watchOS 4.1 GM Release Notes Confirm New Radio App, Apple Music Streaming, GymKit Support & More

The first major update of the 4th watchOS generation is expected to be seeded by Apple any moment now. The Cupertino-based tech giant will roll out watchOS 4.1 along with iOS 11.1, tvOS 11.1 and macOS 10.13.1. Most of us expect the software update to become available just before or during the same day of the iPhone X release. The 10th anniversary iPhone can be Pre-Ordered on October 27, at 12:01 AM PDT and will be shipped and available in stores starting with November 3. So, this is the deadline for the above mentioned software updates.

Nevertheless, the watchOS 4.1 Release Notes have already been leaked. Guilherme Rambo has managed to extract them from the Golden Master version and published them on his Twitter account. Read on and see what’s new in this first major watchOS 4 iteration. Things can still change, but it’s unlikely for major new features to be included after the release of the GM.

watchOS 4.1 Leaked Release Notes
The watchOS 4.1 update summary contains most of the new features that we already reported during the Beta testing period which unfolded in the past few weeks. Apple Music Streaming becomes available for Apple Watch Series 3 model owners. These 2017 smartwatches also receive a built-in Radio app. Check out the full watchOS 4.1 GM Release Notes:

“New features, improvements and bug fixes:

• Update: Over 70 new emoji characters including new food types, animals, mythical creatures, clothing options, more expressive smiley faces, gender-neutral characters and more
• Stream music on Apple Watch Series 3 with Apple Music or iCloud Music Library
• Listen to live radio on Beats 1, custom stations and expert-curated stations with new Radio app on Apple Watch Series 3
• Use Siri to find, discover, and play songs, playlists, or albums
• Sync fitness data with GymKit-enabled treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes for more accurate distance, pace, and energy burn metrics
• Ability to disconnect from a WiFi network in Control Center for Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular)
• Fixes an issue for Apple Watch Series 1 and later where Heart Rate notifications were delivered when the feature was not enabled
• Fixes an issue where some users did not receive Stand Reminders
• Resolves an issue where the current stand hour indicator did not appear for some users
• Resolves an issue that caused haptics to not be delivered for silent alarms
• Addresses an issue that prevented Apple Watch (1st generation) from charging for some users
• Resolves an issue where the Sunrise and Sunset complication would sometimes not appear
• Restores Mandarin as the default dictation language for China”

Fact: There is no sign of the Apple Pay Cash feature in these notes, which means that the peer-to-peer payment system that runs over iMessage, won’t be included in watchOS 4.1 either, after already skipping the initial release.

Update: Check out the full iOS 11.1 release notes!