Skip to main content

Apple wearable will reportedly run apps from Facebook and other third-party developers

Apple wearable will reportedly run apps from Facebook and other third-party developers

Share this story

We're little more than two days away from Apple's highly-anticipated press event, and the rumors keep on coming in. According to the latest report, the so-called iWatch won't be limited to a suite of Apple-designed apps. A very select group of third-party developers, including Facebook, have been given early access to the software development kit (SDK) for the device, reports 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman. Those tools will presumably allow companies to throw together versions of their apps in time for Tuesday's press conference.

More importantly, the rumor suggests that Apple will open up its wearable device to third-party developers, and may even bring a version of its App Store to the device. If the rumors are accurate, it's not a terribly surprising move: Apple makes a fortune from the App Store, and it's widely expected that the device will run some version of iOS.

Developers may have lots to play with when designing new apps for the "iWatch" — it's expected that it will have a suite of fitness sensors, as well as NFC for contactless payments and syncing with iPhones. iOS 8 also offers a number of tools that could be useful on a wearable device, like HealthKit and widgets with bite-sized pieces of information.

We'll know more on Tuesday when Apple reveals what it has in store, but don't get too excited: reports say the "iWatch" won't ship until next year.