As you may know, every June, Apple announces its last major update to watchOS for its smartwatches, though the final release doesn’t come for months after the beta testing and debugging period is over.
In the 2021 WWDC edition, the company presented the new features of watchOS 8, the operating system that runs on Apple Watch. What are the most significant changes? In what sense does it improve the usability of the Apple Watch? we tell you
Release date: When will watchOS 8 come out?
Updates to the Apple operating system are as common as the release dates that the different generations of the watch have had. Thus, as with the rest of Apple devices, new operating systems are usually announced at the developer event that takes place every year.
They are usually announced coinciding with the WWDC event, as has happened in this 2021, to offer the final version globally months later. On this occasion, coinciding with the launch of the new iPhone 13 and the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple revealed that the final version would arrive on September 20.
Thus, watchOS 8 is now available and can be installed on compatible devices.
Which Apple Watch models are compatible with watchOS 8?
We have official confirmation of the Apple Watch models on which you can install watchOS 8.
- Apple Watch Series 3
- Apple Watch Series 4
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch SE
- Apple Watch Series 7
Besides, you will also need to have iOS 15 installed on your iPhone (iPhone 6s or later). In this way, the portfolio of Apple Watch smart watches that Apple maintains for sale in its Apple Store is made up of the Apple Watch Series 3, the Apple Watch SE and the new Apple Watch Series 7.
Features: What’s new in watchOS 8?
1. Mindfulness
Apple takes the health of its users very seriously, and that demonstrates the introduction of the Mindfulness app, with a new experience of breathing exercises and a new type of activity to reflect and relax.
2. Sleep tracking
In line with health benefits, watchOS 8 will now allow us to follow our breathing during sleep hours. You can see all the information from the Health app on your iPhone.
3.wallet
With watchOS 8, Wallet expands and offers more options to perform actions contactless, and not just for making wireless payments. In this way, you can also open and close the car or open and close the door of your house, office or hotel.
4.App Home
watchOS 8 also brings new features to the Home app, which has been redesigned to be easier to access and use. You can, for example, see who is at the door from your wrist or send messages to your smart home devices.
5. Photos and portrait mode
Apple assures that the Photos sphere is the most popular of all Apple Watch spheres, and that is why it has wanted to introduce a novelty: the possibility of viewing photos in portrait mode, something that raises the quality of the wallpaper.
In watchOS 8, Apple has also redesigned the Photos app, which now offers new ways to view photos. You’ll also be able to share those photos in Messages and Mail more easily.
6. Messages and Contacts
Finally, the new features in the Messages and Contacts apps stand out. Apple has wanted to improve the way we use the Apple Watch to communicate with others.
Thus, watchOS 8 introduces the Contacts app to Apple Watch, making it easier than ever to find, add, and edit contacts. You can also easily share them.
On the other hand, new tools arrive in Messages. Apple now allows you to dictate messages more easily and also include emojis or send GIFs.
If you want to know what’s new in the new Apple Watch Series 7 smartwatch, check out the article in which we explain the main new features, such as the fact of guaranteeing greater resistance on the part of its screen.
