14 DAY TRIAL // Apple today released iOS 8.2 beta 5 and Xcode 6.2 beta 5 to registrants of the iOS Developer Program. As the Apple Watch release nears, these betas continue to arrive with WatchKit improvements, as well as tweaks and fixes in other areas.
Minutes ago, Apple uploaded two new betas to the iOS Dev Center, namely iOS 8.2 build 12D5480a (the fifth beta in this development cycle), and “Xcode 6.2 beta 5 with WatchKit,” labeled as build 6C121.
Ongoing focus on WatchKit
The release notes accompanying iOS 8.2 beta 5 are vast, and generally mention under-the-hood fixes and improvements. However, the WatchKit section lists a great individual number of changes and noteworthy aspects for developers, including known issues. Apple’s focus on watch-app development therefore continues into this fifth beta.
One example of how Apple is maintaining this particular framework and associated APIs is this:
“Settings bundles are now supported for WatchKit extensions running in iOS Simulator. The Apple Watch app displays the controls you specify in your settings bundle. To learn how to create a settings bundle for your WatchKit extension, see Settings in Apple Watch Programming Guide.”
Expected launch, compatible devices
With the much-anticipated wearable expected to launch in April, we also got indirect confirmation from Apple that iOS 8.2 will be released publicly around that time. If history is any indication, the update will be deployed both over the air (OTA) and via iTunes.
According to the requirements listed for this beta, everyone currently aboard the iOS 8 bandwagon should also be able to download and install iOS 8.2. That includes iPhone 4S and newer, iPad 2 and newer, and the fifth-generation iPod touch. As always, some newly emerged features will only work on the newest generations of iDevices. Registered Apple developers can grab the new betas right now by signing in with their credentials over at the iOS Dev Center.