Technologies

The Biggest Apple Watch Features I Want to See in WatchOS 10

Apple is expected to announce its WatchOS 10 update at WWDC. I’m hoping to see deeper sleep insights, more uses for the temperature sensor and more.

The Apple Watch has evolved into a comprehensive fitness tracker and a handy smartphone companion in the years since its launch. But at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, I hope to see new features that make it more useful while helping it catch up to rivals.

The Apple Watch already has a bevy of exercise options and can measure more health data data points than I personally know what to do with. Yet it still lags behind competitors when it comes to delivering insights related to sleep and workout recovery. Fitness aside, I’d love to see more changes to the user interface that make it easier to get information quickly without making multiple taps and swipes.

Apple rarely discusses products or updates before formally announcing them, but it traditionally introduces new features for the Apple Watch at its developer conference. Software updates have become even more important for the Apple Watch in recent years, bringing upgrades that are arguably more meaningful than new hardware — like more running metrics and low power mode.

But there’s plenty of opportunity to further refine the Apple Watch’s software, especially by making more sense of all the health data it can gather.

Sleep chronotypes

Apple Watch Series 8 next to Oura ring on a blue patterned background — The Oura ring can tell whether you’re a morning or night person, unlike the Apple Watch

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Your Apple Watch can show how long you slept and how much time you spent in specific stages of slumber, like deep and REM sleep. But brands like Oura and Citizen aim to take that a step further by issuing a chronotype based on your sleeping patterns and other data.

The term chronotype refers to whether your body has a natural preference for the morning or the evening. Oura measures this by analyzing your activity, sleep-wake cycle and body temperature; while Citizen crunches sleep data and alertness scores (which are generated after taking a test in the app).

I don’t expect Apple to mimic this exact approach, but it would be helpful to see more insights around how sleeping patterns tie into my overall energy levels throughout the day. There’s a lot more Apple could do when it comes to sleep tracking in general. While introducing sleep stage detection was a much-needed addition last year, I’d also still like to see some type of sleep score that summarizes the quality of my rest at a glance.

Recovery metrics

The Apple Watch is effective at getting me to move — maybe a little too effective. I obsess over closing at least one Activity Ring on a daily basis. But as I’ve written in the past, the Apple Watch could use more features aimed at workout recovery.

Apple Watch Series 7 showing activity tracker and move rings — The Apple Watch’s Activity Rings motivate me to move. Now I just need a reminder to take a break.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

The Apple Watch can encourage you to relax, get to bed on time or start moving when you’ve been inactive for too long. However, it doesn’t have any meaningful insights on how much rest you may need after a tough workout or a night of inadequate sleep.

Oura, Whoop and Fitbit all offer some type of recovery metric that helps you understand whether you’re ready for a big workout or need to take a rest day. They generally do this by examining sleep, activity and heart rate variability data among other factors. In the past, scores like these have helped me shake the guilt that comes with skipping a workout on days when I’m just not feeling up to it.

More customizable activity goals

My workout routine and activity levels vary by the day depending on how well rested I am, my workload, whether I’m commuting to the office and other factors. I wish I could adjust my activity goals to match. While you can easily change your activity goals by simply tapping the «Change Goals» button at the bottom of the activity summary on your watch, there’s no way to customize it according to the day. For example, I’d love to set a higher goal on days when I know I’ll get more steps in (i.e. the days I work from the office ) and at times when I’m usually well rested (the weekend), and lower it otherwise (i.e. my work-from-home days).

More QWERTY keyboard support

The Apple Watch Series 7 felt very similar to the Series 6 when I reviewed it in 2021. But there’s one feature that debuted on the Series 7 I miss when switching to older watches: the QWERTY keyboard. Yes, I know typing on such a tiny screen seems like more trouble than it’s worth, but hear me out.

There are plenty of times I’d like to quickly respond to a text message without reaching for my phone, such as when I’m waiting for the elevator at the office and my phone is buried in my bag, during a run or when my phone is across the room. The QWERTY keyboard has surprisingly become my favorite way to fire off a quick text in those circumstances.

The Apple Watch Series 7 with its keyboard on screen against a purple background — The Apple Watch Series 7’s keyboard

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

The QWERTY keyboard is currently available on the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8 and Ultra because those watches have larger screens. While the bigger screen certainly makes it easier to tap and swipe, I could imagine the keyboard fitting just fine on the 44-millimeter version of older Apple Watches. It’s the one feature I really miss when switching back to an older watch like the Series 6. After all, even the Pixel Watch, which has a relatively small screen, has an on-screen keyboard.

Additional uses for the temperature sensor

Apple Watch Series 8 and iPhone with Health app showing temperature readings — Temperature sensing shows up in the Health app. Readings are relative, so you’ll only see increases or decreases, not absolute numbers.

Scott Stein/CNET

Apple debuted overnight temperature sensing in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra. Right now, the technology is primarily used for providing retrospective ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. You can also view changes in your nighttime wrist temperature in Apple’s Health app, although there isn’t really a way to make sense of those numbers.

Apple should explore other ways to tie temperature data into new metrics. Oura, for example, uses temperature as one factor in determining that aforementioned readiness score. While I wouldn’t expect Apple to clone exactly what other gadget makers are doing, it would be interesting to see it somehow tie temperature readings into other insights.

Ahead of the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra’s arrival last year, Bloomberg reported that the Series 8 would be able to detect fevers. We haven’t seen such functionality yet, but if Bloomberg’s report is accurate, it suggests Apple is certainly thinking about future use cases.

An updated interface

The Apple Watch has existed for nearly a decade. While Apple has made many tweaks and additions to the software over the years, the general user interface remains the same. You still have two options for how apps are displayed, either in a list or a honeycomb format. Many interactions either come in the form of responding to a notification, tapping an app, or complication or dictating a request through Siri.

apple-watch-se-5 — Apple Watch SE (2022)

In 2023, it’s time for a change. Precisely what that change is has yet to be determined, but I’d like to see any improvement that makes it easier to get things done with fewer taps and swipes. I also think the software could be more proactive. Imagine if your watch could suggest new customized watch faces decked out with complications based on your usage habits? The iPhone has gotten better at surfacing apps, contacts and other content intuitively, and I’d love to see more of that infused throughout the Apple Watch’s software too.

Bloomberg reports that some changes may indeed be coming in WatchOS 10. An April report said Apple is planning a big refresh that will make widgets a core part of the operating system, with the goal being to make it easier to see information at a glance.

Apple already gets many things right with the Apple Watch’s software; it’s one of the reasons why it’s the most popular smartwatch in the world. But additions like these could make it even easier to use while making it a more capable wellness tracker.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …