In its much-anticipated WWDC session on Monday, June 7th, Apple introduced a load of new features for its upcoming update of its iOS mobile operating system: iOS 15. The developer’s beta is now available for anyone who’d like to download it — and who is a registered developer.
First, the obligatory warning: this version of iOS 15 is going to be very new and very beta. If you’re a developer, you know all this, but it’s worth repeating: it’s best to install this on a phone that isn’t the one that you rely on. In addition, remember that Backups Are Your Friend.
You can find the developers beta of iOS 15 on Apple’s Developers Website. You will, of course, have to sign in (we’re assuming you’ve paid your $99 for a developer’s account). You may be asked to register your device if it isn’t registered already.
Find the iOS 15 profile by choosing Downloads (either from the button on the upper right corner, or by using the two-line drop-down menu on the upper left).
Look for the iOS profile, and allow the download.
Once the profile is downloaded, go to the Settings on your device, find “Profile Downloaded,” and follow the instructions. You will eventually be told to reboot, and then should be able to install the update that is available in Settings > General > Software Update.
If you’re not enrolled as an Apple developer, don’t be downhearted — there will be a public beta available for download sometime in July. When it’s available, we’ll let you know where to find it and how to install it.
Apple is extending support for spatial audio to macOS and tvOS. The feature will work with the company’s high-end AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, using the devices’ built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes to create a 3D audio effect that tracks the listener’s head movements.
Apple initially announced spatial audio for the AirPods Pro last year and impressed us with the feature’s immersive quality. At this year’s WWDC, the company extended support for spatial audio to Apple Music and FaceTime calls.
According to a press release from Apple, spatial audio for macOS will only work with the AirPods Pro and Max on Macs with the company’s latest M1 chip and the macOS Monterey operating system. During this week’s WWDC presentation, Apple said spatial audio would arrive on tvOS sometime “this fall,” offering a “full-surround experience” and “dynamic head tracking.”
Some outlets are reporting that spatial audio on tvOS will only work with the Apple TV 4K, and it’s not clear what apps on the Apple TV will support the feature. Or when support for spatial audio through other headphones on either platform will be available. We’ve reached out to Apple to find out more and will update this story if we hear back.
Microsoft is getting ready to announce the biggest update to Windows since Windows 10’s debut in 2015, and even though the company hasn’t officially revealed anything about this update, all signs point to it offering a significantly different experience for PC users. In fact, the update is supposed to be so radical that it could lead to a new version number, Windows 11. Though Microsoft hasn’t confirmed the name change, it has strongly hinted at it, both in the artwork for its June 24th press event and the 11 am time.
What follows is everything we know so far about the update that will likely be called Windows 11.
When Will Windows 11 Be Announced?
Microsoft started teasing Windows 11 on June 2 with an invitation to a digital event called “What’s Next for Windows” scheduled for June 24 at 11am ET. The invitation featured a GIF showcasing a redesigned Windows logo that defies the laws of physics by casting just two shadows that, if you squint, look a bit like “11.”
Join us June 24th at 11 am ET for the #MicrosoftEvent to see what’s next. https://t.co/kSQYIDZSyi pic.twitter.com/Emb5GPHOf0June 2, 2021
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Why Do We Think It Will Be Called Windows 11?
Those shadows probably would have been enough to inspire speculation about Windows 11 on their own, but scheduling the event for 11am ET also helped. Many of Microsoft’s events are held later in the day — especially since the pandemic forced those events to be online-only — because the company is based on the West Coast. The working theory is that Microsoft wouldn’t have scheduled an event so early in the day without a good reason; synchronicity with the new version number would qualify.
As for why everyone thinks Microsoft is moving on from Windows 10 even though it was supposed to be “the last version of Windows”: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the Build 2021 developer conference in May that the company planned to “share one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade,” which he called “the next generation of Windows,” some time “soon” after the conference. So the speculation is supported by more than just a GIF and an event’s start time.
Nadella didn’t reveal many details about this Windows update at Build 2021, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Windows 11 is a black box. A number of reports, rumors, and ruminations based on the scrapped Windows 10X operating system have offered some clues as to what we might expect from the next generation of Windows, and by all accounts the changes will be significant enough to warrant that moniker.
Also, consider that changing the name of Windows is a great way to generate interest and even spur more PC sales. Everytime there is a new version of Windows, consumers want to buy computers with that OS pre-installed, even if upgrading is easy.
How Windows 11 Could Change the User Experience
Reports indicate that Microsoft has been planning many changes to the Windows 10 user experience for a while now. Windows Central reported in October 2020 that the company was looking to “update many top-level user interfaces such as the Start menu, Action Center, and even File Explorer, with consistent modern designs, better animations, and new features” via a project known internally as “Sun Valley.”
Sun Valley wasn’t supposed to replace the Fluent Design language Microsoft introduced at Build 2017 and expanded to iOS, Android, and the web in 2019, Windows Central said, but was instead meant to expand the design language to additional parts of Windows. This would likely result in a more cohesive user experience than the hodgepodge of design languages present in Windows 10.
User Interface Tweaks
Some of these small-but-notable design problems were pointed out by Microsoft program manager Yulia Klein in the public GitHub repository for WinUI in November 2020. Klein said that “XAML controls are inconsistent with how web and mobile apps are evolving” and that her proposed changes were “part of the work to refresh Xaml UI to align with other platforms while looking familiar on Windows.”
The proposal included changes to toggle switches, sliders, and rating controls used throughout Windows. These user interface elements are nearly ubiquitous; changes would likely have a greater-than-expected effect on the operating system’s design. Klein’s post also made it clear that Microsoft was indeed looking to update Windows’ design, lending credence to the Windows Central report from a month prior.
(Image credit: Github)
Microsoft’s plans to modernize the Windows user experience were all but confirmed by a job listing in January that said:
“On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.”
Looking for Clues from Windows 10X
It wasn’t hard to connect the dots between Sun Valley and that job listing. As for what this “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows” might look like, well, those also came from Microsoft itself. The company planned to make several changes to the user experience for Windows 10X, the operating system meant for foldable devices that was repurposed to single-screen devices and eventually cancelled altogether.
