At today's Apple event (Sept. 9), the company announced that watchOS 2.0 will be available on September 16, meaning owners of the company's smartwatch will then get access to a few, much needed features and upgrades. Plus, the company revealed some hardware additions. Here's what we know about watchOS 2.0.
Time Travel
The Apple Watch's new Time Travel feature uses the crown on the side of the device to reveal past and future events on your schedule with a simple scroll. This is similar to Pebble's new interface, which centers your interaction with the smartwatch around your calendar schedule, letting you switch between past, present and future views.
MORE: Apple Event: All the Big Announcements
Complications
Digital complications are like quick views for apps you have installed on your Apple Watch. You can choose which information you want on your watch face, and they can show you snippets of information at a glance, such as flight times and weather alerts. Essentially, complications allow you to get pertinent information without taking the time to open a full app on the watch. Similarly, the new Moto 360 will also incorporate complications onto its watch face as well.
More Watch Apps
Apple revealed there are now more than 10,000 Watch apps, and some highly anticipated ones will come as the company launches watchOS 2.0. Facebook Messenger is one of those apps: with it you'll be able to send text and audio messages to your Facebook friends, with translation capabilities for more than 90 languages. You'll be able to send your location over Messenger as well.
Also, the Apple Watch will act as a GoPro control in watchOS 2.0. Owners of the action cam will be able to connect it to their Apple Watch and use it as a viewfinder letting you see exactly what's going on through the lens of the GoPro.
Airstrip
While Airstrip isn't meant for every Apple Watch users, it's a medical app that does tie in to Apple's overall health offerings. Apple Watch-outfitted doctors can be instantly connected to watch-wearing patients using Airstrip, letting them obtain information about the patient's overall health. Not only can doctors access past medical history to check up on a patient, but they can also receive real-time vital stats to their wrists to closely monitor a patient's status. Apple also sees Airstrip coming in handy for pregnant women who want to relay information to their doctors about their vitals, and their baby's vitals, in a timely fashion.
New Designs
Apple couldn't give us the next version of watchOS without also adding in some new style options as well. This fall, the Apple Watch Sport Edition will be available in three new color options: gold, rose gold and anodized aluminum. Also, a slew of "fall collection" bands will add a variety of bold and neutral colors. Apple will sell a Product Red sport band, in which a portion of the proceeds will go to the global fund to fight AIDS.
In another attempt to push its fashion week bid, Apple will partner with the French luxury brand Hermes to make the Apple Watch Hermes edition. In the renderings Apple showed at its event, this smartwatch iteration seems to be the same squarish-body strapped onto a genuine leather band that's reminiscent of Hermes' iconic Birkin handbag. While Apple did not reveal the price of this version of its smartwatch, we can only assume it will follow in the $10,000-footsteps of the luxury Apple Watch Edition.
Having issues with iOS 9? Tom’s Guide has a team of experts standing by in the forums to answer your questions. You can also share your own experiences, or jump in and help others!
