Native Apps, New Watch Faces, Time Travel & More Arrive with watchOS 2 September 16
Apple today introduced beautiful new Apple Watch cases and bands, available starting today, including new gold and rose gold aluminum Apple Watch Sport models.
Since its release, Apple Watch has helped users receive and respond to notifications, interact by simply speaking to Siri, conveniently use Apple Pay and track their health and fitness activity.
watchOS 2 arrives as a free update on September 16 and further enhances this groundbreaking experience with new features and native third-party apps.
watchOS 2 makes apps faster and more fluid by running natively on Apple Watch, and introduces new watch faces, the ability for third-party apps to display information on the watch face as complications, and an innovative way to see future events, past headlines and more with Time Travel.
watchOS 2 also includes new communication features such as the ability to respond quickly to Mail with dictation, Smart Replies or emoji, and Digital Touch enables more creativity with multiple sketch colors.
“Our customers love Apple Watch and tell us its incredible health and fitness features are having a huge impact on their lives,†said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations.
“We’re excited to expand Apple Watch’s functionality with watchOS 2 and offer even more personal choice with beautiful new styles and colors.â€Â
Expanded Assortment of Apple Watch Styles
Apple Watch collections are expanding with new case colors and fresh new bands. With new standalone Sport Bands that range from rich vibrant colors to more neutral tones, Apple Watch is now more customizable than ever:
- Apple Watch Sport’s lightweight anodized aluminum case now comes in two new beautiful colors, gold aluminum and rose gold aluminum paired with high-performance fluoroelastomer Sport Bands in lavender, antique white, stone and midnight blue.
- Apple Watch Sport silver aluminum is now available with new orange or blue Sport Bands.
- The stainless steel Apple Watch collection offers a variety of new bands including a two-toned Classic Buckle in black or saddle brown.
- The Apple Watch space black stainless steel case is now available with a black Sport Band.
- Apple Watch Edition now includes an 18-karat rose gold case with a midnight blue Classic Buckle.
Apple Watch joins Apple’s commitment to (PRODUCT)RED with a stainless steel case and a (PRODUCT)RED Sport Band with a portion of the proceeds going to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZJHbvDWzFQ
Apple Watch bands for the entire Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch collections are available to purchase separately, along with four new Sport Band colors in fog, turquoise, vintage rose and walnut.
watchOS 2 & Native Third-Party Apps
watchOS 2, the first major software update for Apple Watch, available September 16, provides even more ways to customize with new watch faces including Photo, Photo Album and Time-Lapse. Watch faces are even richer with third-party app complications that let users see news headlines, upcoming flight times and more. Time Travel allows users to conveniently explore events in the future by scrolling the Digital Crown.
Apple Watch app developers can now take advantage of key hardware and APIs to create fast, fluid, native third-party apps such as playing back video in the CNN app, using the speaker and microphone in iTranslate or measuring heart rate while cycling with Strava.
Shipping today, Apple Watch is available on Apple.com and will be available in Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers, specialty stores and department stores over the next few days.
Apple Watch is available in two different sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm, in three collections, Apple Watch Sport, starting at $349 (US); Apple Watch, starting at $549 (US); and Apple Watch Edition, crafted from custom rose or yellow 18-karat gold alloys, with prices starting at $10,000 (US).
Apple Watch requires iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus running iOS 8.2 or later. watchOS 2 and iOS 9 will be available beginning Wednesday, September 16 as a free software update.
To use all watchOS 2 features, you need to download iOS 9.
