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  • Bitcoin’s 2017, 2021 macro signal returns – But this cycle has a catch

    Bitcoin’s 2017, 2021 macro signal returns – But this cycle has a catch

    History has a way of repeating itself, and right now, that’s exactly what the market seems to be pricing in. Of course, there’s no guarantee that past events will play out the same way again.

    But in trading, investors often look at historical patterns and previous cycles to guide their decisions. This sometimes creates the illusion of “history repeating itself,” when in reality, it could simply be a market coincidence.

    Now, with the latest PMI data, a similar setup appears to be forming. As the chart below shows, the U.S. ISM Manufacturing PMI came in at 55.6, above the expected 54. This marked its highest level since June 2022.

    A stronger PMI typically points to improving manufacturing activity and a healthier economic backdrop, which could influence risk assets like Bitcoin.

    Source: TradingEconomics

    Notably, this is where historical patterns start becoming interesting.

    Can PMI repeat Bitcoin’s 2017 and 2021 rallies?

    According to one analyst, every time the ISM PMI has sustained levels above 55, the crypto market has entered a major upside phase. The analyst highlighted that the same signal behind the 2017 and 2021 crypto bull runs has resurfaced.

    During those cycles, the total crypto market cap broke above $500 billion and $2 trillion, respectively, while Bitcoin rallied 1,336% and 59% in those periods.

    That said, this signal alone does not guarantee that Bitcoin is about to repeat the same move, especially with $BTC still stuck in a broader bearish phase and down more than 25% in 2026.

    However, the timing of the stronger PMI data is notable, arriving as markets are closely watching rate expectations, with the odds of a rate hike at the next FOMC meeting currently sitting at 64%.

    Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s ability to hold strong despite rising on-chain selling pressure adds another layer to the setup, suggesting that the improving macro backdrop from the PMI report could be laying the foundation for a potential shift in market momentum.

    Bitcoin’s resilience meets rising selling pressure

    Calling Bitcoin’s [$BTC] resilience above $60k a potential bull trap is not entirely far-fetched.

    From an on-chain perspective, selling pressure is picking up across multiple cohorts.

    BlackRock recently moved 1,948.07 $BTC, worth around $122.03 million, into Coinbase Prime, while Bitcoin miners sold roughly 1,774 $BTC, valued at around $112 million, over the past week. Adding to the bearish narrative, Jim Cramer also warned about selling his Bitcoin holdings over quantum computing concerns.

    But the bigger takeaway is the sudden reactivation of dormant cohorts after years of inactivity. As the chart below shows, the long-dormant Bitcoin supply is beginning to move again.

    Bitcoin aged 2-7 years has started flowing back into exchanges, with the 3-5 year and 5-7 year cohorts surging by 595% and 1,016%, respectively. This suggests that some LTHs are taking action, adding another layer of uncertainty around Bitcoin’s current price resilience.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Can PMI offset Bitcoin’s selling pressure?

    Against this backdrop, the latest PMI report starts to carry more significance.

    The logic is straightforward: Key macro data releases this week could shape expectations heading into the September FOMC meeting. As mentioned earlier, rate hike odds have recently climbed above 64%.

    In this environment, the stronger PMI print could be the first bullish signal, suggesting that the macro backdrop may be turning more supportive for Bitcoin and other risk assets.

    This is why $BTC’s resilience despite rising selling pressure may not be just another bull trap. Instead, it could signal that improving macro conditions are helping Bitcoin absorb the pressure.


    Final Summary

    • Bitcoin is holding above $60k despite heavy selling pressure.
    • A strong PMI report could give $BTC a boost by improving market confidence.

  • ‘I’m a 23-year-old paranormal investigator and can smell ghosts’

    ‘I’m a 23-year-old paranormal investigator and can smell ghosts’

    Harvey More says ghosts have thrown objects at him and tampered with his car (Picture: Cover Media)

    It’s an unusual career for someone who trained as an electrician.

    But when Harvey More fell into a ghost-related TikTok hole during lockdown, he realised he was closer to the spirit world than he had originally thought.

    Long before he began investigating haunted locations, he says he repeatedly saw a mysterious figure walking across the upstairs landing of his parents’ West Midlands home.

    ‘When I went upstairs onto the upstairs landing, I would see a man dressed all in black, walking from one bedroom door to another. It happened a few times, and I could hear unexplained footsteps outside my bedroom,’ the 23-year-old said.

    It was Harvey’s first spiritual experience. When he told his parents, they told him that vicars used to live at the address, and that it was likely to be their spirits.

