Apple issues second watchOS 2.0 beta to developers
Alongside a new iOS 9 beta, Apple on Tuesday seeded a second beta of watchOS 2.0 to developers, marking another milestone towards the software's public launch in the fall.
Apple states that the new code includes various bugfixes and unspecified improvements. The software is identified as build 13S5255c.
watchOS 2.0 is a 24.7-megabyte download that can only be installed via the Apple Watch companion app in the iOS 9 beta.
The iOS 9 beta was also updated today, but with a number of known issues, affecting both software and hardware features. Among these is an Apple Watch glitch showing that Activation Lock is activated when it really isn't. Apple has, however, improved navigation communication between the Watch and a paired iPhone.
The watchOS 2.0 update will make several major upgrades to the Apple Watch, enabling things like new faces, a Nightstand mode, third-party complications, and a Time Travel mode showing past and future events.
The most significant addition though will be support for native third-party apps. Many Watch owners have complained that under the current version of the OS, third-party apps are so slow to load that it's often faster to pull out their iPhone.
Apple states that the new code includes various bugfixes and unspecified improvements. The software is identified as build 13S5255c.
watchOS 2.0 is a 24.7-megabyte download that can only be installed via the Apple Watch companion app in the iOS 9 beta.
The iOS 9 beta was also updated today, but with a number of known issues, affecting both software and hardware features. Among these is an Apple Watch glitch showing that Activation Lock is activated when it really isn't. Apple has, however, improved navigation communication between the Watch and a paired iPhone.
The watchOS 2.0 update will make several major upgrades to the Apple Watch, enabling things like new faces, a Nightstand mode, third-party complications, and a Time Travel mode showing past and future events.
The most significant addition though will be support for native third-party apps. Many Watch owners have complained that under the current version of the OS, third-party apps are so slow to load that it's often faster to pull out their iPhone.
Comments
All good and welcome changes.
Some sort of swipe feature to bring back the prior screen (if default set to watch face) would be quite useful. And, being able to swipe across different Glances from the sub-settings of a particular Glances (e.g., after looking at a particular stock in the Stocks Glances, or say Stand in the Activity Glances) would be a (minor) help.
The button on the bottom right could be made more functional than to just access frequent contacts (I rarely use it for that), and ApplePay (which I do use a fair amount). Also, I find that I do not use the Crown much to scroll.
The Apple Watch Beta 2 has been pulled from Apple's servers temporarily; hope it comes back soon and battery issues have been resolved, or at least improved!
What 'battery issues'? Mine lasts much longer than Apple promised -- I couldn't be more pleased. And it would seem I am far from alone in being pleased with it: this is also what I've gathered from numerous comments I've read.
I mean the battery issues from Watch 2.0 beta 1. The current consumer released version of watch has great battery life, but 2.0 beta 1 it cut that in half.
What 'battery issues'? Mine lasts much longer than Apple promised -- I couldn't be more pleased. And it would seem I am far from alone in being pleased with it: this is also what I've gathered from numerous comments I've read.
Do you have watchOS 2 beta installed?
The beta battery is dreadful.
The Apple Watch Beta 2 has been pulled from Apple's servers temporarily; hope it comes back soon and battery issues have been resolved, or at least improved!
The beta was pulled because it was showing up for people that weren't developers and/or were on iOS 8. It wouldn't install regardless because of the iOS 9 requirement, but it had to be pulled regardless.
Do you have watchOS 2 beta installed?
The beta battery is dreadful.
I have it installed. It isn't dreadful, it is noticeably less than watchOS 1. The word 'dreadful' is reserved for the iOS 9 beta 1 battery life and should not be used in other contexts.
Some good suggestions there! Although, I personally use the crown ALL the time. I use it to magnify, as well as scroll. I found it quite intuitive, but honestly I can totally see how you find it easier to just scroll on-screen. I find myself automatically doing that and I have to think about it to actually use the crown. But when I do, I love it.
I have had my watch for just over a week and it has really surprised me with its usefulness. It is quite wonderful, isn't it? I truly hope that OS 2 doesn't affect battery life because I am awfully happy with it now, especially considering how much I use my ? Watch.
Really looking forward to more complications, because I would like more of the information on the clock face to be more easily expandable with a single button press. I use the weather, date and activity complications very frequently. Also, I would like to have the ability to send more than just one emoji in a text. Maybe I'm weird, but sometimes I like to send several in one text. And does anyone know if there is a way to type in a phone number, without having to go into your contacts?
I have it installed. It isn't dreadful, it is noticeably less than watchOS 1. The word 'dreadful' is reserved for the iOS 9 beta 1 battery life and should not be used in other contexts.
Well if your watch used to have battery level 50% at 11PM everyday and now you have 5% at 4PM since Beta 2, I'm sure you'd call it dreadful.
My iPhone 6 with iOS 9 Beta 1 battery life, in contrast, is not much less than iOS 8 though.
I guess it's because different uses. Maybe I used the Watch more often than the phone.
Beta 2 seems to have fixed the battery draining issue, 6% in 5 hours so far (very quiet day), although i can't remember how much it used to use on OS1....
Some sort of swipe feature to bring back the prior screen (if default set to watch face) would be quite useful.
Double-clicking the digital crown does that already (if you're asking for what I think you're asking for!).
Some sort of old school keypad that would allow us to send a short simple message for when the pre defined examples aren't relevant and dictation isn't possible due to being in certain locations i.e the office etc.