Apple announced at its major event on Tuesday that its new Apple Watch Series 9 would have a new feature called double tap. It's pretty neat: It requires just two fingers and zero touching of the actual device itself.
A user will just have to tap their thumb and forefinger together twice to do things such as answer calls, hang up, or other actions controlled by the primary button in an app, such as stopping a timer, snoozing an alarm, or pausing music. A bunch of different readings allow the Apple Watch to know the user is making the double tape gesture.
"This new double tap gesture is enabled by the faster Neural Engine in Apple Watch Series 9, which processes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with a new machine learning algorithm," Apple wrote in a press release. "The algorithm detects the unique signature of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb perform a double tap."
The new feature could make the Watch more usable and accessible for folks. It is also aimed at moments when users might have just one hand free, such as when carrying a coffee, walking a dog, or performing some other such task.
The new Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399, can be ordered on Sept. 12, and will begin to be available on Friday.
The best Apple deals available right now BEST MAC DEAL 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $899 at Amazon (Save $200) Get Deal BEST APPLE WATCH DEAL Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) $309.99 at Amazon and Walmart (Save $89.01) Get Deal BEST AIRPODS DEAL AirPods Pro $219 at Amazon (Save $30) Get Deal