    ‘I thought, there is definitely another world out there that we don’t know about,’ he said.

    ‘That experience was just crazy. From there I have believed there is something out there, that there’s an afterlife.’

    Harvey during a paranormal investigation (Picture: Cover Media)

    Harvey started watching paranormal live streams on TikTok during a boring lockdown and became intrigued.

    He decided he wanted to find out more and immersed himself in learning about crystals, spiritualism and what he describes as alternative realities.

    Today, the content creator spends his time investigating locations believed to be haunted, searching for evidence that spirits are still present.

    Harvey believes he has witnessed things that cannot be explained.

    ‘I have seen apparitions, from white mists to black figures in the corner of the eye. But when you look, they vanish,’ he said.

    ‘And I’ve experienced random smells and scents coming up out of nowhere.’

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    After filming footage, he often notices noises on the edits that he didn’t originally hear.

    ‘You often hear taps and bangs that you didn’t hear at the time. You might hear a lady humming or a droning sound,’ Harvey added.

    ‘Once I heard a girl laughing when none of the team heard it. But when I edited I picked it up again. It is amazing the things you pick up.’

    Boredom during the Covid lockdowns led Harvey down a ghostly TikTok scroll hole (Picture: Cover Media)

    During investigations, Harvey and his team ask what they believe are spirits to make their presence known.

    ‘When they go on a hunt, they ask the spirit world to affirm their presence with a noise,’ Harvey, who hosts the Unexplained Mysteries Paranormal podcast,’ said.

    ‘Often we get unexplainable footsteps and knocks. You can tell when it is something paranormal. The majority of what we catch is supernatural.’

    One location that continues to draw him back is a former 17th century burial ground near his home which has since become a public park where families picnic and children play.

    ‘I have always felt that there is an energy there that has called me to investigate. Every time you go there, you pick up new information, evidence of the spiritual world.’

    Harvey says one investigation there produced what he considers some of his strongest evidence. Using a paranormal voice box, a handheld electronic device that paranormal investigators believe spirits use to manipulate radio signals, he started picking up words to do with crime, justice, water and pipes.

    Harvey originally trained as an electrician before joining the world of paranormal investigation (Picture: Cover Media)

    ‘When I got back and started researching who I was connecting with. It emerged that Richard Jesson, who is buried there, was a well-known attorney. And he was one of the founders of South Staffs Waters, a water work company,’ Harvey said.

    ‘I couldn’t believe it. I always go to a location with an empty head with no background. Any information I get I then go back and research it. Nearly every time it links to historical records.’

    He also visited the site of Jesson’s grave, where the temperature dropped ‘significantly’ and his team detected ‘a really strong, musky scent, almost like incense, even though nobody was around us’.

    Harvey said investigations rarely end when the team decides to leave, as often spirits will try to pull them back.

    ‘There are some spirits that are reluctant to come forward and communicate, whether they’ve got low energy or they just don’t want to talk to us,’ he says.

    ‘But when we’re leaving the location, when we’ve turned our backs, things get thrown at us. I’ve had twigs, stones and other debris thrown as I tried to leave. That is the point of an investigation where we have to set up a boundary and say “no more”, because it takes our energy.’

    His most frightening experience was at Cannock Chase, a Staffordshire beauty spot known for ghost stories and alleged sightings, where his car was unlocked while he was investigating.

    ‘I saw a light in the corner of my eye. And I saw my car unlocked itself. That frightened me. I thought, it’s messing with the car. If it wants your attention it can go to your property.

    ‘Thankfully the battery hadn’t gone flat. It was completely dark and we contemplated abandoning the investigation and going home. That will stay with me for the rest of my life because it was so bizarre.’

    Despite the unsettling moments, Harvey says paranormal investigation has brought him comfort rather than fear, particularly after the death of someone close to him.

    ‘Paranormal investigation brings me so much peace. It’s not all scary and spooky. I have been able to contact spirits who have left a legacy. Being able to connect with roots of where I am from is comforting,’ he said.

  • Senior Analyst Shares What to Expect Next for Bitcoin and XRP Prices – “Critical Thresholds…”

    Senior Analyst Shares What to Expect Next for Bitcoin and XRP Prices – “Critical Thresholds…”

    Crypto analyst Ali Martinez shared critical technical levels for Bitcoin, Hyperliquid, and $XRP, noting that the amount of $BTC being moved to exchanges and miner sales could increase selling pressure in the market.

