Apple may have the best smartwatch around, but there are still some areas where it lags behind the competition, especially in tracking exercise and sleep. With watchOS 9, the company offers an extensive list of workout updates, along with new clock dials, redesigned apps, and the ability to detect sleep zones. Now that the public beta is here, we can take a first look at whether the company can close these loopholes.
To install the watchOS beta, you must have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, as well as an iPhone with iOS 16 beta. This means that if you don’t want to risk losing your data, you may want to wait until an official release before upgrading.
Intense changes in training
Some of the most shocking updates are in the workouts. Apple added pages that present more data when you record an activity, so you can easily keep track of things like your segments and divisions or elevations. Of these new screens, my favorite is the Cardio Zones view, while the Activity Rings page is the least useful.
It was satisfying to see where my heart rate was during a 45-minute HIIT session, and the Apple Watch showed this information clearly. There were five different colored areas on the screen, and the one I was highlighted. Then, through the new Fitness app summary page, I learned that I had spent most of my time (about 22 minutes) in Zone 4, and Apple also usefully shows the heart rate range for each zone .
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Cardio sight is supposed to be available for all workouts, but I didn’t see it in activities like Yoga, Dance or Cooldown. However, they all support the new custom training feature, which allows you to create specific goals to focus on during the session. This is much more useful in activities related to distance or endurance, such as running, cycling, rowing, or HIIT, where Apple offers suggested templates such as 8 x 400 m reps, 1 mile reps, or 20 20 minute reps. seconds / 10 seconds. You will receive tactile and audio alerts when you reach your heart rate, distance, calories, or target time.
You can scroll down to set up your own, but this experience is quite inconsistent between different types of training. For some activities, you will have many options such as Peace, Distance, Calories or Time. For others, such as Open Water Swim or Rower, you’ll only see Calories and Time, along with a custom option that lets you set specific periods of work and recovery.
Not all activities will be compatible with distance or pace, so this inconsistency is understandable. Don’t expect the custom workout feature to behave the same way for all of your workouts.
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However, runners will find many of the watchOS 9 tools useful. Apple also added new runtime metrics such as step length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and something called Power. . The latter measures your sensitive power demand and is displayed as the number of watts. These new metrics are calculated automatically and are only available during outdoor workouts. You will also need to use an Apple Watch Series 6, Watch SE or later.
If you tend to run or bike on the same routes, watchOS 9 will also allow you to compete against yourself in the new race route feature. When you complete your outdoor running, outdoor cycling, or wheelchair workouts, your iPhone will use device processing to group similar routes. The next time you start one of these activities, the Route view will tell you if you are ahead or behind in your usual time, how far it is and will warn you if you deviate from the usual path. Apple has also added a new Pacer mode that allows you to set a target time to complete a distance that you specify, and then guide you to the pace needed to reach that goal. The Garmin and Samsung watches have similar features, so Apple isn’t moving forward here, but it’s nice to see it on watchOS.
I don’t usually ride a bike, swim, and run in a session, but for triathletes, the new Multisport training mode makes it easy to switch between the three activities so you don’t have to play with the clock. Apple also added support for Kickboard as an arm type, and swimmers can see a SWOLF efficiency score in their summaries.
New clock and interface dials
One of the nicest things about every watchOS update is the new faces, which offer a way to update the device. This time, Apple has not only added the ability to change the background color of existing options like Modular and X-Large, but also introduces new Playtime, Metropolitan and Lunar designs. The company also redesigned the Astronomy screen, and is similar to the iPhone version where you can choose between views of the earth, moon or solar system. Meanwhile, Lunar allows you to choose from Chinese, Hebrew, or Islamic calendars to display throughout the day.
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I never knew how much I would like to have the Chinese lunar calendar within reach until I added that face. It has Mandarin characters that tell me it’s currently the fifteenth day of the sixth month, and I can use that to count how far we are from the next Lunar New Year or my grandmother’s birthday (which my family bases on the Chinese calendar ).
Apple also redesigned the calendar app, making it easier to add new events from the wrist. Siri also no longer takes over the entire screen when activated, but appears as a floating orb on the clock.
Since I had set up Medications on my iPhone in the iOS 16 preview, I also received an alert on watchOS 9 when it came time to take my supplement. I could easily record that I had taken my medications, skipped them, or postponed the reminder.
Sleep areas and other updates
Speaking of snoozing, Apple also added sleep stage detection to watchOS 9, using accelerometer data and heart rate monitor. It will detect when you are awake and distinguish between areas such as REM, Core or Deep sleep. This feature is far behind, given that Fitbit has long been able to do so even with its mid-range fans. But even though I didn’t get to test Apple’s system in time for that preview, I hope to see how it compares when I do a full review.
Screenshot / Engadget
There are also some other updates I would like to spend more time with, such as additional metrics when I do a Fitness + workout. So far, my experience with watchOS 9 beta has been smooth and honestly just the workout view of the cardio zones has made the installation worthwhile (for a gym friend like me, of all ways). If you’re comfortable with the risk of running beta software and can’t wait for a stable release to get these new features, you’re likely to enjoy what Apple has to offer today.
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