watchOS 2 Arrives on Apple Watch This Fall With Time Travel, Nightstand Mode & Native Apps

Apple announced watchOS 2 for its Apple Watch at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2015. With watchOS 2, the Cupertino based electronics giant has addressed all aspects of the Apple Watch such as performance, looks and security. The watchOS 2 will not only add additional functionality for end users but also offer developers access to key hardware like the Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, heart rate sensor, accelerometer and microphone. Until now developers could only create custom clock faces for the Apple Watch with the WatchKit but now they can take full advantage of the nifty hardware of the smartwatch using the new ClockKit framework available on the WatchKit. This will allow third party developers to integrate more functionalities of the Apple Watch on their apps and vice versa. The The iOS 9 SDK beta including WatchKit for watchOS 2 is available today for iOS Developer Program members and the watchOS 2 will be available this fall as a free update for Apple Watch customers. We have divided the article into three sections highlighting the new features of watchOS 2.

Performance

The biggest change in the watchOS 2 comes with the addition of native apps. This means that apps can now run independently on the Apple Watch without taking any help from the iOS device it is connected to. This not only results in quicker app load times but also in better performance. Once you receive an email on your Apple Watch you are given the option of dictating and sending a reply. Remember the Friends feature that quickly allows you to access to 12 chosen contacts? Well if you have more than 12 chosen contacts you are given the option of adding them into multiple Circles. The watchOS 2 adds transit information on the Apple Maps app and gives you the option of making Apple Pay payments without taking out your smartphone. Siri has been given new tasks to perform and you get to send multi-coloured doodles on the Apple Watch. The best addition according to us is the Time Travel feature. You can spin the Digital Crown backwards or forwards to see what appointments and tasks you have accomplished in the past and what tasks you have to undertake in the future. Press the Digital Crown to return to present time.

Apple Watch Time Travel

Looks

Apple takes pride in itself for being the company to have the most extensive watch face library. It has expanded its catalogue by offering time lapse videos of famous locations. It now allows you set either a single photo or shuffle through multiple photos on your from your Photo Album on the clock face with a digital clock. Your Apple Watch can now work as a nightstand clock with the Night Stand mode. Once you place the Apple Watch on charge the watch goes into another layout and shows a minimalist clock whenever your touch the display. The side button gets converted into an alarm off button and the Digital Crown allows you to decide the Snooze duration.

Apple Watch Nightstand Mode

Security

A couple of days back we told you about a Stolen Apple Watches Can Be Reset & Paired With Other iPhones Easily that allows a thief to pair the smartwatch with another smartphone without breaking the current Apple ID. Well Apple has taken note of this issue and introduced Activation Lock on watchOS2. This means just like iPhones and iPads a thief cannot activate the Apple Watch without entering the original Apple ID and password it was registered to.

Apple Watch Activation Lock

You can read more about the watchOS 2 in its #-Link-Snipped-# and #-Link-Snipped-#. For more information in the Apple Watch you can read our previous coverage of the product on #-Link-Snipped-#.

Replies

  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    It could just be me, but I think that Apple's seriously going down on the innovation curve. Nothing exciting in the wearables, OSX and even iOS. Apple just copied Google and no one calls them copycats!

    I think Microsoft's is the new Apple!

You are reading an archived discussion.

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