Apple on Tuesday released the watchOS 9, which brings new features, enhanced apps, and more personalisation to Apple Watch series. The new update brings more watch faces, updated workout app, advanced health and fitness metrics, and improved sleep app with advanced features.
The WatchOS 9 also brings a FDA-cleared AFib history feature for users diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib). The feature will provide deeper insights into the user’s conditions.
Availability: The watchOS 9 is available from Tuesday for Apple Watch Series 4 or later. It is compatilble with iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, which support iOS 16.
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What will change for Apple Watch users?
With the introduction of the watchOS 9, Apple users will get many new updates on their watches. Here are some major features to look out for:
Watch faces
The watchOS 9 comes with four new faces: Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan and Astronomy. According to Apple, the new update will bring “enhanced and modernised complications to some of the most classic watch faces, such as Utility, Simple, and Activity Analog, along with background colour editing for Modular, Modular Compact, and X-Large for additional personalisation.”
Workout app updates
Apple has updated the Workout app, one of its watches’ most popular app, to provide richer metrics for measuring performance, and new training experience. In the in-session display, Apple Watch users can now rotate between easy-to-read Workout Views using the Digital Crown. The feature will allow user to see important metrics for different training styles. Users can also new alerts, including pace, power, heart rate, and cadence, throughout their workout.
After the update, Heart Rate Zones in the workout app will also monitor the intensity of a workout. Additionally, the ap will also a new Multisport workout type that can automatically switch between any sequence of swimming, biking, and running workouts.
Updates for runners
Apple watchOS 9 provides new running form metrics, including Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation, which will help runners track the efficiency of their run. Apple Watch will also provide a new Pacer experience that will let users choose “a distance and goal for the time in which they want to complete a run, and calculates the pace required to achieve the goal.”
Moreover, with the new update, users can also race against their best or last result on frequently completed routes, and receive in-session pacing guidance.
Sleep Insights
With the latest update, Apple Watch can now detect sleep stages, where it can estimate when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep, and when they are awake. Users can also see sleep stage data on Sleep app on their watch.
AFib History
Users diagnosed with AFib can turn on the FDA-cleared AFib History feature2 in Apple Watch. With the new update, user can salso related information, including an estimate of how frequently a user’s heart rhythm shows signs of AFib, providing deeper insights into their condition. Users can also download the PDF with a detailed history of their AFib and lifestyle factors.
Privacy
With the new update, when a user’s iPhone will be locked, their health and fitness data in the Health app — other than Medical ID — will also be encrypted.
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