Apple releases third watchOS 3.1.1 beta to developers with minor revisions

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited November 2016
Apple on Tuesday pushed out the latest build of its upcoming watchOS 3.1.1 operating system to developers for testing, with the new seed containing minor improvements over the version issued last week.




The new watchOS 3.1.1 beta, dubbed build 14S5875b, appears to include only minor maintenance and performance revisions, as no new user-facing features are mentioned in today's release notes.

The latest beta comes one week after Apple issued the second watchOS 3.1.1 beta, which contained similar unspecified bug fixes and performance improvements. A public beta version is expected to drop in the near future.

Apple's forthcoming watchOS point update builds on the third major revision to its wearable operating system. Released in September, watchOS 3 introduced a variety of new features, first-party apps and redesigned controls to better take advantage of second-generation Apple Watch hardware.

For example, the side button was remapped to invoke a dedicated app dock, while onscreen controls were modified to include gestures for quick access to Control Center. The update also brought new complications, watch faces and fitness options.

Apple's watchOS 3.1.1 beta is an over-the-air download accessible via the Settings menu on Apple Watch.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    Oh, cool. Will this once again, for what seems like the tenth time, cure the "Loading..." indicators that nearly all of my Watch apps have been displaying, even after updating to 3.0? 

    I've given up launching and using Strava from my Watch (starting a Strava activity from the Watch automatically uses the Watch's heart rate sensor). New day, same old shit. I start an activity, the three little dots keep moving...and moving. Meanwhile, the app is indeed running on my iPhone, but the Watch never displays my current bike ride/run stats. Just...the...three...loading...dots. 

    Well, done. Maybe 4.0 is the one that does it? 
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 2 of 15
    mtbnut said:
    Oh, cool. Will this once again, for what seems like the tenth time, cure the "Loading..." indicators that nearly all of my Watch apps have been displaying, even after updating to 3.0? 

    I've given up launching and using Strava from my Watch (starting a Strava activity from the Watch automatically uses the Watch's heart rate sensor). New day, same old shit. I start an activity, the three little dots keep moving...and moving. Meanwhile, the app is indeed running on my iPhone, but the Watch never displays my current bike ride/run stats. Just...the...three...loading...dots. 

    Well, done. Maybe 4.0 is the one that does it? 
    You using an original or Series 1  Watch?
    I hear the Series 2 are much faster.
    (I'm still on an original Sport, but will be upgrading to a Series 2 Space Black some time after Black Friday.)
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 3 of 15
    Hopefully it will reduce occurrences of (ApplePay message): "card unavailable...try again in a few moments". 
  • Reply 4 of 15
    mtbnut said:
    Oh, cool. Will this once again, for what seems like the tenth time, cure the "Loading..." indicators that nearly all of my Watch apps have been displaying, even after updating to 3.0? 

    I've given up launching and using Strava from my Watch (starting a Strava activity from the Watch automatically uses the Watch's heart rate sensor). New day, same old shit. I start an activity, the three little dots keep moving...and moving. Meanwhile, the app is indeed running on my iPhone, but the Watch never displays my current bike ride/run stats. Just...the...three...loading...dots. 

    Well, done. Maybe 4.0 is the one that does it? 
    You must be using the OG Apple Watch. I, like most people, had this issue as well. About 2 weeks ago I sold my original Apple Watch on eBay and bought the  Series 2. The app load speeds are sooo much faster. It's incredible. They have series 1 (upgrades internals only) on sale for as little as $200 on Black Friday. Definitely worth selling/trading in the original for a series 1 or 2. The new processor makes all the difference in the world. 
    bb-15
  • Reply 5 of 15
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    Ugh.  I am a Watch Series Zero owner whose watch was turned into a piece of junk by WatchOS 3.0 and later.  It was working great under 2.0.  Now I'm plagued with poor battery life, workouts that stall and stop counting calories or distance, poor heart rate measurements or none at all, watch resets and crashes, messages saying they're not sent when they were, lags when the phone rings and answers, and the list goes on and on...

    I hate my watch now.  I don't want to upgrade.  Apple broke it and I want my old watch back!
  • Reply 6 of 15
    eriamjh said:
    Ugh.  I am a Watch Series Zero owner whose watch was turned into a piece of junk by WatchOS 3.0 and later.  It was working great under 2.0.  Now I'm plagued with poor battery life, workouts that stall and stop counting calories or distance, poor heart rate measurements or none at all, watch resets and crashes, messages saying they're not sent when they were, lags when the phone rings and answers, and the list goes on and on...

    I hate my watch now.  I don't want to upgrade.  Apple broke it and I want my old watch back!


    I think there must be some issue with your watch. I suggest you take it to Apple Support. They should replace it if there is an issue.

    I have the Gen1 SS Watch with watchOS 3 and have no issues with battery life, workouts, calorie counting, heart rate measurements and apps, didn't need to reset it even once, didn't crash even once after the update (though it did twice on watchOS 2.0).

    bb-15
  • Reply 7 of 15
    jdgazjdgaz Posts: 403member
    Every device needs an occasional reboot.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member

    My original series watch is quirky:   Sometimes it tells me of incoming messages, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it pauses or stops in the middle of a run, sometimes the activity tracker won't shut off when I tell it to...   The display is not flexible enough to allow easy reading during exercise -- instead it makes room with a small font for ALL 5 parameters that you MIGHT want to track.   And, the hardware buttons don't work -- you have to use the touch screen -- which you can't if you're wearing gloves.  Those are obviously software glitches rather than hardware...

