The next generation of the Pixel Watch, Google’s smartwatch, will feature better battery life, some health-tracking features and more, 9to5Google reported Tuesday.
The expected Pixel Watch 2, which 9to5Google reports will likely be announced this fall, has a battery life that’ll give watch-wearers over a day of use with the “always-on” display. This is compared to the original Pixel Watch, which won a CNET Editors’ Choice Award last year, and offers roughly a day’s worth of battery life with the display turned off.
The report adds that the new Pixel Watch will have health-tracking features that mirror the Fitbit Sense 2. While it’s not totally clear which wellness features the newer Pixel Watch will adopt, the Sense 2 notably includes stress-tracking sensors that measure continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA).
With iOS 17, iPhone owners could also gain the ability to sideload apps, according to a different Bloomberg report. Sideloading means you can download an app on your iPhone without using Apple’s App Store. The potential inclusion is likely meant to ensure compliance with new European regulations due to kick in next year.
While I find those rumors fun to ponder, they can also be a distraction from the many other things I think Apple needs to add or improve in iOS. The additions I want range from significant changes, like adding support for the Apple Pencil for Pro Max and Plus models, to smaller, quality-of-life improvements, like adding a volume button to the iPhone’s virtual Apple TV remote. We have to wait until WWDC to see what actually unfolds, but here’s my iOS 17 wish list.
Bring ‘Visual Look Up’ to the Camera app
In iOS 16, Visual Look Up got a nifty shortcut that lets you cut out the subject of a photo just by tapping and holding on the image.
Celso Bulgatti/CNET
Visual Look Up launched with iOS 15 in 2021 and can recognize objects in your photos such as plants, food, landmarks and pets. In iOS 16, Visual Look Up expanded to let you lift an object out of a photo or PDF by tapping and holding, essentially creating a sticker you can share with others.
But there’s a catch. Visual Look Up works only after you take a photo. I hope iOS 17 lets you do the same thing straight from the camera viewfinder. For example, if the camera were open and pointed at flowers, I could tap the Visual Look Up icon to see what kind of flowers they were without taking a photo of them. You can do that with Live Text, and Google Lens does something similar on Android phones. I realize this isn’t a radical change, but it would streamline things a bit.
Add a volume button to the iPhone’s Apple TV remote
Sometimes you lose this little guy and need to use your iPhone to control your Apple TV.
Apple
If you own an Apple TV, you’ve no doubt misplaced the tiny minimalist aluminum remote control at some point. Fortunately, you can use a virtual remote on your iPhone to do nearly everything the physical Siri remote does, except change the volume. Apple, please add a volume button to the iPhone’s Apple TV remote.
Technically, when you use the Apple TV remote on your iPhone, you can press the physical volume buttons to control the TV volume. But this doesn’t work on every TV’s audio receiver, such as mine. I’d guess there are many people who, like me, just want the virtual remote on the iPhone’s screen to mimic the physical remote’s button layout; most importantly including the button for volume.
Bring fitness tracking to the iPhone
You can start workouts from your Apple Watch, but not from your iPhone (without a third-party app).
James Martin/CNET
If you’re an Apple Watch user, you understand the convenience of recording a workout. But if you aren’t wearing your watch or don’t own one, there isn’t a way to record basic exercises like walking, running or cycling without a third-party app. I’d like to see Apple expand the Fitness app so you can record workouts even without a Fitness Plus membership.
Add a pro camera app
The Photo Pro app on Sony Xperia 1 and 5 series phones gives you an interface that looks identical to a professional mirrorless camera.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It’s time for Apple to revisit the iPhone’s Camera app. For years, it was the gold standard of simplicity, offering a “see what you get” preview for photos, videos and effects with minimal, easy-to-navigate controls and modes. But as Apple has added more functionality, especially for ProRaw photos and ProRes video recording on iPhone Pro models, the Camera app has started to feel cramped. It tries to remain a one-size-fits-all app at the expense of higher-end features like manual camera controls.
I’d like Apple to make a separate pro camera app, along the lines of how it created a standalone app for classical music. Apple Music Classical tackles the special challenge of categorizing, searching for, and discovering classical music, something the default Apple Music app isn’t geared toward. Similarly, the pro camera app could be a place for creative types to access camera controls, settings and features beyond those in the basic camera app. Sony has been quite successful with this sort of approach in its Xperia 1 and 5 series phones, and Samsung has a separate Expert Raw app to complement its main one. Now it’s Apple’s turn.