Microsoft released a Windows 10X emulator for developers at Build 2020 that showcased a few user experience changes such as a redesigned app switcher, a new Start menu, and a Quick Settings menu for commonly used controls. Now that the changes originally meant for Windows 10X are reaching Windows proper instead, it would make sense for some of these elements to make their way to Windows 11.
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
These user experience changes probably won’t be as stark as the jump from Windows 7 to Windows 8. It seems more like Microsoft is fully committing to the Fluent Design language it revealed four years ago, looking to improve the Windows experience on touchscreen devices, and making seemingly inconsequential changes that culminate in a familiar yet noticeably different way of using Windows.
How Windows 11 Could Change the Microsoft Store
Windows 11 might not just change the way the operating system looks—it could also change the way people find, purchase, and install software. That seems to be what Microsoft is hoping, at least, because the company is reportedly working to make the Microsoft Store more important to Windows users and developers alike.
An Appeal to Developers
Windows Central reported in April that Microsoft plans to make three developer-facing changes to its software distribution platform: allowing unpackaged Win32 apps into the Microsoft Store, letting developers host apps and updates themselves, and permitting the use of third-party commerce platforms. All three of those changes would make it easier for Windows developers to offer their products via the Microsoft Store in addition to (or instead of) other distribution options.
The company is also appealing directly to developers’ wallets. It announced at Build 2021 that it would only take a 12% cut of revenues from game sales via the Microsoft Store instead of the 30% cut it was taking before. That change isn’t groundbreaking — the Epic Games Store offers a similar arrangement—but it does make the Microsoft Store more competitive with platforms like Steam. It’s also less than the cut Microsoft takes for other apps sold via the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft currently takes a 15% cut of the revenues from many apps sold via its platform. It also takes a 30% cut from app and in-app purchases made via the “Microsoft Store for Business; Microsoft Store for Education; Microsoft Store on Windows 8 devices; or Microsoft Store on Windows Phone 8 devices” per the App Developer Agreement that was last updated in July 2020. Maybe the new rate for game sales hasn’t been added because similar changes are coming to other apps.
An Appeal to Consumers
The Microsoft Store is also expected to receive a visual overhaul similar to the rest of Windows 11, according to the Windows Central report, as well as updates meant to provide “a more stable download and install experience for large apps and games.” Both could improve the experience of finding software via Microsoft’s storefront. (Even if many Windows users are likely to continue installing apps via the web or competitive platforms simply because that’s what they’ve gotten used to doing.)
This is also a symbiotic relationship. Right now Microsoft has to figure out how to get developers to ship their apps via the Microsoft Store even though it’s not popular among consumers, which means it has to get consumers to download apps via the Microsoft Store even though many developers aren’t invested in the platform. A new version of Windows (aka Windows 11) provides the perfect opportunity for Microsoft to address both of those problems, without carrying the baggage associated with the store’s current iteration.
When Windows 11 Should Arrive
This might be the biggest question mark ahead of Microsoft’s event. The company usually releases major updates to Windows 10 twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, and the Windows 10 May 2021 Update’s release last month makes a September or October launch window for Windows 11 seem like a possibility.
It can be hard to predict operating system release dates, however. Microsoft announced Windows 10X in February 2020 with a planned fall 2020 release date, then announced in July 2020 that the operating system wouldn’t arrive until 2021, and then finally said in May that it was being shelved for the foreseeable future. Major updates to Windows 10 have also been delayed in the past, with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update only starting its automatic rollout in January 2019.
The safe bet would probably be for Windows 11 to arrive sometime between September and December. Microsoft will likely release preview builds before then, however, so those curious about the future of Windows should probably sign up for the Windows Insider Program if they’re comfortable using unstable software.
How to Find Out What Comes Next
Microsoft plans to reveal Windows 11 — or at least the update everyone has taken to calling Windows 11 — during the “What’s Next for Windows” virtual event on June 24 at 11am ET. The event will be live streamed via the Microsoft website and has been given the designated #MicrosoftEvent hashtag for use on social platforms.
The Google Stadia could gaming service is finally branching out to more devices. It will arrive on the excellent Google Chromecast with Google TV streaming dongle on 23rd June, as well as a number of TV sets running the Android TV operating system. And, all you’ll need to enjoy the service is a compatible Bluetooth controller (and a Google Stadia subscription, of course).
Here’s the full list of supported devices, as of 23rd June:
Chromecast with Google TV
Hisense Android Smart TVs (U7G, U8G, U9G)
Nvidia Shield TV
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Onn FHD Streaming Stick and UHD Streaming Device
Philips 8215, 8505, and OLED 935 / 805 Series Android TVs
Xiaomi MIBOX3 and MIBOX4
If your Android TV isn’t supported, you might be able to sign up for Google’s experimental support – this lets it run on a wider range of devices, though the experience won’t have been optimised, so “not every Android TV OS device will work perfectly”, Google warns. To do so, install the Stadia app from the Google Play Store, and opt in when asked.
Many have seen the lack of Stadia support on Chromecast with Google TV a major oversight – though it didn’t stop the streaming dongle earning five stars in our review – so this wider rollout will be welcome news for many. And as well as adding some much-needed gaming skills to a handful of Android TVs, it makes an already excellent media streamer even better.
MORE:
Read our guide to the best video streamers
Check out the competition: Amazon Fire TV 4K review
Find out how to watch Apple TV on your Android TV device
Apple announced iOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and iPadOS 15 software at WWDC 2021. The public beta period will begin in July, and whether you’re curious to download them then, or just waiting for the final release, you’ll need to have the right hardware to do it. Apple usually eliminates support for a few devices each year as it leaps ahead with major software releases, so you’ll want to check below to see if your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or computer makes the cut.
For iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Apple is extending support for all iPhone models that currently have iOS 14, along with the seventh-generation iPod Touch.
Here’s the list of supported devices for iOS 15:
iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
iPhone X, iPhone XR
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus
iPhone SE (first and second generation)
iPod Touch (seventh generation)
Image: Apple
Now, for iPadOS 15 support, it’s the same story as iOS 15. All iPads that have iPadOS 14 will get the next iteration. Here’s the list:
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (first through fifth generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (first through third generation)
iPad Pro 10.5-inch
iPad Pro 9.7-inch
iPad (fifth through eighth generation)
iPad Mini (fourth and fifth generation)
iPad Air (second through fourth generation)
Apple’s watchOS 8 upgrade will bring the same level of device support as the ones above, leaving behind no generations that received the previous operating system update. Sensing a pattern here?
