WatchOS 10 for Apple Watch: Cyclists, hikers, golfers and tennis players will love the watch’s latest upgrade

Monday’s WWDC 2023 keynote introduced the latest Apple Watch software update, WatchOS 10. The update brings improvements to many of the watch’s beloved features, including its fitness capabilities. You’ll be able to track daily movement in a more detailed and seamless way using the Activity app on your Apple Watch as well as the Fitness app on your iPhone.

Cyclists will find the update particularly useful as it can detect falls, e-cycling calorimetry, training reminders, as well as the speed, cadence and power zones of their workout. Runners now have access to the Power Zones feature, which tracks your heart rate during exercise. The power meter has the ability to measure your functional threshold power, or the highest level of intensity a rider can sustain for one hour of cycling.

Using this data, Apple Watch calculates your custom Power Zones, which tell you the current zone you’re in and how much time you’ve spent in it. This can be a useful feature for triathletes and cyclists who are training for races and want an efficient way to measure and improve their performance.

Plus, cycling workouts will automatically show up as live activity on your iPhone, turning it into its own screen. This makes it easy to mount your bike and view more advanced metrics like altitude, race route and heart rate zones while remaining hands-free. If you have indoor or outdoor cycling accessories like power meters, cadence sensors, or speed sensors that are Bluetooth enabled, WatchOS 10 will let you connect to them. This gives you more data at your fingertips, such as cycle power, cadence, power zones and more.

Other athletes who can enjoy the new WatchOS 10 update are golfers and tennis players. The software includes motion sensors on the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra that can read changes in speed and acceleration when you swing a tennis racket or golf club. If you’re a tennis player, the motion sensor will also be able to read your wrist pronation. The software will be able to sync with coaching apps like Training Peaks to create personalized workouts and a more integrated experience.

Hikers will also have some safety and navigation benefits through the WatchOS 10 update. The Compass app will include a feature that calculates the last location you were with cellular reception in case you’re in an emergency. For those looking to navigate a hike or prepare routes, the software update includes a detailed elevation view using altimeter information. US users will have an additional feature through Apple Maps that will make hiking easier, as the app will have a new topographical map that includes everything from elevation details and points of interest to different difficulties, lengths and types of trails.

WatchOS 10 will be available this fall with compatible watches such as the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.