watchOS 10 - CHANGING THE WAY YOU USE YOUR APPLE WATCH

LOCK SCREEN CUSTOMIZATION, AUDIO MESSAGE TRANSCRIPTS, SMART PDF EDITING, AND HEALTH APP ARE AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS

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At WWDC 2023 (fave.co/3XrG9fq), Apple announced the watchOS 10 (fave.co/3Zlaqlf) software update, which brings a complete rethinking of how we use and interact with the Apple Watch. A leak (fave.co/3QbtXxD) ahead of the event claimed the company was redesigning the famous Grid View of apps, but that didn't happen. However, other fundamental aspects of the interface have received major revamps.

"With watchOS 10, we've redesigned the interface, allowing users to experience Apple Watch like never before," said Alan Dye (fave.co/46yTNAR), Apple's vice president of Human Interface Design.

The most striking change is the introduction of the new Smart Stack, a collection of widgets accessible from any watch face (with a turn of the Digital Crown) that adjusts the information presented to the user based on the context: weather information at the start of the day, for instance, or boarding passes when traveling. By focusing on bite-size versions of apps with key data rather than full apps, Apple is trying to find the optimal way to reduce interaction and maximize informativeness. This is the key battle when making a smartwatch interface usable.

Another example of this change in philosophy - away from apps and toward bite-size chunks of data and mini toggles - is the new way Control Center is accessed. Instead of swiping up from the bottom of the screen, you use the side button, which should be a lot easier. The app dock (accessed in watchOS 9 using the side button) is now accessed by double-pressing the Digital Crown.