No matter what experts say about the pricing and features of the watch, Apple has still managed to sell an impressive 3 million units during April-June, 2015. During its launch, Tim Cook had revealed that there are 3,500 Apple Watch apps available, but now that number has jumped up to 8,500, which is definitely a steep progress towards its march to match iPhone’s 1.5+ million apps.

Apple Watch received mixed reactions during its launch, and inspite of the price of at least USD 549, the cost of the basic version, there were loyal buyers clamouring for it. This bodes well for Apple Watch app devleopers who wish to learn from the first wave of app development that showed the below experiences.

Positives

The product was launched just 3 months ago and is still in its early stages of development, therefore, 8,500 apps do not sound bad at all. Plus there are a plethora of weather apps and basic entertainment apps like Shazam and TuneIN Radio that are currently available for the smart watch. Here are a few positive experiences –

• Apple has managed to get a few games for the watch. But, the games are limited to quizzes and trivia only because the small screen of the device prevents it from hosting full-fledged games.
• The presence of Twitter and E-mail is a boost for the Apple watch as people are expecting more and more apps in the social networking circle. We can soon witness the launch of the Facebook app for the watch as the company has promised to develop one soon.
• In terms of travel, you get apps like TripAdvisor and Yelp which inform you about the famous places around your location. While these two are third-party apps, Apple’s own “Find Near Me” is great for searching restaurants, banks, bars, etc. The app can also be used through Siri.
• Many parties are contributing towards Apple watch app development and thereby, the watch does not lack in sports related apps too. Onefootball is one of the most popular apps in terms of sports. It gives live updates on matches of your favourite team and notifies when there is a change in scores.
• The watch can perform basic calculation through various apps exclusively available for it. There are some Apple Watch apps available which store passwords for various social networking websites and e-mail service providers.

Negatives

There are a few negatives of the watch that Apple needs to look into, to give its users a better experience.

• The biggest flaw is that you cannot reply to e-mails. You can view it, but you cannot respond to it. This is a strange thing as Apple could have easily provided a Siri assisted input system for e-mail.
• Though it has apps in almost every category, it lacks in variety. The company should make sure that Apple Watch app development is in the right direction if it wants to floor Android based smart watches.

With these experiences, Apple Watch looks to have created a new tech frontier which promises to evolve for the better in the future.

The Apple Watch has been making ‘Stop Press’ news in the gadget world. This is the second time that Apple has been the first manufacturer to launch a completely new product genre in the market – after the iPad. Now, getting back to the iWatch, Apple has introduced a slew of new and exciting features with the OS 1.0. However, within a mere six weeks of iWatch release, Apple has already come up with a major update – the OS 2. Though this version wouldn’t be live until this fall, Apple has already introduced some interesting features as below:

1.       Expect apps going native

Apps that aren’t native would run on the current version of the iWatch but they aren’t allowed to tap into the device’s hardware (accelerometer, microphone, heart rate sensor or the Taptic Engine). However, things are going to be different with OS 2. Apple will open up the platform for developers willing to test the boundaries of the device.

2.       Activation Lock

The iWatch has been criticized for its less than adequate security features and how easy it would be to steal a device. OS 2 changes things for the better with the Activation Lock. After upgrading to OS2, users will be required to log into their iCloud account. Though this feature will be made optional, it certainly will be helpful.

3.       Siri, the almighty!

Siri will now work entirely upon verbal commands and you wouldn’t have to swipe or even glance at your device. This means that you can relax on your bed and get all the information you need with your voice and at your will.

4.       New faces

Everyone likes to personalize their device with background images that do not come along with the device. With OS2, users will be able to choose among their own photographs, a time lapse of skyline (this would look very interactive) or a changing gallery from your personalized library.

5.       Third party Complications

Complications are small pieces of information like time global time, temperature and your schedule and activity goals. OS 2 will let users add even more “Complications” that are relevant to your lifestyle.

6.       Time travel!

Well, not literally, but OS 2 presents you with an overview of your days spent. It will show you the mails you had missed yesterday or how will it be like outside when you embark upon your road trip tomorrow.

7.       Expect to be rewarded by Apple Pay

OS 2 will allow you to store debit/credit cards and retailer loyalty programs associated with Apple Pay. The process is still the same but this time picking a card might even bring you rewards.

8.       Mass transit

OS 2 will give you turn by turn directions instead of verbally interrupting your driving as the OS 1.0 did. Further, OS 2 maps will also contain mass transit information, including bus stops and walking routes.

9.       Wake me up

OS 2 offers easier interaction with your iWatch to check the time, date, battery percentage, and alarm when you wake up.

10.   Circle of 12

OS 1.0 limited your friends to only 12 slots. However, OS 2 rightly extends this to help create multiple groups of 12. You can even choose to add contacts right from your iWatch.

Do let us know your thoughts on the new iWatch update with your comments below.