Apple claims the new OS is seven times faster. Users will also be shown the preview of the apps while scrolling through this dock. You simply open the app, choose the amount of time, and follow the haptic cues to control your breathing.
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One more thing: Your favorite third-party fitness apps will now be able to run natively in the background for workouts, which means they’ll get access to all of the watch’s sensors, like heart rate data, while you’re working out. WatchOS is more accommodating, to boot.
Control Centre on iOS is the swipe-up menu that gives you access to important shortcuts, such as airplane mode and the Wi-Fi toggle.
With watchOS 3, the Activity app experience is now optimised for wheelchair users.
watchOS 3’s Scribble function appears when you respond to a message as an additional option to the usual canned replies, and it works not only with English, but also multinationally, able to recognise even Chinese characters. This feature will let you compare your Activity to your friends and family, and you can compare whatever statistics that you’d like. It’s also adding a new “Breathe” app, created to help you relax through breathing.
Apple is setting up the Watch to be a universal personal identifier.
Finally, there’s a great new SOS feature, which automatically calls the emergency services when you press and hold the button on the side of your Apple Watch. This feature works internationally, so you don’t have to know the emergency number if you’re in a foreign land. After making an emergency call, SOS will also contact any emergency contacts you’ve pre-set, as well as becoming a medical alert bracelet showing off any pre-set conditions you’ve listed on the watch. For developers, watchOS 3 includes many new APIs, including Apple Pay in apps, background fitness monitoring, and more. Replying to messages has gotten easier, since smart replies are immediately accessible when you scroll down while viewing a message.
The WatchOS 3 will be available as a free update to Apple Watch and will require iPhone 5 or later model running iOS 8.2 or later.
Continuing with fitness, Apple has bulked up the features targeted at wheelchair users – including activity tracking – with an aptly named “time to roll” reminder instead of the “time to stand” notification as standard.
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With WatchOS 3 those days of the never-ending loading icon should be over, fond memories of the early days of Apple’s firstgen smartwatch. There’s also a brand-new way to send a message called Scribble. WatchOS 3 will be available starting today for developers, the official release is expected this fall.
