WatchOS 10 will bring Widgets back to Apple Watch

The iPhone 15 isn't the only new device we're expecting to launch this year. The successor to the Apple Watch Series 8 is also likely to hit shelves in 2023. Apple has been very successful with its smartwatch series and it has dominated the throne for many years now despite a slow start. sluggish. With 2023 underway, we look forward to the next generation of the company's iconic watch, the Apple Watch Series 9.

Along with the Apple Watch Series 9, of course, Apple could launch a major update to WatchOS 10 at its global developer conference in June. Apple's WatchOS update this time will bring widgets back , according to a report on Sunday from Bloomberg.

Initially, Apple integrated widgets into its watch , but removed the feature in favor of notifications, multitasking tools and such a cleaner UI. With the WatchOS 10 update, "it will let users scroll through a bunch of different widgets - to track activity, weather, stock tickers, calendar appointments, etc - instead of having to launch the app" , according to Bloomberg.

 

WWDC 2023 will be an in-person and online event this year, starting on June 5. In addition to the new version of WatchOS 10, the tech giant is expected to unveil iOS 17, macOS 14, new MacBook Air and its long-awaited products, that is, the AR/VR Headset.

The WatchOS 10 update could also hint at what's coming in the Apple Watch Series 9, which will likely launch in the fall alongside the iPhone 15 series. The next Apple Watch is rumored to include new sensors , more in-depth health features like blood sugar monitoring, as well as possibly a microLED display.

For more, check out CNET's review of the Apple Watch Ultra and the best smartwatches for 2023. Here are some of the changes on the Apple Watch 9.

New sensor

As reported by Bloomberg, the main new health feature expected to arrive on the Apple Watch is continuous and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring that arrived in February. Currently, blood glucose testing requires a blood draw. To test glucose levels without blood, Apple is said to be working on a method that involves using a silicon photonic chip for a measurement process called optical absorption spectroscopy.

 

The report says the technique uses light from a laser beam under the skin to determine the amount of glucose in the body. While great progress has been made in bringing this feature to life, it has to shrink to fit a wearable device. If Apple does this, it has the potential to make the Apple Watch essential to millions of households with diabetes.

MicroLED screen

The Apple Watch received an OLED display years before the iPhone, and now, rumors suggest the Apple Watch could adopt another screen upgrade before Apple's smartphones. According to a report by Bloomberg, the manufactured MicroLED display will appear on the next Apple Watch Ultra model, which could launch as early as 2024.

Previous rumors have indicated that 2023 is the year of the Apple Watch MicroLED. This represents another attempt by Apple to reduce its reliance on external technology partners – in this case, Samsung and LG – as it tries to make more components on its own.

Unlike Mini-LED, MicroLED is touted as the next leap for display technology from OLED. It gets its name from the millions of tiny pixels that make up the live image. The main barrier to mass adoption is making those pixels (and screens) small enough. MicroLED is brighter than OLED with similar perfect black levels and no risk of flare.