Apple previewed watchOS 9 at WWDC 2022. The firmware brings new functions to the Apple Watch and allows the user interface to be personalized even more. Overall, the innovations are very extensive.
watchOS 9 will be officially presented in September, together with the presentation of the iPhone 14 and iOS 16. Until then, Apple will use the time to further optimize the smartwatch firmware. But the announced innovations already show that this is a major update for the Apple Watch. In the future, users will not only be able to train more efficiently and track their sleep, Apple has also integrated a way to log atrial fibrillation.
“This fall, watchOS 9 takes the Apple Watch to a whole new level with science-backed insights into fitness, sleep and heart health. At the same time, users get even more creative ways to personalize their Apple Watch,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, of the update. TECHBOOK presents the innovations of watchOS 9.
Training app now shows how efficiently users train
Effective training is very important for many athletes – regardless of whether they see it as a hobby or are a professional athlete. Apple has optimized the training app in watchOS 9 for this target group. It now shows important measurement values for different training styles. This also includes heart rate zones, which provide information about how efficient a workout is. The Apple Watch calculates the values based on measurements from the various sensors and from stored data.
Interval training is also more in focus with the new watchOS 9. Apple has introduced Workouts that allow users to create structured workouts that include work and rest intervals.
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Track (combi) sports better
Smartwatches recognize movement, but not all are able to differentiate between running and cycling or swimming or are optimized for these sports. This is where Apple comes in and introduces new combination sports with watchOS 9, for example for triathletes. The Apple Watch can then switch between swimming, cycling and running in any order and track the respective training phases precisely and, if desired, evaluate them later using a diagram. The sections of the training are recognized by the movement sensors of the watch.
Even those users who “only” walk have new analysis options. Because with watchOS 9, the Apple Watch is able to determine data such as step length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. They can be viewed in the summary within the Health app after the workout.
When swimming, the Apple Watch automatically recognizes after the update thanks to Sensor Fusion when users are using a swimming board – a training style in which the arms remain relatively still. The watch records the training success including the distance covered in the pool in the workout summary. The measurement of the SWOLF value also comes with watchOS 9. It combines strokes with the time in seconds required for a length of the pool.
How does a smartwatch actually recognize movements and bodily functions? More about this in the video:
Improved sleep tracking
In addition to movements, the Apple Watch also measures sleep. watchOS 9 should give even more detailed insights into how restful sleep actually was – or not. The Apple Watch uses the acceleration and heart rate sensors to recognize the phase of sleep the wearer is currently in and records the measurements in a diagram together with additional measurements such as heart rate and respiratory rate. After waking up, a precise analysis of the sleep can be viewed and potential for improvement can be identified.
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Heart health on the Apple Watch
The Apple Watch has a heart rate monitor and an EKG app that users can already use to monitor their heart health. The measured values can be used to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), for example, which can prevent heart attacks at an early stage. Another decisive factor in these measurements is how long the atrial fibrillation lasts. Until now, there was hardly any way to measure the duration over a longer period of time with a smartwatch. However, with watchOS 9, users diagnosed with atrial fibrillation can enable the FDA-cleared “atrial fibrillation history feature.” This enables them to record even better when the heart rhythm is irregular and how long these phases last. The data collected in this way can be merged into a PDF and printed out for the doctor.
The function is specially designed for people aged 22 and over in the USA. It remains to be seen whether and in what way the “atrial fibrillation history function” will also be available in Germany.
More new features in watchOS 9
There are numerous other new health-related features in the Apple Watch update. These include, for example, the possibility of drug monitoring. The intake of all tablets, dietary supplements or other medication can be entered in a calendar. Here users also have a reminder function that draws attention to the upcoming intake.
Also new is the “Cardio Recovery” function, which provides estimates for cardio recovery for outdoor walking, running and hiking training types. But watchOS 9 also brings new watch faces, redesigned notifications designed to be less distracting, new Quick Actions, and a host of updated apps.
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These Apple Watch models will get WatchOS 9
As Apple states, the update to watchOS 9 is available for the Apple Watch 3 and all newer models. Provided that users use their smartwatch in combination with an iPhone running the new iOS 16. This means you must have at least an iPhone 8 to take advantage of all the new watchOS 9 features.
The beta version of the firmware can already be tested. For this, users must participate in the Apple Developer Program. The preliminary version to try out is available below developer.apple.com ready to download.