Coros watches get Apple Watch and Garmin-style Voice Control as part of a big new update — which also includes a bunch of other cool features and tweaks

• A big update is rolling out for Coros watches
• The headline feature is voice commands, currently in beta
• Strength training, auto laps for running, and the control center all get tweaks, along with a new photo sharing feature

Coros users are getting a lovely package of new features and other updates, starting today. Coros' May Feature Update gives Coros users, especially modern ones, a host of new features to play with, chief among them Voice Control.

Currently available only in beta, this moves Coros watches (at least, those equipped with microphones such as the Coros Pace 4 and Apex 4) to match some of the other best running watches such as the Apple Watch Ultra series, along with the best Garmin watches.

Voice Control can be used to start a workout profile on the watch, whether it's walking, trail running or even gravel biking, by pressing and holding the action button. You can also make more granular changes within those profiles, such as changing lanes during track runs, or changing the treadmill speed on a treadmill run profile. You can even 'record a catch' while fishing.

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It can also be used for the usual assortment of settting reminders, activating Find My Phone, and so on. If you want to get early access to the feature, you can join the beta program here.

Our writer Michael Sawh recently interviewed Coros' CEO Lewis Wu, and while we'll be publishing the second half of that interview next week, we can reveal that the move towards voice commands is very much in line with Wu's AI-powered vision for Coros.

He said: "We believe voice is the future... "If you want to get future-proof hardware or a running watch for yourself, consider those with a microphone. This is our vision.” You can read all about Coros' AI plans in the second part of the interview, to be published next week.

What else is new?

Other updates include Custom Photo Sharing, which allow you to overlay your stats and recent training sessions with a photo of your choice before sharing it with friends or to social media. It creates a vertical overlay with stats such as speed or elevation — perfect for sharing to Instagram or Strava.

Strength Mode has received an update, allowing users to edit reps and intensity either on the watch or in the app after the session, and rep counting accuracy is reportedly improved as well.

You can now choose to set up Auto Laps when running by distance, or by position, so you can return to where you started to begin another lap. This is perfect for circular runs or hill sprints. The Control Center will also receive an update, with a new easy-access layout.

The update is available from today.

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