Two years on, apple watch finally delivers on its promises

GETTY watchOS 3 has allowed Apple to start again with its wearable device Apple Watch was a problematic device when it launched. The operating system, dubbed watchOS, was brimming with ideas

about what the wearable device could be - ranging from a way to send your heartbeat to those closest to you, an advanced fitness tracker, a remote for your television, and a one-tap

solution to summon your next Uber taxi. There was a lot going on. And it was more than a little daunting. Granted, some of the Apple Watch's plethora of functions immediately made sense

– like the ability to ask Siri to set a timer, or being able to instantly read a text by glancing down at your wrist. It allowed Apple Watch owners to detach themselves from their

smartphone a little bit more – and unobtrusively get access to the information they need, when they need it. The most rewarding interactions with the Apple Watch are always the briefest. But

Apple’s debut wearable also brimmed with ideas that simply did _not_ work. > The most rewarding interactions with Apple Watch are always the > briefest Dedicating one of only two

physical buttons on the device to a proprietary messaging service that could send doodles and haptic taps to fellow Watch wearers was a baffling decision, a pointless gimmick, and was never

useful. Apps were frustratingly slow to load - leaving your wrist tired, as you stared at the spinning load wheel, safe in the knowledge that you would already have finished whatever you’re

trying to do had you bypassed the Watch altogether and pulled your iPhone from your pocket. After wearing the Apple Watch for a calendar year, I concluded that I probably would not recommend

the device to others. "If you put in the time, Apple Watch can make certain aspects of your life a little bit more convenient. But it isn’t as revolutionary as your first

smartphone," I wrote. "If my iPhone died this afternoon, I’d immediately rush to the Apple Store to replace it. If the same thing happened to the Apple Watch, I’d spend the next

365 days with bare wrists." APPLE Apple Watch handles notifications beautifully With watchOS 3.0, Apple has started again.  The US technology firm has thrown out huge swathes of the

functionality introduced and tweaked with the first two iterations of watchOS, and has fixed a number of the bugbears that filled my original review of the Watch. I cannot think of an

operating system update as transformative to existing hardware as the latest edition of watchOS. It has made the Apple Watch faster, easier to use, and more importantly, has streamlined the

confusing jostle of contrasting ideas that made the cut first time around. Pressing the Side Button no longer summons the baffling Digital Touch and Friends panel – that’s gone. Pressing the

Side Button now launches the Dock, which holds 10 frequently-used apps [APPLE] Apple has relegated the functionality to the improved Messages app, where it arguably should have been the

whole time. Instead, watchOS 3.0 introduces the Dock.  Borrowed from macOS and iOS, users can populate this carousel with 10 frequently-used applications, that will be constantly kept

up-to-date in the background to ensure load times are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fast. Scrolling through the Dock provides users with a quick preview of the apps, similar to the ill-fated

Glances mode, which has been ditched in the latest version of the Apple Watch operating system and replaced with quick access to some of the smartwatch’s settings. Like when multitasking

debuted on iOS 4 in 2010, the addition of the Dock is a revelation. It allows Watch owners to bypass the clunky honeycomb of apps completely – which is a blessing. Apps held in the Dock load

incredibly fast, and more often than not, you can just skim through the preview cards to get the information you need. But despite the dramatic improvements to load times and access to

apps, I rarely find myself spending any extended time within standalone Watch apps. RELATED ARTICLES The most rewarding interactions with Apple Watch are always the briefest. For example,

glancing at the Watch to check the location of my next calendar appointment, checking a text when it’s too cold to take the iPhone out my pocket, being nudged by CityMapper about a service

update for my next train. Otherwise, for any extended interactions, you’re probably better off using your  iPhone, which has a larger screen and a faster processor. Apple Watch’s other

strength are its health features. Granted, it does not offer the same deep-dive into data as the Microsoft Band 2, nor does it include the ability to monitor and track my sleep, like the

FitBit range – but the Apple Watch does enough. The Watch tracks calories burned, total steps, mileage and the number of times I stand-up from my desk during an average day.  It’s not the

most incisive data, but the small notifications are just enough to convince me to take the stairs over the lift at the end of the day – or prompt me to reassess my commitment to the gym

after a particularly dismal weekly report from the Watch. APPLE watchOS introduces Scribble which lets Watch owners type-out messages on the display watchOS 3.0 brings the ability to compare

your fitness results against other Apple Watch equipped friends. You can keep an eye on their total steps, daily mileage, calories burned and stand goals. It’s nowhere near as

fully-featured as Fitbit’s offering, but it’s a step in the right direction. Summoning Siri and using the virtual assistant to set a timer, quick reminder or add something to an ongoing To

Do list, works incredibly well. But honestly, you will not want to be seen using this feature outside the comfort of your home. Fortunately Apple appears to be aware of the social stigma of

chatting to your wrist in public, and has introduced handwriting recognition in watchOS 3.0. Apple Watch owners can now spell-out replies to messages on the small display. It is eerily

accurate, if a little slow. But it is a great alternative to using the limited canned responses and the interactive emojis offered in the first two iterations of the operating system. GETTY

Double-tap the button under the Digital Crown to launch use Apple Pay Unfortunately, the ability to scrawl replies on your wrist does nothing to solve one of the biggest problems with the

Apple Watch – the fact that each time you check a notification it sends the distinct impression you’re bored with present company. It’s not a problem specific to the Apple Watch, but it is a

problem with the Apple Watch. Running watchOS 3.0 on the first-generation Apple Watch has impacted battery life, which is undoubtedly shorter but more than worth the trade-off. GETTY

Raising your wrist to wake-up the display works reliably, but having to do it at all is annoying Since the initial launch of the Apple Watch back in April 2015, the Cupertino company has

clearly learnt a lot about how it wants its smartwatch to work. The latest version of watchOS strips away a number of key features demoed alongside the initial release of the device – and

doubles down on interactions, not full-blown applications. It’s a staggering improvement, and ensures the Apple Watch remains years ahead of its Android Wear rivals. It you’re not yet sold

on the idea of wearing a smartwatch, there isn’t enough here to convince you to start queuing outside your local Apple Store. Unfortunately, watchOS 3.0 does not make the Apple Watch as

indispensable as the iPhone it is paired with. However, those who were on the fence about the Apple Watch at launch should probably take another look. It takes courage to admit you were

wrong. And watchOS 3.0 highlights a lot of the mistakes that were made in the first two years of the Apple Watch. But the Apple Watch is now on track. And Apple is finally starting to

deliver on the promise of its wearable revolution.