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Apple WWDC Monday’s keynote put a supercharged Siri in the spotlight, but the ripple effects of this upgrade are likely to be felt more on Apple watch – If you have a new enough model, that is.
With WatchOS 27, Apple is introducing a revamped version of Siri — now dubbed Siri AI — Even on the wrist, with better context awareness, natural language support, and the ability to quickly pull information from other apps. In theory, this should finally stop Siri on the Apple Watch from bringing up a list of web links for almost every request. This is especially important on a device where you don’t have the screen space or time to sift through websites or have a back-and-forth conversation with a chatbot.
If you’ve recently used an Android watch running Wear OS, the gap is pretty clear. Google brought Gemini to the wrist Last year, after I tested it on… Galaxy watchThe difference was stark.
Ask A Pixel watch“How do I make yogurt?” It displays a list of ingredients with quick steps on the screen, then reads them out loud so you don’t have to look down. Ask the same thing on your Apple Watch, and you’ll get a list of websites that you’ll have to wait for to load, then scroll and scroll to read them on a small screen (if they load at all). Multiple follow-ups? It doesn’t happen.
This kind of quick, hands-free utility changes the way you actually use the Watch, and I’m glad it’s finally making its way to the Apple Watch, even if it’s coming a year after Android.
The end of the upgrade road for many Apple Watch owners
The problem is that there is not much current Apple watch Owners will be able to use WatchOS 27. The update will only be available on the Series 9 and later, the Ultra 2 and later and the SE 3. It’s a more aggressive cut than usual: Apple is ditching the Series 6, 7 and 8, the original Ultra and the second-generation SE.
So, if you bought an Apple Watch before 2024, you’re probably at the end of the upgrade road.
Some new AI features have legitimate hardware requirements, but Apple hasn’t traditionally treated that as a basis for discontinuing older watches altogether. Last year, older models continued to receive the update, while newer devices gained access to more advanced AI features. This year, Apple appears to have tied the entire update to the same compatibility wall, though many of the new features don’t appear to require the necessary hardware for Siri AI.
With more people holding on to secondary devices like smartwatches for longer, this is a notable shift.
What’s coming in WatchOS 27
Apple hasn’t spent a lot of time on WatchOS individually (nor on any of the other OS updates like iOS 27) during WWDC keynote, but a number of other upcoming features were revealed at the presentation and on Apple’s website.
Siri AI on WatchOS 27 will show your most important apps.
A smarter application network
Press the Digital Crown, and you’ll now see a dynamic grid with five apps that Siri suggests based on what you’ve used most frequently and most recently, with the new Siri app front and center.
Previously, you were stuck sorting alphabetically and scrolling through your entire list of apps or navigating a grid of all your apps to find anything.
Workout Buddy is now bilingual and phone-free
Apple in-ear motivational trainer, Workout buddyit is now Available in Spanish It can work without your iPhone Nearby, as long as you have a Bluetooth headset. It also integrates more fitness data into its training alerts.
There’s no word yet on whether Buddy will get more trainer-like features or will continue to exist as a fun companion during workouts.
Apple Watch will now report menstrual irregularities that could indicate perimenopause.
Insights about menopause and perimenopause in the Health app
Apple Watch expands its menstrual cycle tracking features by identifying patterns that may indicate the start of your period Premenopausal periodWhich can cause menstrual disorders due to changing hormone levels.
While much cycle data remains self-reported, wearing the Apple Watch overnight opens the door for retrospective ovulation estimates based on wrist temperature data. This helps you understand your fertile window better.
Apple is pairing this feature with its new Fitness Plus program, Strong Through Menopause, and the Time to Walk episode featuring actress Busy Philipps discussing her perimenopausal journey.
Better control of the Smart Stack with one hand
The new gesture system lets you navigate the watch without using your other hand: double-tap with your index finger and thumb to swipe the Smart Stack, tap once to select a widget (a new capability) and then move your wrist to return to the watch face.
Smart Stack will suggest relevant tools and shortcuts based on factors like date and location.
Smarter Stack
The watch will proactively display relevant widget suggestions, such as a parked car reminder from Maps when you leave your car, a birthday message prompting nearby contacts and a Theater Mode suggestion when you’re at a movie theater or concert venue.
Unified Find My service
Find My Devices, Find Items, and Find People are now combined into one Find My app.
Exercise accuracy improvements
Treadmill workouts are getting more accurate distance calculations through new machine learning models, and the route maps in your workout summary (in the fitness app) will be more accurate, too.
Wallet upgrades
You can now pin transit cards to your Smart Stack and view balances from your wrist. You can also create a personalized pass from any card that has a barcode or QR code, including a library card.
What about battery life?
Battery life has been completely left out of the conversation. This is still one of the biggest complaints about the Apple Watch, especially since the sleep tracking and long-term health features require you to wear it all night. With no mention of battery or efficiency improvements, it feels like a missed opportunity.
The only battery-related mention on Apple’s website is that “battery improvements may be suggested.” Hopefully the silence on battery life doesn’t mean the opposite: that all these shiny new AI features come with a battery life trade-off.
As for the somewhat modest WatchOS 27 update, the thing a lot of people will notice isn’t a new feature; It’s whether their watch still supports it. This is especially embarrassing in a year when Apple has been touting broad iPhone support for iOS 27 as a selling point.
Whether the new Siri experience is enough to get people to upgrade, or whether falling behind makes people jump ship altogether, will be the true test of the Apple Watch’s staying power.
