Technologies
Apple Wants to Make the Apple Watch Your ‘Key to the World’
Apple’s vice president of technology, Kevin Lynch, speaks with CNET about WatchOS 10 and the company’s approach to new Apple Watch features.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the tech giant’s greatest contribution to mankind will be about health when he spoke with CNBC in 2019. The Apple Watch, with its ability to measure all sorts of bodily markers, may be the biggest contributor to that mission yet. But Apple also has another important purpose in mind for its nearly decade-old smartwatch: acting as your «key to the world.»
That’s according to Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of technology, who recently sat down for a virtual interview with CNET. This direction isn’t new; Apple has been gradually extending the Apple Watch’s functionality over the years, enabling it to work as a digital key for your car and home. In fact, that goal was part of the Apple Watch from the beginning through the original model’s support for Apple Pay.
But this theme feels more prevalent than ever in WatchOS 10, the upcoming software update launching in the fall and arriving in public beta next month. The new software introduces updated widgets to help the watch surface information as needed, perhaps a testament to just how much we’re doing on these tiny wrist-worn devices today. The goal is to provide a lot of data at a glance while maintaining the watch face aesthetic, Lynch said.
«This has been a journey for us over a number of years as we really found the best path and the richest way to balance these things,» Lynch said.
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WatchOS 10 widgets could make the Apple Watch easier to use
The Apple Watch has gained many new features and functionality since its 2015 debut, especially when it comes to health. But the general interface has largely remained the same.
That’s about to change in WatchOS 10 with the introduction of widgets, or informational cards that are accessible from the watch face with a twist of the digital crown. You’ll be able to add widgets for viewing the weather forecast, reminders and news headlines among other tidbits, similar to the iPhone. This should mean significantly less tapping and swiping would be required to set a timer or view your next meeting.
The order of these cards will contextually change depending on factors like the time of day similar to the iPhone’s widgets, which Apple calls the «smart stack.» The idea is to show the right data as you need it throughout the day. For example, the weather might appear first in the morning, while a medication reminder may surface at night.
The timer widget in WatchOS 10.
It might sound like a small update, yet it’s one that could make the Apple Watch better at serving up relevant information with minimal effort. When the first Apple Watch arrived eight years ago, some reviewers criticized the device’s software as being too complicated and complex.
Those concerns have seemingly faded away as the Apple Watch became more prevalent. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple accounted for 26% of the global smartwatch market as of the first quarter of 2023, more than any other company. But the arrival of these new widgets, along with other updates like redesigned apps and a shortcut that launches the Control Center menu with the side button, show that there’s still work to be done when it comes to making the Apple Watch more intuitive.
Apple’s intention to have your Apple Watch unlock the world around you has been evident for a while; it announced the ability for the watch to double as a key to your office, home or hotel in 2021, for example. That raises the question of why Apple waited until 2023 to update the interface in a way that makes relevant information more easily accessible.
Apple Pay was available even on the first Apple Watch.
Lynch said it comes down to a combination of user feedback and hardware improvements that enable the machine learning that’s necessary to power the smart stack. The company also didn’t want to change the Apple Watch’s user interface too often or in a way that would feel jarring.
«It was informed by all of our experiences that we’ve had over time, of course, about how people interact with the watch,» he said.
Apple’s approach to new features is about hardware and software
Many of the Apple Watch’s major changes come down to how the software and hardware work together. That’s especially true for the Apple Watch’s health tracking functionality, which also gets an upgrade in WatchOS 10. There are new metrics for cyclists and additional features like topographic maps in Apple Maps for hikers, a mood-logging tool and the ability to detect time spent in daylight.
In some ways, Apple takes a different approach than its competitors when it comes to how health data from the watch’s sensors is used and presented throughout the interface. Rivals like Oura and Google’s Fitbit, for example, crunch certain readings to generate a «readiness score,» which communicates whether your body is ready for a tough workout or in need of a rest day.
The Oura app’s daily Readiness score, a combination of multiple measurements.