These watches will get the update:
Apple Watch Series 3 (maybe Apple should reconsider this)
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 5
Apple Watch Series 6
Apple Watch SE
Now for the computers that will get the update to macOS Monterey: a few models that got the Big Sur update last year have been left out in terms of support for the new software, including the 2015 MacBook, the 2013 MacBook Air, the late 2013 MacBook Pro, and the 2014 iMac. Here’s the full list that’ll get support:
Apple has announced the next version of macOS at its WWDC keynote, after showing off iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
The company is promising even more interoperability with iOS, including the ability to share a keyboard and mouse between a Mac and an iPad. The feature is similar to the one found on Logitech keyboards and mice, letting you seemingly move your cursor and files between a Mac and iPad. Macs are also getting the ability to act as an AirPlay target, allowing you to use your Mac’s screen and sound to play content from your iPhone and iPad (or even other Macs if you’re feeling spicy).
Apple has also announced that Macs would be getting its Shortcuts automation application.
In addition, Safari is getting a bit of a redesign, with tab groups and a cleaner toolbar.
A look at the new Safari interface.
This is the first version of macOS that’s being announced after the rise of Apple’s M1-powered Macs, the first of which was announced in November 2020. Apple’s plan is to have its entire line switch over to its custom chips by the end of next year, so it seems that macOS Monterey will be the operating system shepherding Macs through much of the rest of the transition.
Great hardware with lots of power in a tiny package. The price may put some off but if you need Wi-Fi and the RP2040 then this is the board for you, but for how long?
For
+ Small form factor
+ Lots of analog inputs
+ Built-in Wi-Fi and BLE
+ Built-in microphone, IMU
Against
– Pin numbers hidden away
– High Cost
– No USB-C
– Software is buggy
When you think of an Arduino, the first board in your head has to be the classic Arduino Uno, with its Atmel microcontroller. You wouldn’t think of an Arduino powered by ‘Pi Silicon’ but the last of the initial wave of RP2040 partner boards is the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect and this is the board we have been waiting for. You see the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is the only partner board to come with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Neatly integrated into the familiar Nano layout is a Nina W102 uBlox Wi-Fi module which provides 2.4 GHz WI-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, an IMU capable of detecting movement and gestures and a microphone which can be used to measure audio levels and more importantly used in machine learning projects.
Should the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect be the heart of your next project? Well that depends on your needs and budget. If you are happy to blink LEDs and make things move, then a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico is more for you. But if you want to build Internet of Things (IoT) devices with a web interface then Arduino’s latest board may just be what you are looking for. But we don’t truly understand how a board works, and more importantly how it is supported until we use it, and use it we shall!
8× Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support.
1x User LED (GPIO 13)
RGB LED, accessible only via the Nina W102 module.
Castellated module allows soldering directly to carrier boards.
Extra Features
Nina W102 uBlox Wi-Fi module
ST LSM6DSOXTR 6-axis IMU
ST MP34DT06JTR MEMS Microphone
ATECC608A-MAHDA-T Cryptographic Coprocessor
Dimensions
1.77 x 0.7 inches (45 x 18mm)
Design and Use of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The design of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is quite clearly based on Arduino’s Nano range of boards such as the Nano 33 IoT and Nano Every. The Nano range of boards share the same pin out, enabling the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect to be a drop-in replacement for other Nano boards. The bare board has the castellated edges that have become the norm for an RP2040 board and the underside of the board is unpopulated, enabling it to be surface soldered into a project. Of the 22 GPIO pins we have 20 pins which can be used for PWM and of those we have 8 analog inputs, the most of any RP2040 board as the Pico comes with three and most third-party RP2040 boards have four. If you are looking for the I2C pins they are hidden away on pins A4 and A5 and the onboard IMU is accessible on the I2C bus.
The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted a micro USB connector, something common on many newer Arduino boards. We would’ve liked to have seen a USB-C connector, because it offers a foolproof connection and the mechanical connector is stronger than micro USB. As this is the most expensive RP2040 board, we think that Arduino could’ve included this without impacting the overall cost.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The big feature of the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is Wi-Fi and the Nina W102 chip provides us with 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. The antenna is located opposite the micro USB port. The Nina W102 chip is itself a powerful microcontroller with 520KB SRAM and a 240MHz 32bit Dual Core Xtensa LX6 CPU, but in this board it is relegated to handling communications.
As this is an Arduino, our natural inclination is to use the Arduino IDE, and with a recent update bringing official support for the RP2040 to the IDE, we can easily create projects. We tested the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect with the Arduino 1.8.15 and 2.0 beta 7 IDE and after installing the board via the board manager we were able to flash the example blink sketch to prove that we had connectivity. To access Wi-Fi we needed to install the WiFiNINA library and then create a secrets file to contain our Wi-Fi login details. We ran the Simple Web Server WiFi example and it flashed with no issue, but we later learned that we needed to change the default GPIO pin used in the example from 9 to “LED_BUILTIN” in order to control via a web interface.
The connection details should appear in the serial monitor, but no matter what we did, we could not connect to the serial monitor and all we saw was an error informing us that the port was busy. This is not unique to the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect; we have seen this behavior with other RP2040 boards and the Arduino IDE. Our only solution was to close the Arduino IDE and use another application to open a serial terminal. The same issue affected our test of the IMU, so we opened the serial terminal, reset the board and saw raw accelerometer data scroll across the screen. We later discovered that the issue lay with our operating system, Ubuntu 18.04, we had to uninstall modemmanager in order to see the serial data on the port. This issue has not impacted any of our other official and clone boards.
