will be able to offer standalone Watch apps
on watchOS 6 - they won’t need to launch a
companion iPhone app to build for Apple Watch.
Apple has been criticized in the past for making
the watchOS platform difficult for developers
to use, which has resulted in major companies
pulling their Apple Watch-designed apps from
development, with notable examples including
Amazon, eBay, Twitter, and most recently,
Slack. With its latest release, it’s clear Apple
wants to rebuild relationships with third-party
developers, both to enhance its ecosystem and
introduce revenue streams.
Developers will now be able to access an
extended runtime API to assess sensor data on
the Apple Watch, so expect to see new third-
party workout and meditation apps coming
to the watchOS App Store soon. A streaming
audio API, on the other hand, now means that
third-party apps can stream content from
the web, so users will be able to stream
podcasts and content on the go, and access
material outside of Apple Music and Podcasts
for the first time - particularly useful when
they’re on cellular data on a jog or out without
their iPhone in their pocket.
MORE iPHONE APPS ON THE WATCH
As part of Apple’s continued mission to unify
its ecosystems - and empower Apple Watch
users to do more on the go - the company has
pinched some of iPhone’s most popular apps
and re-built them from the ground up on Apple
Watch. Audiobooks, for example, is a brand new
app that allows users to listen to their favorite
books on their wrist, without the need to start
an audiobook on their iPhone first. The app