"Hey Siri" support and possibly wireless charging case alongside AirPower charging mat.
Leaked watchOS 4.1 GM Release Notes Confirm Apple Music Streaming, GymKit Support
Release notes for the watchOS 4.1 golden master were leaked this afternoon by developer Guilherme Rambo, confirming all of the bug fixes and feature updates that we can expect to see in the new watchOS software.
Much of what's listed in the release notes was already known because the features are available in the beta, but the notes confirm GymKit support and highlight several bugs that are being addressed in the update.
watchOS 4.1 introduces streaming music on Apple Watch Series 3, and it includes a new Radio app, which is limited to watchOS Series 3 models. Though not listed in the release notes, the update also offers several new Unicode 10 emoji. Full GM release notes are below:
Apple employees are currently testing Apple Pay Cash as part of iOS 11.1, but support for the feature could be held back until a later update.
It's not yet clear when Apple will launch watchOS 4.1, but a release could come as soon as next week alongside iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1 if Apple is aiming to get all of its new software updates out ahead of the debut of the iPhone X.
Much of what's listed in the release notes was already known because the features are available in the beta, but the notes confirm GymKit support and highlight several bugs that are being addressed in the update.
watchOS 4.1 introduces streaming music on Apple Watch Series 3, and it includes a new Radio app, which is limited to watchOS Series 3 models. Though not listed in the release notes, the update also offers several new Unicode 10 emoji. Full GM release notes are below:
New features, improvements, and bug fixes include:As these are not final release notes, there could be additions or tweaks to the information ahead of when the new watchOS 4.1 update is released to the public. There is as of yet no mention of Apple Pay Cash, Apple's new peer-to-peer payments service, so it continues to be unclear if that feature is going to be bundled into the iOS 11.1 and watchOS 4.1 updates.
- 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 and Sunset complication would sometimes not appear
- Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China
Apple employees are currently testing Apple Pay Cash as part of iOS 11.1, but support for the feature could be held back until a later update.
It's not yet clear when Apple will launch watchOS 4.1, but a release could come as soon as next week alongside iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1 if Apple is aiming to get all of its new software updates out ahead of the debut of the iPhone X.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
[ 81 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
15 months ago
For the love of God bring back the ability to control your iCloud/locally stored music library on your Watch.
15 months ago
Does it include a feature to centre the top strap in the photo included in this news article? #OCD
15 months ago
"Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms "
Thank goodness. I thought something was just wrong with my wrist...
Thank goodness. I thought something was just wrong with my wrist...
15 months ago
“Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users“
oh thank GOD! I thought I was going crazy or my watch was going bad!
oh thank GOD! I thought I was going crazy or my watch was going bad!
15 months ago
Just want to say the watch band on the watch pictured in this article is off center and it’s bothering me.
15 months ago
This. Can not understand why they wouldn’t allow this. I’d like all of my iMessages to sync on my phone, watch, and iPad.
I think this is exactly what iCloud Messages is/will be whenever it drops...
15 months ago
Why can’t messages be deleted from the watch when I delete from the phone
This. Can not understand why they wouldn’t allow this. I’d like all of my iMessages to sync on my phone, watch, and iPad.
15 months ago
Both Watch OS 4 and iOS 11 have brought only frustrations to my life. I was happy with tech before those two releases. I haven't spent that much time at Apple Store and online chatting/forums since they released those ******, awful, extremely buggy operating systems.
[ Read All Comments ]
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Anki to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's adorable little Vector robots, which designed to be a personal robot...
Last year, accessory company Elago launched the W3 Charging Stand for Apple Watch, which turned Apple's modern wearable into a classic Macintosh. This week, Elago announced the latest iteration...
Cellular network operator O2 on Friday said its data networks had been restored after millions of smartphones across the UK and Japan were taken offline yesterday (via BBC).
A statement on its...
Bang & Olufsen over the past week has added AirPlay 2 support to more of its speakers, including the BeoPlay A9 and BeoPlay M5.
BeoPlay M5 speaker in AirPlay Picker via Brad Thomas
This...
Following a demo earlier this year at WWDC, LEGO today launched the LEGO AR Playgrounds app for iPhone and iPad [Direct Link]. The app uses ARKit to place digital LEGO characters and blocks into...
Google this week announced that it is shutting down its messaging app Google Allo [iOS Direct Link], and incorporating many of its features into the Messages app on Android smartphones. Google Allo...
Best Buy today launched a new Apple savings event, marking down iPhones, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, iMacs, iPads, iPad Pros, and some HomeKit devices. There are numerous notable discounts in the...
ConnectSense, one of the first companies to introduce a HomeKit-enabled smart plug, today announced the launch of the Smart Outlet 2, its second-generation HomeKit product.
Like the first Smart...
