Apple unveiled watchOS 9 at the WWDC 2022 keynote on Monday. The new release of watchOS will help Apple Watch users better track their health and fitness, along with the ability to continuously monitor atrial fibrillation (AFib) and updated sleep tracking. Apple has also introduced the Medicines app through the new watchOS 9. In addition, watchOS 9 brings new watch faces and an updated user experience. To attract fitness enthusiasts, Apple has also come up with a new workout feature.
watchOS 9 availability
watchOS 9 The update is initially released for developers who are part of the Apple Developer Program. A public beta of watchOS 9 will reach users next month. Will also be available as a free software update for the latest watchOS apple watch series 4 or later added with iphone 8 or later iPhone SE (2020) or running later iOS 16 This fall (somewhere in September).
Features of watchOS 9
One of the biggest changes coming through watchOS 9 is the expansion of fitness and health tracking. The new watchOS release brings an AFib History feature that allows users to track and monitor atrial fibrillation status at a specific period – time of day or week. Users can also share PDF of their AFib pattern with their doctor.
The watchOS 9 release also brings four new watch faces, namely updated Astronomy, Lunar and Metropolitan along with Playtime. The update also brings new features to every type of workout, including heart rate zones. Additionally, there’s a new custom workout mode that lets you add alerts according to your workouts. Apple has also introduced a multi-sport workout type, which it claims is suing Sensor Fusion on the Apple Watch “to detect when you finish a stage of your race” And transition to the next so that it automatically switches between swimming, cycling and running.”
In addition to the updated workout experience, watchOS 9 brings Sleep Stages to enhance sleep tracking on the Apple Watch. The company claimed that the new addition is capable of detecting REM, core and deep sleep stages.
Apple’s watchOS 9 also includes a Medicines app that lets users carefully track their medicines, vitamins, and supplements from their wrist. Users can also use the iPhone camera to scan their medicine labels and add their data to a preloaded app on the Apple Watch.
The new watchOS release comes with a new Reminders app that lets users add or edit important details such as date and time, location, tags and notes. There’s also the new Calendar app that allows users to create new events directly from the Apple Watch.
During the keynote, Apple also noted that “health data is encrypted on the device and is not shared without your explicit permission.”
WatchOS 9 Features at a Glance
photo credit: apple
Apple Watch users through watchOS 9 will get support for six new keyboard languages as well as a new family setup so kids can control compatible home devices from their wrists. Furthermore, the new watchOS release comes with an updated watch face editor, which allows users to change the background color for the watch face.
The release of watchOS 9 sets the stage for new Apple Watch models, rumored to debut later this year, with improved designs and in three different variants. Plus, the new watchOS version is designed to make the Apple Watch a strong competitor against the smartwatches that run on Google. Wear OS whoever received lots of updates Feather I/O 2022 conference last month.
Apple will make watchOS 9 available for download later this year as a new software update for Apple Watch models.