One of the constants since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015 has been the requirement that each watch be paired with one iPhone. (These days, each iPhone can pair with multiple watches at once, but each watch must only pair with one iPhone at a time.) Potential Apple Watch buyers can own a house full of Macs and iPads, but if they’re using an Android phone rather than an iPhone, they’ve had no luck… so far.
Thursday is a prolific leader @analyst941 (who is also known as Anonymous-AS on the MacRumors forums) posted a statement that the Apple Watch “can finally sync with more than one Apple device” and added that this applies to iPads and Macs, as well as iPhones.
However, there are some caveats. First, the timing is unconfirmed: The leader says he “hopes it actually happens this year” but mentions next year as another possibility. They also admit that they “do not know how it will be implemented.” Will there be new Watch apps for iPadOS and macOS? Will a Mac or iPad be able to set up an Apple Watch or only then sync it as an additional companion on top of an iPhone? If it’s the latter, Android users will still be sidelined, which could be in line with Apple’s goals given the value of gatekeeper devices like the Apple Watch and AirPods in keeping customers in the iPhone’s walled garden.
For that matter, we should probably add that this idea should generally be regarded as unconfirmed, as the liquor’s own track record remains decidedly meager. @analyst941 is currently a press darling and wide-ranging predictions have appeared across the spectrum of tech media in recent months, but so far they only have one provably correct prediction to point to by briefly describing Dynamic Island’s privacy feature accurately. before the iPhone 14 Pro was announced.
Timing caveats aside, @analyst941 has a big reckoning at WWDC on June 5th. Is a promising career leak about to flourish or decline? Prostradamus has proven that you can do things wrong and keep leaking, but it’s hard to come back after you’ve been wrong about many very specific things at the same time. Buckle up guys, this is almost a defining moment.
For all the latest news and rumors surrounding this year’s Apple Watch software updates, check out our regularly updated watchOS 10 super guide.