WatchOS 2 for Apple Watch Set for Fall Release

Though Apple Watch is practically brand new, Apple is already hard at work on the next version of the Watch operating system for the device. WatchOS 2 will include a variety of new features, and some important changes which will improve overall performance.

A highlight of known watchOS 2 features (yes Apple Watch OS is officially called and capitalized as “watchOS”) are as follows:

• Native applications – Watch apps will run directly on Apple Watch, which should improve responsiveness and boost performance
• New time-telling watch faces – a customizable photos watch face, and a new time-lapse face which features time-lapse videos of places from around the globe
• Third party complications support – developers will be able to make their own complications, which is what the little customizable additions to watch faces are called
• Email reply – you’ll be able to reply to emails right from Apple Watch using Siri dictation and quick replies
• Video playback – just as it sounds, you’ll be able to play and watch video on Apple Watch
• Time Travel – no not really a time machine, it’s a feature which allows you to roll the digital crown to skip forward or backward in time events that are on screen, to see everything from future or past calendar events, to the expected weather during that event
• Maps – gains public transportation information, like iOS 9
• New Hey Siri features – allowing for starting and stopping of workouts, viewing of Glances, and more

Perhaps unsurprising given the device is quite new, watchOS 2 will run on all existing Apple Watch models.

The watchOS 2 developer release is available now, and the wider public version of watchOS 2 will be available this fall, likely alongside the releases of iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan.