Apple is just a few months away from the release of the Apple Watch. In time for the early 2015 launch Apple promised earlier this year, the company is releasing the Apple WatchKit that will allow developers to create new apps for the Apple smartwatch.
On Tuesday, Apple released the iOS 8.2 SDK, which comes bundled with Xcode 6.2 beta that contains developer tools for creating Notifications, Glances and standard Apple Watch apps. Developers can also download Xcode 6.2 separately but will need to run iOS 8.2 to test apps and run WatchKit extensions on an iPhone.
Apple hopes that developers can use the Apple Watch interface and new technologies such as Digital Crown, Touch Force and Taptic Engine to create experiences that will make Apple Watch stand out from the growing sea of smart wrist devices.
"Apple Watch is our most personal device ever, and WatchKit provides the incredible iOS developer community with the tools they need to create exciting new experiences right on your wrist," says Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller.
The WatchKit includes tools that support the development of apps in three ways. Developers can create Notifications, which as its name implies, pushes notifications from the iPhone to the Apple Watch. They can also create Glances, or short updates about things such as latest game scores or flight schedules. Lastly, the WatchKit contains API for developing native Apple Watch apps, which will not be available upon launch.
For now, developers can only build apps that are extensions of existing iOS apps. Similar to Android Wear, users will not be able to use their Apple Watch without having their iPhone nearby. This will help Apple push the smartwatch's battery to its limit since much of the processing power will be expended by the iPhone instead of the Apple Watch. It does have some trade-offs, however, since being constantly connected to an iPhone means the Apple Watch has few uses once the iPhone is taken away.
Still, plenty of major developers have already jumped onboard. ESPN, for instance, will be working on developing an Apple Watch app that will give fans real-time snapshots of games as they happen and updates on the latest score changes and other sports news. Instagram is also planning to launch an Apple Watch app that gives users the ability to view photos and follow new users. American Airlines is also signing in and hopes to create an app that will push out reminders for users when it's time to go to the airport and provide updates on flight information.
Along with the developer tools, Apple also introduced a new design guide to help programmers create apps that are consistent with the Apple Watch's interface design. With the screen much smaller than the iPhone's, Apple had to overhaul its smartwatch's UI and has set out design guidelines for developers building on that interface. These include suggestions on layout styles, images, fonts and more.
