Apple has just announced watchOS 8, which will be available to developers now and to the public this fall.
Starting with the new Portraits dial that sets an iPhone-captured portrait mode recorded ahead of time and date.
The Photos app has a new redesigned grid view of your photos, categorized into shared, favorites and memories. Starting with watchOS 8, Apple Watch users can share photos via iMessage and Mail apps and add text through Scribble on Watch and Dictation. Emoji and GIF are also supported.
The new Mindfulness app will remind you to relax through breathing exercises and through mindfulness training (like making you think positive thoughts).
Speaking of breathing, with watchOS 8, the Apple Watch will track your sleeping breathing rate (the number of breaths per minute you take while you are under) and notify you of noticeable changes.
The fitness app gets new Tai Chi and Pilates training modes.
WatchOS 8 allows the Apple Watch to use Ultra Wideband technology to connect to smart car keys and Smart Home keys. Using the redesigned Home app, users can send messages anywhere in a home to a HomePod or HomePod mini, access smart cameras and smart home appliances, and even see who’s at the door.
The public beta of WatchOS 8 is expected in July with a stable release scheduled for fall.
