New Apple Watch Gesture in watchOS 26 Limited to Newer Models

[darngooddesign]

I think he is referencing when Apple said Stage Manager would only work on iPad Pro's, but after backlash from users on forums like this and other places, they "magically" added other iPads!!!

Apple said the original Stage Manager needed an M1 for all its features, people complained, and Apple put it on there A12 iPadPros but they didn't get all of the Stage Manager features because they didn't have M# chips. So Stage Manager has been on all M# iPads, not just iPad Pros.

 

[Spock]

Apple said the original Stage Manager needed an M1 for all its features, people complained, and Apple put it on there A12 iPadPros but they didn't get all of the Stage Manager features because they didn't have M# chips. So Stage Manager has been on all M# iPads, not just iPad Pros.

And then like magic, they were able to do multi window multitasking in iPadOS 26 for all compatible models.

 

[darngooddesign]

And then like magic, they were able to do multi window multitasking in iPadOS 26 for all compatible models.

Yes, they rewrote the windowing system because all the now supported iPads have more RAM and faster processors.

An M# is still required for external display support, the A# iPads still only have mirroring. Just like back when the A12s got Stage Manager.

 

[MNWildFan]

Ok, if the double tap feature works on older watches, then why can't this new gesture?

Someone make it make sense

That right there explains why when I tried it with my watch (series 8) it didn't work

 

[Johnny907]

So even though most of these rely on sensors already built into Series 4 and later, they’re artificially restricting them to Series 9 and later?
Yeah, that tracks. Apple gonna Apple 👍

 

[Spock]

Yes, they rewrote the windowing system because all the now supported iPads have more RAM and faster processors.

An M# is still required for external display support, the A# iPads still only have mirroring. Just like back when the A12s got Stage Manager.

External display limitations I understand limiting to the M series processors but multi-window coming to iPads that were previously not compatible like the low end iPad and the 6th iPad mini shows that most of it was a software limitation. That is what they are doing here, locking new features out with software.

 

[incoherent_1]

I'm not sure I get this feature. Don't notifications go away after a couple seconds anyway? What am I missing?

 

[Dr McKay]

This reminds me of the AI vision that they initially made only available on iPhone 16, then an update later, decided the 15 pro could handle it.

They made up a load of excuses for Siri not coming to the iPhone 4, something about the microphones not being good enough. Within the week the top Cydia tweak was enabling Siri on older iPhones. I tried it on my 4 and didn't notice any difference in accuracy between my 4 and 4S (it was terrible on both)

 

[XboxEvolved]

I like the idea of it and am more excited to get a AWU3 because potentially with a better chip it along with the Apple Watch 11 could have some other kind of gesture, and my series 6 battery is just crushed, still good watch tho.

 

[ijordano]

This "some models aren't powerful enough to handle the machine learning" line is gona get old really fast, If it supports raise to wake, it can handle flick to dismiss

 

[PPCmike]

This seems like it will be a decent one I've started to use more the finger gestures to move my stack

 

[magicschoolbus]

I enjoy the AW but the new gestures they have rolled out don’t work that well. I’m skeptical of this one.. hopefully gestures are improved all around

 

[Arytonsenna]

Another trivial piece of software needlessly withheld from existing customers.

 

[Jliu]

Instead of ignore the notification, what about move your wrist to view the details of the notification.
Seriously Apple, now I have to dig my notifications to find the ones I accidentally ignored as the result of this gesture