Surfing, dancing, other new Apple Watch Workouts tipped in latest iOS 11 beta
Files discovered in the latest iOS 11 beta release suggest Apple is planning to add a host of exercises to Apple Watch’s Workout app this fall, including complex activities like kickboxing, fishing, equestrian sports and more.
Discovered by iHelp BR, Apple’s latest iOS evaluation software includes icons and titles for what appears to be a new set of Workout routines. While not present in the most recent watchOS 4 beta, the iconography is likely incorporated in iOS 11 for reviewing Apple Watch-tracked activities on a paired iPhone.
The publication found icons and code strings for badminton, barre, baseball, bowling, boxing climbing, core training, cricket, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, flexibility, functional training, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, kickboxing, lacrosse, paddle sports, pilates, “play,” sailing, skating, skiing and other snow sports, step training, strength training and surfing.
Support for at least one exercise, skiing, was tipped in Apple’s inadvertently leaked HomePod firmware earlier this month.
The iOS 11 beta release also includes graphics for new Workout routines available to Apple Watch users running watchOS 4 beta. Those assets include outdoor swimming, elliptical, high intensity interval training and more.
The discovery comes as rumors of an anticipated Apple Watch “Series 3” hardware refresh swirl. Expected to debut at Apple’s annual iPhone event, which traditionally takes place in September, the next-generation wearable is rumored to boast an LTE modem for cellular data connectivity.
An LTE Apple Watch would be less dependent on iPhone’s cellular capabilities than current models, but the updated device is not expected to be a smartphone replacement. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple Watch “Series 3” will not support voice calls at launch, though such functionality might be activated in a subsequent software update.