[imagesource:apple]
Apple is about to launch watchOS 11 along with the Apple Watch Series 10.
The update was announced by Apple at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) in June and comes packed with new and enhanced features that will benefit every type of Apple Watch user.
Digital Trends provides an in-depth look at watchOS 11, its features, and when you’ll be able to get it.
In addition to unveiling new iPhones, Apple is expected to introduce the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and perhaps the fourth-generation AirPods at its iPhone 16 event set for September 9. The first version of watchOS 11 is anticipated to be released for current Apple Watch users around this time.
The watchOS 11 update requires users to have the iPhone XS or later with iOS 18 installed. The update will come preinstalled on the 2024 Apple Watch models and will also work on the following existing Apple Watch models:
- Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
Remember, if your devices don’t match up and you’re in a position for an upgrade, Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer, offers trade-ins. This means you can swap your pre-used Apple goods in for a new model of your choosing, making an upgrade far more affordable.
So what will you get with the watchOS 11 upgrade? For starters, a revised Smart Stack.
Image: Apple /Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends
The Apple Watch’s Smart Stack tool, unveiled with watchOS 10, offered a quick glimpse at essential info, like the day’s weather, through sleek widgets. But with watchOS 11, Apple takes it up a notch. The enhanced Smart Stack now integrates time and location, delivering even more dynamic widgets and Live Activities right to your wrist. Picture this: a weather widget warns you of an approaching storm in your area, or a quick glance reveals the latest score from your favourite sports team. It’s more intuitive, more personalised, and more in tune with your world as you move through it.
WatchOS 11 is also finally making it possible to pause activity rings and customise them on a per-day basis.
Image: Apple /Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends
One of the most significant drawbacks of using the activity rings on Apple Watch has been the inability to skip a day without losing a streak or making adjustments for a specific day. Well, now, you can pause your rings for a day, week, or month, and your achievement streaks will continue where you left off when you return.
Then, the new Vitals feature in watchOS 11 makes it easier to see critical overnight health metrics that can tell you a lot about your overall well-being.
Image: Apple /Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends
These metrics include your heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen level, and sleep duration. Which metrics you can use depends on the Apple Watch version you have. For your well-being, this feature doesn’t just monitor your metrics; it also alerts you when something’s off. Even better, these alerts come with insights into what might be behind the change—whether it’s a new medication, a high elevation, alcohol consumption, or an illness. Talk about a life-saver.
WatchOS 11 will include at least three new workout tools, not including Training Load, which allows athletes and everyday users to see the stress and strain their bodies undergo during daily physical activities.
Image: Apple
Besides Training Load looking at the intensity and duration of each workout over the past week and then comparing it to what was done over the previous 28 days to classify the current training load on a scale from “well below” to “well above”, there are also additions of distance and route maps for workouts such as rowing in the new update.
With watchOS 11, you can now craft custom workouts tailored to your time in the pool. Plus, every custom workout includes an “Up Next” view, ensuring you’re always one step ahead, whether you’re diving into the deep end or powering through the next hill.
There is also an update to the Cycle Tracking in the Health app. In watchOS 11, Cycle Tracking is transformed if the user is pregnant. In those cases, the Health app will show the gestation age and track the pregnancy across all health charts.
Also, because the official Translate app has been very popular with iPhone users, translation capabilities are also available on the Apple Watch through the new update – even accessible through the new Smart Stack, making it constantly within your reach.
Plus, in watchOS 11, Apple will introduce a redesigned Photos watch face that uses machine learning to make the finished product look fresh. With this feature, you can either handpick photos from your existing collection in the Photos app or let Apple curate a selection based on image quality and subject matter. The outcome is a stunning new watch face that constantly evolves, with fresh content and designs to keep things captivating.
Depending on your interests, there are a few other watchOS 11 features worth exploring. Make sure to catch the big iPhone 16 event on September 9 so that you don’t miss out on what your watch can do to make your life easier.
You can also always pop into Digicape, where a dedicated assistant can answer all your questions and show you all the features on your Apple Watch worth knowing.
[source:digitaltrends]