Apple watchOS 3: Everything you need to know about the next-gen platform

WatchOS 3 is here – the updated Apple Watch platform is available to download right now for your existing Watch and it will, of course, be already installed on the new Series 2 and Series 1 models.

To install, make sure you’re running iOS 10 and then, from the Apple Watch app, go to ‘General’… ‘Software Update’… tap ‘Download and Install’.

Must read hands on: Apple Watch Series 2

Here’s what you can expect once you update. Let us know in the comments which features you like the look of and what you’re still waiting for.

watchOS 3: Instant Launch

The biggie. This is what we’ve been asking for and, indeed, devs have been asking for most of all: both built in and third party apps will now launch around seven times faster than on watchOS 2. How? The OS keeps your favourite apps in its memory and allows background processing so that the refreshed information is ready before you try to access it. Hallelujah!

If the new speed is anything like the demo video on stage, this will completely change how you use apps on the Apple Watch i.e. you might actually use them now.

watchOS 3: Dock and Control Center

People like us have been saying you can’t just copy smartphone and laptop OS design on wearables, they have their own considerations. But what do we know, hey. We reckon bringing in a swipeable Dock of live apps with a press of the side button and an iOS Control Center that you pull up from the bottom of the screen to access and two pretty good ways to make watchOS more intuitive. Stops you getting lost, essentially.

In the Dock, you choose the order, you can use dots at the bottom to scroll faster and each launches with live info with one tap. You still pull down to access notifications.

watchOS 3: Scribble

A couple of the new features are focused on making responding to messages faster. So you no longer have to press a button to reply then choose how – Apple loses this redundant step and just shows you your options (emojis, preset replies etc) to tap.

There’s also Scribble which lets you draw out words with your finger, one letter at a time and will work in English and Chinese.

watchOS 3: New watch faces

First up, you can switch between watch faces with an edge to edge swipe, a feature we’ve seen before on the Vector Watch.

There’s also some new built-in faces including Minnie Mouse (you can choose the colour of her dress, of course), a simple Numeral face in which you can select different fonts and three new Activity rings watch faces – analogue, digital and chronograph.

The Activity face lets you quick start a Workout from a complication plus the Photos app, for instance, can now show a Weather complication.

watchOS 3: SOS

We reported last week that some of the most requested wearables are GPS locators and panic buttons and it seems Apple has been reading the same research. If you press and hold the side button, the Watch will start a countdown before calling 911 – or whatever the local emergency number is in the country you’re in – and alerting your emergency contact with a map of your location.

It will work via your iPhone or over Wi-Fi and will then auto display your Medical ID with your age and any other health information you choose to give it. It’s a powerful emergency system – as long as your Watch hasn’t run out of battery.

watchOS 3: Activity Sharing and Breathe

Activity Sharing is a smart move – you can check on friends’ progress in detail i.e. see how many calories they burned with a specific workout app, their Activity rings and your place in a leaderboard. We will soon also be able to send preset messages of encouragement/fighting talk from within the Activity app – it seems all of Silicon Valley wants to reduce our conversations to the lists of phrases.

Wheelchair users now get a “time to roll!” reminder rather than “time to stand” as well as new activity rings optimised to wheelchair pushes and two specific workouts.

Meanwhile, moving away from fitness, Breathe is a deep breathing/meditation app that uses visuals and haptic feedback to take you through short breathing exercises. It takes a heart rate reading towards the end (when you should be relaxed) and is part of a growing trend we’re seeing towards stress busting wearables, like Zenta, Prana and Spire.

watchOS 3: What devs can access

In terms of what new things we will see in third party apps, devs now have access to Apple Pay so users can purchase things using Apple’s platform within apps.

Another big deal which opens up a lot of opportunity is that third party fitness apps can run in the background during your workout capturing, for instance, real time heart rate data.

Devs can also link their apps and games to Game Centre and CloudKit plus get access to speaker audio, include inline video in apps and have access to Crown and Touch controls. This is all good news, some of which the developers we talked to have been requesting.

watchOS 3: How do I install?

It’s easy… Update to iOS 10 and then, from the Apple Watch app, go to ‘General’… ‘Software Update’… tap ‘Download and Install’.

SOURCE:http://www.wareable.com/apple-watch/watchos3-watch-os-3-apple-watch-guide-2016-1