    According to Martinez, Bitcoin is testing the upper boundary of a descending channel formation. Therefore, the $64,300 level stands out as a critical threshold for short-term price movements.

    The analyst stated that a four-hour candle close above $64,300 would confirm a breakout from the descending channel. In such a scenario, the $BTC price could initially reach $65,500, and if the uptrend continues, it could advance further to $66,500.

    However, Martinez also pointed out on-chain developments that could increase selling pressure on Bitcoin. According to data shared by the analyst, more than 20,000 $BTC were transferred to cryptocurrency exchanges in a short period of time.

    The influx of Bitcoins into exchanges is being interpreted as an increase in potential selling pressure in the market, as it could signal that investors are preparing to sell. Martinez stated that $BTC inflows to exchanges should be closely monitored.

    Bitcoin miners have also been seen selling recently. According to Martinez, miners sold approximately 1,774 $BTC worth about $112 million in the last week. The analyst interprets this movement as a new wave of profit-taking among miners.

    Related News BREAKING: Michael Saylor Comments on Today’s Bitcoin Sale – “I Said I Would Never Sell Any of My ‘Personal’ Bitcoins”

    Martinez also warned that the technical outlook for Hyperliquid’s native token, $HYPE, could weaken.

    The analyst noted that the $HYPE price has reached a significant resistance trend line, and that the TD Sequential indicator has generated a sell signal in the same area.

    He stated that if sellers gain control of the market in the resistance zone, the $HYPE price could fall towards the $50 level.

    According to Ali Martinez, the most important price level that will determine the direction of $XRP in the coming period will be $1.06.

    The analyst stated that if $XRP manages to stay above the $1.06 support level, buyers could regain strength, and the price could target the $1.35 and $1.64 levels respectively.

    However, Martinez stated that if the $1.06 support level is lost, selling pressure could accelerate, warning that the $XRP price could fall first to $0.80 and, if the decline deepens, to $0.62.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • War on Iran: Trump says Iran has one ‘last chance’

    War on Iran: Trump says Iran has one ‘last chance’

    NewsFeed

    US President Donald Trump says Iran has ‘one last chance’ to make a deal, but Tehran is in no hurry to take it and instead are focused on talks with Oman to split shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
    Al Jazeera’s Marah Rayan has the latest.

  • White House Does Its Own Take On Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres Spot To Promote MAGA “Golden Age”

    White House Does Its Own Take On Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres Spot To Promote MAGA “Golden Age”

    The White House has turned to a well-known Nicole Kidman spot for AMC Theatres to try to remind MAGA voters of Donald Trump‘s promise of a new golden age.

    A new White House video is a takeoff of the 2021 Kidman spot, with a young man wearing a Make America Great Again hat entering the White House and a narrator saying: “We come to this place for MAGA. To fight, fight, fight and win, win. win.”

    The man walks down the West Wing colonnade, with the wall dressed in Trump’s “walk of fame” gold-framed portraits of his predecessors, as the narrator says: “All of us. The indescribable feeling we get when we hear the National Anthem. And stand together, stronger than ever before.”

    The man walks by a portrait of Trump, based on a famous photo from the assassination attempt on him in 2024, and then he walks into the East Wing. There, a film plays on a screen with clips from Trump’s second term. “We’re not just watching history, we are making it,” the narrator says. “Rebuilding our country better than ever. A country where we don’t do heartbreak. We do victory. An America that is safer, more secure, more prosperous. And any setbacks that stand in our way simply makes the comeback that much sweeter.”

    The screen then flashes with the letters MAGA, in a font similar to that of AMC, and the message, “Welcome to the golden age.”

    The video debuted on Monday, and it comes as polls show Trump’s job approval falling, at an average of 38.9%, per Real Clear Politics.

    The AMC spot debuted in 2021 as exhibitors were promoting moviegoing following Covid closures. Watch both clips here:

  • Bowen Yang to Make Broadway Debut in ‘Oh, Mary!’ This Fall

    Bowen Yang to Make Broadway Debut in ‘Oh, Mary!’ This Fall

    Bowen Yang will be the next Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! on Broadway

    This marks the Saturday Night Live star’s Broadway debut, after appearing in films such as Wicked and Fire Island, and marks one of his biggest projects since Yang departed SNL in December 2026. He takes over from current Mary, Meg Stalter, for a run starting Sept. 15 and ending Dec. 6. 

