Apple Watch

Stay up-to-date on the latest Apple Watch news, and learn how to get the most out of your device with our comprehensive tutorials. From updates to features to troubleshooting tips, we’ve got you covered.

WatchBoard: a new Apple Watch SpringBoard replacement for iPhone and iPad

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Aaron Ash, the creator of the legendary jailbreak tweak called Barrel, is back with a brand new creation called WatchBoard. WatchBoard is based off of the Apple Watch UI, and it's the best implementation of said concept that I've seen thus far.

Ash's expertise in this area is immediately apparent when it comes to design decisions, settings, etc. Not only that, but the tweak works on both the iPhone and the iPad. Have a look at our video walkthrough of WatchBoard after the break to see what makes it so good.

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Rumor: Apple switching to Samsung-made Apple Watch chips, iPhone 6 battery and flash storage

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

The latest scuttlebutt fresh out of Korea has it that Apple is considering switching to Samsung-made components for the new iPhones and Apple Watch, including iPhone 6 batteries manufactured by Samsung SDI and NAND flash manufactured by Samsung's component making arm.

The story matches up nicely with a BusinessKorea report earlier this month which claimed Apple was considering changing its flash storage provider due to alleged issues with some 128GB iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units.

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Tapping iOS 8 Extensions to offload Apple Watch app processing to iPhone is a smart move

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 19, 2014

In conceiving a feasible solution to running third-party apps in the extremely constrained power environment of the Apple Watch, Apple has come up with a rather peculiar yet familiar idea.

Initially, any third-party app processing will be offloaded to an iPhone in your pocket until the Cupertino firm begins accepting fully native Watch apps late next year.

Such an approach leaves only the app's storyboards and user interface resources running directly on the Watch, with everything else happening on an iPhone.

The only exception that proves the rule are Apple's stock apps which get executed on the Watch itself. In addition to acting as a viewport for third-party apps running on na iPhone, the Watch also manages Notifications and Glances and performs other lightweight housekeeping operations that don't tax the battery much.

To accomplish this feat, Apple is leveraging App Extensions in iOS 8 to run third-party Watch apps in a split mode.

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PayPal mobile payments app now available for the Pebble smartwatch

Cody Lee ∙ November 19, 2014

PayPal has announced that its popular mobile payments app is now available for the Pebble smartwatch. In a blog post, first spotted by VentureBeat, the company said that owners can now pay for goods and services at select locations using their Pebble, linked to their PayPal account.

Users can make PayPal payments using one of two methods: by checking into a store using the PayPal app, or by providing the store with an auto-generated payment code. Both ways require that the particular location support PayPal payments, and the latter requires special POS hardware.

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Apple Watch resolutions and other interesting tidbits disclosed in developer tools

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 18, 2014

Apple has left many questions unanswered regarding its upcoming smartwatch following its September unveiling. Representing a brand new form factor for iOS, the fashionable wrist-worn accessory sports a Retina panel which Apple bills as an "incredibly high pixel density" screen laminated to a machined and polished single crystal of sapphire (strengthened Ion-X glass on the Sport collection).

With today's release of the official Apple Watch software development kit (SDK), watchful third-party developers have scanned the files in search of interesting tidbits and discovered references to pixel resolutions for both the 38mm and 42mm high Apple Watches, in addition to other previously unknown details worth mentioning.

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Intel goes after Apple Watch with $495 MICA fashion band for women

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Hot on the heels of the Apple Watch, Intel unveiled a new luxury wearable at a media event on Monday, aimed at women with a snakeskin band and AT&T connectivity - no phone pairing necessary. Priced at $495, the smart bracelet, thing, allows users to receive, dismiss, and reply to text messages, email, and Facebook and Google notifications, completely independent of a smartphone.

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DigiTimes: Apple getting ready to ramp up Apple Watch production

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2014

Apple's suppliers are “gearing up” to ramp up Apple Watch production ahead of its early-2015 release, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes said Thursday. While not the most accurate of sources, DigiTimes usually gets supply chain rumors right.

Apple's retail boss Angela Ahrendts recently told employees that the Apple Watch will be launching in Spring 2015. The device will start out at $349 for the entry-level model with aluminum chassis and plastic band.

The stainless steel model should be priced at $500, with an 18-karat gold variant commanding a price tag between $4,000 and $5,000, according to the rumor-mill.

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Apple Watch UI tweak Aeternum now available in Cydia

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Aeternum, a jailbreak tweak that mimics the Apple Watch UI on iPhone is now available for download in Cydia. Developed by SpiritOfLogic, Aeternum has received Jeff's praises as he called it the best looking and best functioning Apple Watch UI-inspired tweak so far.

As highlighted in our recent preview, Aeternum comes with features you might expect from such a tweak. More specifically, it allows you to disable or enable the dock, and rearrange icons to your liking. But maybe more importantly, the tweak uses clean and smooth in and out animations when launching apps.

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Aeternum: the best looking Apple Watch UI SpringBoard replacement for iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

I just got my hands on the latest jailbreak tweak to take advantage of Lucas Mendes' open source Apple Watch UI for the iPhone. It's called Aeternum, which means eternity in latin, and it's from the developer that brought us iRealSMS and iTouchSecure. In other words, it's from a quality well-known developer.

I've tried a few tweaks that build upon Mendes' code, but Aeternum is far and away the best looking and best functioning one thus far. Not only do you get the Apple Watch UI, but you get smooth animations, a dock, and the ability to rearrange app icons. It still has some ways to go, but it's very promising. Have a look at our full video walkthrough after the jump.

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How much will stainless steel and gold Apple Watches cost? New rumor has the answer

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2014

The Apple Watch will start at $349 for the basic Sport edition with its anodized aluminum case and come in Spring 2015.

But what about the more expensive stainless steel version — and especially the luxurious gold edition which features a case crafted from 18-karat gold that “our metallurgists have developed to be up to twice as hard as standard gold“?

While the Cupertino firm has yet to reveal pricing for these Apple Watches, a new rumor shared by French blog iGen.fr [Google Translate] pegs the asking prices of the stainless steel model with a polished or black side at $500.

And if you have a hole burning in your pocket that demands to be filled with cash, you'll definitely want to avoid the pricey gold edition.

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Apple retail chief tells employees Apple Watch launching in ‘spring’

Cody Lee ∙ November 2, 2014

Apple's Angela Ahrendts has told staffers that the highly anticipated Apple Watch will be launching in the spring, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The site says the company's Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores recently sent out a video message to employees, where she noted the new timeframe.

More specifically, Ahrendts tells her employees that they are "sprinting a marathon," hinting at the busy times the retail channel has ahead of them. From a transcript of her comments, she says "we’re going into the holidays, we’ll go into Chinese New Year, and then we’ve got a new watch launch coming in the spring."

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