Apple said third-party Watch apps for the App Store should run sans an iPhone. Hence, the wearable from the Cupertino tech titan can separate from the iPhone and become independent. The Apple Watch was released to the market on April 24, 2015.
Apple sold twice as many watches as iPhones in each debut year of the device. However, its wearable is still considered a disappointment with its limited capabilities, including an underpowered processor and a battery that needs to be charged all day. It also lacks Global Positioning System and mobile connections that make it dependent to the iPhone.
Being the first all-new product since the iPad, the Apple Watch is a test for the Cupertino colossus to come up with an innovation under CEO Tim Cook, when iPhone sales are slowing down. Averagely priced $500, it is estimated by analysts to have sold nearly 12 million units in the first year, while the iPhone sold six million in its first year, WSJ reported. The smartwatch is said to account 61 percent of the global smartwatch sales in 2015.
Apple has given a new requirement to the developers of apps for its watch. Effective June 1, apps submitted to the App Store must be based on the recent versions of the operating system that runs it, watchOS 2 or later. The second version of the platform was unveiled in October, which came with more Wi-Fi support so that users can run apps and issue voice commands sans the need of a nearby iPhone.
By June, the new apps in the App Store would work with such beefier Wi-Fi support that runs the newer platform. That means a better and faster app experience on Apple's wearable, according to CNET.
Apple gives incremental updates to the watchOS, releasing 2.2 in March. The 2.2 version has been in beta testing since January and comes along with several features, performance enhancements and minor bug fixes. One of its new features is allowing a user to pair more than one Apple Watch with one iPhone.
Apple can still unveil new Watch enhancements and features in June at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Tech observers believe the company may issue a second-generation Apple Watch this year.
Apple Watch 2 rumors and leaks are featured in the video below: