Has a 14-Year-Old Hacker Enabled iOS 4.2.1 on an Apple Watch?

Billy Ellis is a 14-year-old designer and iOS developer with a keen interest in hacking. His latest project shows an Apple Watch booting into iOS 4.2.1 and displays the signature main menu. At first glance, the video appears to be genuine but I’m pretty sceptical that an entire OS could be hacked onto the Apple Watch. Perhaps, he has created an App which emulates the iOS boot process when loaded. However, if the video is legit, then I cannot imagine how this was achieved.

By default, the Apple Watch operates on a custom version of iOS and almost seen as a supplementary device to existing Apple products. The concept of running the default iOS software is interesting, but I’m guessing the user-interface would scale horribly on such a tiny screen. Whatever the case, I have to commend a developer of such a young age for engaging in coding projects.

The Apple Watch is a very polarizing product and I honestly cannot see the appeal. Although, if the device can be modified to run custom software, it would become a more attractive proposition. Furthermore,  if any documentation arises about this particular hack, I would proceed with caution as it will undoubtedly void your warranty and might be a visual forgery. Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular and it’s only a matter of time before we see a number of software hacks from developers.

https://twitter.com/bellis1000/status/634125587867660289

Thank you Wired for providing us with this information.