When Apple announced its entry into the wearable market with its latest gadget, the Apple Watch, the industry was set abuzz with a renewed hope and focus on a market that has been slow to take root and gain any truly meaningful ground since the release of the first smartwatch. However, many developers aren't showing as much enthusiasm for this new development platform as might be expected.
Last month Apple released WatchKit, its new tool for developing apps for its latest device. The hope of the technology leader is that developers will jump on board in much the same way they did when they released the iPhone and iPad. Unfortunately, while many developers have decided to give WatchKit a try, many have found the development limiting. They haven't been silent either, with one developer likening the development to designing a car that can only have one or two body styles
Navigation Styles
At the heart of the problem that has saddened developers are the navigation styles available for the Apple Watch. Currently app creators are limited to two navigation styles when designing apps - hierarchical and page based.
Hierarchical Style
This style can be likened to a choose-your-own-adventure type of navigation. Users can choose between different choices by tapping on the watch to reach the destination they looking for in the app.
Page Based Style
This style is built somewhat differently. Instead of a multitude of buttons to tap on, users can easily swipe across their device to switch to a new page to find the data they are searching for on their device.
Limitations Of This Design
While Apple has no doubt instituted these limitations in order to help maintain a sense of easy navigation when using the device, this forces developers into only two design paths that simply feel constricting and might not even function with some apps on the drawing board.
More Power To Come
Apple openly stated in a recent press release that this is only the beginning for WatchKit, with developers being able to create fully native apps for the Apple Watch sometime next year. While this is good news for developers, many still find the current platform lackluster at best, and that could make it more difficult for Apple to gain the widespread adoption they saw with the release of the iPhone. One developer even stated, the user interface limitations, "at least for me, put a damper on the Watch."
Current Benefits In WatchKit
It's important to note that it's not all bad news for WatchKit. The platform is already quite powerful and allows easy access to all of the various sensors on the Watch and even underlying access to the graphics engine. This leaves the potential for developers to create truly engaging and unique apps that have never before been see on a person's wrist.
The Apple Watch hasn't even been released as of yet but it is already garnering a significant amount of attention from consumers and developers, and it has received more than its share of press both good and bad. While app makers might be underwhelmed as of now, it is almost guaranteed that as the device matures they will gain much more power and control when creating their apps.