The Apple Watch lacks an equivalent feature in WatchOS 10, and that’s intentional. When asked about whether Apple envisions recovery-related insights like a readiness score for the Apple Watch, Lynch pointed to the company’s approach for developing new features. He said Apple’s strategy focuses on solving broad problems that impact a wide range of people, adding that the company is «optimistic» about getting new health insights from the watch’s existing sensors.
«We actually look at a combination of what we can sense and what are the top health challenges that people have in the world,» he said. «And what’s the intersection of what we can sense, and what are those issues?»
That doesn’t mean Apple will never offer a readiness score-like feature, said Deirdre Caldbeck, director of Apple Watch product marketing, who also spoke with CNET. It’s just that the company focuses its resources on features that it thinks will be universally impactful and offer actionable insights.
«In our discussions and our debates and our decision making, we do try to keep those things in mind because of course Apple Watch is so broadly applicable to so many people,» Caldbeck said.
It’s not just about the insight Apple can provide, but also how that data is presented. Lynch described the Apple Watch as a «supportive partner» that applauds your achievements but doesn’t shame you for missing your stand reminder. Oura takes a similar approach; the company previously told CNET it tries to communicate «truth» and «positivity» in its notifications. Even the nudge you feel on your wrist and the ping you hear when receiving a notification on your Apple Watch was meticulously planned.
«We designed those by actually ringing the material of the Apple Watch case with a little hammer,» Lynch said. «And we recorded the ‘ding’ noise it made so it sounds like the watch itself is being rung.»
A screenshot of the daylight detection feature coming in WatchOS 10.
But one example of how Apple is leveraging the watch’s sensors in a new way in WatchOS 10 is in the new daylight detection feature. It uses the Apple Watch’s ambient light sensor, along with input from other sensors to determine whether a person is outdoors, Lynch said. Apple is positioning this as a way to help younger users potentially prevent myopia, or nearsightedness, since the Myopia Institute says time spent outdoors can reduce the development of the condition in children.
Apple had been researching eye health and realized the Apple Watch’s ambient light sensor to help figure out whether someone is outside, Lynch said.
«We start with storytelling,» Lynch said. «We start with, ‘Here’s a problem in the world, and let’s tell each other a story around maybe how the world could be different.’ That leads us then to designing and engineering and all that stuff.»
The Apple Watch’s competition and what’s next
As the Apple Watch has evolved and gained new sensors, it’s become increasingly focused on health. But it’s also a big part of Apple’s effort to free us from screens, an objective that the company reiterated when introducing its Vision Pro headset earlier this month.
Apple seems to be succeeding at that goal so far, considering the company’s wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 150 company. Yet the competition is growing; Google entered the smartwatch space with its Pixel Watch last year, and Google and Samsung joined forces in 2021 to redesign the software that powers Android smartwatches. Samsung’s next smartwatches are expected to debut next month, complete with new software that makes sleep statistics and other health insights more prominent.
Apple calls WatchOS 10 a «milestone» for the Apple Watch. That may be telling of the smartwatch’s role in our lives at a time when we’re surrounded by an increasing number of screens and sensors. American households owned an average of 16 connected devices as of 2022, according to research firm Parks Associates.
Perhaps now more than ever, there’s a need for gadgets like the Apple Watch to help us navigate and manage those devices. WatchOS 10, with its contextual widgets, redesigned apps and ability to swap contact data with iPhones through a new feature called NameDrop, seems like an attempt to do just that.
Lynch couldn’t say what’s next when asked about other ways the Apple Watch could become a so-called key to the world around you.
But the clue could be sitting in our pockets.
«What do you use a wallet for today, and do you still have things in your wallet?» he asked. «So that would be another area to think about in terms of maybe over time, how we can reduce the amount of stuff you have to carry around with you.»
Technologies
Zelle App Is Gone. Use These Alternatives to Send Money Digitally
You still have lots of free ways to send money to friends and family electronically.
