Apple is helping a select number of developers finish apps for the Apple Watch
Apple is continuing its big push to get third-party developer support for the Apple Watch. According to a new report from 9to5Mac, Apple is inviting a select group of developers to its Cupertino, California campus to finish up apps with the help of engineers from the company and to test out the device itself.
The report said that Apple invited a diverse group of developers to its headquarters on an “urgent” timeline. That could mean a special media event focusing on the watch, and third-party apps, could be announced soon.
Apple has also apparently been working with banks regarding apps that will take advantage of the device’s Apple Pay support.
Some developers also talked to the site about the watch itself:
Developers in attendance this week called the Watch’s Digital Crown “really nice,” but said that Force Touch “takes time” to get used to and that the Taptic Engine vibrating feature is not as impressive as expected. However, one developer familiar with Android Wear called the Watch OS more sophisticated.
Originally announced back in September with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Apple Watch is scheduled to hit the market sometime in April. Pricing will start at $349 for the lower-end Sport model. Along with a mid-tier Apple Watch version, the high-end Apple Watch Edition – with an 18-karat gold case – is rumored to cost as much as $5,000.
To use the watch, you’ll need an iPhone 5 or later.
So far, we’ve already seen Apple Watch apps from to-do list Todoist and letter game Letterpad along with productivity apps MoneyWiz 2 and MileWiz. And we’ll likely see many more soon.
For other news today, see: AppAdvice Daily: Why you should be searching more with Spotlight, Sling TV will soon expand its programming options with the addition of Epix, and Powerful media player VLC returns yet again to the App Store.