Apple looks set to unveil its latest Apple Watches at its ‘Awe Dropping’ hardware event next week on September 9. The rumors are swirling around the new Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, with the new watches expected to include a new processor and potentially offer blood pressure monitoring for the first time.
We’ve taken a deep dive into all the Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors here, yet as a fitness editor and marathon runner, the potential update I’m most excited about is the revamped Health app.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on a major Health app revamp, which is code-named Project Mulberry. This update will see the app give users actionable insights based on their data, as well as an AI health coach that would provide recommendations.
Apple’s latest software, watchOS 26, which is currently in beta and expected to launch at the event, gives a few glimpses of what might be to come when the new watches are announced next week.
I've been running the beta on my watch, and recently tried running 15 miles with Workout Buddy, the AI-powered insights feature. It's clearly a work in progress, but it shows Apple is moving towards a more comprehensive set of wellness AI features, which also look set to appear in the Health app.
As well as clearer insights, Apple’s new Health app looks set to finally receive a sleep score, something that’s been missing from its wearables for years. Writer Steve Moser uncovered a graphic named "Watch Focus Score" from the code of Apple’s Health app (reported by MacRumors).
This score shows an Apple Watch with the number 84 in it, surrounded by three bars that curve to form a circle. The colors of the bars are red, light blue, and purple, which correspond to the sleep stages shown in the Health app — red reflecting time awake, light blue showing REM sleep, and purple reflecting time spent in deep sleep.
So in place of a score, like you'd find on many of the best smartwatches, Apple's visual representation helps you quickly see what the different stages mean, and at a glance, how well you slept.
Most people won’t be tracking their deep sleep each night, but will want to know, generally, how much shut-eye they actually got. It’s a feature the best Garmin watches and best smart rings have had for years, and I really hope we’ll see it on Apple Watch soon.
Whether these rumors come to fruition remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain — we don’t have long to wait until we find out. Stay tuned, as we'll be bringing you all the updates as they drop.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
More from Tom's Guide
- Apple Watch needs this sleep feature to compete with Garmin, Oura, and Whoop — but it might be coming soon
- If you’re using your Apple Watch to track sleep, here’s 3 features you should be using
- It's almost time for new Apple Watches — 5 upgrades I’m hoping for most
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
