
watchOS 11.5 RC is Here: Exploring the Latest Apple Watch Features
Apple has unveiled the watchOS 11.5 Release Candidate (RC), bringing a host of new features, performance enhancements, and bug fixes to elevate the Apple Watch experience. This update is part of Apple's synchronized ecosystem-wide updates, which include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. Whether you are an Apple Watch user or a developer, this release introduces meaningful changes designed to improve functionality, enhance integration, and refine the overall user experience. The video below from HalfManHalfTech gives us a detailed look at the new watchOS 11.5 RC.
Watch this video on YouTube. New Features: Pride Harmony Watch Face and Thematic Additions
A standout feature in watchOS 11.5 RC is the introduction of the Pride Harmony watch face, a vibrant design celebrating inclusivity and diversity. This watch face offers customizable options, allowing you to adjust its appearance to match your personal style. To complement this, Apple has also released a Pride Edition sport band, allowing users to create a cohesive and expressive look for their Apple Watch.
Additionally, iPhone users can now enjoy a Pride-themed wallpaper, extending the aesthetic across devices. These updates reflect Apple's ongoing commitment to thematic integration, giving you the ability to express individuality while maintaining a seamless connection within the Apple ecosystem. Enhanced Purchase Continuity Across Devices
The watchOS 11.5 RC introduces an improved purchase continuity feature, further strengthening the interconnectedness of Apple's ecosystem. With this update, your Apple Watch can now confirm purchases initiated on Apple TV, streamlining the transaction process. This enhancement eliminates the need to switch between devices, making purchases more seamless and efficient.
By simplifying these interactions, Apple continues to refine the user experience, making sure that its ecosystem remains intuitive and user-friendly for both casual users and those deeply integrated into Apple's suite of devices. Charging Notifications: A Practical Improvement
Charging notifications have been fine-tuned in this release to address a previously reported issue. Some users experienced instances where their iPhones failed to notify them when their Apple Watch reached a full charge. This issue has been resolved in watchOS 11.5 RC, making sure that you are now reliably informed about your device's charging status.
While this may seem like a minor adjustment, it has practical implications for managing your device's battery life more effectively. By addressing such details, Apple demonstrates its focus on refining everyday usability. Bug Fixes: StoreKit Stability for Developers
For developers, watchOS 11.5 RC delivers a critical fix to StoreKit, the framework used for handling in-app purchases. Previously, bugs within StoreKit affected app functionality, creating challenges for developers. This update resolves those issues, providing a more stable and reliable platform for app development.
Although this improvement may not directly impact end-users, it highlights Apple's dedication to supporting its developer community. By making sure a smoother development process, Apple indirectly enhances the quality of apps available to users, fostering a more robust app ecosystem. Looking Ahead: watchOS 12 and WWDC 2023
As Apple prepares for WWDC 2023, scheduled for June 9, the watchOS 11.5 RC serves as a precursor to future advancements. During the event, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 12, offering insights into upcoming features and innovations.
In the meantime, the official public release of watchOS 11.5 is anticipated on May 12. Following this, Apple may roll out subsequent updates, such as watchOS 11.6 beta, to further refine the platform. These developments underscore Apple's commitment to continuous improvement and innovation within its ecosystem. Refining the Apple Watch Experience
The watchOS 11.5 RC update exemplifies Apple's ongoing efforts to enhance the Apple Watch experience. From the vibrant Pride Harmony watch face to practical updates like enhanced purchase continuity and charging notifications, this release delivers meaningful improvements for both users and developers. These updates not only improve functionality but also strengthen the seamless integration of Apple's devices and services.
As WWDC 2023 approaches, the future of watchOS holds the promise of even greater innovation, making sure that the Apple Watch remains a versatile and indispensable tool for users worldwide.
