Tucked behind a slew of other updates this year, Apple has finally announced the release of watchOS 11, which consumers will be able to download onto their devices later this year. Public release date: likely between September 16 and September 23.
The update includes one attribute that many Apple Watch users will likely welcome. Some have been waiting up to nine years for its arrival…
Apple Park announcement includes Vitals app reveal
Vitals will only be available on Apple Watch. According to the Apple app store, its primary function is to bring together key health metrics and “give you a deeper understanding of your daily health status”.
Its features include:
- Average heart rate
- Respiratory rate
- Blood oxygen
- Wrist temperature
- Sleep duration from the previous night
- Metrics classified as typical or outlier based on your typical range
- Notifications when multiple metrics are out of your typical range, with a tailored message providing better context on your health.
- Detailed history of your metrics in the Health app
The update will be compatible with watchOS 11.0 or later. It has an age rating of 4 and over. The update will be free to download.
Note, however, that the ability to measure blood oxygen isn’t available on units sold in the US on or after January 18, 2024. If you’re unsure, check your part number. If it ends in LW/A, it won’t support blood oxygen measurements.
Some other neat features for pregnant people to experiment with
Apple’s newsroom also emphasizes what it calls “additional support during pregnancy”. This something the company says its latest update will offer across watch OS 11, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
“When users log a pregnancy in the Health app on iPhone or iPad,” the site reads, “the Cycle Tracking app on Apple Watch will show their gestational age and allow them to log symptoms for things frequently experienced during pregnancy.”
Pregnant users can also opt in for reminders to take regular mental health assessments. And Walking Steadiness, which the iPhone will be able to measure, can alert users of potential fall risk during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Read the newsroom’s full update for more information.
Strange discoveries over the Apple Watch update
Technology updates often cause a splash on social media, and the Apple Watch software update is no exception. Some are impressed with the new features; others are of the opinion that not all tech releases are made equal.
X user Massimo posted a curious video of a lion wearing an Apple Watch… on its tongue. He commented that a wildlife vet and conservationist had demonstrated an “offbeat, but ingenious” use of the gadget.
“If you didn’t track it, it didn’t happen,” commented a different user on a post about pop stars having to take off their Apple Watches before performing a show.
Meanwhile, user Max Weinbach celebrated the new watch’s sleep tracking capabilities. It’s now automatic, he says, meaning you no longer need to set sleep focus. An update nine years in the making, which Apple Watch users will finally be able to take advantage following the operating system’s public release in September this year.
