WatchOS 2 compatible with iOS 8.4?

[ralpa]

Hi,

Even though WatchOS is not released yet, I just read that WatchOS will require iOS 9 to update to WatchOS 2. Is that true?

Since I do not want to update my iPhone 5s to iOS 9. I am wondering if this is possible: use another iPhone with iOS 9 to update my apple watch, then reset the watch and pair with my iPhone 5s with iOS 8.4?

Thanks guys 🙂

 

[lagwagon]

Probably won't work. Because you use the Apple Watch App on the phone to do a lot of things. I wouldn't doubt if the watch app in iOS 9 is a newer version in itself than it is on iOS 8.4.1. Which would not be able to work at all with a watch on watchOS 2 since the version in 8.4.1 wouldn't have watchOS 2 support.

 

[ralpa]

Probably won't work. Because you use the Apple Watch App on the phone to do a lot of things. I wouldn't doubt if the watch app in iOS 9 is a newer version in itself than it is on iOS 8.4.1. Which would not be able to work at all with a watch on watchOS 2 since the version in 8.4.1 wouldn't have watchOS 2 support.

Thanks man. Actually I thought of that too. Since they updated the map app in the watch so probably it won't be compatible with iOS 8.4 which has the older version of map. I am just trying luck cuz I really don't wanna risk to update my iPhone 5s to iOS since it took me quite some work to make the battery lasts a day now.

 

[Mengels7]

No, WatchOS2 will not pair with a phone running anything less than 9.0. Been like this since the start of the beta.

 

[maflynn]

You need iOS9 to run (and install I believe) watch OS2.

 

[ralpa]

Thanks for the confirmation 🙂...
Guess now it has become a hard choice for me: update to watchOS 2 to enjoy more but risk to lose battery life with iPhone 5s iOS 9 or keep the same thing...

 

[Gregintosh]

I don't see it as a win-lose situation at all, as iOS 9 runs more efficiently than iOS 8 on older phones. Don't go by beta reviewers as that code is different. Your iPhone 5S will run fine.

If you don't go iOS 9 you'll also miss out on enchanced notes, Siri, and other stuff.

 

[Rorosbutt]

I wonder what will happen when someone who is still on iOS 8.x and the watch comes with watchOS 2 already installed out of the box. It's just a matter of time that the watch will come stock watchOS2

 

[Gregintosh]

What will happen is they'll have to upgrade to iOS 9.

 

[ralpa]

I don't see it as a win-lose situation at all, as iOS 9 runs more efficiently than iOS 8 on older phones. Don't go by beta reviewers as that code is different. Your iPhone 5S will run fine.

If you don't go iOS 9 you'll also miss out on enchanced notes, Siri, and other stuff.

Yeah. The enhanced notes is the function I expected the most.

Also the third party app in watchOS 2. Since I don't always pair my watch with my phone so that will be good for me.

 

[Julien]

I wonder what will happen when someone who is still on iOS 8.x and the watch comes with watchOS 2 already installed out of the box. It's just a matter of time that the watch will come stock watchOS2

It could be the Watch won't pair and you get a splash saying you need to update to iOS 9 in order to pair.

 

[bigolyt]

It could be the Watch won't pair and you get a splash saying you need to update to iOS 9 in order to pair.

I'm running 8.4 on my 6 plus and just got an apple watch that has os2 on it. My iPhone has the apple watch "app" but you're right it wants me to upgrade to 9 to pair it. Makes no sense to me. And is honestly pretty lame.