    But most important:  One of the prime uses of the Apple Watch is to track and monitor exercise.  The geeks at Apple obviously do not understand what it takes to do that well.  They need to work more closely with the 3rd party apps to either open up the watch effectively to their apps and/or to improve its own activity tracker to provide the functionality that serious exercisers have come to expect from both phones and wrist based trackers.  

    ...  The Apple Watch and OS3 are both good, but they are not there yet....   I think the key will be, just as it was in the IPhone, the 3rd party apps.

    (BTW, serious athletes see the Apple Watch Nike as a joke meant for grandma to use during her walk).

  • Reply 9 of 15
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,350member
    GeorgeBMac said:(BTW, serious athletes see the Apple Watch Nike as a joke meant for grandma to use during her walk).
    BTW, I don't care what 'serious athletes' or poseurs who call themselves 'serious athletes' think. People should consider want works for them and not what other pinheads 'think'.

     

    eriamjh
    said:
    I hate my watch now.  I don't want to upgrade.  Apple broke it and I want my old watch back!
    Sorry for your pain. My original Watches works well with watchOS 3, and battery life is improved. This seems pretty typical from what I've seen and your experience atypical. Have you done a restart? How about a Restore as new? If those didn't/don't work I'd definitely try taking it to an Apple store.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    i have 42mm Series 0. w/ watchOS 3 the apps are faster, but not instantaneous. and if they require network comms then theyre still much too slow (such as the Hue lighting control app).

    my battery life is less good than it was before, which i attribute to the lessened restrictions on the processor. i still make it thru the day, but once or twice something went wonky and I've run dry for the first time.
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 11 of 15
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    macgui said:
    GeorgeBMac said:(BTW, serious athletes see the Apple Watch Nike as a joke meant for grandma to use during her walk).
    BTW, I don't care what 'serious athletes' or poseurs who call themselves 'serious athletes' think. People should consider want works for them and not what other pinheads 'think'.

     

    eriamjh
    said:
    I hate my watch now.  I don't want to upgrade.  Apple broke it and I want my old watch back!
    Sorry for your pain. My original Watches works well with watchOS 3, and battery life is improved. This seems pretty typical from what I've seen and your experience atypical. Have you done a restart? How about a Restore as new? If those didn't/don't work I'd definitely try taking it to an Apple store.

    I agree...

    But the Apple Watch has the intrinsic capabilities of meeting the needs of serious athletes, casual exercisers as well as grandma out for a walk.   Limiting its capabilities to only casual exercisers and grandmas does the watch an unnecessary disservice.   The ONLY debate about the Apple Watch amongst serious exercisers should be using a touch screen vs one with physical buttons while exercising -- not its functionality.  (But, even that could be overcome by Apple opening up the physical buttons to apps).

    The limitations I speak of are not intrinsic failures of the watch.  They are failures of software design.

  • Reply 12 of 15
    I hope 3.1.1 fixes the HRM - the upgrade to 3.0 improved its consistency but for me the 3.1 upgrade made it even worse than before - it seems to extrapolate a reading by an extra 50% (hr of 180 bpm instead of what should be around 120 bpm) and stays hung on the higher figure forever. I've had to resort to a bluetooth HRM cheststrap for my runs and bike workouts - the apple watch was worthless as a HRM!
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 13 of 15
    I hope 3.1.1 fixes the HRM - the upgrade to 3.0 improved its consistency but for me the 3.1 upgrade made it even worse than before - it seems to extrapolate a reading by an extra 50% (hr of 180 bpm instead of what should be around 120 bpm and stays hung on the higher figure forever. I've had to resort to a bluetooth HRM cheststrap for my runs and bike workouts - the apple watch was worthless as a HRM!
  • Reply 14 of 15
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    croyal said:
    I hope 3.1.1 fixes the HRM - the upgrade to 3.0 improved its consistency but for me the 3.1 upgrade made it even worse than before - it seems to extrapolate a reading by an extra 50% (hr of 180 bpm instead of what should be around 120 bpm) and stays hung on the higher figure forever. I've had to resort to a bluetooth HRM cheststrap for my runs and bike workouts - the apple watch was worthless as a HRM!

    I have not had that problem.  The HR monitor is not as accurate or sensitive as the chest strap -- but its been definitely close.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    Both my wife and I are experiencing the identical symptoms.  Hers is a 38mm SS whereas mine is a 42MM SBSS.  

    I do plan on going to Apple with a warranty claim.  It's out of warranty and I have no Apple care, but I have a 1 year extension through my credit card which I will use if I have to.  

    I've done everything.  Reboots, un-pair and re-pair, set up as new, etc.  The only thing I haven't tried is trashing all of my health data and starting from scratch-scratch.  Seems like I shouldn't have to do that when it was working fine before WatchOS3.  
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