Apple Watch support spotted hiding out in iOS 8.2 beta

The latest iOS 8.2 beta build includes support for the Apple Watch, we're told, signaling the expensive wristputer is looming. The smartwatch requires an iPhone nearby to work, hence the need for the handset's OS to support the gadget.

In late December, Register sources close to Apple said the Cupertino giant's engineers were ironing out software bugs in the Watch, suggesting the gizmo won't be ready until at least the end of the first quarter of 2015. Other outlets are also claiming the Watch – first glimpsed in September – will go on sale this March.

This week, the latest build of the iOS 8.2 beta – available to app developers under NDA – has references to the Watch in its Bluetooth connectivity panel. In a screenshot of the user interface includes a notification that suggests the wristputer will pair with the iPhone via a standalone iOS app.

While Apple has said all along that the Watch will hit shelves in the first half of 2015, the California idiot-tax operation has been typically secretive about just when it plans to formally put the device one sale. The company is also staying mum on the price range, believed to be from $350 to as much as $5,000, reportedly.

In the meantime, Apple is letting third-party developers get to work on building software for the wristslab. In November, it released a developer kit for the Watch that includes tools to build stand-alone apps for the gadget as well as notification and mini 'Glance' apps. ®