Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference offers a sneak peek into the new features planned by Apple to come in the next version of the software. Along with announcing the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, the company has also shed light on what is coming with the new watchOS 8 which will be launched with the Apple Watch Series 7. Here’s the list of features and improvements announced by the tech giant for the watchOS 8.
Portrait Photo Watchfaces
Apple has introduced some new watch faces with the new watchOS 8. It has also added Portrait photo watch faces using which users can make watch faces with a fancy version of the face of the loved ones.
Well, that’s the only watch face introduced by the company. Just as expected, there’s no support for third-party watch faces coming this year.
Apple Wallet
The tech giant expanded the use-case of Apple Wallet and now the new features are making their way to the watchOS as well. It now supports storing Hotel Room keys, car keys with UWB, and state IDs.
Fitness+
After adding support for Fitness+ last year, the company is now adding a new set of workouts with popular instructor Jeanette Jenkins, who teaches strength and HIIT. This is the second new instructor added since launch.
Along with that, Apple is also adding Artist Spotlights—or playlists based on a particular musician via Apple Music.
Photos
The Photos app has been redesigned to include memory highlights, featured photos, and favorites. It has also added a new mosaic layout, making it easier to share photos and messages.
Health & Fitness
In addition to sleep tracking, users are now able to track respiratory rate, or how many breaths you take per minute. The user will also be notified if a meaningful trend in the respiratory rate is detected.
After adding Dance Mode last year, the company is now adding tai chi and a new Pilates workout type. The new Mindfulness app now gives insights into how to be more reflective during the day.
With iPhones recording mobility data, users will now be able to see whether they’re at risk of falling. The feature also gives recommendations for movement exercises to increase strength and balance.
Apple is expanding on lab results by adding support to view results over time as well as offering extra context. The company is building a way for sharing health data directly with physicians. There’s also support for sharing relationships with family members to get notified of changes in their health.
