Apple’s watchOS 10 to place emphasis on new widget interface
Mark Gurman, in this weeks’s Power On newsletter, states that Apple is preparing to roll out one of the biggest updates to its Watch lineup since it was first released in 2015, with a new emphasis on widgets and essential modifications to how the watch works. Initially, watchOS used four primary areas such as watch faces, a widget interface called Glances, the home screen with app icons, and a place to access frequent contacts. Apple then changed its approach, discarding widgets and frequent contacts to emphasize notifications and multitasking abilities, while still keeping apps as the fundamental part of the watch. To make it easier to access information, the home screen can be reached with a single press of the Digital Crown.
Nevertheless, the company is now experimenting with something different. As part of watchOS 10, the firm is intending to reintroduce widgets and make them a significant element of the interface. This will be a mixture of the old watchOS Glances system and the style of widgets that were presented in iOS 14 on the iPhone. People will be able to scroll through multiple widgets including activity tracking, weather, stock tickers, calendar appointments and more, instead of having to launch apps. Additionally, Apple is testing the concept of altering the functions of some of the Watch’s buttons. For example, the Digital Crown may open up widgets instead of the home screen. This could be seen as a realization that the iPhone-like app design isn’t always applicable on a Watch.
Furthermore, few third-party developers are using the Watch App Store. Thus, watchOS 10 will grant people the convenience of accessing information quickly. Given that the update may be unfamiliar to long-term Apple Watch users, the company may offer the new interface as an optional choice. The new software update is likely to be the most important alteration to the Apple Watch this year. In the fall, there will be minor hardware changes to the standard and SE models, as well as the Ultra version, and watchOS 10 may take advantage of the bigger and flatter displays.