watchOS 2 brings many new elements to the Apple Watch

The third focal point of Apple's WWDC conference today was the debut of watchOS 2. The Apple Watch will receive an update in the next few months that will add a lot to the wearable. Some time-lapse watch faces are coming to the Watch, and for the first time, users can use their own photos or even entire albums as watch faces. Third-party developers will be able to create complications for the various watch faces making the device even more personal and customizable.

Time Travel is a particularly interesting feature. Right from the watch face, by turning the digital crown forwards or backwards, users can see their complications and the time move into the future or back to the past. This can be used to look at calendar events, weather, or other complications as they would appear a few hours ago or a few hours ahead. Knowing that the Apple Watch must be plugged in each night for charging, Nightstand mode will turn the wearable into an alarm clock that displays the time persistently and can act as an alarm with a snooze button.

With watchOS 2, apps will run natively on the Watch for quicker loading and better capabilities. A few other features seen on the newest version on iOS 9 like Transit, an improved Siri, and an expanded Apple Pay will make their way to the wearable as well. The last big improvement is the addition of Activation Lock, requiring a user to provide an Apple ID and password in the case that the Watch is stolen. watchOS 2 will release in the Fall and will be free for all wearers.

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