watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple Inc.. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone and iPod Touch, and has many similar features. It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS. Its API is called WatchKit. The second version, watchOS 2, included support for native third-party apps and other improvements, and was released on September 21, 2015. The third version, watchOS 3, was released on September 13, 2016, emphasizing better performance and including new watch faces and stock apps. The fourth version, watchOS 4, was released on September 19, 2017. The fifth version, watchOS 5, was released on September 17, 2018, adding more third-party support and new workouts, along with the “Walkie-Talkie” feature. The sixth version, watchOS 6, was released on September 19, 2019. The seventh version, watchOS 7, was announced on June 22, 2020 at the WWDC event and is scheduled to be released later this year.
Interface overview
The home screen is composed of circular applicationicons, which can be zoomed in and out with the Digital Crown and dragged and launched by touching the display. Many of the apps are miniaturized, simplified versions of their iOS counterparts. Prior to watchOS 3, Glances provided fast access to a summarized view of the most popular native or third-party applications used on Apple Watch. The Glances view was opened with a swipe up gesture from the watch face screen. With watchOS 3, Glances has been replaced by a redesigned Control Center – much like the one in iOS. The friends menu, invoked with the side button, now acts as a dedicated dock for apps. Different actions and options appear depending on if the user taps or deep presses which an Apple Watch detects with its pressure-sensitive Display. Force Touch was completely removed in watchOS 7, and all actions have been moved.
For several years now, Apple has been developing its HealthKit product in a bid to change the way people interact with their devices. There is also a conscious attempt to penetrate the lucrative healthcare and wellness industry, which many observers believe to hold a huge growth opportunity for Apple. This was confirmed by Jony Ive, Apple's former chief designer, in an interview. He said that health was a crucial element in the Apple Watch since the day of its inception and that the developmental trajectory of the hardware and the watchOS were geared towards health-based capabilities. Ive pointed out that one of the primary apps that shipped with the first watchOS allowed users to track and communicate as well as encourage them to move, exercise, and stand. He said:
Many of us have our phones with us all the time, but they aren't connected to you. Imagine having something this powerful with you at all times, and what opportunities that might present to the user. The opportunity is phenomenal. Particularly when don't understand just where we are today in terms of technology and capability, but where we are headed.
One of the most recent updates to the watchOS included applications that do not only keep users active but also diagnose illnesses. For example, there is the app called DeepHeart, a deep learning network that can detect atrial fibrillation, hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes. It taps the HealthKit platform to collect data, particularly those collected by the Apple Watch's heart sensor.
Version history
watchOS 1
WatchOS 1 was the first version of watchOS to be released. It came with iOS 8.2, instead of the initial release. The first version of watchOS 1 was 1.0 and was based on iOS 8.2. The second version of watchOS 1 was 1.0.1 and was based on version 8.3.
watchOS 2
watchOS 3
watchOS 4
watchOS 5
WatchOS 5 was first shown to the public at the San Jose WWDC developer conference held by Apple. It had an instant watch-to-watch Walkie-Talkie mode. With this release, Apple dropped support for Apple Watch / Series 0.
watchOS 6
Apple announced a new version of watchOS that would contain features such as the App Store, a calculator with tip tools, an audiobooks app, noise level monitoring, and Apple's Voice Memos app. It also enables special games that can only be played on the Watch interface. However, watchOS 6 has limited support on Apple Watch Series 1 and 2.