Let me customize the Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island was a great addition to the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
Celso Bulgatti/CNET
The Dynamic Island works well. It’s like having a shortcut at the top of your screen no matter what you’re doing on your iPhone. Glancing at my Uber ride status from my lock screen or in the Dynamic Island just makes sense. But I want more from the Dynamic Island, especially if iPhone 15 rumors are right and non-Pro iPhone models get it too. I’d like to see Apple let people customize their own Dynamic Island in a curated way.
Watch this: 7 Months Later and the iPhone 14 Pro Still Makes Me Happy
05:09
In 2016, with iOS 10, Apple rolled out the iMessage app store for stickers and games. I don’t think we need a Dynamic Island app store, but something like the ability to pin a Memoji sticker as a Dynamic Island icon would be great. Admittedly, as creative-minded as I am, I don’t have a brilliant example of exactly what I want. I just think the Dynamic Island is another way people could make their iPhone feel more personal. Customization was a big theme with Android this year at Google I/O, with the introduction of AI and cinematic wallpapers. Of course, Apple could view the Dynamic Island like it does Apple Watch faces and want to control how it’s changed, instead of letting people go hog wild.
Add Apple Card functionality to other credit cards
The Apple Card lives on your iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you have an Apple Card, you get to experience one of the best mobile financial experiences on any phone today. Apple’s signature credit card lives virtually in the Wallet app. At first glance, it appears like any other Apple Pay card. But when you tap its digital avatar, you see the card’s balance, rewards, upcoming payment info, and transactions. I’d like Apple to open that functionality to non-Apple credit cards.
If your Bank of America credit card is in Apple Pay and you have the Bank of America app on your phone, wouldn’t it be great to access similar functionality in the Wallet app? Expanding access would be convenient for iPhone owners and could bolster Apple Pay and the iPhone’s Wallet as serious financial tools.
Make widgets interactive
Widgets can be pinned to your home screen and resized to your liking.
Apple
Widgets on the lock screen and home screen can do two things: show information (like the weather) and launch the corresponding app when tapped (e.g., the weather app). Widgets haven’t changed much since Apple introduced them with iOS 14. It’s time for a refresh.
What if you could use the podcast widget like a mini-podcast player, or order your favorite burrito bowl straight from Chipotle’s widget? Adding more functionality to widgets could make it easier to multitask on the iPhone.
Add Apple Pencil support
What if you could use an Apple Pencil on the iPhone?
Patrick Holland/CNET
I’ve been writing iPhone and iOS wish lists for years, and one addition that’s made my roundup every time is adding Apple Pencil support to the iPhone, specifically for Pro Max and Plus models. The 6.7-inch screen isn’t that much smaller than the 8.3-inch screen on the iPad Mini. But one supports Apple Pencil functionality and the other doesn’t.
Also, if iOS 17 did include Pencil support, Apple could make a smaller version of its stylus and call it the Apple Pencil Mini. Maybe it could attach to the back of the iPhone Pro Max or Plus using MagSafe?
Bring the iPad’s split-screen view to iPhone Pro Max models
The multiple windows on the iPad and iPad Pro.
Scott Stein/CNET
The iPhone Pro Max has been part of Apple’s lineup since 2019. The 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch screen, while the 12 Pro Max, 13 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max all have a 6.7-inch display. Last year, Apple introduced the iPhone 14 Plus, which also has a 6.7-inch screen. Those large screens feel wasted when it comes to software. Some iOS apps like Mail and Messages can take advantage of the extra space in landscape orientation to show a column of message previews next to the currently opened message. But otherwise, there isn’t much else in iOS that’s optimized for big iPhone screens.
I’d like Apple to bring some iPadOS features to iOS 17 just for Pro Max and Plus models, especially its split screen multitasking view. It would be wonderful to have Safari open on one side of the phone and launch Messages on the other.
Revisit ease of use vs. security
Some iPhone owners are being targeted for an unusual crime.
Apple
Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen ran a series of stories about how a thief who steals your iPhone and knows its passcode can lock you out of the most important parts of your digital life. This crime isn’t widespread, but Stern and Nguyen showed that it’s more common than you might think.
