The latest watchOS 11 update introduced Smart Stack, to replace the Siri dial on Apple Watches. Smart Sack is intended to be more convenient to use, more responsive and pleasant to use for its wearer. So what does Smart Stack have in store for us that warrants us saying goodbye to good old Siri?
An inevitable evolution
Launched in 2017, the Siri dial brought a breath of modernity to the Apple Watch, offering users a stream of relevant information: time, location, personal habits, etc. However, faced with rapid technological developments and ever-changing consumer expectations, this avant-garde dial has gradually revealed its limits.
Aware of this growing obsolescence, Apple made the decision with watchOS 11 to replace this dial with Smart Stack, smarter, more dynamic functionality. Smart Stack’s ultra-responsive widgets now appear organically based on time, location, and various other contextual factors.
For example, theThe Shazam widget can now trigger automatically when music is detected nearby. Live activities, weather alerts or photos also integrate more harmoniously on screen.
The killer gesture: the double-tap
One of the primary factors that catalyzed this transition to Smart Stack lies in the double-tap gesture. This simple gesture, allowing you to quickly invoke the new dial from the main screen, had never worked in a truly effective way with the old Siri dial.
On top of that, watchOS 11 greatly improves app and live activity management. Now automatically opens Smart Stack when active activities or media is playing completely eliminates the need for double-tapping. In use, it’s much smoother and makes interaction with the watch easier.
Already well ahead of its competitors in terms of ergonomics, the Apple Watch continues to improve. This development is, all in all, quite logical: it is part of the continuity Apple’s efforts to integrate AI more effectively at the heart of its ecosystem of products and services. We saw it during WWDC 2024, artificial intelligence is now at the heart of the company’s strategynotably via the brand new Apple Intelligence personal assistant, planned to be integrated into all products equipped with an Apple silicon chip.
- The latest watchOS 11 update makes the Siri dial disappear.
- Instead, Smart Stack will take over.
- More intuitive and ergonomic, it improves interaction with the watch and automates the use of certain applications.
By: Keleops AG
