More new workout options may be coming to the Apple Watch, according to a new report from MacRumors. Developers have been poring over the recently leaked HomePod firmware and various iOS 11 betas, looking for various pieces of code and other resources that may provide insights into what’s coming from Apple. The latest new discovery, found by iHelp BR, shows code strings and icons within the iOS 11 FitnessUI framework that refer to a fairly extensive list of new workouts for Apple’s watchOS Workout app, including basketball, bowling, climbing, cricket, cross-country skiing, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, pilates, skating, surfing, and more.
As these workouts are not actually yet available in the current iOS 11 and watchOS 4 betas, it’s uncertain whether they’ll be available to existing Apple Watch users or will be exclusive to the next-generation Apple Watch expected to launch in September. Last fall Apple introduced swim workouts, but limited these to the new Apple Watch Series 2 due to the swim-proofing requirement; similarly, these new workouts may require more advanced hardware to accurately track movements and calories burned, limiting them to the newest Apple Watch model.
It’s also worth noting, however, that the watchOS Workouts app has long provided the ability to file a workout under a generic “Other” category simply for identification purposes, so it’s possible these new workouts may simply represent a set of predefined labels to more easily tag “Other” workouts, with no actual bearing on the tracking or metrics used for those workout techniques.
