Code strings unearthed from early HomePod firmware suggest that Apple is planning to add skiing to the Apple Watch's Workout app, presumably alongside this fall's watchOS 4.
One section of the firmware makes references to a "SkiingWorkoutEventCollector," with additional terms such as "SkiData," "WorkoutActivityType," "SlopeForAngle," and "DownhillSnowSportsDistance," according to Confide developer Jeffrey Grossman. The only Apple product with a Workout app is the Watch.
watchOS 4 will include at least one new workout type, high intensity interval training (HIIT). The activity typically involves running at top speed in short bursts.
The new skiing code.
The HomePod code may hint that Apple is planning to add more unannounced workout types. The Watch currently lacks a built-in strength training mode, for example, forcing users to create one using the "Other" option.
A host of "iPhone 8" secrets have either been confirmed or discovered through the HomePod firmware, which was released over the weekend. These include features like "tap to wake" and a "split" status bar, but more importantly the bezel-less design of the phone and facial recognition. It should have a 2436-by-1125 display, but possibly no embedded Touch ID as anticipated.