The Apple Watch is getting widgets just like your iPhone

The Apple Watch has been around since 2015 but the watchOS software that powers it hasn't changed all that much. Now, a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that software is very much about to change later this year.

According to Gurman Apple's upcoming watchOS 10 update will be its biggest yet, suggesting that we can look forward to meaningful changes to the way that we use our wearable for the first time in a long time - perhaps ever.

According to Gurman, who is normally well connected and pretty much on the money about these things, watchOS 10 will be a big one. According to him, we can expect Apple to bring widgets to the Apple Watch for the first time, building on a previous widgets-like experience that was known as Glances before they were removed in a previous release. Gurman also says that Apple is keen to bring more information to the fore, making it more easily accessible without the need to open an app first.

Gurman likens the new widgets to the Siri watch face that was first introduced with watchOS 4 and is designed to surface information as and when it's required or most likely to prove useful. That includes weather forecasts, information on the traffic, and sports scores. According to Gurman, watchOS will put that kind of information and other data surfaced by installed apps somewhere that is more readily accessed.

According to Gurman's report, the widgets will be similar to those already available on the iPhone and iPad and will be joined by a new tweak to the way buttons are handled on the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Ultra's Action button aside, the Apple Watch buttons are largely configured for users. With watchOS 10 installed it's thought that the Digital Crown could be configured to open widgets rather than simply return users to the Home screen when inside an app.

Apple is expected to announce watchOS 10 during an event that kicks off its annual WWDC event on 5 June, so all eyes will be on that. The software will likely then go into beta testing before being made available to the public this fall.

WWDC is already shaping up to be a big one fo Apple. The iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV will also see new software announced while a 15-inch MacBook Air and the rumored Reality Pro mixed reality headset are also expected to be unveiled for the very first time during the event.