In a recent announcement, Apple has notified developers that all new watchOS titles must be built using watchOS 2 software development kit. This requirement begins June 1 and should be applied to newly built apps ready to be submitted to the App Store.
Upon its launch, Apple Watch received a lot of criticism regarding its performance. Experts, as well as users, agreed on sluggish third-party apps that heavily depended on the iPhone to store and transmit information.
However, the company has been making a lot of effort by trying to advance its wearables platform and address launch complaints. Apple’s watchOS 2 debuted last June shortly after the device became available. This was the first time developers were able to create native applications and access hardware elements such as Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, microphone, and loudspeaker. In the meantime, Apple’s HealthKit was also promoted, which means that apps can now perform functions like reading accelerometer data and using the Activity app.
The first public version of watchOS was released last September with numerous improvements and new features connected to Siri, Apple Pay, Wallet, Maps, and more. Today’s announcement means users will be able to count on more capable and much more independent applications for their Apple Watch models, starting June 1.
