The Apple Watch is the world’s most popular smartwatch and today, Apple is updating the operating system it runs on: watchOS. This is watchOS 4 and it focuses on making things easier for you with a brand new Siri watch face.
First, let’s talk about the new faces. Apple says that the Minnie and Mickey watch faces were a big hit, so with watchOS 4, they’re adding more beloved characters into the mix. These characters are Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear from everyone’s favourite movie about toys — Toy Story. These watch faces will play a quick (and quirky) animation every time you raise your wrist to look at your Apple Watch.
Apple’s also adding a new Kaleidoscope watch face that adds this morphing colour graphic which will constantly warp and give you a cool effect. You can also have it pick colours from a selected photo so you get a customised watch face. But the most significant new watch face is the Siri watch face.
This watch face is designed to give you information it thinks you need, based on a particular time of day. This information can come from a whole bunch of stuff like relevant news stories and even activity updates or reminders when you approach the end of the day.
Speaking of activity reminders, Apple also updated the Activity app on watchOS 4. This new app includes brand new animations for when you complete goals, prompts you more often to update you on your activity and even has monthly challenges.
Besides that, the Workout app also gets an update, making it easier for you to immediately start or stop a workout as well as add more workouts to your existing workout. Users can also swipe to the left to bring up the music tab and easily control their music while working out. It’ll also automatically import Apple Music playlists and supports multiple playlists. Besides that, it can also intelligently detect when you’ve completed a lap while swimming by detecting when you take a quick breather at the side of the pool.
Apple is also adding High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts to the Apple Watch.
Finally, Apple’s making it easier for you to sync your fitness data between devices. Not only will the new watchOS 4 come with Core Bluetooth (so you can connect it with smaller Bluetooth devices), but it can also sync with selected workout machines so you won’t get conflicting workout data.
Simply pair your Apple Watch with a supported workout machine via NFC, and you’re good to go. Apple also added a redesigned dock with a vertical interface for scrolling through apps. The developer preview of watchOS 4 will be available today while the public will be getting this update starting Fall.
