14 DAY TRIAL // People familiar with Apple’s ongoing Watch development have revealed recently that the company is holding workshops for over 100 developers, and has invited third-party programmers to its offices in Cupertino, California, to assist its own engineers in finishing up the apps pre-installed on the device.
Apple mainly invited developers who make sports and productivity apps, as well as bank representatives to assist with development of Apple Pay functionality.
Finishing up WatchKit-based apps
Dozens of different development firms have flown in their engineers (and continue to do so) “to work with Apple engineers to finish up WatchKit-based applications.” The company is holding workshops for 100 developers across the entire month of February, and sources say there’s a sense of urgency tied to the initiative. An event is expected to be announced when the development effort is over.
The meetings with developers are shrouded in secrecy, the sources said. Instead of being called out by name, each member got a unique ID.
Hardware impressions
9to5mac has some statements on file from some of these developers. Most of these people agree that the Watch’s Digital Crown is “really nice,” but not everyone loves things like Force Touch or the Taptic Engine. While some believe these functions are “super impressive,” others say it “takes time” to get used to.
One developer with deep knowledge of Android Wear said Apple’s software was more sophisticated.
Release date and pricing
Scheduled to make its debut in the next few months, Apple Watch is on track to become the fastest selling smartwatch in history. It also promises to be the first one to truly deserve the smart-watch moniker. It will sell for $350 / €350 in its cheapest form, and it will cost thousands if you want it draped in gold.
CEO Tim Cook said at a recent earnings call that he hoped the wearable would roll out in April. The company has until May to officially launch the product and stick to its early 2015 promise.