iWatch to Run Third-Party Apps, Key Developer Partners Already at Work

Apple's upcoming wearable device, popularly known as the iWatch, is expected to be unveiled at Tuesday's media event, although a launch will reportedly come perhaps as late as early 2015. Part of the reason for the early unveiling may be to give third-party developers time to build apps for the new device, and 9to5Mac reports that will indeed be the case. Moreover, key third-party developers are said to have already been seeded with software development kit (SDK) tools to facilitate their work.

A small handful of high-profile social network and services companies with apps on the iPhone and iPad App Store have already been seeded with a pre-release version of the Apple SDK (Software Development Kit) for wearables under strict non-disclosure agreements.

The SDK was seeded “very recently” to these developers, and Apple likely wants to demonstrate some third-party wearable apps at Tuesday’s event, according to one source.

iwatch-concept-nike

iWatch concept by Todd Hamilton, based on the Nike Fuelband

The iWatch is expected to work closely with the iPhone, but contain its own array of health and fitness sensors as well as near field communications (NFC) technology for a new mobile payments initiative. A host of new iOS 8 features such as HealthKit, HomeKit, and extensions are also expected to be key to the iWatch's functionality.

Apple's media event kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time on Tuesday, and MacRumors will have full coverage as the event unfolds.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

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Top Rated Comments

proline Avatar
139 months ago
An iWatch-only App Store? It doesn’t make sense to me. Installing an app on the iPhone should automatically display a new widget/app/watch face on the iWatch, not differently from Notification Center widgets in iOS 8.
Yeah, cause you know exactly how the iWatch will work. Maybe you should let people who've actually used the device (which right now is Apple) decide?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stephroll Avatar
139 months ago
Facebook on your wrist?

No thanks
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
landroverz7 Avatar
139 months ago
I just can't wait to play angry birds on my wrist. But come on apple where is the app store for the apple TV!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lucamegh Avatar
139 months ago
An iWatch-only App Store? It doesn’t make sense to me. Installing an app on the iPhone should automatically display a new widget/app/watch face on the iWatch, not differently from Notification Center widgets in iOS 8.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tedlindsey Avatar
139 months ago
I hope this rendering is what the iWatch ends up looking like. Maybe slightly wider.
Sort of like this?


If it does end up being more of a wristband, I'm eager to see how they make it easily adjustable to a range of wrist sizes.

http://tedlindsey.com/thoughts-on-the-iwatch/ ‎
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hybroid Avatar
139 months ago
Wow, so useful instead of making proper laptops.

I can buy a real watch from a lot of companies. A Mac I can only buy from Apple.
By that flawed logic...

You can buy a laptop computer from a lot of companies. An iWatch we can only buy from Apple.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)