At the core of the issue is the balance between security and ease of access. The same tools Apple put in place to help people who get locked out of their devices and accounts are being used by savvy criminals to lock people out of their phone and accounts while gaining access to their money and services. There’s been a bunch of coverage on the topic in recent months, and it sounds like these tools help far more people than the criminals who take advantage of them.
I don’t think there’s an easy way for Apple to “fix” the issue, but I hope with iOS 17, the company takes a moment to reconsider the impact these tools can have on people and even offer other security features to foil the thieves behind these crimes, like Apple did with AirTags.
At the end of the day, I’m excited for WWDC this year. And while I do hope there’s a fancy, cool AR/VR headset, my heart is holding out for iOS 17 and all its new features.
If you’re looking for productivity tools, it’s difficult to match the Microsoft Office suite of apps. Office is the industry standard when it comes to word processing, spreadsheets, mail and more — and it’s used by businesses, schools and individuals around the world, making it an essential part of most people’s lives at one time or another. You’ve probably used Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook before, but Office apps aren’t always included with computer purchases, and getting access on your own can carry a hefty price tag.
There is a barebones freebie version of Office out there, but assuming that basic version of Office won’t work for you (see below), your options essentially come down to paying a rolling monthly or yearly fee for a Microsoft 365 subscription or opting instead for a one-time Office license with the full panoply of apps, which typically costs as much as $430. But until June 1, StackSocial is offering a Microsoft Office 2021 license for just $30. That’s around 86% off its usual price. Better yet, this license, which is available for either Windows or Mac, is a one-time purchase that grants you unlimited access with no recurring charges.
Now, a deal this good comes with some caveats. First, this key is good only for a single computer, so you won’t be able to install it on various machines in your home, and if your current computer happens to die, you could run into a snag when trying to transfer it. Likewise, you’re passing up on other benefits you’d get as a 365 subscriber. You won’t get any OneDrive Cloud Storage, nor will you get the fancy new cloud-based AI features like Microsoft Copilot. And while the apps should continue to work as long as your computer does, Microsoft’s support for this version of Office ends on Oct. 13, 2026.
To that last point: Though this is listed as a “lifetime license” — that is, the lifetime of the computer you installed it on — it’s worth noting there’s always a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license. But versions of Stack’s deal have been running for more than a year — the one we bought in early 2022, for instance, still works fine. At this cost, it takes a little over four months for you to get a full return on the investment compared with buying the subscription, so the risk factor isn’t super high here.
Being able to speak more than one language has some huge benefits, whether it’s just a basic understanding of a language that can help you get around when you travel abroad or total fluency that will help you land a new job. In our globally connected world, people are communicating across borders for all sorts of reasons, and mastering a foreign language can be a valuable skill for anyone to have — and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
Babbel is one of CNET’s favorite language learning apps in 2023, particularly if you want a school-like experience. It offers 14 language courses and more than 10,000 hours of content. The company even touts itself as the shortest path to real-life conversations. You can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning software for just $190 at StackSocial right now, saving you over $400 on the usual price. If you’re interested in learning a new language (or languages) at your own pace, you can take advantage of this deal now until June 1.
Babbel’s extensive language software includes Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Swedish, Indonesian and Portuguese. The lessons are short and to the point, allowing you to practice in 10- to 15-minute intervals that can fit into any schedule. Real-life topics include travel, family, business, food and more. There are also a variety of skill levels available, ranging from beginner to advanced, so the program can grow with you as you improve.
Babbel
Using the speech-recognition technology will give you immediate feedback on pronunciation so that you don’t just learn to read and write, but to listen and speak, as well. You’ll also get personalized review sessions to reinforce what you’ve learned. The program works across desktop and mobile devices. And though the internet is required most of the time, there is also an offline mode available where you can access courses, lessons and reviews without Wi-Fi, so long as you download them beforehand. Babbel also syncs your progress across your devices so that you can jump in from wherever is most convenient.
Becoming fluent in a new language is a great way to stay engaged in learning, and the transferrable skills you gain can open a lot of doors for leisure, work and beyond. Note that while you can access this program on as many devices as you want, this subscription offer is only available for new users.
Babbel is a great value when compared to other online courses, especially with this current discount. So whether you’re a lifelong learner or just want to pick up some basics for your globetrotting adventures, this is a solid deal.
In the US, iPhones recently wrestled the crown away from Androids as the most popular smartphone, but this comes after more than a decade of Android dominance. And Android reigns in the global market, usually by wide margins. In South America, for example, Android represents about 88% of all smartphones, and iPhones trail with about 11%, according to the IT site SOS Support.
