Along with a new version of Mac OS and iOS 9, Apple today announced WatchOS 2.0 as WWDC 2015 kicked off with the traditional keynote. It is the first major software update to be released for the Apple Watch.
“We are thrilled with the feedback we’re getting from Apple Watch customers, and after just a few weeks of availability we’re excited for developers to start building native apps for watchOS 2,” said Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of Technology. “We think Apple Watch users will love being able to see information from their favorite apps right on the watch face, and enjoy the many new experiences developers will dream up now that they have access to even more innovative features of Apple Watch.”
Perhaps the most important addition in this latest version of WatchOS is that apps will be able to live natively on the Apple Watch with iOS 9. But there’s a raft of other new features in WatchOS 2.0:
- The ability to turn photos into watch faces or view pictures from photo albums with the new Photo and Photo Album watch faces
- Time-Lapse watch face that offers a selection of time-lapse videos shot in iconic locations including New York City, London or Shanghai
- Time Travel feature which lets you use the Digital Crown to scroll forward or backward through meetings, temperature forecasts and information from third-party apps
- Multiple Friends screens, each supporting up to 12 friends
- Colour support added to Digital Touch
- Nightstand Mode with sideways-oriented alarm clock (and Digital Crown working as the snooze)
- Support for merchant rewards and store-issued credit and debit cards with Apple Pay
- Support for transit in Maps, including walking directions to the nearest stations with entrances and exits (Toronto is the only Canadian city initially included)
- Ability to use Siri to start specific workouts, launch Glances and reply to email
- Activation Lock to secure Apple Watch with Apple ID
- New developer tools:
- Access to Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, heart rate sensor, accelerometer and microphone
- New software APIs to enable audio and video playback
- Support for third party complications with ClockKit framework
Developers will get access to WatchOS 2.0 later today as a beta. A public release will follow later this fall as a free update to Apple Watch.
Source : Apple