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watchOS

206 'watchOS' stories June 2015 - December 2018
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Simple, minimalistic, small: The platform for the best smartwatch on the market

watchOS only runs on the Apple Watch and launched alongside the product back in 2015. It has seen several major revisions since its launch, such as axing glances, the friends UI, and more.

The original version of the software was very slow and relied on your iPhone for its apps. Everything presumably ran over Bluetooth, and would be unable to open any apps if your connected iPhone was out of range.

Apple quickly moved away from interaction model and pushed native applications as of watchOS 2.0, where the majority of the app’s interface and information were installed on your Apple Watch, instead of your iPhone.

watchOS 3.0 added support for background app refresh, which allowed apps to run in the background, but also enabled complications to be updated without needing to completely launch an app.

With watchOS 4.0, and the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE, Apple took this interaction model a step further. The company introduced APIs to allow applications to run completely independently of the iPhone. This meant that users were allowed to stream Apple Music, get the latest News, or take a phone call without being in the range of your iPhone. However, an iPhone is still required to setup and manage your Apple Watch.

Learn more about watchOS by reading the articles below:

Apple releasing first iOS 12.1.2 and watchOS 5.1.3 developer betas today with ‘bug fixes’ 

Avatar for Zac Hall Dec 10 2018 - 9:14 am PT
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iPhone XR

[Update: Now available over-the-air with developer profiles installed. macOS 10.14.3 beta 1 and tvOS 12.1.2 beta 1 are also available for developers.]

Apple is releasing the first iOS 12.1.2 developer beta shortly following the official release of iOS 12.1.1 last week. watchOS 5.1.3 developer beta 1 for Apple Watch is also coming today. The release notes for the upcoming iOS developer beta only highlight bug fixes and performance improvements, but we’ll dig in and update if any notable changes are discovered.


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State of Apple Watch in 2018

Avatar for Bradley C Dec 9 2018 - 6:00 am PT
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As I have done over the past few weeks, I am finishing up 2018 by looking at Apple’s various product lines to see how far they have come, where they are at, and where we hope they go in the future. As we think back to the Series 0 Apple Watch (released in 2015), it’s tough to believe how far the Apple Watch has come in just a few short years. The Series 4 Apple Watch was released a few months back, and by all counts, it’s the best Apple Watch ever released (if not the best wearable as well).
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watchOS 5.0.1 coming today, fixes a bug with the Activity Rings

Avatar for Guilherme Rambo Sep 27 2018 - 12:43 pm PT
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[Update: watchOS 5.0.1 is now available.]

A little over a week after releasing watchOS 5 to the public, today Apple is going to be releasing its first minor update: watchOS 5.0.1. This is a small update that aims at fixing some issues with the original release, including a bug that caused an incorrect increase in exercise minutes for some users.


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Apple Watch and Bluetooth car audio — the last step before leaving my iPhone behind

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 4 2018 - 11:07 am PT
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There are two things I do with my iPhone on-the-go that my Apple Watch hasn’t been able to do: play podcasts and take photos and video. The upcoming watchOS 5 software update solves the podcast problem, and I have a dedicated camera for shooting without my iPhone. But the inability to pair the Apple Watch with Bluetooth car audio remains a sticking point.


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Using the new Apple Watch Podcasts app in watchOS 5

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 31 2018 - 10:31 am PT
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Apple Watch has always been able to play music on its own — first by syncing with iPhone, then by standalone streaming — but podcast playback has been much harder to achieve. A few apps have helped reduce the friction, but official Apple Podcast support has been at the top of my wish list.

Starting with watchOS 5, currently in developer beta and likely released in September, Apple Watch Series 1 and higher will finally have its own Podcasts app. For podcast listeners, this update will make cellular connectivity even more compelling and make leaving your iPhone behind a bit easier.


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Using Apple Watch running cadence and pace alerts in watchOS 5

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 13 2018 - 12:18 pm PT
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Apple Watch is steadily evolving into a more capable sports watch, and the upcoming watchOS 5 software update continues that trend with yoga and hiking workouts, automatic workout detection, and new ways to see heart rate data. Specifically for runners is a new way to train with pace alerts and cadence — features coming to existing Apple Watches in a free software update expected in September.


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Outcast 2 adds podcast streaming and continuous playback playlists to Apple Watch

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 9 2018 - 6:46 am PT
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Outcast for Apple Watch debuted in January and immediately became my favorite way to listen to podcasts without my iPhone. Fast-forward to June and Apple unveiled that watchOS 5 would add Apple’s Podcasts app to Apple Watch and support third-party apps much better. While it sounds like Outcast has plans for watchOS 5 (which is currently in developer beta), Outcast 2 has shipped for everyone and includes two major features: episode streaming and playlists for continuous playback.


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