A new Theater Mode is in the pipeline for the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Apple Watch. The feature will be made available in the watchOS 3.2 update that is in the offing.
With Theater Mode, users will be able to disable waking the screen when lifting the wrist and also mute sound. This will help users avoid being a nuisance in places such as auditoriums and movie theaters. The Theater Mode feature does not, however, disable notifications and they will be viewable by tapping the screen or pressing the digital crown.
“[Theater Mode could] quickly disable sound systems and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and message and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie,” writes AppleInsider.
Siri for Apple Watch
watchOS 3.2 will also feature Sirikit and it will be similar to that of the iPhone. This will enable developers to avail their app’s services on Apple Watch directly through Siri without requiring the iPhone. It will thus be possible to use Siri in managing requests ranging from ride-hailing to messaging to calling to making payments on the Apple Watch. No release date for watchOS 3.2 has been announced yet for users and developers alike. A security update was however released Tuesday.
The news comes as a surprise since it had previously been rumored that Theater Mode would be introduced to the iPad and the iPhone and not Apple Watch. This had emanated from a prominent leaker of Apple news who had said that the feature would be unveiled with iOS 10.3. The distribution of the first beta of iOS 10.3 took place on Tuesday and Theater Mode was lacking.
Do Not Disturb
If indeed Theater Mode is eventually included in iOS, it is not clear what features it will have. Speculation is, however, high that features such as Do Not Disturb and Night Shift would be there. The Do Not Disturb feature allows a user to mute notifications when the phone is not in use while the Night Shift feature configures the brightness of the screen in dark environments to reduce the glare and thus ensuring the display light is less harsh on the eyes.
Wednesday’s trading saw Apple Inc rise by 1.59% to close the day at $121.88 a share.