Apple announced the latest update for the Apple Watch, watchOS 4.3. Currently available as a developers’ beta, the watchOS 4.3 update brings some subtle, but welcome changes to the Apple Watch.
Unlike updates for many Apple devices, watchOS updates are only available to developers. Although it seems like a disappointment that you can’t give the update a test drive a few months before its release, it makes a lot of sense: Uninstalling a watchOS beta is pretty difficult and, at times, it even requires you to send the watch to Apple for service.
While you won’t be able to get your hands on watchOS 4.3 for the next few months, we are already learning lots of details about the update. Here’s what we know so far.
One of the biggest disappointments when Apple released watchOS 4 in 2017, was the change to the Music app. While previous versions allowed you to control music on your iPhone, watchOS 4 removed the feature and limited you to controlling the music on your Apple Watch.
Well, with the watchOS 4.3 update, you can once again use your watch to control music on your iPhone. Now you can easily use your Apple Watch to connect your iPhone to AirPlay speakers and play music anywhere in your house.
There is also another interesting update in watchOS 4.3. You now see a “Speaker” option when you access AirPlay from the Control Center. The new option is almost certainly meant to connect the watch to Apple’s new HomePod.
While relatively minor, the watchOS 4.3 update brings some minor changes to the charging and nightstand animations.
First up is the nightstand feature. The watchOS 4.3 update supports nightstand mode in portrait orientation; previous watchOS versions have only supported the feature in landscape. While the update is pretty minor, it’s a major hint that the release of Apple’s new AirPower wireless charger is imminent.
You’ll also see a new charging animation in the watchOS 4.3 update. It’s not a huge change, but it definitely looks a little sleeker.
Like most updates, watchOS 4.3 will bring bug fixes and performance improvements. Since the update is currently only available through a developers’ beta, we don’t have a ton of details on what improvements you can expect. We will continue to monitor and update our reporting as we learn more.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.