watchOS 10 is now in its second public beta release in anticipation of a full release in late September if everything follows the usual pattern. For the last few years, Apple has added new features such as ECG, cycle tracking, blood oxygen, temperature and, if you have an Apple Watch Ultra, diving tools and several other features. But the watchOS user experience (UX) has remained largely unchanged. But watchOS 10 shakes things up.
The buttons get a new game
The two buttons on the side of every Apple Watch (even though I’m testing watchOS 10 on an Apple Watch Ultra I’ll stick to what we’ll see on the regular Apple Watch for this) have been given a new lease on life.
When the Digital Crown is turned while viewing your preferred watch face, it now invokes a set of customisable widgets dubbed Smart Stack. This drastically reduces the number of taps it takes to get to your preferred information. I can foresee many developers creating widgets for their apps. You can also access Smart Stacks by swiping up from the bottom of the Apple Watch screen.
Double-pressing the Digital Crown displays the list of recent applications.
As well as making it easier to access information, the new widgets overcome one of the complaints many Apple Watch owners make. Rather than loading up your watch face with lots of Complications, you can access a plethora of information sources with a simple roll of the Digital Crown.
Pressing the Digital Crown opens your list of installed applications, as it has done since the first Apple Watch was released.
The Side Button displays the Control Center with emergency communication options available when the side button is held rather than pressed (these vary depending on what model Apple Watch you have).
watchOS 10 gets Smart Stacks of Widgets
Widgets have had a mixed history with Apple. They have come and gone on OS X and macOS and they’ve been part of iOS and iPadOS for a while but developers haven’t really got behind them. There are some nice ones around but, aside from the ones Apple has created, there aren’t that many I’ve found super useful.
With watchOS 10 that changes. Widgets are made accessible and useful. A quick roll of the Digital Crown and there’s ready access to a bunch of useful information. Once watchOS 10 is formally released, I expect developers to potentially shift their attention away from creating Complications towards widgets.
Workouts continues to improve
One of the most important use-cases for the Apple Watch is health, fitness and well-being. Apple has added a bunch of new features – some significant and other that are better classed as refinements rather new features. Among them are:
- Support for Bluetooth cycling accessories (alas, Apple has not seen fit to support ANT+ with the Apple Watch or iPhone)
- Enabling cycling workouts to show up on your iPhone as a Live Activity (super handy if you mount your iPhone on your handlebars on a ride)
- New views in the Compass app that give a 3D view of your hikes as well as topographic maps. If you’re in the USA, there’s extra trail information as well
- A Journal option to let you record how you’re feeling as a way to help you track and manage your mental health
Some subtle changes
Each time I do something with watchOS 10, I find some little change or refinement. For example, when I started a run yesterday, the countdown timer that precedes the activity now tells me what sort of workout I’m starting. There have been times when I’ve accidentally tapped the wrong workout type so this is a nice change.
There are some new watch faCes based on the Charles M Schultz Peanuts comic strip. They’re cute but not really my thing. I prefer to see useful information on my screen.
Many of Apple’s default apps have been given a facelift. Since the Apple Watch’s initial release in 2015 the standard apps have not changed much. But over the last eight years, screen sizes have increased, with by making the devices slightly larger and by using new manufacturing techniques to shrink the bezels.
The revised apps now use more of the screen space to show more information and to make navigation easier.
watchOS 10 will be a significant change for many Apple Watch owners. There are some significant changes and dozens of smaller, more subtle updates that will make life easier for Apple Watch owners. Every tap will be like a journey into the unknown. From what I’ve seen in the public beta, that journey looks to be pleasant.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.