Apple today announced that all members of its Developer Program can now officially submit Watch apps to the App Store; potentially triggering a gold rush similar to that seen when devs were first able to create iPhone apps early on its lifecycle.
Developers are encouraged to submit their WatchKit app, icon, screenshots, and description for review by Apple’s testers.
Although devs can take advantage of features like “glances,” other aspects of the Apple Watch are currently cut off from developers. For instance, Apple has yet to allow devs to include the ability for WatchKit apps to wake up companion iPhone apps, or to use the Taptic Engine, heart rate tracking, Force Touch, and a variety of other innovations.
Apps also work only with a paired iPhone. It is likely that a native SDK will arrive later this year, removing some of these limitations.
To help advise on what is and is not possible, Apple has provided handy detailed instructions on everything from coding to interface design elements.
The Apple Watch is set to arrive on April 24, with pre-orders starting April 10. Better get coding, if you haven’t already…
Source: Apple
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
