AppleInsider Staff
Files discovered in the latest iOS 11 beta release suggest Apple is planning to add a host of exercises to Apple Watch's Workout app this fall, including complex activities like kickboxing, fishing, equestrian sports and more.
Discovered by iHelp BR, Apple's latest iOS evaluation software includes icons and titles for what appears to be a new set of Workout routines. While not present in the most recent watchOS 4 beta, the iconography is likely incorporated in iOS 11 for reviewing Apple Watch-tracked activities on a paired iPhone.
The publication found icons and code strings for badminton, barre, baseball, bowling, boxing climbing, core training, cricket, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, flexibility, functional training, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, kickboxing, lacrosse, paddle sports, pilates, "play," sailing, skating, skiing and other snow sports, step training, strength training and surfing.
Support for at least one exercise, skiing, was tipped in Apple's inadvertently leaked HomePod firmware earlier this month.
The iOS 11 beta release also includes graphics for new Workout routines available to Apple Watch users running watchOS 4 beta. Those assets include outdoor swimming, elliptical, high intensity interval training and more.
The discovery comes as rumors of an anticipated Apple Watch "Series 3" hardware refresh swirl. Expected to debut at Apple's annual iPhone event, which traditionally takes place in September, the next-generation wearable is rumored to boast an LTE modem for cellular data connectivity.
An LTE Apple Watch would be less dependent on iPhone's cellular capabilities than current models, but the updated device is not expected to be a smartphone replacement. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple Watch "Series 3" will not support voice calls at launch, though such functionality might be activated in a subsequent software update.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
16 Comments
I'm really curious if and how well it is possible to deduct the intensity and ultimately calories used for all these sports from just measuring the body movement on one wrist plus heart rate.
I'd love to have a "keyboard" mode that won't count my work as a keyboard player as exercise.
Two hours of sitting at the piano will complete the day's exercise, which seems...not correct.
A comprehensive list of all the exercises would be nice.
The algorithm seems to be get general, even when selecting an exercise type. Even with backpacking there's no way to determine the weight of the pack, elevation, and terrain—all of which can make it a difficult journey that won't even register on my 30 minutes of activity because I'm not going fast enough (I assume). Perhaps if I'm wearing a 40lb pack I should increase my body weight by 40lb in the Health app on my iPhone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That's an interesting result. I can't say I experience that from a computer keyboard. I'm not sure this will ever be great so long as the device gets all its data near the distal end of a single appendage.
I'd be really good to have a triathlon function, in which the Watch detects start/end of the individual disciplines and provides a detailed summary. The problem with the workout app in general is that it is very reduced. I always wonder how popular it is when there are much more interesting apps such as Runkeeper, Runtastic, Strava, ...