Apple this morning announced watchOS 5, a new version of the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The first developer beta of watchOS 5 has now been released to developers for testing purposes.
To install the beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update.
To install the beta, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out.
watchOS 5 is a huge update that brings Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier than ever to start and stop workouts.
Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.
watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there's no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.
Top Rated Comments
I love the Apple Watch. I have tried Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung and I find the Apple Watch to just be better in pretty much every possible way. And Apple keeps on improving the Activity and Workout-app at phase that no one else seems to be even close to match.
But I fully agree. The whole approach to daily goals feels somewhat awkward to me. Having this set amount of calories and exercise mirrored and identical for every single day doesn’t make much sense. I don’t plan exercises for every single day, and no one really should unless they count things like walking for 30 minutes as a exercise.. If I was going to do my exercises every single day it would not be good for my body..
What does this result into? Well, it makes it impossible for me to set activity goals on the watch. Either I have to set a low calorie goal so watchOS won’t be nagging me all day for the days I’m not exercising and completely demolish said goal every day I actually do exercise or I have to set a more realistic goal, something more close to my average daily calorie goal but then have watchOS counting all days without exercises as "fails"… Its rather annoying… And it doesn’t really help motivate or anything when its done in the way its currently working.
I don't know a single person who uses the Siri face and this is not going to change anytime soon. This stuff must blend in unobtrusively. Instead, it comes across as if it was the sole reason for the watch's existence. Bah
And when it comes to competitions, this is certainly a feature that 2 peope would like to use, if not 3. great.