Stay informed about the latest in watchOS 11.5 Release Candidate by exploring our other resources and articles. watchOS 11.3 RC First Look: Uncover ALL the Hidden Updates
Source & Image Credit: HalfManHalfTech Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Gadgets News, Top News
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Finextra
an hour ago
- Finextra
Fintech challenges due to new US policies: By Konstantin Rabin
The global fintech sector has faced unprecedented challenges lately due to rapid changes in U.S. policies. The second term of President Trump has been a bumpy road for financial markets and businesses worldwide. Frequent updates and announcements about tariffs and geopolitics shook markets as well as the global fintech environment. What is a good business idea one day, turns out completely useless on another. The Trump administration's deregulatory agenda, 'America First' and crypto-friendly stance promise to reshape fintech operations and cross-border transactions. The State of the New U.S. Policy Landscape The Trump administration is known for its anti-biden tone and many of Biden-era policies are about to reverse. As a result, the landscape can shift to different scenarios where some fintechs thrive while others struggle. Deregulation accelerated It is expected that the partial rollback of Dodd-Frank will be resumed which will reduce the compliance burden for fintech leading to more intense competition. This has the potential to lower entry barriers for new startups meaning more and more new fintech companies will be introduced, which will make the life of established startups more difficult as they have to face many competitors. Cypro policies reversed Trump promised to end the 'persecution' of crypto and it includes rescinding of SEC's Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 which was blocking bank crypto custody. It is no secret that the blockchain sector is home to a plethora of revolutionary startups especially fintech companies and this stance is very positive. However, this also introduces compliance challenges for crypto fintech startups which leaves uncertainty on the table. Capital rules changed The Basel III Endgame proposal will likely get scrapped easing capital requirements for banks partnering with fintechs. Also, CFBP rules on 'open banking' and nonbank payment supervision face revision which eliminates some challenges. FX Volatility: The Silent Fintech Growth Killer? Currency fluctuations have become extremely volatile lately due to tariff announcements. This can have profound effects on fintech startups that are directly involved with currencies. As commented by experts from Luxren Capital: 'Unstable FX rates pose existential risks for international fintech due to margin compression in volatile quarters - forcing them to choose between absorbing losses or increasing pricing on services.' Transferring costs to end-users makes fintechs less competitive to clients but due to foreign exchange volatility, this might be a reality for fintechs. This might seem like a little issue at first but financial technology companies are mostly involved with currencies and heightened volatility directly impacts their profitability and service quality. Fintechs facilitating cross-border transactions and converting one currency into another are especially vulnerable to FX volatility caused by Trump's tariff announcements. This volatility is not just a treasury issue either as it can cascade into payment failure, and settlement delays, and negatively affect the company's reputation. Trump's Tariffs Both stock market and foreign exchange volatility are primarily caused by Trump's announcements regarding tariffs. Many startups experience serious turbulence as they face both stock price crashes and currency risks simultaneously coupled with increased competition in the sector. Tariffs directly affect the economy and companies that face higher costs are naturally prone to bankruptcy despite the President's pro-business stance. Immigration barriers Trump is also known for his anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. Trump's anticipated H-1B visa cuts can starve fintechs of 40% of their engineering talent, which has a serious impact. While AI can replace many of the jobs it can not keep up with the decline of this scale. Tariffs can also force fintech to establish elsewhere like Ireland and Mexico to acquire talent and maintain low costs. Compliance fracturing The U.S. regulatory landscape that consists of 50 state regimes plus federal agencies creates minefields for fintechs. Data privacy fragmentation becomes a real issue as Biden's 2024 Executive Order for unified biometric and genomic data rules might get revoked. There are also licensing inconsistencies across US states. Money transfer licenses which are required in 50 states cost fintechs 500k-2M dollars annually, which makes it difficult to launch new startups without strong capital support. The OCC's fintech charter is currently blocked and it could simplify this but faces opposition from state regulators, making fintech life difficult.


Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Anduril secures $30.5 billion valuation in latest fund raise
June 5 (Reuters) - Defense technology startup Anduril Industries has clinched a valuation of $30.5 billion in its latest funding round where it raised $2.5 billion, the company said on Thursday. This round more than doubled the Palmer Luckey-founded company's valuation, from $14 billion last year when it raised $1.5 billion. The development confirms a Reuters report from February, which said Anduril was in talks to raise as much as $2.5 billion, with tech billionaire Peter Thiel's Founders Fund set to lead the round. Anduril said on Thursday that Founders Fund made a $1 billion investment, while all other investors raised their commitments from previous rounds in the Series G fund raise. Founders Fund has backed Anduril since its inception in 2017, and one of the company's co-founders, Trae Stephens, is a partner at the firm. Anduril develops solutions, including a wide range of sensors and drones, and has gained prominence in the industry amid increasing calls for low-cost autonomous defense products. The company has also recently secured a partnership with Palantir Technologies to form a consortium that will look to jointly bid for government contracts as the Pentagon aims to reduce costs.

Finextra
2 hours ago
- Finextra
Bolt and Palantir usher in new era of intelligent e-commerce at the checkout
Bolt, a leading checkout technology company, and Palantir Technologies Inc., a leading provider of AI software, today announced a strategic partnership to usher in a new era of intelligent ecommerce checkout—one that's personalized, dynamic and deeply informed by data. 0 Checkout 2.0, a self-learning, self-improving checkout, replaces today's static, form-based flows with an adaptive, real-time system that responds to each shopper's unique preferences, behaviors and context. Rather than displaying the same interface to every shopper, Checkout 2.0 delivers personalized flows that evolve with the user—prioritizing preferred payment methods, remembering prior selections and surfacing relevant information at just the right time. "Operational integration of Bolt and Palantir reduces friction for shoppers and complexity for merchants while providing a foundation to accelerate retail into the age of AI," said Ted Mabrey, Palantir's Global Head of Commercial. "This partnership brings together the scale and shopper intelligence of Bolt's platform with Palantir's proven decisioning systems to deliver superior outcomes across every transaction. Checkout 2.0 represents the best of both worlds—and the future of commerce personalization." Bolt will leverage Palantir's platform to help scale Checkout 2.0 across enterprise retailers and expand it within Bolt's recently launched SuperApp—an all-in-one finance and crypto hub that delivers real-time shopper signals. As both platforms evolve, Checkout 2.0 will bring deeper personalization and intelligence to every phase of the buying journey. "Our partnership with Palantir addresses one of the biggest challenges in modern commerce: turning mountains of shopper data into real-time, actionable intelligence," said Ryan Breslow, Founder & CEO of Bolt. "Together, we're tackling outdated, one-size-fits-all checkout experiences and replacing them with a smarter, more adaptive flow that actually responds to individual preferences and behavior. Merchants gain powerful optimization tools to improve conversion and payment efficiency, while shoppers benefit from a faster, more personalized journey. This is not just an upgrade—it's a reimagining of what online checkout can be." Over the last decade, Bolt has accumulated a wealth of intelligence regarding shopper behavior and preferences from its Universal Shopper Network of more than 80 million U.S. shoppers. Through this partnership, Bolt will integrate Palantir's advanced decisioning engine to dynamically adapt checkout flows and enable smarter, contextually aware logic. For example, a shopper who frequently buys beauty products on their mobile device and prefers Apple Pay will see a checkout flow that automatically prioritizes Apple Pay, highlights relevant upsells and surfaces loyalty features—without requiring them to re-enter information or navigate away. These adaptive experiences are designed to eliminate friction and boost conversion. Merchants will also benefit from intelligent post-checkout payment routing. Checkout 2.0 will evaluate transaction attributes—such as volume, category or geography—and select the optimal payment gateway to maximize authorization rates and reduce processing costs. This behind-the-scenes intelligence delivers better margins and a smoother experience. Checkout 2.0's architecture includes: Self-learning shopper profiles that adapt over time based on usage, behavior and purchase history. Dynamic payment method reordering based on shopper preferences and device. Post-checkout routing optimization to improve processing economics in real time. Native crypto payment support, reinforcing Bolt's commitment to flexibility and future-facing payment infrastructure.