2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
At Apple's September presentation, all the attention went to the new iPhone and iPad Pro, while watchOS 2 was left on the sidelines. Nevertheless, there are many innovations in it that can breathe life into the Apple Watch and change the status of the device from an expensive toy to a useful daily assistant. We figured out what awaits Apple Watch owners and whether it is worth reconsidering your decision if you have delayed the purchase.
The wearable electronics market today is predictably much smaller than the smartphone market. And if the purpose and niche of fitness trackers is clear, then smartwatches until recently served as companions and optional accessories for a smartphone. With watchOS 2, Apple is doing the same trick that changed the mobile market.
The Apple Watch got its own App Store back when it was announced in April. Nevertheless, all this time there were no really useful applications among the applications, because they only duplicated notifications and other information from the smartphone. In the new OS, everything is different, and this is its main change.
New features
Apple Watch has the expected Nightstand mode. When you put the watch on charge before going to bed, it goes into a mode similar to the usual alarm clock. A tap on the Digital Crown will activate a new digital screen, and a tap on the crown will turn off the alarm.
Another useful feature of watchOS 2 is Time Through Mode, which lets you navigate a schedule by scrolling through the Digital Crown. Scroll forward - and find out what the weather will be like and what you have planned in a few hours, back - everything happens exactly the opposite. Clicking on the Digital Crown will always bring you back to the present moment.
In addition, the system has many small improvements: in the "Friends" section, you can now add friends without the participation of the iPhone, with the help of Siri you can launch an application or start a workout, the watch has learned to play a video, and the already familiar iPhone and iPad Activation Lock is responsible for protection against theft. …
Advanced personalization
There are several additions to the list of watch faces: modular with more precise settings, Time-Lapse with beautiful landscapes, Photos Face, which allows you to put a photo from the gallery as a background, and Photos Album Face, which does the same, but with a whole album.
The first option, thanks to ClockKit, allows developers of third-party applications to add their own extensions, which will give the user even more options for personalization. And Time-Lapse, although not the most informative, is suitable for Apple Watch owners who treat watches primarily as an accessory. You have 24-hour time-lapse views of London, Hong Kong, New York, Shanghai and Lake Mackay, which change according to the current time.
Third Party Applications
This is the main innovation of watchOS 2. If before that the watch only accepted iPhone notifications, with which constant synchronization was required, and it would not have occurred to anyone in their right mind to view Instagram or Twitter feeds on a small screen, then the new WatchKit is designed to make a difference. Developers got access to Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, heart rate sensor, accelerometer and microphone. This opens up wide opportunities, and we will be able to see the first results of their implementation very soon.
Since their own applications require more performance, the company also worked on optimization. Some users have already noticed an increase in the speed of standard and third-party applications.
So far, the Apple Watch is still a gadget for busy people who find it more convenient to view notifications, weather information, messages, mail and calendar events without taking their smartphone out of their pocket. It's a completely optional gadget, but if you can afford it and work constantly forces you to complete tasks on the go, Apple Watch is a good choice.
Recommended:
How social media changed our relationship
The Internet expands our social circle, but it provokes loneliness. There is only one antidote: to strengthen relationships, you need to communicate more live
Evolution Continues? How people have changed since Darwin
According to data over the past 150 years, evolution is still underway: during this time, people have become weaker and colder, but they have grown and grown new bone and artery
Cleaning and disinfection during the coronavirus: how recommendations have changed
We tell you which hygiene rules for coronavirus still need to be followed, and which measures, according to new research, were excessive
How technology and the internet have changed our perception of information
Art director Denis Zolotarev on how our perception of information has changed since the advent of the Internet and how technology has affected people
Remote Work Law: What Has Changed Since 2021
Remote work was stipulated by the legislation before. Now the nuances in the law have been prescribed more precisely. Life hacker will help you understand them