During the WWDC 2022 keynote, Apple revealed WatchOS 9, the latest firmware for the Apple Watch. Along with WatchOS 9, Apple also introduced macOS Ventura, the next version of macOS, which is only available to Apple’s Developer Member. Next month, a public beta of watchOS 9 and macOS Ventura will be released, with a full release in autumn 2022, around the same time as the iPhone 14.
WATCHOS 9: EVERYTHING NEW
Apple’s WatchOS 9 brings a slew of new health and fitness capabilities, new watch faces, and an improved user experience. AFib History is a new feature in WatchOS 9 that allows users to track and monitor their atrial fibrillation over time. Users will be able to track if their heart develops abnormal signals over time, which will aid medical professionals in finding the best therapies and suggesting lifestyle changes. If you’ve been diagnosed with AFib, you’ll need to turn on AFib History manually. After that, the Apple Watch will display the proportion of time spent in AFib and when it occurs during the day.
Playtime, Astronomy, Lunar, and Metropolitan are four new Watch faces in WatchOS 9. In addition, the update adds new elements to workout modes, such as heart rate zones. Users can cycle between workout views and look at different metrics of training techniques using the Crown on their Apple Watch with WatchOS 9.
New running form measures such as Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation can also be added to Workout Views as metrics.
Sleep Stages are also included in WatchOS 9 for better sleep tracking. With WatchOS 9, the sleep tracking on Apple Watch now includes new REM, Core, and Deep sleep stages. A new Meds app also keeps track of a user’s medications and schedules.
Six additional keyboard languages will be available for Apple Watch users. A new Family Setup allows users to control their home devices from the Apple Watch. There’s also a new Watch Face editor, which lets users customize the look of their watch faces.
Apple will release WatchOS 9 to end consumers later this year, perhaps in the fall.
MACOS VENTURA: EVERYTHING NEW
Several new productivity and collaboration capabilities are included in macOS Ventura. A new Stage Manager displays all background apps in a single window. It displays all of the apps at a glance, right next to the one being used right now. Users can engage the Stage Manager directly from the Control Center to improve multitasking.
On Mac, System Preferences has also been revamped. System Preferences on the Mac in macOS Ventura resemble Settings on the iPhone and iPad. Furthermore, the company has updated Spotlight Search to provide more detailed results for your search queries.
The Continuity Camera feature in macOS Ventura allows you can utilize your iPhone as a webcam. With the new Continuity Camera functionality, users can obtain a multi-camera output on FaceTime chats using their iPhones.
Other improvements include MetalFX Upscaling for games and a new Clock app, and Memoji customizations. MacOS Ventura also adds the Shared Photo Library capability to Mac laptops, which was previously only available on iOS 16.