At first glance, watchOS 26 appears to be a minor update. In contrast to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, which showcase a complete overhaul of their user interfaces, the Apple Watch update is certainly more understated. Nevertheless, as noted by MacRumors, Apple has restructured its watchOS software to transition several of the latest Apple Watch models to full ARM64.
In Apple’s watchOS 26 video aimed at developers, the company reveals that the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are shifting from arm64_32 to the complete arm64 architecture.
As MacRumors articulates: “The standard arm64 architecture delivers 64-bit pointers and access to wider memory ranges, improved performance, and enhanced compatibility with standard ARM computing protocols. This change also paves the way for potentially more intricate and computationally demanding watchOS applications, as arm64 affords access to additional registers and system resources in comparison to the more streamlined arm64_32.”
While earlier speculations indicated that Apple aimed to promote the “powered by Apple Intelligence” concept for Apple Watch users, the company only rolled out a single significant AI feature — one that still depends on the iPhone for functionality.
That being said, this new architecture, coupled with a more robust chip in the future, could suggest that the company is gearing up to facilitate more advanced tasks on its wearable device.
Workout Buddy might indicate a true AI Apple Watch
The primary feature of watchOS 26, apart from the revamped underlying architecture, is Workout Buddy. According to Apple, “With Apple Intelligence from your iPhone, it delivers the appropriate encouragement tailored to your workout metrics and fitness background.”
This innovative text-to-speech model “creates personalized motivational talks utilizing voice data from an Apple Fitness+ trainer, ensuring it possesses the right energy, style, and tone for a workout.” However, to fully utilize this feature, you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or later connected to your Apple Watch.
