During Apple's WWDC keynote event today in Cupertino, company execs announced, among other things, the latest Apple Watch software: watchOS 12, er, watchOS 26. Like iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest, the latest generation of watchOS will now be appended with the upcoming year, instead of a sequential number. What would have been watchOS 12, is now watchOS 26.
Aside from the new name, there's a new look for watchOS, too. Apple gave its entire suite of software a redesign, one that takes aesthetic cues and the "physicality and richness" of visionOS, the software used in the company's VR headset, the Vision Pro. It's the biggest redesign since iOS 7. The look is called "liquid glass" and dynamically reacts to movement and responds to the content on screen. Menus now better fit to the rounded corners of the hardware. Notifications and other information now involve translucent backgrounds, giving the interface a glass-like appearance.
The watchOS 26 also brings new features including Workout Buddy, an AI that will verbally talk you through your next run while also congratulating you on your accomplishments. The text-to-speech model is built on the voices of Fitness+ trainers and draws on data from your Workout and Health history. This is one of the first significant applications of Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch.
Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watches Series 6 or later, the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 and you'll need an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby along with Bluetooth headphones connected to your watch.
Apple Intelligence upgrades will also make the Smart Stack more useful with a predictive algorithm that gathers information such as your location, time of day and routine to better bring up relevant apps in the Stack. The example given was showing you a workout card when you arrive at the gym in the morning.
Apple's AI will also make Messages smarter in watchOS 26. Now, an analysis of your incoming messages will generate suggested replies, expanding on the current suite of quick replies — meaning you may actually want to use one of the canned responses. That should make it easier to communicate without puling out your phone.
A new gesture will also let you dismiss messages — or other notifications — that you're not ready to deal with by flicking your wrist. A quick twist of your wrist away from you and back will return you to the watch screen. The wrist flick is available on the Series 9, Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
This latest suite of features join those announced during last year's WWDC, in which Apple previewed watchOS 11. The best of the bunch (for me anyway) was the ability to pause your Rings for a day in the Activity app. Other features included a Training Load metric that rates your efforts during exercise, comparing it with your output over time, and the Vitals app, which tracks overnight health metrics for those who wear their watch to bed.
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