But for as long as Apple and Google have been fighting like Godzilla and King Kong for smartphone market superiority, they’ve also seemingly been stealing ideas from each other. For example, notification badges debuted on iPhones, and Androids had home screen widgets long before iPhones, as Popular Science notes.
Apple and Android have seemingly been copying features from each other for years.
James Martin/CNET
That back-and-forth continued with Android 14, as Android phones seemingly copied iPhones again with an updated Find My Device feature and added unknown tracker alerts. We don’t know what Apple has in store for iOS 17, but we think the company should incorporate some of the new Android features into the software.
Here are the new Android features I think Apple should include in iOS 17.
More lock screen customization options
Lock screen customization was one of the most substantial updates to land on iPhones when iOS 16 was released in September 2022. With iOS 17, I want to see Apple give iPhone users more customization options, like Google is doing with Android 14.
Android 14 will let users change the size and design of their lock screen’s clock — in addition to its font type and color — and the software lets users add shortcuts to their lock screen. Changing your lock screen clock is nice — you can already change the font and color of your iPhone’s lock screen clock — but I’d really like to see Apple add the ability to edit or add to the shortcuts on the lock screen.
I regularly use the flashlight shortcut, but I back-tap my iPhone to pull up the camera, so the camera shortcut doesn’t get used as much. Being able to change that shortcut to my Wallet app, or a search shortcut, would be great in iOS 17.
There are only four lock screen spaces for widgets in the current iOS.
Apple
It would also be nice if Apple added more widget spaces to the iPhone’s lock screen. With iOS 16, your iPhone has four grid spaces for widgets, and some widgets, like the Weather widget, take up two of those. It would be great if iOS 17 gave you at least four more grid spaces for widgets, giving you more ways to access your favorite apps.
AI-generated wallpapers
Android 14 will use artificial intelligence to let users create custom wallpapers. People will prompt their phone, which will use AI to generate a few wallpaper options. It would be great to see Apple roll out AI-generated wallpapers in iOS 17, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
While other companies have begun developing their own AI tools, Apple hasn’t made any public announcements about developing, or partnering with another company to produce, such tools.
“I do think it’s very important to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you approach these things,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said when asked about generative AI on the company’s earnings call.
It’s possible Apple will introduce more AI tools and functions in iOS 17, like AI-generated wallpapers, but I wouldn’t expect it. I’d bet Apple will integrate AI tools into functions most people already use, like Siri, first.
More emoji wallpaper customization options
Google announced at its I/O 2023 event that certain Pixel phones will let you create custom wallpapers using emojis, but this isn’t exclusive to Android 14. Users will be able to choose up to 14 emoji, the color of the background and the layout the emoji are set in. But Apple already brought this feature to iPhones.
Emoji wallpapers are already available on iPhones.
James Martin/CNET
To create a custom emoji wallpaper on your iPhone, go to Settings > Wallpaper > + Add New Wallpaper, and under the Emoji section are some premade emoji wallpapers. Tap any of these and you can edit what emoji are used, the layout and the color of the background. However, you can select only up to six emoji.
It would be fun if Apple allowed you to use more emoji and gave you more than six layout options in iOS 17 to further customize these wallpapers.
Cinematic wallpaper
Also not exclusive to Android 14, certain Pixel phones will let Android users create cinematic wallpapers. This feature will allow people to take a photo and give certain elements of the photo a depth effect. Once you’ve applied the effect, you can shift your Android device around and the wallpaper elements will shift around as well, making your wallpaper look three dimensional.
Cinematic wallpapers on Pixel devices will give certain wallpapers a three-dimensional look.
Screenshot by CNET
Apple introduced a similar lock screen feature in iOS 7, and this feature morphed into Perspective Zoom in some iOS 16 betas. However, the feature is no longer available in recent iOS 16 updates. Apple does let you apply a depth effect to your lock screen, but that just places your clock behind certain wallpaper elements. Enabling this also disables your lock screen widgets.
Cinematic wallpapers on your iPhone would be a nice touch to include in iOS 17, and they’d make some wallpapers on your home and lock screen really stand out. And if Apple doesn’t allow cinematic wallpapers in iOS 17, it would be great if the company at least allowed widgets to work on your lock screen when your depth effect was turned on.