We also tested the onboard microphone, the same model as used in the Nano 33 IoT. We followed the official documentation to flash the test sketch to the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, then opened the Serial Plotter hoping to see a visualization of sound. Alas all we saw was a constant flatline value of -128. We were unable to locate any guidance on how to fix this issue.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
We had other issues when using the Arduino’s IoT Cloud, a service that we have used before with MKR WIFI 1010 and Nano 33 IoT boards. our Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect was detected, but could not be configured. We followed the official documentation, which at the time of writing looks to be incomplete, and still drew a blank. This is a real shame, as the IoT Cloud is Arduino’s new service to enable IoT “Things” (projects) to be created and monitored via a web interface. It is most likely teething troubles for now, and something that will be fixed in the future. For now the smart maker will stick with the desktop IDEs.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You are probably thinking that this is an RP2040, so I can run other programming languages? Correct! We can use CircuitPython and MicroPython with the Arduino Nano RP2040, the caveat is that you will need to source your own libraries for the onboard microphone, IMU and WiFi. A quirk exists between the pin numbering and the actual GPIO number. The Arduino pin number, used in the Arduino IDE for a pin is say D2, but the RP2040 pin is GPIO25. Another example is the built in LED is D13, but in our MicroPython tests it was GPIO 6.
We tested the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect with CircuitPython and it was a much more pleasant experience and thanks to the plethora of libraries, especially the ESP32SPI library we quickly had the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect online and receiving data from a remote API. We also tested with MicroPython and it behaved in much the same manner as a Raspberry Pi Pico, but we had no drivers to use the onboard Wi-Fi.
This is where we noticed a quirk that prevented us from setting the board ready to accept new firmware. Typically we would reset the board and press BOOTSEL. For the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect we would double press the reset button, but this did not work. After reaching out for help on Twitter we were told that we could connect the REC and GND pins together to force the board into the mode.
Use Cases for the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect
The most obvious use case is an IoT appliance and this is made quite straightforward via the Arduino IoT Cloud. With the IoT Cloud we can quickly create GUI applications to read data from a remote device. For example we can create a weather station using the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect and have live data streamed to the cloud which can be accessed from any web connected device.
The same Arduino IoT Cloud user interface can be used to remotely control the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, for example a web controlled robot wouldn’t be much more difficult to build than a non web enabled robot.
If you are not an Arduino IoT Cloud user, you can still make the most of this board using the traditional IDE. There are libraries available for HTTP, MQTT and Bluetooth which have existed for some time and can be ported to run on the RP2040. With these libraries we can build web controlled robots, wireless weather stations etc.
Bottom Line
It comes down to the price. If you need Wi-Fi and the RP2040 then the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is a solid piece of hardware but it is more expensive than any other RP2040 solution we’ve tested, including buying a Raspberry Pi Pico and a Pimoroni Pico Wireless. The extra cost gives us access to GPIO pins, which are sadly blocked with the Pico Wireless. If you need the smallest package possible for an embedded IoT project, then this could be the board, but right now the documentation is not up to Arduino’s usual standards despite this being the last board in the first wave of RP2040 powered devices.
The additional analog inputs mean that the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect has the most of any RP2040 device, useful for connecting many different components. The smart money for those wanting to connect their RP2040 project to the world is with this board, but for how long? Seeed’s own RP2040 board comes with Wi-Fi and it is expected to retail for half the price of the Arduino.
The researcher who brought to attention an abnormal SSD wearout indicator on Apple M1-based Macs earlier this year believes that the company has resolved the issue with the release of its macOS 11.4 operating system. Apple has never acknowledged the problem, so the company hasn’t provided any official information on the matter. Meanwhile, those who worry about their drives (which can only be replaced by swapping out the whole motherboard) can now update to the new operating system for some additional peace of mind.
In February, some owners of the latest Apple M1-powered Macs discovered that SSDs in their systems observed a higher-than-expected wearout rate, at least based on the SMART data that tracks SSD endurance. Some users reported 1% of wear after a few months of use, while others reported 3% after two months in use. In both cases, that means that abnormal levels of wear could potentially shorten a drive’s lifespan to a few years.
Hector Martin, a technology researcher and a developer who ports Linux to Apple Silicon computers, attracted attention to the issue and did some additional investigation which demonstrated that endurance ratings were proportionate to drive size, but that was still bad news for Apple M1 owners.
Apple has neither confirmed there was a problem nor denied the issue. Furthermore, a source at Apple unofficially told AppleInsider that there were no problems with the SSD itself or its firmware (which in the case of Apple’s latest PCs is a combination of a controller inside the M1, a couple of 3D NAND memory stacks, and custom firmware), but there was ‘a data reporting error’ within the SMART Monitoring Tools program used to discover SSD wear. In fact, not all M1 Mac users could replicate the issue.
This week Hector Martin said that the ‘endurance issue’ has been fixed in macOS 11.4, which is now available for download.
“Update on the macOS SSD thrashing issue: It seems the issue is fixed in 11.4,” Martin wrote in a Twitter post back in May. “It is going to be interesting diffing the XNU kernel source once it drops and seeing what the bug was.”
Whether or not the initial reports about the issue were overblown anyway (as many users could not replicate it), updating the operating system is typically a normal part of using your system, so any ‘fix’ will work its way out into the ecosystem in due course.
Apple’s annual developer extravaganza, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), is coming up fast, kicking off with the keynote presentation on June 7th at 1PM ET. Like last year, WWDC will be an entirely digital and online-only event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the keynote, that means we can likely expect another tightly produced video highlighting everything Apple has in store.
While we aren’t expecting any announcements on the level of Apple’s shift to custom silicon in its computers, which was WWDC 2020’s big news, Apple presumably has some notable changes in the works for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and its other operating systems. And if the current rumors pan out, we could also see brand-new MacBook Pros with the return of some long-missed features, such as MagSafe charging.
Read on to learn everything we expect from the big show. And don’t be surprised if Apple has a few surprises in store, too.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
iOS 15 may bring improvements to notifications and iMessage
We haven’t heard much about what may be coming to Apple’s next version of its mobile operating system, which will presumably be called iOS 15, but we could see big changes to notifications and possibly iMessage, according to Bloomberg.
For notifications, you may be able to have different notification settings for situations like driving, working, sleeping, or even a custom category, and you’ll be able to flip those on as you need to. You might also be able to set automatic replies based on which notification setting you’re currently using, like what you can do now with Do Not Disturb while driving mode. Personally, I’m hoping iOS 15 will let me allow notifications from a select few people while silencing just about everything else.
As for iMessages, Apple is apparently working on features to make it act like “more of a social network” to compete with Facebook’s WhatsApp, Bloomberg said, but those features are still “early in development” and could be announced at a later date.
Apple also plans to add a feature that shows you apps that are silently collecting data about you, continuing the company’s trend of adding privacy-focused updates to its operating systems.
