WatchKit Is a Sweet Solution
The separation of Apple’s internally-used frameworks from WatchKit has two huge problems:
Apple doesn’t feel WatchKit’s limitations. Since they’re not using it, it’s too easy for Apple’s developers and evangelists to forget or never know what’s possible, what isn’t, what’s easy, and what’s hard. The bugs and limitations I report to them are usually met with shock and surprise — they have no idea.
WatchKit is buggy as hell. Since Apple doesn’t use it and there are relatively few third-party Watch apps of value, WatchKit is far more buggy, and seems far less tested, than any other Apple API I’ve ever worked with.
Apple will never have a very good idea of where WatchKit needs to improve if they’re not using it. But this sweet solution is the only choice anyone else has to make Apple Watch apps.
Previously: A Very Sweet Solution.
Update (2018-02-26): Dan Masters:
Reminds me of Core Data sync: “There are two iClouds. One of them is used heavily inside Apple & the other is offered as a developer API & used only selectively for Apple’s own apps”
Update (2018-02-28): John Gruber:
I’ve long given up on using any third-party apps on my Apple Watch, and I am so much happier for it. A year or two ago I would have been “Hell yeah”-ing this piece by Arment, but at this point I half feel like Apple should just get rid of third-party WatchOS apps and be done with it.
The one type app I think most people want is the one type of app Apple is never going to allow: custom watch faces.
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