In addition to the iPhone and computers, expect software updates for the Apple Watch. Like MacOS, there has been hardly any leaked details about WatchOS 8. That said, there are several persistent rumors from the past few years that have yet to materialize.

One rumor from over a year ago, is the inclusion of mental health features. For example, the Apple Watch 6 has a pulse oximeter that could be used along with heart-rate readings to detect high levels of stress and even panic attacks.

Another rumor dating back to 2017 hints at the Apple Watch being able to monitor blood sugar levels. However, this seems like a feature that would be revealed at the launch of the next Apple Watch, as it would likely require new hardware like a spectrometer to perform the measurements.

One feature many of us hope for is removing the Apple Watch’s dependence on the iPhone. We saw the iPhone divorce from the Mac with iOS 5 in 2011. It’s not clear what’s required in terms of hardware and software to accomplish this, but it would open the Apple Watch up to people without iOS devices.

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