For iPadOS 15, you can apparently expect a major update to the homescreen, including the ability to put widgets anywhere you want. And with Apple just introducing the new M1-powered iPad Pros, here’s hoping we see some new upgrades to take advantage of the new chip.
In May, Apple also announced a lot of new accessibility features coming to Apple’s operating systems, such as improvements in iOS to VoiceOver, support for bidirectional hearing aids, a built-in background sounds player, and new Memoji customizations like cochlear implants. Apple said these features would arrive “later this year,” which suggests they’ll be included in iOS 15.
We don’t know much about macOS, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 — but we could see a new “homeOS”
We haven’t heard all that much about upcoming software updates for the Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Apple is cooking up. One tidbit: macOS could be a “more minor” update, Bloomberg says. That wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, given that the macOS operating system got a big overhaul with Big Sur last year.
However, we could see the introduction of a brand-new operating system called “homeOS,” which was recently mentioned in and later removed from an Apple job listing. While it’s unclear exactly which devices this OS is for, perhaps it will work on Apple’s home-focused products like the Apple TV and HomePod Mini.
Photo by Alexander Kramer for The Verge
New, redesigned MacBook Pros and a new Apple CPU could be announced
Apple doesn’t always introduce new hardware at WWDC, but this year, new MacBook Pros seem like a possibility. In a May 18th report, Bloomberg said that new MacBook Pros might arrive “as soon as early this summer,” which could indicate an announcement at WWDC.
These new laptops would have new Apple-designed processors that would “greatly outpace the performance and capabilities of the current M1 chips,” according to Bloomberg. The M1 is already pretty dang good, so it sounds like these new chips could be even more impressive.
Apple is apparently planning on releasing two chips for the new Pros. Both should have eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, while leaving you with the option of either 16 or 32 graphics cores. (By comparison, the M1’s CPU has four high-performance and four energy-efficient cores, while its GPU is offered with either seven or eight cores.) You’ll probably also be able to spec the laptops with as much as 64GB of memory, up from a max of 16GB on M1-equipped computers.
The new laptops should be offered with either 14-inch or 16-inch screens and those screens could have “brighter, higher contrast” displays, according to a Bloomberg report from January. The laptops may also have a new design with flat edges as in the iPhone 12, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in January. I’m curious to see what that design might look like in practice — I worry that the hard edges could be uncomfortable if you have the laptop on your lap.
The best rumor is that the new design may also mark the return of some of the ports and features that were taken away with the now-infamous 2016 MacBook Pro redesign, including a MagSafe charger, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot, Bloomberg said in its May report. And, according to Kuo, the OLED Touch Bar currently found on Intel-based MacBook Pros will apparently be removed in favor of physical function keys.
We could see at least one other new Mac
While it seems like MacBook Pros are the only new hardware we’ll be seeing at WWDC this year, that hasn’t stopped some other Mac rumors from swirling lately, and there’s always the chance Apple could announce more at its big event. According to Bloomberg, Apple also has “a revamped MacBook Air, a new low-end MacBook Pro, and an all-new Mac Pro workstation” in the works as well as a “higher-end Mac Mini desktop and larger iMac,” all of which would be powered by Apple’s custom silicon.
The new Mac Mini may have the same chip as the new MacBook Pros. The new Mac Pro could be a beast, with processors that are “either twice or four times as powerful as the new high-end MacBook Pro chip.”
And the redesigned “higher-end” MacBook Air could arrive as early as the end of this year. Frankly, I hope that refreshed Air arrives even later. I just bought the M1-equipped Air and it’s one of the best computers I’ve ever used, but I have a bad feeling I’ll be first in line to buy a redesigned and more capable Air anyway. (Especially if it gets the MagSafe charger that’s rumored for the new Pros.)
Apple might have dropped a hint about its AR / VR headset
Apple has long been rumored to have a mixed reality headset in the works, and recently, we’ve learned a few more potential details about it. The headset might be very expensive — approximately $3,000, according to one report — though it could be packed with 8K displays, more than a dozen cameras to track hand movements and capture footage, and might weigh less than an iPhone, too.
While the headset could be a ways out, as it’s not expected to ship until 2022 at the earliest, a few suspicious details in Apple’s WWDC promotional images may be hinting toward some kind of reveal of Apple’s upcoming headset or the software on which it runs.
Check out this image below (that I also used at the top of this post), which Apple released alongside the announcement of WWDC in March. Notice the way the app icons are reflected in the glasses — I could imagine some sort of mixed reality headset showing icons in front of your eyes in a similar way.
Those icons sure are reflected in an interesting spot.Image: Apple
Apple continued that reflections motif with new images released in May — you can see things from the laptop screens reflected in all of the eyes of the Memojis.
Look at those reflections.Image: Apple
Now, these reflections may just be Apple’s artists flexing their design chops. And if I had to guess, given how far out a rumored mixed reality headset is, I don’t think we’re going to see anything about it at WWDC this year.
But Apple has surprised us in the past, and maybe these images are an indication of one more thing Apple has in store for WWDC.
Microsoft has been teasing a “next generation” of Windows for months now, but new hints suggest the company isn’t just preparing an update to its existing Windows 10 software, but a new, numbered version of the operating system: Windows 11.
The software giant announced a new Windows event for June 24th yesterday, promising to show “what’s next for Windows.” The event invite included an image of what looks like a new Windows logo, with light shining through the window in only two vertical bars, creating an outline that looks very much like the number 11. Microsoft followed up with an animated version of this image, making it clear the company intentionally ignored the horizontal bars.
Microsoft’s Windows event also starts at 11AM ET, not the usual start time for typical Windows and Surface events. Following the event invite, Microsoft exec Yusuf Mehdi said he hasn’t “been this excited for a new version of Windows since Windows 95!” It’s the first time we’ve heard Microsoft specifically mention a “new version” of Windows is on the way.
The event invite also comes just a week after Nadella teased a “next generation of Windows” announcement. Nadella promised that Microsoft would soon share “one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade.” Microsoft’s chief product officer, Panos Panay, also teased a “next generation” of Windows earlier this year.
If Microsoft is truly readying to move beyond Windows 10 and towards Windows 11, we’re expecting to see big visual changes to reflect that. Microsoft has been working on something codenamed Sun Valley, which the company has referred to as a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows.”