    “My friendship with Cole has brought me many places over the years: late-night pizzerias, cross-borough social-distance walks, a tough production of Les Misérables sung in Dutch,” said Yang. “But being part of their deranged and profound masterpiece, Oh, Mary! is my favorite one by far. I will spend the rest of my life thanking them for the best Broadway debut a cis gay guy with limited singing ability could ask for.”

    Yang will join continuing cast members Phillip James Brannon (‘Mary’s Husband’), Barrett Foa (‘Mary’s Teacher’), Bianca Leigh (‘Mary’s Chaperone’), and returning original cast member Tony Macht (‘Mary’s Teacher’s Assistant’). Yang is a coproducer on Titanique on Broadway, but this marks his stage acting debut.

    The production, which opened at the historic Lyceum Theatre in July 2024, has put a new block of tickets on sale through July 2027. 

    Written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, the play reimagines the former first lady as a wannabe cabaret singer with a predilection for drinking and disdain for her husband, the President of the United States. Since Escola originated the role, a number of big names have taken on Mary, including Maya Rudolph, Jinkx Monsoon, Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski. Understudy Hannah Solow will play the role of ‘Mary Todd Lincoln’ on Sept. 13, before Yang begins in the role.

  • Netflix Oscar Hopeful ‘La Bola Negra’ Will Receive Company’s Longest Release in Theaters Before Streaming

    Netflix Oscar Hopeful ‘La Bola Negra’ Will Receive Company’s Longest Release in Theaters Before Streaming

    La Bola Negra, the sweeping Spanish-language epic that Netflix acquired out of the Cannes Film Festival for an awards season push, will be given a platform theatrical release in U.S. theaters starting on Oct. 16 and will subsequently begin streaming on Dec. 2, the company announced Tuesday.

    That 47-day period of theatrical exclusivity before streaming will be the longest yet for any Netflix film, surpassing the 31-day period accorded to Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story in 2019. (A new record is expected to be established in 2027, with Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew set to be released in theaters on Feb. 12 and then begin streaming on April 2, a 49-day period.)

    La Bola Negra, which recounts the story of three generations of queer men whose lives are connected through love and loss, was written (with Alberto Conejero), directed and produced by Los Javis, the Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. It became the subject of a competitive bidding war following its May 21 world premiere in Cannes, where Los Javis were awarded the fest’s best director prize for the film in a tie with Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland.

    The film stars Spanish music sensation Guitarricadelafuente, in his acting debut, alongside Elite star Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Duenas, Julio Torres and, in relatively small but memorable parts, two of Hollywood’s biggest names, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.

    The film is set to have its Canadian premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival, where Cruz will be feted at the TIFF Tribute Awards on Sept. 13.

  • ‘White Lotus’ Swaps the Palais for a Castle: Season 4 Cast Laura Dern, AJ Michalka and Marissa Long Drop by Disneyland Paris

    ‘White Lotus’ Swaps the Palais for a Castle: Season 4 Cast Laura Dern, AJ Michalka and Marissa Long Drop by Disneyland Paris

    It’s a truth universally acknowledged that guests of the fictional luxury chain The White Lotus aren’t meant to live an uncomfortable life.

    So who can blame the cast of Mike White’s hit satire for enjoying some downtime at another pricey vacation resort – Disneyland Paris?

    Season 4 cast members Laura Dern, AJ Michalka and Marissa Long were spotted at the Mouse House’s French outpost on Sunday, apparently on a break from filming the latest season, which is set in the south of France.

    The trio were among a larger group taking photos with a Minnie Mouse mascot – who was decked out in a chic salmon dress with Breton stripe detail topped off with an Eiffel Tower-themed fascinator — by the park’s famed Sleeping Beauty castle. Fellow Season 4 cast members Ben Kingsley, Max Greenfield and Vincent Cassel did not appear to have joined the outing.

    The show has been filming in Paris since the start of summer, and is shooting interiors at the posh Hôtel Lutetia and at theBry-sur-Marne studios on the outskirts of the French capital. Previous productions that have shot there include the Canal+ series “Marie-Antoinette,” as well as Pathé’s big budget period movies “The Count of Monte-Cristo” and “De Gaulle.” When they’re not filming, “The White Lotus” cast and crew have been living the lives of everyday tourists while staying at another five-star hotel that’s mostly under-the-radar and paparazzi-free, located on the right bank, near the Seine river.

    Production is set to head back to the French Riviera for final shots, at the Martinez hotel, as well as in Monaco, where they previously filmed on a yacht and in Nice where they shot at the airport with scenes featuring Laura Dern – who took over from Helena Bonham Carter at the start of production and is rumored to be playing a fading star chasing a comeback — and Heather Graham. Dern has also been spotted at Roland-Garros, the French tennis open, on different occasions, with her daughter Jaya Harper, as well as Michalka.

