At first, watchOS 26 looks like a small upgrade. Unlike iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, which feature a complete revamp of their UI, the Apple Watch update is definitely more subtle. However, as spotted by MacRumors, Apple rebuilt its watchOS software to transition some of the newest Apple Watch models to full ARM64.
In Apple’s watchOS 26 video for developers, the company explains that the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are moving from arm64_32 to the full arm64 architecture.
As explained by MacRumors: “The standard arm64 architecture provides 64-bit pointers and access to broader memory ranges, enhanced performance, and increased compatibility with general-purpose ARM computing standards. The move also opens the door for potentially more complex and computationally intensive watchOS applications, since arm64 provides access to more registers and system resources compared to the more compact arm64_32.”
While rumors previously suggested Apple wanted to push the “powered by Apple Intelligence” promise for Apple Watch users, the company only introduced a single important AI feature — one that still relies on the iPhone to run it.
That said, this new architecture combined with a more powerful chip in the future, could mean the company is preparing to offer more complex tasks on its wearable.
Workout Buddy could hint at a proper AI Apple Watch
The main watchOS 26 feature, besides a new under-the-hood architecture, is Workout Buddy. According to Apple, “With Apple Intelligence from your iPhone, it provides you with the right encouragement based on your workout data and fitness history.”
This brand-new text-to-speech model “generates personalized pep talks using voice data from an Apple Fitness+ trainer, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout.” However, to take full advantage of this feature, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer connected to your Apple Watch.
While I usually take my iPhone with me when going for a strength workout, it’s been part of my routine to run without my iPhone. After all, a cellular Apple Watch with AirPods should be more than enough, right? This is why I think Apple redoing the architecture for the new Apple Watch models could hint at an even better chip launching with Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 that could enable features like Workout Buddy to run without a phone nearby.
This could be one of the more significant advances for the Apple Watch, and it could highlight some of the most important AI use cases for the popular wearable.
