The most ‘underrated Apple product of the year’ making everyday life so much easier

It’s been another busy year of new Apple product launches and updates.

There have been flagship new devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but also plenty of software updates and new features rolled out across the tech giant’s suite of mobile and desktop devices.

And the company unveiled its first mixed reality headset - Vision Pro - which is due to go on sale in the US next year.

But it's a much more low-key update that many Apple users and tech experts have been raving about in recent weeks, and it’s probably not one you would expect.

Kate Kozuch, managing editor of social and video at Tom's Guide, posted about it on TikTok. She said: "I literally review Apple products for a living and out of all the devices and features that came out this year there's one that I think deserves a little bit more attention."

You can find it on Apple’s newest smartwatches - the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

It's called Double Tap.

It’s a gesture feature that means users can interact with their Apple Watch without having to touch it - for example if you're carrying shopping bags or are in the middle of cooking dinner.

"It's one of the most convenience-focused products I've seen from Apple ever," Kozuch said.

All you need to do is raise your wrist and double tap your index finger and thumb together on your watch-wearing hand to use it.

It can be used to answer or end a phone call, for example.

Or, you can even use it to move through your Apple Watch menu, with each double tap moving you through the app cards on your Watch menu.

Some users and reviewers have also been pointing out the usefulness of the feature as new way of remotely operating their iPhone camera, building the Watch’s existing capability as an iPhone camera remote by letting users just double tap once their camera is set up and they’re ready for their picture.

So you'll no longer have to set up your phone and run into position before the timer goes off and your camera flashes.

The only downside to Double Tap?

Right now it is only available on the two newest Apple Watches - the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 that were released in September.

Hopefully, the early success of the feature means Apple will roll it out more widely, to other Apple Watch devices, in the months and years to come.