If you are an iPhone user and you want a smartwatch, the choice is easy — get an Apple Watch. A powerful smartwatch is not just about hardware but how it integrates with the software. And just when we thought things can’t get any better, Apple has announced watchOS8, which is coming to your Apple Watch this fall (the developer beta 8 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com). Here are some of the new features you can expect, besides two new popular workout types that are beneficial for both physical fitness and mindful movement — tai chi and pilates.
Portraits on your wrist
One of the notable features that’s come with watchOS 8 is a new Portraits watch face. Each time you take a photo using the Portrait Mode on your iPhone’s camera, there is a lot of information about the depth of the photo, using which the phone is able to separate a subject from its background. The Portrait face will use the same information to add a 3D-like look to your watch face, meaning the clock can be in front or behind the person.
Mindfulness
The Breathe app has been expanded to become the Mindfulness app. More people than ever have been taking their Apple Watch’s suggestion to take a couple of minutes to breathe easy. With Mindfulness, you will have an enhanced Breathe experience, plus a new session type, Reflect. For as little as one minute the Watch asks you to reflect and think of something that calms you, like doing something that brings you joy or reflecting on the one thing you are grateful for. Both the Breathe and Reflect experiences feature beautiful new animations.
Multiple timers
Cooking dinner, doing laundry, exercising… everyone needs multiple timers. And it’s coming to watchOS 8. For example, while baking a complicated cake, you need multiple timers for the different elements. And there are times when you need an overall workout timer with smaller countdowns within it. And each timer can be labeled via Siri. Now what we want is syncing the timers between the Apple Watch and the iPhone. Sounds simple but….
Always-on update
Always-on display was first seen on the Apple Watch 5. But it needed to be extended to apps which have been open for long. There will be always-on-display support for more apps, including Maps, Mindfulness, Now Playing, Phone, Podcasts, Stopwatch, Timers and Voice Memos. The new Always-on API allows developers to create Always-on experiences for third-party apps, too.
Sleep monitoring
When sleeping, the Watch will be able to calculate respiratory rate in watchOS 8, which is an important metric and offer an insight into overall health as it fluctuates over time. Sleeping respiratory rate is the number of breaths per minute. Apple Watch uses the built-in accelerometer to measure respiratory rate while sleeping, and this information can be viewed, along with trends over time, in the Health app on iPhone.
Communication tools
Apple Watch just took the Messages app to a new level with a combination of Scribble, dictation, and emoji all within the same message. Besides an option to edit dictated text, the device now supports sending GIFs in Messages with watchOS 8, and there’s now a Contacts app to make it easier to get in touch with people when an iPhone isn’t available.
