watchOS Gets A Makeover Of Sorts

[WWDC 2015] Kevin Lynch has stepped up to the stage at this year’s WWDC to share with the masses what kind of changes watchOS would receive – where we are looking at the introduction of new watch faces (which is a given, taking into consideration how folks like new things all the time), among them include a Photos face. In other words, you will be able to make your own watch faces, but if your mug is not all that great to look at in the first place, perhaps getting a different customized watch face might be a better idea. After all, variety is the spice of life, and checking out a new watch face from your album each time your wrist is raised ain’t too shabby an idea.

There is also a Time-lapse photo face that will depict the passage of time, such as from morning to night of a select scene, which is pretty cool and some say, movie-like. Apart from that, one will be able to create one’s very own Complications. For instance, you can keep tabs on your favorite soccer team’s scores, or perhaps see just how much longer does your electric car have to remain plugged in to be fully charged, among others.

To make things “cleaner” for the end user, there is also a new user interface that will greet you as your Apple Watch is charging. In Nightstand Mode, you will be able to select an alarm that will nudge you from your slumber at the appointed time – in other words, this will now double up as a bedside alarm, too, and thankfully there are buttons on the side that deliver the all important snooze function by which many of us swear by.

In addition, a new Time Travel feature will let you check out what is right up the itinerary alley as you rotate the digital crown in the forward direction, and there is also an “Add a Friend” feature that would allow one to, well, add a friend, thanks to the large plus sign in the current Friends menu.

Other features that will come with the watchOS update include the ability to conduct a FaceTime audio conversation, increase your mobile productivity by replying email, while enjoying a more connected fitness experience as third party apps now run on the Apple Watch itself without the need for an iPhone, resulting in a lag-free experience that is also far more responsive. Needless to say, one can also access Wallet on the Apple Watch, and if you are a busy bee who is always on the move, the ability to check out transit information right there and then on your wrist is also a welcome one thanks to the new Maps.

Developers might want to take note that WatchKit has its fair share of benefits, where native watch apps translates to faster and easier development for the timepiece. For instance, one can now gain access to the microphone, play back “short-form” video on the timepiece itself, as well as gain access to HealthKit data on the spot. As for the Taptic Engine, a demonstration was shown off, depicting a car remote that allows you to fiddle with the headlights status. While these updates are available to developers today, everyone else will obtain it later this fall.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Apple
Tags: apple, Apple Watch, wwdc