Earlier this month, we heard a considerably doubtful rumor that Apple plans to present the Apple Watch a contemporary coat of paint in watchOS 12 and presumably even welcome it into the Apple Intelligence household. Whereas a redesign isn’t solely out of the query, we’re extra skeptical that Apple will pack full AI capabilities into its wearable. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply it may possibly’t get pleasure from at the very least a number of the advantages of Apple Intelligence.
Technically, even watchOS 11 has some Apple Intelligence capabilities since a lot of what you see in your wrist comes out of your iPhone. For instance, notifications are summarized on the Apple Watch the identical means as on the iPhone, and the Scale back Interruptions Focus Mode can even apply to any notifications despatched to your watch. Additional, whereas the Apple Watch positively can’t make its personal Genmoji, the watchOS Messages app can entry and ship any not too long ago created ones from the Stickers part.
Nonetheless, there are indications that Apple needs to take {that a} step additional this yr. There’s little hope of the Apple Watch Collection 11 getting sufficient processing energy and RAM to run AI fashions instantly — that will require a fairly large enhance from the S10 and 1 GB of RAM discovered on present fashions to an A18-level Neural Engine and eight GB of RAM. Nevertheless, there’s no cause that it couldn’t leverage extra of the iPhone’s Apple Intelligence capabilities.
Mark Gurman not too long ago shared that he’s been reliably knowledgeable that Apple plans to model this yr’s Apple Watch as “powered by Apple Intelligence.” He doesn’t supply any insights into what options we are able to count on, though it’s a protected wager that well being options can be a giant a part of this play.
In late March, Gurman revealed “Undertaking Mulberry,” a brand new AI-powered well being initiative that Apple has been engaged on for a number of years. Along with catching up with rivals like Samsung and Google, which have been making use of AI in latest merchandise just like the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch to assist customers get a greater understanding of their well being metrics, the brand new venture would come with an AI agent that would “replicate — at the very least to some extent — an actual physician,” Gurman says.
Apple has been learning methods to enhance its Well being app for years. Analysts consider the corporate has been engaged on a “Well being+” service since at the very least 2021. Two years in the past, Gurman revealed “Undertaking Quartz,” which was Apple’s first try and broaden into AI-based well being teaching. Nevertheless, it’s since turn out to be much more targeted on synthetic intelligence.
For example, Undertaking Quartz aimed to focus totally on encouraging a wholesome life-style via teaching on train, weight loss plan, and sleep habits by analyzing fundamental physiological metrics like coronary heart price and sleep cycles, which may in flip counsel new cardio routines or enhancements to your bedtime schedule.
However, Undertaking Mulberry would characteristic an AI agent that would even enter the realm of being a chatbot. It will additionally broaden past fundamental metrics like sleep and coronary heart price into taking a look at diet, bodily remedy, psychological well being, and extra.
This wouldn’t be an Apple Watch-exclusive characteristic, after all. If something, most of it will reside within the iPhone’s Well being app. Nevertheless, the Apple Watch is a key part of Apple’s well being and wellness expertise, so it’s arduous to think about not increasing a few of these AI capabilities to the wrist, even when it’s only a completely different means of viewing the information analyzed by the iPhone.
Whereas Apple is sort of sure to guide with AI well being options, there are different methods by which Apple Intelligence may broaden to the Apple Watch. For example, we may see one thing like fundamental Genmoji creation being accessible within the watchOS Messages app, permitting of us to dictate a Genmoji after which handing the duty off to the iPhone to do the picture technology. The Siri enhancements coming in iOS 19 is also prolonged to the Apple Watch, with the iPhone as soon as once more doing the heavy lifting.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]