Apple has revealed the much-anticipated watchOS 10 for its Apple Watch at the Worldwide Developer Conference. With an updated user interface and a renewed emphasis on widgets, this release is marked as a significant update to Apple's smartwatch operating system.
The updated interface, designed for the first time in several years, aims to improve the user experience. The company is re-envisioning the role of apps on the smartwatch interface, moving towards widgets to deliver information and updates. This shift is a response to the decline in native apps from third-party providers in the Apple Watch App Store.
The new widgets, a combination of the iPhone's iOS 14 widgets and the original Apple Watch's Glances, allow users to scroll through updates for activities such as weather, calendar appointments, stocks, and more. These widgets will be updated throughout the day by machine learning, enabling users to access relevant information quickly and easily.
Notably, third-party apps will also be able to utilize these widgets, enhancing their visibility and utility on the smartwatch. The new interface layout aims to make data more easily accessible, streamlining the user experience with a simple turn of the Digital Crown.
The update also includes a revamp of core smartwatch apps, such as World Clock, Activity, and Apple Fitness+. New watch faces featuring Snoopy and Woodstock, along with a colorful Palette watch face, add to the visual appeal.
The Apple Watch also gained a new Cycling workout feature, with new metrics like "Power Zones," and the ability to connect to Bluetooth-enabled bike sensors. The Compass app has been upgraded with new waypoints, including the last place you had a cell signal and where you can make an emergency call.
Apple Maps will now provide topographic maps, trailheads, elevation gains, and more, starting in the U.S. Other Apple Watch apps, including Weather, Stocks, Home, and others, now utilize more of the Apple Watch display for more glanceable information.
Additionally, a new feature for the Mindfulness app lets users track their emotion and daily mood, promoting holistic health tracking.
With this release, Apple aims to revolutionize smartwatch usage, making information access more intuitive and streamlined.
