Web site: www.apple.com/os/watchos/
Origin: USA
Category: Mobile
Desktop environment: GUI
Architecture: ARM
Based on: iOS
Wikipedia: watchOS
Media: Install
The last version | Released: active
watchOS – an operating system developed by Apple and used in the Apple Watch.
The first version was released alongside the watch on April 24, 2015. The system is modeled after iOS, used in other Apple mobile devices, and has similar features. Like iOS, watchOS is a Unix-like operating system, and it inherits the Darwin/XNU kernel and many iOS components.
The watchOS interface is built on UIKit/Cocoa Touch, adapted for the watch’s circular touchscreen display and hardware. The Apple S-series system-on-chip (SoC) in Apple Watch integrates a processor, coprocessors (for motion and biosensor processing), and a Secure Enclave for data protection. watchOS provides low-level support for graphics, communications (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE on cellular models), and access to sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor, ECG, etc.)
The watchOS architecture is similar to iOS and macOS. The low-level kernel is a hybrid XNU (Darwin) kernel[, combining a Mach microkernel and a BSD subsystem. It underlies layers of services and frameworks similar to iOS (for example, the graphics, sound, network, etc. subsystem). The WatchKit framework (since the first versions) and SwiftUI (starting with modern OS versions) are available for app development, working on top of standard Apple libraries. The system also includes AppKit/Cocoa Touch components adapted for small screens and haptic controls. One of the key elements of the architecture is the Apple Watch SoC: this chip contains the CPU, GPU, motion/health coprocessors, modem (in LTE models), and security (the “Secure Enclave”). Thanks to the tight integration of hardware and software, watchOS can work with heart rate sensors, an accelerometer, GPS, a microphone, and other sensors, processing data on the device.
Apple Watch requires certain iPhone models with the appropriate version of iOS to function.
