Apple’s watchOS 4 brings Siri watch face, smart activity coaching and more

Apple announced watchOS 4, the fourth major update to Apple Watch’s watchOS, at WWDC 2017 in San Jose. The update makes Apple Watch smarter, bringing more intelligence and fitness features to the wearable. Siri watch face, smart Activity coaching, and a new music experience are among the new features coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 4 this fall.

A smarter coach and workout partner. Better in tune with your taste in music. And an even more proactive all-day assistant. With watchOS 4, Apple Watch is dialed in to you like never before.

watchOS 4 brings the all-new Siri watch face. Coming in with a cool new Siri icon, the Siri watch face on watchOS 4 dynamically updates the information on the screen based on the time the day, daily routines and data extracted from the apps you use, with each rise of the wrist.

The software update, which is currently available to developers in preview mode, improves the Activity app feature also for which it has been much loved. The Activity app now delivers intelligent coaching, with tailored encouragement and suggestions regarding their day-to-day activity. There’s also unique Monthly Challenges deigned for users, which is solely based on the activity of the users. The Siri watch face and Activity both are powered by machine learning.

The Music app on your wrist has been redesigned to the personal level. It now automatically syncs your New Music Mix, Favorites Mix and most listened to music. With AirPods and watchOS 4 on your Apple Watch, you should have better workouts on the go. Not to forget that the feature will require an Apple Music subscription to work.

The Workout app on the Apple Watch Operating System now includes auto-sets for pool swim workouts and new motion and heart-rate algorithms for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. You can easily combine multiple workouts to measure all the data at once.

Apple also announced GymKit, allowing users to pair their Apple Watch directly to treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes or stair steepers with a tap, and seamlessly sync data — including calories, distance, speed, floods climbed, incline and pace — across the smartwatch and GymKit-enabled devices from global manufacturers such as Life Fitness and Technogym.

We love Siri, and Toy Story, too. The new watchOS comes with new Toy Story and Kaleidoscope watch faces, along with the Siri watch face. It brings Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear to the Apple Watch, while the Kaleidoscope watch face escorts mesmerizing patterns. Watch faces aside, Apple also introduced new Apple Watch summer bands. The offering includes vibrant Sports Bands, a bright yellow Classic Buckle and Nike Sport Band. Apple is also offering a Pride Edition Woven Nylon in rainbow stripe.

Interestingly, Apple has brought Person to Person Payments with Apple Pay to watchOS 4 on Apple Watch. With watchOS 4 on board, you can make and receive payments quickly, easily and securely with friends and family with Apple Pay within Messages or using Siri. The money is received in the new Apple Pay Cash account, and can be used instantly to send to someone or while making purchases using Apple Pay in stores and apps. In addition, you can also transfer the money to their bank account. The feature will be available in the US on iPone SE, iPhone 6 and later, iPad Pro, iPad 5th generation, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and later and Apple Watch.

The watchOS 4 update will be available this fall as a free update to Apple Watch; the developer preview is now available to developers enrolled in Apple Developer Program.