Español Apple has just finished the presentation of its WWDC conference for developers, where it annually announces all its news for next year. This presentation is more focused on software and operating systems and not so much on hardware, although this year there are quite a few new features in that aspect, especially regarding Vision Pro.
But that's not my topic, so here I come to tell you all about the new features coming to the Apple Watch through WatchOS 10.
Cycling on Apple WatchOS 10
After Apple has done a lot of work on running and its sport profile, it's time for cycling! Apple announces support for external sensors for speed, cadence and especially power.
Along with these sensors there is a new FTP estimation function without the need to perform a specific max test. Simply with heart rate and power data (so you will need a potentiometer). And from that FTP we will have the different training zones.
We have a remote display function. It's similar to what exists in Garmin or Wahoo, but instead of using a cyclocomputer to send the data from the watch to, what Apple does is "send" that data to the phone screen, thus having the watch as the device that records and logs all the data and the phone acting as the "dumb" device that simply displays that data remotely on a larger screen.
Hiking with maps
There are also things for hiking. A couple of interesting options for safety is that the watch will automatically record waypoints to have them available in case of need.
- First of all, the clock will register the last point where we have coverage from our operator. That is, that point where podemos back if we want to make a phone call or send a message to someone in particular, where we still have normal service from our operator.
- The second of the points it records is the last mobile connection point of any operator, where the signal has been completely terminated. You know that mobile terminals can access the network of any operator to make emergency calls to 112.
These waypoints are displayed in 3D, so there will be some reference information to know at what altitude they are located and if we have to go up or down to return to them, since it is not a navigation map but a point on a three-dimensional plane.
Topographic maps are added, for the moment only in the USA but as usual in Apple they will be extended to more countries in the future. These maps have information such as contour lines, height, gradients, POIs, etc.
You will also have information about nearby routes with information about the level needed to navigate it, total elevation, distance, etc.
APIs for developers
Apple opens an API for developers to make use of the internal motion sensors of the watch. Through it, 1TP7 will be able to use the motion sensors and, from here, the sky is the limit...
For example I can think of some kind of application for swimming, which analyzes the stroke and all the moments of it. I don't know, just to give ideas...
There is also a new API for workouts, of which TrainingPeaks is already a part. This allows TP in this case (and any other developer who wants to make use of the API) to send workouts to the Apple Watch so that they can be performed natively with the default app.
News in general
All this in terms of sport, but there are also a number of other new features.
- Namedrop, a feature to share your own contact with another person by simply bringing your Apple Watch or iPhone close to them, initiating communication presumably via NFC and then transmitting via Bluetooth
- Widgets are added, which can be added to any screen area and from different applications.
- Two new watch faces. Palette and one of Snoopy... the latter is reason enough to buy an Apple Watch.
- Native apps make better use of the screen, with buttons, crown use, etc.
This is a quick summary of the news presented today, which will surely be detailed in greater detail in the coming days.
And with that... thanks for reading!
Thank you Eduardo, as always for summarizing the highlights.
The truth is that linking the potentiometer for cycling and linking the TP workouts was a "must". I bought the ultra and I have it in a drawer for that reason. Let's see if I can use it now and dust it off.
Do you think stryd will also poder link "natively"? or will it still be as its own app... to poder use the native Triathlon feature of the apple watch.
I doubt it, because it is not a standard but something specific to Stryd. And taking into account that Apple calculates the power on its side....
I see that you are looking more and more for the athlete profile, but how do you handle the battery life issue, which is your Achilles heel?
With the Ultra the autonomy increased a lot, but it is still its main limitation, especially if we compare it with dedicated watches.