All New Apple Watch Features Announced at WWDC 2019
Apple’s WWDC press conference was packed with new features for all of its many operating systems, and watchOS 6 for Apple Watch introduced some of the most exciting – including a new app store, various enhancements, additions to state-tracking features, and even some new aesthetics. options. Here are all the watchOS 6 features Apple showcased at WWDC 2019.
WatchOS Apps and App Store
One of the biggest changes to watchOS was the announcement that the Apple Watch will now have its own app store. Users will be able to view, buy, and download the watchOS app right on their Apple Watch.
Part of the announcement of the new watchOS App Store was confirmation of new native Apple Watch apps that will run on the device, regardless of the iPhone or iPad. These include new apps developed using Apple’s recently released watchOS Audio Streaming API. This means dedicated audio streaming apps can run on Apple Watch without the need for iOS devices. One such application is the MLB Radio app, which lets you stream games live to your Apple Watch.
Other new Apple Watch apps include a voice memo app, a new audiobook app, and a built-in calculator with tip calculator that can even split a bill among multiple payers.
New health features
Apple also announced new and expanded health and wellness features available in watchOS 6.
- Activity Trends: New “trends” in the Apple Activity app will track your daily activity and provide users with data on how their activity levels change over time. They can tell you if you are supporting, improving, or even regressing. Apple says they are focused on long-term motivation.
- Menstrual Cycle Tracking: With watchOS 6, Apple Watch now helps users track their menstrual cycles. The user will be able to track specific symptoms and severity, and after a while will receive information about their expected cycle. Likewise, those trying to conceive will also be able to track their fertility window in the app. Announced as the first for watchOS, the cycle tracker is also available in the iOS app.
- Hearing Health: Using the Apple Watch’s built-in microphone, this feature detects decibel levels and warns that sounds around you could be harmful to your hearing. While this is a smart feature, we all know that the devices recording us can be sketchy. Fortunately, Apple Watch does not record or store audio using the Hearing Health feature. Instead, the app will periodically sample from the Apple Watch microphone and do so entirely on the device rather than on remote servers.
- Private iOS app health tracking: All of the above health and wellness data tracked by your Apple Watch and more can be viewed on both the watch and the iOS Health app. Apple states that this information is kept private and local on your devices or encrypted in iCloud, and nothing is transferred without your explicit permission. Users can choose how much health information they will share.
New dials, straps
There will also be new watch faces. Among the most interesting are the new Gradient face, which allows users to apply a custom gradient color scheme from a set of colors; Two new extra-large dials that will display large numbers on the watch, it shows huge numbers, with selectable fonts and colors; and a sun-tracker face that will display the current position of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
Apple Watch can also display new types of on-screen information, such as how much is left in the current audiobook, new precipitation and weather information, and ambient noise levels.
Finally, new colors and watch bands have been announced, including a new Pride-style rainbow strap.