Apple Watch 6 may add many more features besides the sleep tracking added in watchOS 7. A recently published patent details many other new features.

The most surprising of these new features revealed in a post published by Patently Apple is Touch ID biometric security, although as an Apple Watch Series 5 owner myself, I don't see any need for a security check, Pressing my thumb on the Apple Watch screen would be easier than entering a six-digit passcode to unlock it. However, this is rarely necessary, as unlocking the iPhone also unlocks the Apple Watch.

Nevertheless, the Apple Watch stores a lot of personal and sensitive information, so enhanced security for privacy would always be a plus.

The patent also includes limb detection, which can identify whether the Apple Watch is on the left or right wrist. This could be used for app optimization and many other tricks Apple may have in store.

The same technology that would be used to identify which wrist the Apple Watch is worn on might also be used to "understand gestures via special algorithms."

The biggest health feature in the patent, blood oxygen monitoring, has been expected to be included in the Apple Watch 6 for quite some time (as it has been in other smartwatches). also known as SpO2 monitoring, this feature tracks the oxygen saturation of the blood, which is a function of the blood's oxygen level.

It tracks the oxygen saturation of the blood.

This is important because if blood oxygen readings drop too low, it can be dangerous. This can happen during exercise, and alerting you to its occurrence can tell you to slow down your workout and prevent accidental injury.