Wednesday was quite a disappointment for many Apple Watch users who were eagerly waiting to install watchOS 2 on their devices. Just ahead of the promised schedule for the new operating system's launch, Apple decided to pull out the software update, citing a critical but undisclosed bug as the cause of the delay.
In a short note sent to media outlets, Apple says the last-minute bug was taking a long time to fix. The company does not say when users can expect to download a bug-free, or at least almost bug-free, watchOS 2, but it is safe to say that the engineers at Cupertino are rushing to get the job done as soon as possible.
"We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected," says an Apple spokesperson. "We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly."
As expected, Apple Watch owners who were all psyched up to download the new software have taken to their favorite online platforms to vent their frustrations.
"My inner child is screaming 'Noooo!'" says one user on the MacRumors forum. "The adult in me is saying, 'Well, it's good that they aren't shipping it until it's ready.' The adult will win... maybe."
"That's very unlike Apple, even after months of beta testing!?" says another.
"Bummer. I was looking more forward to watchOS2 than iOS," adds a third user.
Some people have also flocked to Twitter to point out the irony of the new Apple Watch software being late.
Apple Watch OS2 is delayed and won't be released today. Between this and Ahmed, It's just been a terrible day for the time industry.
— ScottByScott™ (@ScottByScott) September 16, 2015
Bummer, Apple Watch OS2 update delayed. I was looking forward to that more than the IOS 9 update. Oh well, first world problems and all that — Ted (@GravitySmacked) September 16, 2015
So Apple Watch OS2 is going to be late. Ironic really.
— David Crookes (@davidcrookes) September 16, 2015
Others, however, have decided to be mature adults and look at the bright side of the situation, pointing out that Apple releasing a bug-riddled watchOS 2 that would have broken their Apple Watch would have been more terrible than Apple putting off the release instead.
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't," says one user, pointing at the haters. "I, for one, am glad they will be delaying the release instead of me downloading a faulty update."
While iOS 9, which had a bumpy release as well, is more of an evolutionary update that focuses on speed and stability improvements over iOS 8, watchOS 2 promises to bring major new features to the Apple Watch. The biggest of these new features is the ability to run apps natively on the watch itself, removing the need to connect the Apple Watch to an iPhone all the time. The upcoming OS also includes new watch faces and a timeline that allows users to "travel through time" to view their appointments and the weather.