    Getty

    Corbis via Getty Images

    The highly anticipated new season of “The White Lotus” sees the popular HBO show decamping to Cannes, where it will follow two rival filmmaking teams as they compete for the festival’s top prize. And of course the mis en scène — comprised in Season 4 of a palatial hotel on the Croisette and a luxurious hilltop hideaway — are as central to the plot as the characters.

    As Variety previously reported, Saint-Tropez’s Château de la Messardière will play the White Lotus du Cap while the Hôtel Martinez stands in for White Lotus Cannes. The show went into production in April and shot during the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to capture some of the hustle and bustle of the iconic event. It also shot at the Palais des Festivals for what appeared to be pivotal scenes unfolding during a fictional closing night.

    Getty

    While it’s unlikely Disneyland Paris will feature in the series, given it’s owned by a rival studio, its staff could no doubt give the cast of “The White Lotus” an insight into what it’s like to work at a luxury resort. Its flagship five-star Disneyland Hotel, which sits above the entrance to the theme park, re-opened in 2024 after a three-year renovation with a renewed focus on luxury.

    As well as a spa and styling studio it also boasts a pillow menu, offering guests seven types of neck support, while general manager Majbritt Iaconis previously served stints at the Ritz and the Mandarin Oriental. For guests, it’s a very comfortable life indeed.

  • Netflix Sets Its Longest Theatrical Window Ever for Oscar Hopeful ‘La Bola Negra,’ Moving Up Release Date

    Netflix Sets Its Longest Theatrical Window Ever for Oscar Hopeful ‘La Bola Negra,’ Moving Up Release Date

    Netflix is handing its Spanish-language Oscar hopeful “La Bola Negra” the longest theatrical runway in the streamer’s history.

    The queer epic from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, the Spanish duo known as Los Javis, was originally slated to open in theaters Nov. 6 ahead of a Dec. 4 streaming bow. The film will now arrive in theaters Oct. 16 and land on Netflix Dec. 2, a 47-day exclusive window and the widest theatrical commitment the company has given one of its titles to date. The previous record-holder belonged to Noah Baumbach’s relationship drama “Marriage Story” which had a full 30-day window in 2019. Other notable wide releases included Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which Netflix gave a 27-day window the same year, and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” which played roughly three weeks in 2018 before streaming.

    The move underscores how selectively, and how aggressively, Netflix has begun courting exhibitors on prestige plays. David Fincher’s still-untitled continuation of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” written by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt, opens Nov. 25 for an exclusive two-week global Imax engagement before streaming Dec. 23. Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” follows Feb. 12, 2027, the first Netflix release to receive a conventional theatrical rollout, with a 49-day window preceding its April 2 streaming debut.

    Netflix landed U.S. rights to “La Bola Negra” at the Cannes Film Festival following a competitive bidding war, after the film premiered in competition to a standing ovation and went on to tie for the festival’s best director prize.

    The streamer has since acquired Canadian rights as well. The film is set to screen in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations section, where star Penélope Cruz, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” will receive a Special Tribute Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards.

    Directed, co-written and produced by Calvo and Ambrossi, “La Bola Negra” (“The Black Ball”) spans 85 years of Spanish history, from the ’30s to the present day, and draws on an unfinished fragment by poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. The ensemble includes Spanish musician Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut, “Elite” actor Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Cruz and Glenn Close.

    The film is one of the streamer’s awards priorities for the fall, which will also include the Fincher sequel, Danny Boyle’s Venice Film Festival opener “Ink,” Peter Berg’s war drama “The Mosquito Bowl” and Marie Kreutzer’s “Gentle Monster,” also a Cannes acquisition.

    In his review, Variety film critic Guy Lodge wrote there is “enough confidently muscular filmmaking here” to make the directors’ next move worth watching, praising the film’s attempt to trace the connective tissue between generations of gay Spanish men.

    The film is a Movistar Plus+ Original Film in collaboration with Suma Content Films, produced by Telefónica Audiovisual Digital and Los Esquiadores AIE, and co-produced by El Deseo and Le Pacte, with the participation of Atresmedia and CREA SGR.

