watchOS 6: Your Apple Watch is getting some big new features this year
Apple will soon update the operating system on its range of smartwatches, and a new leak has shown that there are some major changes in store, including easier app downloads, new health-focused features and plenty more.
Read on for the full rundown of new features you can look forward to on the likes of the Apple Watch 4 and Apple Watch 3.
Related: Best smartwatches
Expected to be announced at WWDC 2019 in June, Bloomberg has published what appears to be the full prospectus of new apps and software tweaks for watchOS 6:
- The App Store is finally coming to the Apple Watch, which means users will be able to download apps directly from their wrist, rather than using the Watch companion app on an iOS device.
- Apple Books is also coming to the Apple Watch, making audiobooks accessible directly from your wrist while you’re on the go.
- Voice Memo is coming to the Apple Watch from other Apple devices, giving you the handy option of recording memos by speaking into your wrist.
- Animoji and Memoji – the
sillyhighly popular customisable and personalisable emoji tools – will be synchronised to Apple Watch via iPhone. - The Calculator app will be available on your smartwatch.
- New ‘complications’ will appear on the display. These are mini updates which complement your main watch face and will now extend to include audiobooks, hearing aid battery life, external noise and rain data.
- Two new health-orientated apps are coming: Dose (for pill reminders) and Cycles (to track menstrual cycles).
- New watch face designs named Gradient, X-Large, California, Solar Analog, and Infograph Subdial.
The new changes will be applied via software update to existing Apple wearables, including the Apple Watch 3 and Apple Watch 4, as well as any upcoming Apple smartwatches, like the rumoured Apple Watch 5.
Read more: Best fitness trackers
These latest software updates, taken in the context of upcoming macOS and iOS updates, show that Apple is keen to integrate all of its apps and operating systems further, perhaps with the goal of one cross-platform App Store.
Are you looking forward to upgrading to watchOS 6? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.