watchOS 26 is the Apple Watch’s next major hardware update, and it includes several Apple Intelligence-powered features. Here are the hardware requirements to get Apple Intelligence on your Watch.
New AI features on Apple Watch each have unique requirements
Last year when Apple Intelligence first launched, it was exclusive to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Since then, Vision Pro has been added.
In watchOS 26, Apple is bringing AI features to the Apple Watch too. But when it comes to hardware compatibility, things get a little messy.
That’s because a variety of Apple Intelligence capabilities will co-exist on the Watch, but with different requirements. The reason is that only some features use on-device models, while others rely on LLMs running on their paired iPhone.
Here’s a rundown of hardware requirements for different AI-powered features:
Live Translation in Messages
- Available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.
Smart Replies that are more precise
- Available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Workout Buddy
- Available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
As you can see, the three main Apple Intelligence features in watchOS 26 all have very different requirements.
For Live Translation, not only do you need a very recent Apple Watch model, but you also need an AI-compatible iPhone.
If you’re interested in getting more intelligent Smart Replies though, it doesn’t matter what iPhone you have as long as your Watch is new enough to run the on-device language model.
And finally, with Workout Buddy it’s the opposite situation: any Apple Watch can support it, but your iPhone has to support AI.
Since Apple is using the ‘Apple Intelligence’ branding for all of these features, I’d say it’s entirely fair to call some of watchOS 11’s current features Apple Intelligence too.
What are the standout watchOS 26 features for you, and do you care about gaining Apple Intelligence support? Let us know in the comments.
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