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Apple watch may soon be getting support for skiing workouts

A new skiing workout has been unearthed from the leaked HomePod files.

The unreleased firmware that Apple unintentionally published on its servers is offering developers a wealth of information about the iPhone 8 and speaker itself. It is also offering a peak into fitness features that are possibly coming to Apple Watch in the near future.

Essential reading: Hit the slopes with these connected gadgets

Developer Jeffrey Grossman shared some interesting information on Twitter, which he discovered while trawling through the HomePod’s IPSW files. The firmware includes references to a “Skiing Workout” alongside strings mentioning “Downhill Snow Sports Distance,” “Ski Data,” and “Workout Activity Type.” He also mentions references to HKHeartRateVariabilityUtilities and HKSleepAnalysisUtilities.

Apple has steadily been adding new exercises to the Workout app for the Apple Watch over the past couple of years. The previous watchOS 3 update introduced swimming exercises, and we know that fitness tracking functionality is going to be extended further with watchOS4.

The Workout app will upgraded with better coaching, monthly challenges, fancier visuals, and a new mode for High Intensity Interval Training. There is also enhanced swim tracking. The updated Pool Swim workout automatically tracks sets and rests, pace for each set, and distance for each type of stroke. For the triathlon runners amongst us, the watch will now accommodate for multiple workouts. Simply swipe to the side to switch between them on the fly.

Essential reading: Our quick verdict on the Apple Watch Series 2 as a fitness tracker

While it’s too early to draw conclusions, it will not surprise us if skiing workout sessions become a part of the feature set in the near future. While it may not make the first public release of watchOS4, it could very possibly feature in one of the subsequent updates.

Source: MacRumours

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Marko Maslakovic

Marko founded Gadgets & Wearables in 2014, having worked for more than 15 years in the City of London’s financial district. Since then, he has led the company’s charge to become a leading information source on health and fitness gadgets and wearables.

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