Apple unveils watchOS 27, leaving four Apple Watch generations behind
At WWDC today, Apple not only announced iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate, but also watchOS 27. While the smartwatch operating system was only mentioned in a few words at the press conference, Apple's website shows what new features the Apple Watch will receive in the fall – and reveals a disappointment for users of slightly older Apple Watches.
While watchOS 26 could still be installed on all models back to the Apple Watch Series 6, watchOS 27 requires at least an Apple Watch Series 10, an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or an Apple Watch SE 3. Even the just two and a half year old Apple Watch Series 9 will be left behind and will probably not receive any further feature updates. Anyone using a current model such as the Apple Watch Series 11 ($299 on Amazon) will mainly receive new AI features with the update.
Apple is bringing Siri AI and the Siri app to the Apple Watch. This app is very reminiscent of standard AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and this is no coincidence, as the app is based on Google Gemini. Siri can also operate apps and, for example, plan a route in Apple Maps or add a photo to an album.
Apart from that, watchOS 27 only brings minor innovations. The app selection can use AI to guess which app is likely to be selected and thus display a smaller selection. The "Liquid Glass" design has been slightly revised. The Workout Buddy gets more motivational sayings based on additional data. A new tap gesture with thumb and index finger can open a widget, the Wallet app can display QR codes of any tickets and membership cards, and the music app starts faster.
Source(s)
Add as a preferred source on Google
