Apple shows next version watchOS for its watch

Apple showed the following versions of watchOS for the Apple Watch at WWDC developer conference. The primary focus for watchOS 3 is speed. From now on, apps must respond directly to the watch and update information before you look at it.

To do that, the watch can store favorite apps in memory so they can launch faster. There is also a way to update information in the background, without the user having started the app. Apple claims that watchOS 3 can be seven times faster than the current watchOS 2.

In addition, Apple has changed the interface. A swipe up from the bottom opens ‘control center’, a menu with all kinds of toggles. The button on the left side no longer opens favorite contacts, but a dock for quick access to various live thumbnails of apps.

Switching between watchfaces is now done by swiping, instead of a ‘force touch’ on the screen. Glances, the little notifications from apps that seem similar to widgets, seem to be gone or hidden in watchOS 3.

In addition, the hardware maker has added a ‘scribble’ keyboard to scribble letters on the screen to form words in response to a message. The ‘scribble’ keyboard should provide some form of text input on the watch without having to put a qwerty keyboard on the small screen.

In addition, Apple is going to make its payment service Pay available to third-party apps, so that developers can build in payments via Apple Pay. The Activity app to track data from movement gets a scoreboard, so users can compare their own movement with that of family and friends.

The test version of watchOS 3 for developers will be released on Monday. A consumer version will follow this fall. Apple says it’s a free update. Apple released the Watch last spring. The watchOS 2 update came out last fall.

Photos: The Verge