NEW YORK (AP) – Apple Watch’s new software brings useful enhancements, though it’s not the same as getting a new watch.
That same watch can now do more. For the first time, non-Apple apps are able to display video and use the watch’s sensors and controls. In addition, the watch now works with Wi-Fi, extending how far you can go without a phone with you. These enhancements address many of my initial frustrations with the watch.
But the hardware itself isn’t changing, apart for some new color and band choices. Promised battery life remains at 18 hours, something Apple will need to address in upcoming generations given that rival smartwatches are promising more. For now, you might need to buy a spare charger to give the watch a power boost while you’re sitting at work. Even 15 minutes will help.
The watchOS 2 update for Apple Watch arrived Monday, delayed by nearly a week as Apple fixed an unspecified bug.
The update comes as Apple Inc. pulled several Chinese apps, including the popular WeChat, from its app store after third-party developers were tricked into inserting malicious code into their apps. The malicious software isn’t believed to affect the watch’s functionality, though it could collect data on the tethered iPhone and send them to remote servers, according to security experts. Users should delete any Chinese apps they got or updated recently from their iPhones and iPads and get new versions from the app store once they are available.