Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A variety of Apple Watch software features are apparently coming soon.
- Some of the more notable features include a new low power mode and satellite connectivity for messages and alerts.
The Apple Watch wasn’t the first smartwatch on the market, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most popular watch lines out there. Now, a new leak may have dished out a host of software features coming in the near future.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman detailed a variety of apparent software features coming to the Apple Watch lineup soon in his Power On newsletter. He added that some of these features will arrive with the Apple Watch Series 8 later this year.
Two of the most significant upcoming features are a new low power mode and satellite connectivity for certain situations. In the case of the former, the new low power mode will work with apps and other features, as opposed to the previous low power mode only showing the clock. As for the latter, Apple will purportedly use satellites for short messages and emergency alerts in areas without cellular connectivity.
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Otherwise, Gurman also says that afib burden detection (measuring how often someone is in a state of atrial fibrillation), new workouts, and new watch faces are coming. The iPhone Health app is also expected to gain new tracking features related to sleep, women’s health, and medication.
There’s no word on specific features being exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 8, but we don’t see any reason for features like the new low power mode and afib burden detection to skip earlier models.