  • I Swapped My Apple Watch for an Analog Timex to See What I’d Miss Most

    I Swapped My Apple Watch for an Analog Timex to See What I’d Miss Most

    After 11 years of wearing an Apple Watch almost daily, I stopped cold turkey, swapping my Ultra 3 for a relatively cheap automatic-movement Timex to get a sense of the kinds of problems Apple’s smartwatch is solving and where it falls short.

    As a technology journalist and creator who’s constantly evaluating gadgets, I didn’t use this time to question whether the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch. For iPhone users, it’s really the only option. Instead, I spent just over a week seeing whether wrist-based notifications, fitness stats, and other smartwatch features are critical to my daily life or just nice-to-haves.

    1. Critical: Notifications

    Before I started this experiment, I knew that I would miss getting notifications on my wrist. But would I miss being constantly notified? It’s a small, but important distinction.

    Whenever my son and I play wiffle ball in the backyard, a nearby motion-activated camera sends a flurry of alerts to my watch, which I check and dismiss. It’s enough that my son has commented on how often I peek at my wrist, so I’ve enjoyed getting a break from those interruptions while wearing an analog watch.

    However, not wearing an Apple Watch meant that I often returned to an iPhone full of notifications. The timely texts were particularly unfortunate to miss. After a couple of days, I made sure not to leave my phone in far-flung corners of the house so I wouldn’t miss anything pressing. If you want to stay on top of incoming messages, reminders, and alerts, an Apple Watch is a must-have.

    2. Nice to Have: Battery Life

    Screen shot showing ScreenTime Pickups

    The number of times I picked up my phone went way up when not wearing an Apple Watch. (Credit: Tyler Hayes)

    One area I wasn’t expecting to evaluate was battery life. As I started carrying my phone around the house more, I checked it more frequently—43% more than the week before, according to my Screen Time data—and my iPhone’s battery life took a hit. Using an Apple Watch would improve your iPhone’s battery life to some degree, but I wouldn’t recommend buying one just for this reason. It’s an added benefit but not a critical use.

    3. Nice to Have: Live Activities

    A wrist wearing an Apple Watch showing a live activity timer

    (Credit: Tyler Hayes)

    Live Activities and persistent widgets are still relatively new to watchOS, but I’ve grown pretty accustomed to them, and I missed seeing quick updates on MLB games, the World Cup, and F1 Grand Prix when I glanced at the Timex. That said, muscle memory only took a day to overcome, and I hadn’t relied on Live Activities as I did with notifications. So, unless you’re a sports professional or very eager to track your DoorDash order in real time, I don’t think this should be the sole reason to buy an Apple Watch.

    4. Nice to Have: Apple Pay, Homekey, and Carkey

    An Apple Watch showing a Homekey on the screen

    (Credit: Tyler Hayes)

    One day, I held my wrist up to my smart lock when arriving home. Nothing happened, of course, and it took a few swipes to realize I wasn’t wearing my Apple Watch and would need to use my phone or enter the code to get inside. I could imagine a similar scenario when using tap-to-pay with my Apple Watch. Both scenarios, however, are more a convenience than a critical feature.

    5. Critical: Workouts

    Wrist with Apple Watch showing Workout app

    (Credit: Tyler Hayes)

    This was a tough one for me. The Apple Watch has become so critical to my fitness routine that I had to break this experiment on my daily 35-minute run. All 8,000 miles I’ve run over the last six years have been captured on my Apple Watch and stored in Apple Health, and I didn’t want to break that streak. My strongest argument here is that I run without my phone, which offers a lightweight way to track my distance, heart rate, and location, make calls, and stream music.

    Recommended by Our Editors

    Even if you aren’t trying to close your exercise rings every day, the Apple Watch may be worth it for the health tracking alone, from alerts about high or low heart rates and falls to ECG readings and data about VO2 max and blood oxygen levels.

    The Verdict

    This experiment helped solidify how much I need and like using the Apple Watch. Notifications have changed how often I mindlessly pick up my phone, while the Workouts app has become an integral part of my fitness regimen. Everything else can be classified as a nice-to-have, but all those niceties add up and could push you into the Apple Watch camp if you’re deciding among a smartwatch, smart ring, or budget fitness tracker.

    So, I’m not ditching my Apple Watch. But my biggest realization is that I don’t need to wear it all day, every day. Apple needs to keep innovating (ahem, battery life for sleep tracking) if it wants its wearable to remain on top.

    One way Apple could make its Apple Watch feel more necessary to more people is to deeply integrate its new Siri AI and make the watch a fully capable personal assistant. Stay tuned for the watchOS 27 launch this fall to see if Apple can deliver.

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