watch. The wearables line is also now touted to get Touch ID, which has gone missing from its last few mobile devices. This spec may come either baked directly into the wearable's screen, incorporated into its button-like Crown or in a completely new touch-sensitive area that replaces this component.

The new Apple Watch 6 leak video also corroborates an earlier rumor concerning a new blood oximetry sensor for the wrist-borne accessory. However, its health-tracking features are also now expected to go even further. It will incorporate new tech rated to detect increased anxiety in the user. This may even trigger the generation of stress-management technique coaching on this device on the onset of a panic attack.

Therefore, the Apple Watch 6 may be prepared to help the user work on their mental as well as their cardiorespiratory health in the future. In addition, EverythingApplePro's video hints at a more cost-effective, yet still durable, SKU for this watch: its case may be made of a new ceramic-enriched plastic composite rather than the usual higher-end materials.

However, not all the putative news may be good to all ears. It seems watchOS 7 may drop support for the second-gen Watch, whereas it has been updated faithfully up to this point. In addition, those hoping for a new form-factor in the Series 6 may be disappointed: the latest renders on this upcoming upgrade show no further design tweaks than an increased roundedness to screen corners and possibly improved display-to-front-panel ratios.