Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has begun and as part of the showcase, the company has teased a range of new features set for the upcoming watchOS 11 update.
Along with updates to VisionOS, iOS, and MacOS, the company unveiled the latest big software update for Apple Watch, watchOS 11, which is set to bring long-awaited features.
The Apple Watch will now be able to track the amount of effort the user is putting into exercises via Training Load. It will reveal the level of exertion on a scale from 1 to 10 and provide personalised text-based advice.
This was a huge area where Apple was lacking, when compared with others in the market, such as the Whoop Strap 4.0, which focuses on strain and recovery.
The new Vitals app works with Training Load, sleep and heart rate tracking, and can learn the user’s baselines, and let them know when anything needs attention.
Now, the user can also pause the Watch’s fitness rings for a predetermined amount of time, if the need approaches for rest.
Smart Stack arrived on the Apple Watch with watchOS 10, and now has a minor update that sees widgets swapped in and out, depending on the current context of where the user is, or what time of day it is.
For instance, when the Watch understands the user is overseas, a widget for the translation app will appear at the top of Smart Stack, set to the language of the country the user is in.
There are no new watch faces, but Apple did reveal a moderate update was underway for the existing Photos watch face.
This update will allow it to automatically find the best pictures from the user’s library for the watch face and will determine the best spot to put the time.
Like the wallpaper and lockscreen on the iPhone, the user will also be able to change the photo to adopt one of several different colour profiles.
The beta version of watchOS 11 is available now for those who are a part of Apple’s Developer’s Program.
A public beta is expected in July, and the final version will likely arrive in September, along with the release of the upcoming Apple Watch 10.
