When the first Apple Watch came out – and the first watchOS with it – the reactions were varied and across the board. The same can't be said for the drop of watchOS 2, which was officially announced at Apple's special event earlier this month. A slew of new native apps and additions have made watchOS 2 yet another crown jewel in the Apple tech empire.
The native apps are a huge plus for the software, avoiding a slowing of performance on the smartwatch. They include a selection of customizable watch faces, a Time Travel app (which, according to the website, allows users to "turn the Digital Crown to see what's happening – and what's already happened – yesterday, today, and tomorrow," i.e., in different time zones); customizable complications, which is what Apple calls important pieces of information you can see right on your watch face, like Weather or World Clock, and now data from App Store apps; and a Nightstand mode that re-orients the smartwatch when it's on its side and charging so a digital display illuminates whenever you touch the screen, the Digital Crown, or the side button. Third-party apps can also run from a native platform on the software update.
In addition to this, the updated Siri (which was heavily emphasized at the last Apple event as being as close to a personal servant for the Everyman as you can get) is apparently par excellence as its iPhone and iPad siblings, and the Travel app interface and scheduling execution are as close to pinpoint accuracy as one can get. But the true star seems to be the Taptic engine, much improved from its older version, with better reads from its haptic feedback.
According to reviewer Jeremy White over at Wired UK, the new update is enough to wash away any negative feelings about the Apple Watch from back when it was released earlier this year.
"For now, download the update and pretend you just bought the Watch," wrote White, "[Y]ou'll feel much, much better about it than you did a few months ago."
The latest watchOS will drop on Sept. 25 of this year.
Via: Wired UK