Big UI changes are coming to Windows.
A lot of these visual changes will come from the work Microsoft completed on Windows 10X, a lightweight version of Windows intended to rival Chrome OS, before it was scrapped. That includes a new Start menu, new system icons, File Explorer improvements, and the end of Windows 95-era icons that drag Windows users back to the past in dialog boxes. Rounded corners and updates to the built-in Windows apps are also planned.
Significant changes are also on the way for Windows beyond the user interface. Microsoft appears to be ready to address a lot of lingering problems, with fixes planned for a rearranging apps issue on multiple monitors, an upcoming Xbox Auto HDR feature, and improvements to Bluetooth audio support.
Perhaps the biggest lingering issue waiting to be fixed is the Windows store. Microsoft has been working on a new app store for Windows in recent months, and rumors suggest it will be a significant departure from what exists today. Nadella has promised to “unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators” with Windows, and the Windows store seems like the obvious way to do that.
Microsoft is reportedly overhauling its Windows app store to allow developers to submit any Windows application, including browsers like Chrome or Firefox. This would significantly improve the store alone, but Microsoft might also be considering allowing third-party commerce platforms in apps. That would mean Microsoft wouldn’t take a cut from developers who use their own in-app purchase systems.
Some of the changes Microsoft planned for Windows 10X are now coming to Windows.
So far, Microsoft has only announced a cut to 12 percent commission for PC games in the Windows store, but allowing developers to bypass Microsoft’s cut would be a significant change.
Moving to Windows 11 branding would also back up Microsoft’s reinvestment in Windows. The software maker signaled a renewed interest in Windows last year, during a pandemic that has demonstrated how important the operating system is. Windows usage jumped as workers and students across the world turned to laptops and PCs to work from home. PC shipments have also surged over the past year.
After slicing Windows into two parts back in 2018, Microsoft moved parts of Windows development back under Panos Panay’s control last year. The move was a clear admission that Microsoft’s Windows split didn’t work, after months of messy development experiences for Windows 10, delayed Windows updates, a lack of major new features, and lots of Windows update issues.
Moving to Windows 11 would still be a surprise move for Microsoft, though. The company previously referred to Windows 10 as “the last version of Windows” in its big push to position the OS as a service that’s continually updated. While there are monthly updates to Windows, the more significant changes are typically delivered twice a year.
A new version of Windows always helps boost PC sales.Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Microsoft has struggled with naming these updates, though. We’ve seen the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Fall Creators Update, and simple dates like the November 2019 Update. Microsoft has also adopted yet another naming scheme recently, referring to updates as 20H1 or 21H1 to signify both the release year and part of the year the update launched.
A move to Windows 11 wouldn’t necessarily clear up Microsoft’s update naming issues, but if the company also adopted point releases like Windows 11.1, that would certainly help both consumers and IT admins to quickly understand which version is the latest.
OEMs would also be happy to see a Windows 11 release. A new version of Windows always drives new hardware sales and renewed interest in the operating system. If Microsoft backs that up with a new UI and a fresh look and feel for Windows, it will be the typical playbook we’ve seen for Windows for decades.
It’s not long until we find out whether Microsoft is ready to dial the version number of Windows up to 11. The Windows elevent (as I’m now calling it) will start at 11AM ET on June 24th, and The Verge will be covering all the news live as it happens.
Looks like Google TV could soon support different user profiles on the home screen. 9to5Google has dug into the source code of the latest version of the operating system and found mention of personalised home screens, which would offer a much more tailored experience for anyone watching.
Google TV already lets you sign in with multiple Google Accounts, and offers Kids Profiles, which only offer age-appropriate content. But with adult profiles, no matter who’s watching, the homepage will only be personalised to the main account. That means anyone watching will only see recommendations for the main account holder.
But it looks like that could soon change. Source code for the latest update to the Google TV Home app – version 1.0.370 – contains mentions for individual profiles on the home screen.
The mentions include: “Add another account to this device to have their own personalized Google TV experience”. Which seems pretty clear cut.
However, just because this text appears in the code that doesn’t mean the feature will definitely make an appearance. Google might just be considering adding it for now, though given how it would enhance the user experience – and bring it in line with lots of other streaming services – we reckon it’s close to a dead cert.
The code also reveals a new tutorial video that would show parents how to hide certain content from kids’ profiles.
Google TV features on the stellar Google Chromecast with Google TV – a dongle that earned five stars in our review. The operating system recently added support for Amazon Music, bolstering its offering even further.
MORE:
Read all about Google TV: apps, features, compatible TVs and more
Check out our guide to the best video streamers
Or go in-depth with one of the best, with our Amazon Fire TV 4K review
(Pocket-lint) – Huawei’s latest watch has been announced, and is the first to launch officially running HarmonyOS, the new cross-category operating system designed to make multiple devices seamlessly connect with each other.
The manufacturer has built some great fitness tracking watches of late, including the previous flagship watch: the Watch GT 2 Pro. So, what’s changed between the last watch and the Watch 3? Let’s dive in.
Design
GT 2 Pro: 46.7 x 46.7 x 11.4mm – 52g
Watch 3: 46.2 x 46.2 x 12.15mm – 54g
Watch 3 Pro: 48 mm x 49.6 x 14mm – 63g
GT 2 Pro: Titanium, Sapphire glass and ceramic
Watch 3: Stainless steel, hardened glass and ceramic
Watch 3 Pro: Titanium, Sapphire glass and ceramic
All: Waterproof to 50m
All of Huawei’s watches are fully round and in basic terms they do look similar. They share similarities like having the same ceramic underside, with the same design for the optical sensors for reading your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation.
Where they differ is in the glass, metal and shape of the lens. For instance, both the GT 2 Pro and Watch 3 Pro have completely flat Sapphire crystal glass screens and titanium cases. The standard Watch 3 has curved hardened glass on top of stainless steel.
While all three have two buttons on the side, only the new Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro feature a rotating crown which functions similarly to the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown. You can turn it or press it to control various functions and interface elements.
All of them are waterproof to a high level (up to 50m) and all three charge wirelessly using the same magnetic plastic cradle.
The one other thing worth noting is that the Watch 3 is the more compact of the three, but not by a huge amount. With a 46mm case, it’s hardly tiny. At 14mm, the Watch 3 Pro is clearly the thickest as well as being the largest.
