What’s New with Watch OS 2.0?
Here’s my top eight new features of the new release of the Watch OS:
Native Apps!
With the original software release all of your Apps from Apple or third-parties had to have the iPhone to function. In fact, they were mostly resident on the iPhone and the iPhone was the workhorse. With Watch OS 2.0 Apps can be made by developers that are native to the Watch. This means that they can access things like the heart rate sensor, microphone, Taptic Engine and accelerometer.
This should mean some new exciting apps coming in the next few months that further expand the use of the Apple Watch.
A New Face on Time
Tired of the line-up of watch faces? Mickey Mouse just not your thing? Well, there are a new set of watch faces to personalize. I now sport one with Hammerhead, my bulldog, staring at me. There are time lapse scenes, you can choose your own photo or even a photo album which will change the picture each time you raise your wrist.
It’s Complicated
Some of the watch faces have little customizable boxes that you can set for things like weather, stocks, timers, etc. The new Watch OS opens complications to app developers so now you can add even more information to your watch face.
Time Travel
I think someone at Apple must be working on a real Time Machine with all the references to time in their software but with Watch OS 2.0 you have a new way to look forward or backward in time by using the Digital Crown to scroll through your schedule and see contextual information like what the weather is likely to be on your trip tomorrow or perhaps a missed email from yesterday.
Take the Red Line to Wrigley Field!
The maps app on the watch is great, especially when you are navigating by foot in a big city. But when you are in a big city navigating mass transit is essential. Watch OS 2.0 brings Mass Transit directions to Maps! It gives you walking directions to the nearest subway or bus stop and then after you get off it continues with your walking directions, tapping you on the wrist to turn.
Good Night
I do not think I will use this much, except perhaps, while on the road. Watch OS 2.0 allows a Nightstand mode that basically turns your watch into an alarm clock and takes the watch face and moves it into the horizontal position.
It Lives!
If you are one of the lucky ones upgrading to the iPhone 6s or 6s+ you probably know about Live Photos already. This is the cool feature that records a bit of video with a photo and when you press on the photo it comes alive with movement. Well, that works on the Watch, too, if you have the iPhone 6s or 6s+. It is like watching a GIF on your wrist. Just set one of the Live Photos as your watch face, press and watch the motion.
eMail Reply
While you should be able to record a response to an email with the microphone the way that you do with text replies, you can reply to emails now. Short and canned is the description. You can choose from several customizable preset responses. You can create up to 20 and the signature will say “Sent from my Apple Watch” (customizable, too) so your recipient will know why you are so terse.