Of all the operating systems that will be launched at WWDC, watchOS generally receives the least attention. But a new report says version 10 will be the surprise hit of WWDC, bringing a “fairly comprehensive upgrade”.
According Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to deliver a substantial watchOS upgrade this year, unlike iOS 17 and macOS 14, which are expected to have few blockbuster features. Gurman doesn’t divulge any details about what Apple might be planning, but says he expects “noticeable changes to the user interface.”
On the contrary, watchOS 9 is an extremely minor update, with low power mode, a few new workout features, support for medication tracking, and some improvements to the Sleep app.
While the Apple Watch has undergone several design changes over the years, WatchOS has remained remarkably consistent. Every year Apple brings a few new features and apps, and a handful of watch faces, but it has yet to undergo a massive overhaul like iOS 7 or Mac OS X. It’s unclear if that update will follow. these lines or will bring less obvious changes like watchOS 3, but Gurman says watchOS will have a great year “given that Apple Watch hardware updates will be anything but major.”
WWDC kicks off June 5 with a keynote at 10:00 a.m. PT where Apple will preview 2023 updates to its suite of operating systems, including iOS 17, macOS 14, and watchOS 10. It could also to be the launch of Apple’s first AR headset with xrOS. It has already been reported that iOS 17 and macOS 14 will have fewer new features than usual due to Apple’s focus on developing its AR headset.
