Next Apple Watch operating system update, watchOS 7 bets on subtle improvements
While the news from iOS 14 to the iPhone and the transition from macOS to ARM processors dominated ps-WWDC conversations, the new features in watchOS 7, announced at the same event, also promise improvements to the Apple Watch usage experience when the update is released in late 2020.
In that post we have listed five new features, in addition to several small improvements linked to them, which owners of the latest models of Apple's smart watch will be able to enjoy – free of charge – soon.
Sleep Monitoring
With watchOS 7, Apple meets one of the biggest demands of Apple Watch buyers: a standard sleep monitoring app, built into the watch's operating system.
However, those who expected advanced analyzes of the sleep phases, such as those offered by competitors like Xiaomi and Fitbit, will be disappointed, because the new app, called Sleep (Sleep), focuses on basic features, such as alerts and the duration of the sleep period.
New sleep app from watchOS 7 monitors the amount of hours you spent lying and sleepingThe quality of sleep analyzes made by clocks and smart bracelets – usually using data collected by the device's accelerometers and cardiac sensors – questioned by several experts, which may have led Apple to bet on more basic features in the initial version of the app.
There is also a chance that the company will be saving the most advanced sleep monitoring features for the Apple Watch Series 6, due out in September this year, and coming equipped with hardware most appropriate for that task.
Sleep mode activated when Apple Watch detects that you have gone to bedThat said, the user can use the Sleep app to set a schedule, with different sleep goals for the weekends, for example. With this, the Apple Watch will send reminders so that the user gets ready to sleep at the appropriate time and charge the watch before bedtime, in case the battery level is below 30%.
Upon detecting that the user has gone to bed, the watch activates the Sleep Mode (Sleep Mode), which reduces screen brightness and turns off notifications. This mode also has a new specific display, which displays only the current time, date and time of the alarm. Upon waking up, the Apple Watch shows the user the weather forecast for the new day and the battery level of the watch.
Sleep goalsFinally, the number of hours the user spent in bed and slept can be viewed in graphs both in the Apple Watch Sleep app and in the app Sade iPhone. Apple differentiates the period the user spends in bed, with the intention of sleeping, from the period in which the user actually fell asleep.
Automatic Hand Wash Detection
One of the most talked about features of watchOS 7, due to the current pandemic scenario, the Apple Watch's ability to detect that the user is washing hands and automatically start a counter. This feature is for the person to continue washing for the period recommended by global health organizations, which is 20 seconds.
WatchOS 7 makes sure you wash your handsThe detection is made using Machine Learning models, the movement of the user's hands and the noise, captured by the microphone of the watch, of the water and soap being rubbed. The entire process performed directly on the device, without sending data over the internet.
If you are curious, in the Sade app, the user can follow the number of times he washed his hands and the duration of each wash. The app also offers information about the importance of washing your hands to avoid contamination by viruses and bacteria.
Finally, it is possible to enable a reminder by location, so that the Apple Watch will remind the user to wash their hands whenever they return home.
New Dials
Every update of watchOS brings new dials and this year will be no different, with emphasis on the new Crongrafo Pro dial and updates on the GG and Photos dials.
Photo, GG and Crongrafo Pro dialsThe Crongrafo Pro has a tachometer as its main differential, to calculate the speed based on the time traveled over a fixed distance. The Photos dial now applies color filters to the photos used as the background. Finally, the GG dial, whose characteristic is the display of time using enormous numbers, gained the option of showing a complication, also in giant size.
Multiple Complications by Application
Speaking of complications, as widgets that display different information on Apple Watch displays are called, with watchOS 7 a display can display more than one complication of the same application. This allows you to assemble fully customized displays with the information and commands of an application.
Dawn Patrol, Glow Baby and Nike RunningApple has provided some examples of how developers and users can make use of this feature: surfing apps, like Dawn Patrol, can offer specific complications for wind speed, wave size and sea water temperature.
Glow Baby, on the other hand, an app for parents of newborns, has set up a display with complications for feeding times, changing diapers and putting the baby to sleep. Finally, the Nike Running Club, a well-known app for runners, displays the pace, distance and weekly goal in a personalized display.
New Exercises
One of the most popular native applications on the Apple Watch, the Exercise, gain support for four new types of activities: Dana, Core Training, Functional Training and Post-workout Cooling.
Dance support in the Exercise appApple made a point of highlighting the innovations needed to ensure the accuracy of the calorie count during dance exercises. The movements performed in this type of activity are not necessarily repetitive, so the company has developed an algorithm capable of combining the data from the Apple Watch accelerometer, gyroscope and cardiac sensor to calculate calorie burn.
Four dance styles have been validated by Apple for use with the Exercise app on watchOS 7: Bollywood, cardio, hip-hop and Latino.
WatchOS 7 Public Beta
This year, for the first time, Apple made available a public test version of watchOS. Any user, and not just registered developers, can install the system beta on an Apple Watch.
That said, beta versions have bugs and not all features can work properly, so it’s not advisable to install it on the Apple Watch you use every day.
The launch of the final version of watchOS 7 is scheduled for spring 2020 (between late September and December) and will be available for the Series 3, Series 4 and Series 5 models, which are paired to iPhones with the iOS 14 update, to be released in the same period.
Sources: Apple, Digital Trends and Ars Technica.