I don’t think too many developers see much money or use cases to justify spending time on building apps for the watch. In fact many of my former apps have stopped support for Apple Watch.
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Apple Asks Developers to Submit watchOS Apps to Apple Watch App Store
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I was eagerly awaiting porting one of my iOS apps to a stand alone Apple watch app back in 2015 when the first Apple watch was released. Then I found out it didn't support stand alone apps, so customers would have to buy the iOS version, then somehow buy a Watch version via the in-app purchase mechanism on the iPhone. Managing that would have sucked.
I also felt it was BS to force the customer to buy the iOS version if they only wanted the watch version - so here's an example of an honest developer (me) not wanting to screw customers.
Apple changing their position on this is a sure sign that the Apple Watch is not doing well. "Compromise" is only a term Apple only understands when they become desperate.
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Exactly, there's no money in supporting Apple watch.
I also felt it was BS to force the customer to buy the iOS version if they only wanted the watch version - so here's an example of an honest developer (me) not wanting to screw customers.
Apple changing their position on this is a sure sign that the Apple Watch is not doing well. "Compromise" is only a term Apple only understands when they become desperate.
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Exactly, there's no money in supporting Apple watch.
Isn't Apple Watch itself doing well? It's a huge driver for their earnings as of late.
I think the Apps though are doing terribly as you confirmed.
The iPhone was a success only because Apple was reasonable to developers in 2008 because Apple NEEDED developers to help (re)define the "Smartphone" by creating apps for it. Apple in their arrogance left developers out of the process of defining the Smartwatch by forcing idiotic App Store policies on Developers.
Despite what Apple says, the Watch is not doing well, at least not when compared to how the iPhone redefined the cell phone.
I was hoping to do this but my network doesn’t support them and I’m not switching, my deal is too good
Nope. It could have been untethered years ago if Apple wanted. It's a strategic decision for control not a technological one.
"... discovery ... will be quite a challenge."
Heck, I have trouble just reading some of the complications!
Agreed. The watch is still just an accessory for the most part. It will be some time before:
1. It’s completely independent and can replicate many iPhone capabilities more than reasonably
2. Like you hinted, if the masses adopt it as much as the iPhone.
Me as well.... I would buy an apple watch in a minute if I didn't have to have the iphone, since I won't need a new phone for a little while longer.
I'm hoping this means way more functional apps for the watch. I kind of gave up on using apps on my watch, save for Runkeeper and the Weather Network. I'd love a dedicated RK app, it's always felt too buggy and unstable when I go for longer bike rides.
A sure sign, of course. I wonder what the fact that is selling more than iPods at peak sales and has almost 50% of market share it’s a sign of...
The Strava app seems to be a minimum viable product from when the Series 2 launched that they have hardly touched since then. I am really hoping they finally put some effort into the watch app.
Apologies, I just use “3G” as a term for cellular data. I barely ever get 4G anyway.
I'm not sure about that, but my old "Get Running" app with its Couch to 5k mode would use the phone's GPS to track your run, telling you when along your journey you were to run, walk, and where the halfway point was.
If I could have that same app on my watch and be able to leave the phone at home, I'd buy it in a heartbeat!