In about a week the annual World Wide Developer Conference will take place instead of. As part of this, Apple is introducing iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, macOS 10.16 and watchOS 7. Thanks to some leaks, we know what Apple is working on in watchOS 7 so far - below is a summary.
We recently summarized all the leaks about iOS 14 - now watchOS 7 follows. It is important to note that all of these details come from an early version of iOS 14 that was circulated at the beginning of the year. Whether Apple will actually present these discovered features at WWDC 2020 remains to be seen. A lot may have changed over the last few months. The US blog 9to5mac received an early version of iOS 14 this year and was able to reveal a whole series of features that Apple is working on. This leak is the biggest software leak in Apple's history.
watchOS 7: New watch faces
Apple adds new watch faces every year, which in most cases are compatible with all Apple Watch models - with the exception of the Infograph series. These are only compatible with Apple watches of the 4th generation or newer, as they require the larger display. So far there is Infograph and Infograph Modular. A third version of the multifunctional watch face could appear under watchOS 7 - namely Infograph Pro. This is said to have an integrated tachymeter. A tachymeter is an analog clock that is positioned around the actual watch face and allows the measurement of speed and distance based on travel time. In addition to the tachymeter, other elements can be added to the "Infograph Pro" watch face, including school time, child mode, sleep mode and more.
Dials can be shared
iOS 14 also brings another change in the area of watch faces. As is well known, users can use any photo as a watch face. The new option should make it possible to insert such an image not only from the local album but also from a shared album. This means that watchOS 7 grants access to photo albums shared in iCloud. There will also be a new watch face category called "International". According to the leak, "International" will display flags from different countries. According to this, the user should be able to select any flag they want under "International". Another new feature in the area of watch faces is the ability to share them with other users. As already described in an earlier article, Apple Watch users can share their configured watch faces with friends. However, exclusive watch faces such as those from the Nike and Hermès Edition are excluded.
The new kids mode
Over the last few months, a new mode called "Parental Control" has been discovered. This special control mode allows parents to manage their child's Apple Watch independently of the Apple ID via their own iPhone. There should also be functions in the area of communication limits. If the Apple Watch is set up in child mode, a change also appears in the activity rings. To be precise, the recording of the activity changes. While the red ring stands for movement and counts the calories, the green ring records the minutes of training. The blue ring evaluates the hours of standing. But are these metrics also suitable for children? If Apple has its way, not quite. The iOS 14 code shows that the red ring in child mode will record the total movement time in minutes instead of calories. The green and blue rings, however, remain the same.
watchOS 7: Measure oxygen levels in the blood
According to some leaks, Apple is planning to introduce two new health features this year. One of them is the measurement of the oxygen level in the blood. However, it remains to be seen whether the feature requires new hardware or is backwards compatible - if this is linked to a new Apple Watch, Apple will not present the function at WWDC 2020 but will present it together with the Apple Watch Series 6. Whatever the case, users should be able to measure the oxygen level in their blood. The oxygen saturation of the blood is in the normal range between 94 and 98 percent. A lower value is referred to as oxygen deficiency in the blood (hypoxemia). If hypoxemia occurs, heart and brain function, for example, can be impaired.
The ECG function is also improved
This significantly increases the risk of respiratory or cardiac arrest. This is where Apple comes in. The function is designed to automatically monitor oxygen saturation. If vital signs drop, the user is informed or warned via a push notification. The feature should essentially work like heart monitoring. However, the wearer will also be able to check the values manually. In addition, the ECG function in watchOS 7 is expected to be significantly improved and provide even more accurate values. Apple's work on a new app for monitoring sleep using the Apple Watch was revealed last year - leaks have also already suggested the feature. The problem: Here too, it is not known whether the function will be backwards compatible or whether it will require new hardware.
Sleep monitoring
The app will monitor sleep quality and analyze heart rate, noises, and movements. Since the app is fully integrated into the Apple Watch, it will also control activated alarms and push notifications so that the user is not disturbed during sleep. A set alarm will also be automatically deactivated if the user wakes up before it. So that the function can also work overnight, the Apple Watch will display a reminder every evening that the device needs to be charged. While some believe that the function will only be available from the Apple Watch Series 6 onwards due to the necessary battery capacity, others believe that Apple has found a solution and will also take older models into account.
watchOS 7: CarKey
If that's the case, both the Series 4 and Series 5 should benefit from it. The new Apple Watch operating system will also convert the device into a car key. As we have already reported, a feature called CarKey has been unveiled. Apple has been testing this for several iOS 13 point versions. Basically, users can use their iPhone or Apple Watch as a car key. CarKey works in a similar way to Apple Pay and of course requires a compatible car. The digital key is stored in the Wallet app and can also be shared with friends or family members. It allows you to unlock or lock and start the car via NFC.
It is not impossible that some of these functions will not be presented by Apple at all. Of course, the scope could also be larger. We will find out at the latest on June 22nd at WWDC 2020 - so the whole thing remains exciting as always. You don't have an Apple Watch yet? Then take a look at our Amazon Storefront - there you will find various models of the Series 3, 4 and 5. You are not sure whether you want a GPS or GPS+Cellular version? Then take a look at our comparison. There we show all Differences between the individual Apple Watch versions on. (Photo by raditya / Bigstockphoto)