If Zelle has been your go-to app for sending money digitally, it’s time to find a new method. The digital payment app shut down on April 1.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use Zelle altogether, however. Zelle has only discontinued its standalone app. You can still send money using Zelle if your bank belongs to the Zelle network. You’ll just need to do it through your bank’s app or website. You also have other services to choose from. Here’s what you need to know about this change and your options moving forward.
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Why the Zelle app is shutting down
When Zelle launched in 2017, only about 60 US financial institutions offered the service by the end of that year. Today, that number exceeds 2,200. As a result, less than 2% of Zelle transactions occur through the standalone app. Zelle has been phasing out the ability to make transactions on its mobile app since October 2024.
«Today, the vast majority of people using Zelle to send money use it through their financial institution’s mobile app or online banking experience, and we believe this is the best place for Zelle transactions to occur,» Zelle said in an October 2024 press release.
In December, Zelle was in the spotlight when the Consumer Financial Protected Bureau sued the company and three of the largest US banks for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit has since been dropped.
Other ways to send money digitally
You can still use Zelle through your bank’s app or website if it belongs to the Zelle network. You can also switch to another digital payment app, such as:
- Apple Wallet
- Cash App
- PayPal
- Venmo
Take some basic precautions when using Zelle or any other digital payment service. These apps are a frequent target for scammers, and Chase Bank has started blocking some Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent. Only send money to people you know and trust, and watch for red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for concert tickets that seem impossibly cheap.
Technologies
Marvel Rivals Season 2 Starts Next Week, Devs Drop Big News
Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.
After surviving the endless night in New York City with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals players are getting invited to the shores of Krakoa for the start of season 2 on April 11. The game dropped the first trailer for the new season, giving us our first official look at the new heroes, and a developer vision video dropped major news about the future of hero releases.
The trailer features the former foe and sometimes-leader of the X-Men, Emma Frost, inviting people from across Rivals’ various timelines to the mutant nation of Krakoa, where everyone gets dressed up for a fancy gala — even Wolverine puts on a white tux. The event, however, is unceremoniously interrupted when Ultron shows up preaching extermination.
We also got a look at some of the cosmetics in season 2, though it’s unclear which are from the shop and which might be in the battle pass. In addition to the dressed-up Wolverine, we also got looks at Magik and Psylocke in the traditional X-Men blue and yellow. Nonmutant guests are also getting in on the fun, with fancy attire for heroes like Cap, Widow and Luna Snow.
New Heroes and balance changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2
Emma Frost joins the roster as a Vanguard. We don’t have detailed information about her abilities yet but expect that information to drop ahead of next week’s season launch. Ultron is coming in the season 2.5 update, which should be in late May.
Some team-ups are changing in season 2, including three new team-up abilities that were previewed in the newest developer vision video.
- Emma Frost allows Magneto and Psylocke to create illusions of themselves.
- Doctor Strange teams up with Scarlet Witch allowing her to use small portals to seemingly increase her damage output via a rapid-shooting alternate fire.
- Cap finally teams up with Bucky, allowing the Winter Soldier to leap to allies.
A few existing team-ups are getting adjustments, with Psylocke, Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange being removed from older team-ups in favor of new ones, and Namor moving from working with Luna’s anchor to Hulk’s to empower his ultimate with gamma energy. Two team-ups are being removed entirely: Magneto can no longer team up with Scarlet Witch, and Thor is no longer anchoring Cap and Storm.
The developers vaguely teased other balance changes, including buffs to Peni, Mister Fantastic and Moon Knight, with Strange trading offensive pressure for more survivability and Rocket getting more utility while Loki and Adam Warlock receive nerfs to their Regeneration Domain and Soul Bond abilities.
Future seasons will be shorter, which means more new heroes
One of the most surprising moments in the developer video was the announcement that, beginning with season 3, seasons will be two months long instead of roughly three. There has been a lot of discussion online about whether Rivals’ pace of new heroes (about eight per year based on three-month seasons) was sustainable. Well, apparently the Rivals devs took that personally and are cranking up that pace to a new hero every month, meaning 12 new heroes per year.
