Mikey Campbell
Apple's watchOS 4.1 golden master release notes supposedly leaked out on Wednesday, with the update list confirming Apple Music and iCloud Music Library streaming will soon arrive on Apple Watch Series 3.
The notes, posted to Twitter by developer Guilherme Rambo, include a list of new features, improvements and bug fixes slated to debut when watchOS 4.1 sees release.
A hotly anticipated feature, Apple Music and iCloud Music Library Music streaming over LTE was initially promised to arrive this fall. During Apple's iPhone event in last month, COO Jeff Williams said the streaming capability would not be available when Apple Watch Series 3 launched, but would instead see implementation as part of a software update sometime in October.
Developer beta versions of watchOS 4.1, released in late September, incorporated Apple Music and iCloud Music Library streaming in Watch's Music app. It appears the feature will be included in the public version of Apple's forthcoming firmware update.
Alongside music streaming, the supposedly leaked release notes mention integration with GymKit-compatible fitness equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers and indoor bikes. Introduced at Apple's event last month, GymKit allows Apple Watch users to connect to, and exchange data with, supported workout machines for more accurate distance, pace and energy burn metrics.
As for bug fixes, watchOS 4.1 solves an issue that prevented some first-generation Apple Watch models from charging, as well as an Apple Watch Series 1 issue that display heart rate notifications when the feature was disabled. Other resolutions relate to Stand reminders and haptic feedback problems associated with silent alarms.
New features, improvements, and bug fixes include:
- Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library
- Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations, and expert-curated stations with the new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3
- Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums
- Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics
- Ability to disconnect from a WiFi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular)
- Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled
- Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders
- Resolves an issue where the current stand hour indicator did not appear for some users
- Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms
- Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users
- Resolves an issue where the Sunrise / Sunset complication would sometimes not appear
- Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China
If Apple has indeed issued an internal watchOS 4.1 GM for testing, the point update could see release as soon as next week.
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Christine McKee
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6 Comments
The Apple Music Streaming and Radio on LTE works great. It makes the ridiculous $10/m charge by the carriers more likely to be worth it. Just did a 1 hour walk without my iPhone and listened to the Radio app with a custom playlist. One glitch just after first switching to LTE but it cleared itself up and worked flawlessly after that. This makes the Watch Series 3 with LTE the first watch that normal people should buy. Kind of like the iPhone 3GS was the first really usable iPhone for the masses.
I’m looking forward to GymKit, sort of. My wife and I would like to add a GymKit enabled piece of equipment to our home gym, but trying to find one isn’t easy. Apple lists a few manufacturers who are/will be supporting it, but I’ve looked at a few of those manufacturers websites and can’t find any mention of GymKit or Apple Watch on any of them. It’s moderately frustrating.
It reminds me of the really early days of CarPlay where apple.com listed a bunch of participating manufacturers but actually finding a car that supported it wasn’t particularly easy. I even went to a dealership (where we ultimately ended up getting our car) and spoke to them and they were clueless, they insisted I was talking about Bluetooth and using a Lightning cable to charge (aside: late last year we bought another car there, with CarPlay, but when the salesman was giving us a ‘tour’ of how to use all the features in the new car he mentioned that if we had an Android phone we could text with our voice, “but NOT with an iPhone, that just doesn’t work”). Turned out it was 1 car from that automaker that it was available on (this was late 2014) and the model we purchased didn’t get it anyway.
Does this release with support for Apple Music streaming include a podcast player?
Thanks
VailLaw
Why why why why why does the watch not have a podcast app to listen when not near one's phone? I (and I'm sure many others) listen to podcasts when I'm working out, not music.