The Apple Watch has only been on our wrists for a few months now, but that didn’t stop Apple from announcing watchOS 2 during its WWDC keynote today.
Perhaps the most notable feature of watchOS 2 will be support for native apps. The current version of watchOS requires apps to run on the paired iPhone and then beam information to the Apple Watch. With watchOS 2, though, developers will be able to create apps that run directly on the Watch, which ought to reduce the app load times that many Apple Watch owners have complained about.
The next version of watchOS will also include several big changes for watch faces. The update will bring several new watch face options, including the ability to set one photo or an entire photo album as your face’s background. watchOS 2 will also allow developers to create their own Complications that can offer glanceable info on the watch face. And then there’s Time Travel, which’ll let you spin the Digital Crown to view upcoming events and info.
Apple is also bringing iOS 9 goodies like loyalty card support and transit information to the Apple Watch with watchOS 2. And when it comes to fitness apps, they’ll be able to run natively on the watch and contribute to your Activity ring.
Apple’s watchOS 2 will launch in developer beta today and will launch to the public this fall.
