Apple Stores won’t have the Apple Watch on display for a few weeks, but anyone eager to see what the world of wrist apps will offer can already download them to their iPhone.
The first wave of Apple Watch-supported apps started hitting iTunes today, with big names like Target, Evernote, WeChat and Expedia being some of the first out of the gate. You can’t actually use the Apple Watch functionality on the apps yet (unless Tim Cook hooked you up with an early unit), but you can get an early glimpse of how some apps will dramatically change your life.
Here are some of the first Apple Watch apps you can download and their features:
Kitchen Stories
- Discover recipe inspiration on your wrist
- Enjoy easy access to your shopping list without having to take out your phone
- Set your timer and get directly notified when your dish is ready to enjoy
Target
- Add items to your list, including quantity, and check them off as you shop.
- See aisle locations for your store or ask where to find any item.
- Check the glance to see when your store is open, how many items are on your list, and how many have deals available.
SPG: Starwood hotels
- Access your stay details, including check-in, checkout and confirmation number
- See your Starpoints balance and access your room number with smart glance, and even unlock your door
- Get a notification with your hotel address upon arrival to the city or stay details when you arrive at the hotel
- Get transportation and parking options at the hotel
- Contact the hotel for requests and questions
- Messaging: Read and reply with text or stickers on Apple Watch.
- Moments: Get up-to-date with your friends on Apple Watch.
- Friend Radar: Make new friends without using your phone on Apple Watch.
Expedia
- View upcoming trip details
- Access address information and get maps for directions
- Receive alerts for flight delays, hotel check-out times, and more
Evernote
- Dictate notes into Apple Watch and they’ll be transcribed and synced to Evernote
- See recently created, updated, and viewed notes
- Dictate searches and see results on your Apple Watch
- Create reminders and get notified about items due today
Procreate
The traditional wooden artist’s palette has served painters and illustrators for centuries. This simple tool allowed artists to arrange paint and tools in the artist’s hand as they crafted illustrations and fine art. Procreate Pocket, together with the Apple Watch, reinvents this concept into something new – the digital palette. Reintroducing this centuries-old concept, made fresh by technology, allows us to operate in two distinct modes.
Dark Sky
Support for Apple Watch. We’ve redesigned Dark Sky from scratch to fit on your wrist. (It’s the year 2015, and yet we don’t have flying DeLoreans or hoverboards. But you know what? We’re sure as hell going to have a watch that can tell the future. So there’s that.)
Sky Guide
See a calendar of upcoming astronomical events — the full moon, meteor showers, eclipses, and more. Sky Guide can send you a notification when an event is about to happen in the skies above your location. And it will even alert you when the International Space Station is due to fly over — and let you tweet one of its astronauts.