This feels borderline ludicrous compared with other hero shooters that average about three new heroes per year, or even MOBAs like League of Legends, which has averaged about four new champions per year over the past five years. Rivals benefits from having an overflowing stable of Marvel characters to pull from rather than inventing their own hero concepts, and compared with Overwatch, the developers seem less worried about mechanical overlap in their heroes, as seen with many support ultimates. Still, a new hero every month feels unheard of for a hero shooter.
New Krakoa map and competitive changes
A new Krakoa-themed domination map is being added in season 2, and Yggsgard: Royal Palace (domination) and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya (convergence) will rotate out of the map pool for ranked modes, though they’ll still be available in quick play and custom games.
The threshold for competitive picks and bans, which currently only happen in diamond-ranked lobbies, will be lowered to gold 3. Players in Eternity or One Above All ranks will only be able to duo queue, instead of queuing with larger groups — a measure that’s likely intended to keep high-level teams from stomping lobbies.
Speaking of ranks, season 2 will drop everyone by 9 divisions, which is equal to 3 ranks. That means players in Eternity will drop to diamond, and any players at platinum 3 or below will start their climb from bronze 3 again. (AGAIN… AGAIN.)
Rivals developers also announced that individual player performance will be weighted higher when determining competitive progress after a match, meaning if your stats outperform your team’s, you’ll earn more for winning and drop less for losing. This change can help elevate smurfs and other high-skill players in lower-ranked lobbies by getting them into their appropriate ranks faster. However, it can also lead to players stat-farming, instead of playing in a way that is most effective for winning games. Overall, given that Rivals doesn’t use any sort of competitive placement matches, this should be a net positive for the game.
Other announcements
Rivals is adding new skin recolors to certain hero skins and (finally) giving players the option to gift costumes to their friends so they can surprise someone for their birthday, which you definitely did not forget about.
Missions are changing a bit, with the addition of weekly missions and a redistribution of where battle-pass-progressing chrono tokens are earned. The devs framed this as creating a «smoother expectation» of how to earn chrono tokens, but the surface-level description sounds like they’re just making it harder to earn battle pass progress over the season by tucking away more progress under missions with shorter time limits.
The developer vision update also gave us our first look at the competitive distribution, showing how many Rivals players are in each tier as of season 1.5.
The Hellfire Gala trailer says season 2 will start on April 11. While it doesn’t give a specific start time, expect the between-seasons maintenance to finish sometime in the middle of the night in the US.
For more on Marvel Rivals, check out which heroes and roles you should play and how to get free skins.
Technologies
Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Every Detail Compared
The Nintendo Switch 2’s official specs aren’t too different, but the new console has a lot of upgrades on the original Switch.
The Nintendo Switch 2 may look like its predecessor, but there’s been a lot of changes to its features and under the hood. The new console has «10x the graphics performance» compared to the original Switch, says Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2.
The Switch 2, with a release date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch games. Here’s all the info on how to preorder the Switch 2.
Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because looping in the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.
Design
Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons.
Original Switch: The original Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the device’s sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.
The Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.
Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The new console also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the console has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.
The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games.
Joy-Cons
The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, there have been upgrades in the Switch 2’s controllers.
Original Switch: The Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slid on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot.
Switch 2: The new console’s Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the console.
And yes, you can use the Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw it being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII.
Display size
Original Switch: The original Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch OLED upgraded this with a larger 7-inch display showing deeper blacks and colors, but no upgrade in resolution. The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.
Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.
Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or possibly to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.
CPU/GPU
Original Switch: The original Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used.
Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and they most the company reveals is that it has a «custom processor made by Nvidia» on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has «10x the graphics performance» of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.
We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.
RAM and storage
Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.
Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Switch.
Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Switch 2.
Battery life
Original Switch: The original Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.
Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.
Ports
Original Switch: The first Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.
Switch 2: The Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port topside, and now we know what it’s for: to connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand to let you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends.
Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity options, and rumors are scarce on the subject.
As for cartridges, Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.
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