Apple on Monday debuted watchOS 4, the upcoming operating system for their popular Apple Watch line of wearable devices. The new OS, now in beta, brings a number of new features to the Watch lineup.
watchOS 4 features a new proactive Siri watch face design to display information users need most throughout the day, personalized Activity coaching and an entirely new music experience. An enhanced Workout app comes along for the ride, and the new OS offers GymKit, a new technology platform that will offer customers connected workouts with cardio equipment.
Siri Intelligence
The new Siri watch face offers information dynamically updated, based on the time of day, your daily routine, and data collected from the Activity, Alarms, Breathe, Calendar, Maps, Reminders and Wallet apps. It will also include headlines from the new Apple New app for Apple Watch.
Activity
The watchOS 4 Activity app will offer intelligent coaching, and tailored encouragement. The new features are designed to help close those all-important activity rings more often, hopefully leading to longer streaks of success. (More than my usual two day streaks? Color me intrigued.)
Each morning, users will receive a personalized notification letting them know if they’re close to earning an achievement, or with suggestions on how to match yesterday’s activity levels. Toward the end of the day, they’ll be shown how much more activity they need to close their rings for the day. Unique monthly challenges will also be made available.
Music
The Music app has been redesigned, and auto-syncs your New Music Mix, Favorites Mix and most listened to music.
Fitness
The updated Workout app offers pool swim workouts and new motion and heart rate algorithms for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. Back-to-back workouts can now be combined to capture a user’s overall calorie and time measurements.
Apple’s GymKit will allow pairing the Apple Watch with treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes or stair steppers from global manufacturers such as Life Fitness and Technogym with a simple tap.
Watch Faces and Bands
Along with the new Siri watch face, watchOS 4 brings new Disney character watch faces to the mix. Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story series of films and TV shows will make an appearance, while a Kaleidoscope watch face turns static images into mesmerizing patterns. New complications include Now Playing and Apple News.
Apple also debuted new summer Apple Watch band colors, including vibrant Sports Bands, a bright yellow Classic Buckle and Nike Sport Band options that color-match with the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit Day to Night Collection. Apple is also offering a Pride Edition Woven Nylon Band in rainbow stripe.
Person to Person Payments with Apple Pay
Apple Watch users will be able to make and receive secure person-to-person payments, with friends and family via Apple Pay within Messages or by using Siri. When users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash account and can use it instantly to send to someone or make purchases using Apple Pay in stores and apps, or transfer it to their bank account.
It should be noted that this is merely the first beta of watchOS 4, and things can change a lot between now and the fall, when the new operating system will hit Apple Watches everywhere. So, stay tuned right here for more information in the days ahead.
