Apple WWDC 2023: 5 new features of the watchOS 10

To make your time-telling experience a pure delight!

Vidita Chandra 6 Jun 2023 03:13 PM

Apple has revealed their new WatchOS10, the operating system update for the Apple Watch. The update brings redesigned apps, Smart Stack, a feature that slaps relevant widgets right in front of your eyeballs when you need 'em most. And new watch faces.  Apple says it has put in some serious goodies for cycling enthusiasts by cramming a bunch of metrics, Workout Views, speed and cadence metrics. 

If you are a nature lover, hiker, or wanderer of the great outdoors, the WatchOS 10 will help you with its built-in Compass Waypoints and Maps capabilities. Apple hasn't forgotten about your mental well-being too. They've spruced up the Mindfulness app with extra tools to keep your noggin in tip-top shape. Let’s take you through the features in detail. Read on!

Redesigned apps

The update offers a slightly new visual language. The Weather app, the Stocks app, the Home app, Maps, Messages, the World Clock, and a bunch of others have all upped their game. And hogging more of that precious screen real estate, serving you bite-sized nuggets of info that you can gobble up at a glance. The Activity app on your Apple Watch and the Fitness app on your iPhone now has improved sharing options (because why keep those awesome achievements to yourself?), and even the trophy case got a makeover.

Smart Stack

The Smart Stack, as the name suggests, is like a deck of widgets that adapt to your needs and show you the apt info at the perfect time. How? Well, all you need to do is give that Digital Crown a little spin, and your watch face will transform into a trove of timely tidbits. If you have apps running, like your favourite Podcasts, they'll pop right up too, just a swipe away.

Watch faces

watchOS 10 introduces two new artistic and joyful watch faces: Palette and Snoopy. The Palette face depicts time in a wide variety of colours using three distinct overlapping layers, and as time changes, the colours on the display also shift. Additionally, the beloved comic strip Peanuts comes to life on Apple Watch with a new watch face featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. The characters interact and play with the watch hands, react to the weather conditions in the area, or even get active when the user does a workout.

Cycling and hiking

watchOS 10 take cycling to the next level with new features like Automatic Workout reminders, e-bike calorie tracking and Fall Detection. When you start a cycling workout on your Apple Watch, it appears as a Live Activity on your iPhone, offering a full-screen view. You get optimised Workout Views on your iPhone that display essential data like Heart Rate Zones, Elevation, Race Route, Custom Workouts, and a dedicated Cycling Speed view. You can also connect your Apple Watch to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories, unlocking new metrics such as cycling power and cadence. Algorithms combine sensor data to estimate your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and create personalised Power Zones for performance tracking. Additionally, the Compass app generates helpful waypoints for exploring the outdoors, including the last known cellular connection and emergency call locations. A new Elevation view and enhanced Apple Maps with topographic details and trail information make planning and navigating routes easy.

Mindfulness app

With the Mindfulness app in watchOS 10, you can discreetly log your momentary emotions and daily moods. You can turn the Digital Crown to scroll through engaging, multidimensional shapes to choose how you are feeling, select what is having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings. In the Health app in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, you can also see insights to identify what might be contributing to your state of mind — whether it’s associations or lifestyle factors, like sleep or exercise. 

Additionally, Apple says depression and anxiety assessments often used in clinics are now easily accessible in the Health app and can help you determine the risk level, connect to resources available in their region, and create a PDF to share with their doctor.