Display
GT 2 Pro: 1.39-inch AMOLED screen
Watch 3 and 3 Pro: 1.43-inch AMOLED screen
GT 2 Pro: 454 x 454 resolution – 326ppi
Watch 3 and 3 Pro: 466 x 466 resolution – 326ppi
As mentioned, all three watches have completely round screens and they’re all AMOLED and have the same pixel density. There’s a difference in size though, with both the new Watch 3 models featuring a 1.43-inch panel versus 1.39-inches on the older one. That means skinnier bezels, not a bigger watch.
More importantly, however, they have refresh rates up to 60Hz, which means you’ll get smoother and more graphic rich images and animations on it compared to the GT 2 Pro. That – of course – also means it eats more battery (more on that later).
With a peak brightness of 1000nits, that means the watches will be easier to see in daylight too. From a hardware perspective, this is the biggest – or at least most noticeable – upgrade over the Watch GT 2 Pro.
Software and Fitness tracking
GT 2 Pro: LiteOS
Watch 3/3 Pro: HarmonyOS
All: GPS, Heart Rate, spO2, steps, sleep and stress tracking
Watch 3/3 Pro: Temperature sensor
Watch 3 Pro: Precise dual-GPS location
All: Compatible with iOS and Android through Huawei health
The Watch 3 and 3 Pro are the first watches to run HarmonyOS, that means a few things have changed when it comes to the interface and software, but key elements have remained the same.
Controls are similar, although you can now view apps in a grid and even use AppGallery to install them directly from your wrist. The other addition is a fall detection feature which can be set up to call an emergency contact when you fall and don’t respond within a certain time frame.
From a fitness and health perspective, the three watches are largely similar and capable of all-day tracking for things like heart-rate, spO2, stress, sleep and steps. The new sensor on the Watch 3 series also allows skin temperature sensing.
As for the Pro, that one has a dual-GPS mode which allows for much more precise tracking during runs and outdoor sessions to give you a more accurate distance reading and mapped route.
All three are compatible with Android, iOS and HarmonyOS devices using the Huawei Health app.
Performance and battery
GT 2 Pro: 14 days battery life
Watch 3: 3 days in smart mode, 14 days in ‘Ultra-long’
Watch 3 Pro: 5 days in smart mode, 21 days in ‘Ultra-long’
GT 2 Pro: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Watch 3/3 Pro: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and eSIM/4G
What’s interesting about the Watch 3 series’ is that it has – essentially – two modes of running. You can use it as a regular smartwatch and get either three or five days of battery, or kick it into ‘ultra-long’ mode and get either two or three weeks of battery life.
What this does, sort-of, is switch the software and capabilities so that it’s very much like the Lite OS software running on the Watch GT 2 Pro. Due to its lightweight software, Watch GT 2 Pro can get up to two weeks on a full battery.
Watch 3 – as well as having Wi-Fi and Bluetooth like the GT 2 Pro – has eSIM support. This enables 4G connection on networks that support it, allowing you to stream music, answer calls and see notifications. The only downside to this is that it’s only supported by a couple of Chinese networks currently with no news on planned expansion worldwide.
Price
GT 2 Pro: £249
Watch 3: £349
Watch 3 Pro: £499
With its higher-end internal hardware, revamped software, higher refresh screen and eSIM support it’s no surprise that the Watch 3 starts at a higher price than its predecessor.
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In the UK, the standard Watch 3 starts at £100 more than the GT 2 Pro’s original price at £349. Because it’s no longer new, you can now find the GT 2 Pro even cheaper without too much trouble. The Watch 3 Pro is a pound short of £500.
Conclusion
When it comes to fitness and health tracking, there’s little reason to go for the Watch 3 over the Watch GT 2 Pro. It does mostly the same stuff which is then display in the same way on the watch and in your smartphone app.
Where the Watch 3 comes into its own is when it comes to the display and the richer graphics and interactions on that screen. It’s starting to feel much more like a proper smartwatch and less like a rebadged fitness tracker. With a built-in eSIM and potential to stream music and answer calls away from your phone, that’s freedom you don’t get from the Watch GT 2 Pro. Sadly though, that’s not yet available outside China.
Huawei has announced that its HarmonyOS operating system is coming to its smartphones via a forthcoming update. Huawei’s consumer business CEO Richard Yu says the company is updating around 100 of its devices globally to the new operating system, which also includes tablets like the MatePad Pro. In theory, it’s a big change from its previous phones, which have run the open-source version of Android with Huawei’s own services replacing the Google software it’s been unable to include on new devices as a result of US sanctions.
HarmonyOS will initially come to recent flagships like the Mate 40, P40, and Mate 30 series, before releasing on more devices later in the year. Older phones like the Mate 9, Mate 10, P20, and P10 will receive the update in the first half of next year, the company says.
The company advertises that HarmonyOS allows its phones to offer more seamless connectivity across different devices, including easier pairing with compatible headphones and speakers via a drag-and-drop interface. There’s also improved support for homescreen widgets, Huawei says, which have a similar look to what we saw with Apple’s iOS 14 last year. The operating system is also said to be better at returning to previously opened apps without losing your place.
The Chinese tech giant first announced HarmonyOS in 2019, and the first device announced with the operating system was the Vision TV from its then-sub brand Honor (it later sold off the brand due to the pressures created by ongoing US sanctions). However, at last year’s Huawei developer conference, its consumer business CEO Richard Yu hinted that the operating system could appear on smartphones in 2021.
Despite being marketed as a brand-new operating system, reports have suggested that HarmonyOS shares a lot of code with the open-source version of Android that it’s replacing. Earlier this year, Ars Technica did a deep dive into HarmonyOS, and reported that it “is essentially an Android fork.” Huawei did not respond to our requests for comment on the report.
As well as phones, Huawei has also announced new MatePad tablets running HarmonyOS, as well as the new HarmonyOS-powered Huawei Watch 3 smartwatch.
Huawei has announced a trio of new MatePad tablets; a new 12.6-inch MatePad Pro, a smaller 10.8-inch MatePad Pro, and a new MatePad 11. Not only are they the company’s first tablets running its own HarmonyOS operating system, but the smaller MatePad Pro and MatePad 11 use Snapdragon chips produced by Qualcomm rather than the Huawei-designed Kirin processors found in its previous devices.
