Apple officially launched, on September 14, 2021, its new smartwatch. It earned the name Apple Watch Series 7 (or Apple Watch 7, as users often say). The manufacturer bet on making its device thinner, with a larger screen and brighter than previous generations to please fans of the device. Also, it has improved some features. Discover now, the 8 main functions of this amazing device.

1. Fitness record 

Starting with the obvious, the main use of the Apple Watch is for physical exercise and health care. This is the approach of the famous three circles of the clock, which encourage the wearer to stick to them every day. You can even compete and track your friends' progress within the app, to see who's doing better in this regard. 

Speaking of exercises, the native application brings a catalog of various modalities (running, walking, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc.), which allows you to set a calorie, time, or distance goal for your workouts. During activities, the Apple Watch also measures your heart rate and records everything in the Health and Activity apps on the iPhone. You can also connect other apps to monitor your workouts, such as the popular Strava or Runtastic. 

2. Order an Uber 

The Apple Watch also has an Uber app, as limited as it is, it's still useful. In this case, you can only choose the type of car you want to take. The destination must be informed to the driver when getting in the car and the payment method will be determined based on the last used on the platform (can be changed on the iPhone during the trip). 

3. Manage app notifications 

This other function many other watches also do (even cheaper). It's not a vital part of the Apple Watch, but in some cases, it's nice to be able to turn your wrist and see what notification has arrived without having to pull your phone out of your pocket. In many of them, you can have some kind of interaction like sending the email to the trash and replying to the message with an emoji or dictation. But in most cases, it only works as a notification preview. 

I usually disable most of them on the watch to prevent it from vibrating all the time on my wrist, I just leave it set to the ones with the highest priority. So, what's not in a hurry, I see it calmly on my cell phone. 

4. iPhone camera mirror 

For selfies and group photo lovers: you can trigger your iPhone camera using your Apple Watch and remotely release the shutter. With this function, it is easy to position the phone in an appropriate place for the photo and use the rear camera to record the moment, as it is better. Then just open the camera app on the watch, solve the framing by the preview that appears on the Apple Watch screen and tap the timer, without having to run to fit into the scene again. 

5. Voice recordings 

Another feature that arrives in the update of the watches is the possibility of making voice recordings directly from the wrist. Anyone who takes advantage of this functionality on the iPhone, whether to not lose an idea or to record a quick voice note, must like having this application directly on the Apple Watch.  

It's faster (even more so if you're on a watch face), convenient, and syncs with iCloud, keeping all your Apple devices up to date with your notes. Other apps already did this on the clock, but a native implementation tends to work better, especially when syncing with the iPhone. 

6. Download songs to listen to offline 

Those who use Apple Music have the advantage of storing playlists and discs right on the watch. Then just connect a headphone via Bluetooth and listen to the songs without needing the cell phone. On the other hand, you can use the Apple Watch as a remote control for playback on other devices. At this point Spotify works, with the official application of the platform you can even choose which device to control the music on. You can even ask Siri to play it directly on Spotify. But, first, you need to make download off playlists with the internet, by internet providers. 

7. Add credit cards (Apple Pay) 

It is now common to make payments with a cell phone by approximation, using NFC technology. This method is possible thanks to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Play. The good news is that Apple has also adopted Apple Pay on the Watch (starting with the Series 3), allowing users to just trigger the feature by double-pressing the side button on the watch. With that, it's already one less work: taking your wallet out of your pocket to get the card or taking out your cell phone to make the payment by approximation. 

8. Podcasts and Audiobooks 

It was already possible to listen to podcasts on Apple Watch, as well as Apple Music songs, just plug in a wireless headphone and start playing. The new feature on the watch is the ability to listen to audiobooks through the iBooks app, available with the watchOS 6 updates, starting on September 19, 2019. With this, the user has yet another form of entertainment to enjoy while exercising or any other activity. 

Is it a wrist iPhone? 

It's common to think of the Apple Watch as a wrist iPhone, which it isn't. The Apple Watch is an extension of mobile, not a replacement for it. So, it's not a device to interact all the time, browse social networks or look for recipes on the internet, such as Centurylink internet. The Watch is what interacts with you, letting you know when there's something new, when a goal is reached, or when it's time to take a break to get up and breathe. 

Apple Watch 7 is for everyone 

The Apple Watch has a focus on health and fitness, encouraging users to stay active throughout the day. But, these are just some of the functions that the Apple Watch can do. There are, however, other audiences interested in Apple's smartwatch. So why limit yourself to a group of users? As we have seen, the new version of the smartwatch goes further and adapts to anyone's routine.