Apple’s WWDC is less than a week away. The big developer-focused event is set to kick off on Monday, June 5. Traditionally, this event has been where Apple gives us a first look at new software for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Macs. But occasionally we get some new hardware, too.
This year seems set to be the latter. With plenty of rumors circulating around the tech giant’s mysterious augmented reality headset, a new 15-inch MacBook Air and the long-teased Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro, it’s certainly possible there could be some physical products on stage alongside all the software improvements.
Though there’s still some time until Tim Cook pops up on stage and makes things official, here’s what we expect at the keynote address on June 5.
When is WWDC?
Apple’s icon for SwiftUI.
Apple
This year’s WWDC runs June 5 to 9. The opening keynote speech is set for 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on June 5.
The biggest rumor heading into this year’s WWDC is of course the Apple headset. Rumored to be running on a new “XROS,” the device could utilize mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality. There may be eye and hand tracking, high-resolution displays and… a potential $3,000 price tag.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently detailed how Apple plans to incorporate sports, gaming, workouts and iPad apps into the headset to show off what the new platform can do. Whether that’s enough to excite consumers and persuade them to drop three grand or for developers to commit to building apps for it remains to be seen.
MacBook Air 15
The MacBook Air has long been one of Apple’s most popular laptops. Frequently sold with a 13-inch screen, Apple has experimented with different sizes of Airs in the past, including offering an 11-inch model for years. Rumors these days, however, suggest that the company has a larger, 15-inch M2-powered Air raring to go. That once again comes from Bloomberg’s Gurman, who expects the new laptop to be announced at this year’s event. It’s about time.
While rumors point to an imminent announcement, it’s unclear how much Apple might charge for the new Air or how it might fit into the company’s existing MacBook lineup. The 2020 M1-powered 13.3-inch MacBook Air is still sold for $999, while the updated M2-powered 2022 13.6-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199. A 16-inch MacBook Pro, meanwhile, starts at $2,499. Might the 15-inch Air fit somewhere in the middle?
Apple M-Series Mac Pro
The 2019 Mac Pro.
James Martin/CNET
Oh, the Mac Pro. Apple last updated the Mac Pro at WWDC in 2019. Despite some teases that confirmed it’s working on a new one powered by its Apple Silicon chips, the company has largely been quiet about the super powerful computer. Might the “another day” be June 5? It’s possible and Mac Pro fans may want to tune in, but with tempered expectations.
In an April appearance on The MacRumors Show, Gurman, the Apple savant, suggests that it still may arrive this year but not at WWDC.
New software: iOS 17, WatchOS 10 and more
In addition to all the hardware rumors, we can expect Apple to detail the latest updates coming this year to its iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and TVOS platforms.
If you’re a competitive gamer, upgrading your in-game gear isn’t the only way to improve your K/D ratio. The real-world equipment you use can also give you a competitive edge, and right now, Xbox gamers have a chance to upgrade their kit on a budget. Both Amazon and Microsoft are currently offering $35 off the Xbox Elite Series 2 wireless controller, which drops the price down to $145. There’s no set expiration for this deal, so you may want to get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
The Elite Series 2 controller lets you customize the settings and hardware to suit your playing style. You can adjust the tension in the thumbsticks, and the D-pad, paddles and thumbstick toppers are interchangeable, so you can build a controller that feels like it was made for your hands. Plus, you can remap the buttons using the Xbox Accessories companion app, and set up to three custom profiles so you can easily swap between different game types or players.
It’s a wireless controller that boasts an impressive 40-hour battery life, or you can connect it using the included USB-C cable. It’s compatible with both the next-gen Xbox Series X and Series S, the previous-gen Xbox One and Windows devices.
And if you’re looking for more ways to expand your Xbox gaming setup on a budget, you can check out our full roundup of all the best Xbox deals for more bargains on controllers, headsets, hard drives and more.
Though it hit shelves just earlier this month, Tears of the Kingdom, the latest entry in Nintendo’s ultrapopular Legend of Zelda series, is already being hailed as one of the best games of the year. But the world of Hyrule can be a little overwhelming, especially if you never got a chance to try out the game’s critically acclaimed predecessor, Breath of the Wild. And if you want a little help getting started, then you may want to preorder the official game guide while it’s up to $18 off at Amazon.
The Tears of the Kingdom game guide won’t be available until June 16, but when you preorder it right now at Amazon, you can pick up the paperback version for just $20, which is $10 off the usual price. Or — if you’re a hardcore Zelda fan — you can snag the Collector’s Edition hardcover guide for $27, which saves you $18 compared to the usual price. But no matter which version you snag, this guide has all the info you need to defeat Ganon and save Hyrule from another calamity. In addition to detailed and easy-to-follow walkthroughs, this guide also includes tons of annotated maps and screenshots so you can explore every inch of this game’s massive map. Plus, it has answers to every riddle and puzzle so you can breeze through those shrines.
And if you still need to get your hands on a Switch console, or want to snag some new accessories, you can check out our roundup of all the best Switch deals for even more bargains.
Earlier this month, Apple TV 4K owners who watch sports on Apple’s TV service may have noticed a small new feature called multiview as part of TVOS 16.5. As its name suggests, this feature allows users to watch multiple games at once, making it particularly useful for MLS Season Pass subscribers or MLB fans who are trying to keep tabs on multiple matches that Apple is streaming at the same time.
And whereas Apple’s current multiview plans are extremely limited to just its Apple TV 4K boxes running beta software, the feature could be a bit more interesting with Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset that rumors suggest will materialize in June at the company’s annual WWDC.
Watch this: How Apple’s VR Headset Can Stand Out
08:39
Immersing in sports
In a recent report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman detailed a few ways Apple plans to position the forthcoming headset to users. Among apps for FaceTime, gaming and fitness was this:
“One selling point for the headset will be viewing sports in an immersive way. The company already offers games from Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball on Apple TV Plus, but it’s looking to make that a richer experience.” He also notes that Apple purchased NextVR, a company that produces sporting events and concerts in virtual reality, back In 2020.
Although Apple has yet to stream any games in virtual reality, its MLS and MLB deals could give it room to explore adding VR cameras to its productions in the future. Its Apple TV Plus broadcasts of MLB games have already explored new camera angles, including an “ump view” that lets you watch some action live from the perspective of the home plate umpire.
Some leagues already offer VR games, including the NBA which has offered live VR streams for years. In January, the league announced it was expanding its partnership with Meta for VR streaming of regular season games on the latter’s Horizon Worlds platform.
While most of the NBA games that aired in VR this year were basically giant virtualized versions of the main TV broadcast, the league did do five “immersive 180-degree monoscopic live VR games in 2880 resolution” that allowed fans to virtually sit courtside to watch live basketball on a Meta Quest headset.
The NBA in VR on Meta’s Horizon Worlds.
NBA
“We love quoting a stat that 99% of fans will never get to a game,” Teddy Kaplan, the NBA’s new media partner management lead, told CNET, noting that when factoring in international fans and the ability to sit courtside, that number is closer to rounding up to 100% of fans.
“And so we were like, what would be cooler than just setting up a camera courtside and stepping away and letting you experience that courtside seat experience,” he said.
“We want to bring that arena atmosphere to them,” said Paul Massache, the NBA’s associate vice president of broadcasting content management. “Part of that is building this immersive experience. Now to have viewers sit courtside virtually is an experience that really can’t be duplicated. Unless of course, you know, you’re at the game.”
Multiview could be the gateway
Multiview on YouTube TV.
YouTube
The concept of multiview isn’t unique to Apple. Google’s YouTube TV offered a similar feature for March Madness and plans to include a multiview option for its NFL Sunday Ticket package in the fall. Sony offered a similar capability with its now-discontinued PlayStation Vue live TV streaming service back in 2019, while Fubo has also had the option as a part of its service for years.
But while it remains to be seen how deep down the VR rabbit hole Apple goes with live game production, in the interim it could put multiview into play.
Imagine the Apple TV app on the headset. Whereas multiview on a TV puts up to four games into four windows that are limited in size by your physical screen, with the headset you could have what amounts to four giant virtual screens that provide a sports bar-like experience at home or wherever you put the headset on.
As Apple also is involved in the production of these MLS and MLB games, it could go down a route that combines AR stats and overlays to create an immersive experience similar to what Magic Leap and the NBA once envisioned for that company’s headset.
Apple’s dabbling with sports always felt like it was building to something more than just another piece of content for its streaming ambitions. It’s possible that with the headset’s rumored imminent arrival and the rollout of new features like multiview, we might be starting to finally see that vision beginning to come into focus.
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
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.
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’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
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 (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.