Between these hardware and software changes, the tablets highlight the challenges that the Chinese technology giant is going through. It’s simultaneously trying to break free of Android, which outside of China is dominated by the Google apps and services that Huawei is unable to preinstall on its phones. But they also speak to the problems US sanctions are causing for Huawei’s Kirin processor production, forcing it to source chips from competitor Qualcomm.
The 10.8-inch MatePad Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 870, while the 10.95-inch MatePad 11 is powered by a Snapdragon 865. The flagship 12.6-inch MatePad Pro, meanwhile, is still running Huawei’s own Kirin 9000E processor, and it’s the device Huawei has shared the most information about.
But more interesting than the chips inside is the software these new tablets are running.
From an end user point of view, the “switch” to HarmonyOS fundamentally doesn’t bring back the missing Google apps and services that have made Huawei’s recent devices so difficult to recommend outside of China. Huawei’s AppGallery store offers an increasing array of native apps, and workarounds for some others, but it’s still a far cry from having Google’s suite of apps and services pre-installed on a device.
There have been big questions surrounding HarmonyOS ever since an Ars Technica investigation alleged that it’s a glorified open-source Android fork. I can’t speak to its underlying code, but I was able to download WhatsApp’s official Android APK and install it on the new MatePad Pro as though I was using an Android device, which suggests Ars is correct. Huawei did not respond to my questions about shared code between HarmonyOS and Android.
The 12.6-inch MatePad Pro’s webcam is in the bezel on the tablet’s long side, the right place for video calls.
With its keyboard cover and M-Pencil stylus, last year’s MatePad Pro invited obvious comparisons to Apple’s iPad Pro, and this year’s HarmonyOS model packs in a few more features that are eerily reminiscent of Apple’s tablets. There’s a new FreeNote feature that lets you use the M-Pencil to write into dialog boxes and see your handwriting automatically turned into typed text (a feature which Apple introduced last year) and the tablet’s homescreen now includes a dock with your most used apps (ahem).
But with the 12.6-inch MatePad Pro, Huawei deserves some credit for not imitating some of Apple’s less popular design decisions. Its webcam, for example, is built into the bezel on the long edge of the screen, so it’s in the right place for conference calls made in landscape mode, unlike the iPad Pro’s. It’s also got a vibrant 1600 x 2560 OLED screen with excellent black levels, while Apple’s lineup is still using variations of LCD panels.
Also announced today is a new M-Pencil stylus.
Huawei’s screen-mirroring technology also returns with the new MatePad Pro. While this previously let you mirror a smartphone’s screen onto the tablet, now you can mirror and interact with the tablet’s screen on compatible Huawei laptops.
The 12.6-inch MatePad Pro has a 10,050mAh battery which Huawei claims can playback video for 14 hours on a single charge. It can be fast-charged at up to 40W with a cable, 27W wirelessly, and also offers reverse wireless charging at 10W. Rounding out the specs, there are three rear cameras on the tablet, four mics, eight speakers, and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility. Huawei is yet to detail any 4G or 5G support for its new tablets.
Alongside the new tablets, Huawei is also announcing a second-generation of its M-Pencil stylus. The company says the new stylus is more precise, has lower 9ms latency, and also has a platinum-coated transparent nib.
Huawei is yet to confirm pricing or release details for its new tablets, but said it would be releasing more information soon.
Huawei has announced its first smartwatches running its own HarmonyOS operating system, the Huawei Watch 3 and Huawei Watch 3 Pro. In theory it’s the third separate operating system Huawei has used for its smartwatches, which originally ran Google’s Android Wear (now Wear OS) before introducing its own LiteOS software with more recent devices.
Despite the new OS, the Watch 3 offers a similar set of features to Huawei’s previous wearables. New additions includes a redesigned home screen that now consists of a watchOS-style grid of apps rather than a list, and there’s also support for video calling through Huawei’s own MeeTime service.
Although it’s branded as a HarmonyOS device, the Watch 3’s long battery life suggests its operating system is significantly different from the version of HarmonyOS Huawei is using on its new tablets, and may have more in common with LiteOS on its previous watches. Huawei did not respond to questions about any similarities between HarmonyOS and its existing operating systems.
The Watch 3’s design doesn’t deviate much from Huawei’s previous smart watches. It’s got a circular 1.43-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1000 nits. The display is edge-to-edge, so there’s no rotating bezel on this smartwatch. Instead you control it via a rotating crown, similar to an Apple Watch. The watch is available in a couple of different styles including an “active” model with a rubber strap, a “classic” model with leather, and an “elite” version with a metal bracelet.
For activity tracking, the watch features many of the same sensors as previous models, including heart rate tracking, an Sp02 sensor, and sleep tracking. But new for this version is a temperature sensor, similar to Fitbit’s Sense smartwatch from last year. Huawei says this sensor can continuously track the temperature of your skin throughout the course of the day. Huawei says the watch supports a hundred different workout modes, ranging from running to climbing, cycling, and swimming.
eSIM support returns from the Watch 2 Pro, which means the Watch 3 can also be operated independently from a phone with its own 4G LTE connection. The watch supports making voice calls directly, and there’s also support for video calls via Huawei’s MeeTime service (though there wasn’t any confirmation about whether the watch will work with other video calling services like WhatsApp).
With 4G turned on, Huawei says you should get around three days of battery life from the Watch 3, but that extends to 14 days if you’re willing to turn off 4G and use the phone in “ultra long lasting mode.” Even in this low-power mode, Huawei says you should still be able to track your activity and workouts, and its watch faces will still be animated.
As well as the Watch 3, Huawei is also announcing the Watch 3 Pro today, which offers up to 5 days of battery life with 4G turned on, and up to 21 days in its long battery life mode. Other improvements include a more premium titanium construction, and more accurate GPS tracking.
Third-party app support is still a big question mark hanging over Huawei’s first HarmonyOS watches. As always, Huawei promises it’s working with developers on bringing their apps to its devices, and showed off a range of app logos including one for the Emirates airline. But beyond that, there weren’t any app logos for services I recognized, and Huawei hasn’t confirmed support from any of the major music streaming services.
Huawei is yet to confirm pricing or release details for the Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro, but said an announcement should be made soon.
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