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What App Developers Need To Know About watchOS 4

Forbes Technology Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Sanjay Malhotra

The new Apple Watch Series 3 has some impressive new features, most notably the built-in cellular, which will free users from carrying their devices everywhere they go. Additionally, Apple boasts that the Series 3 watch is an intelligent "health and fitness companion" with water resistance up to 50 meters. Both models (one with GPS and cellular and one with just GPS) have a dual-core processor that's 70% faster and a new wireless chip. Apple also claims that the Watch 3 has a better battery life, improved performance, and more sensors and smart bands.

These impressive hardware upgrades took center stage at this month's special event, wowing the audience. However, watchOS 4 has also been overhauled, bringing many new changes to both the design and performance. The new operating system seems even more exciting for developers since it’s packed full of new features. Here’s what I suggest watchOS developers should keep an eye on:

Faster Apps

Apple is now giving third-party apps the ability to run much faster, which is a topic that hasn’t been brought up quite as much as other upgrades coming to watchOS 4.

Third-party apps used to be painfully slow in the first two versions of the Apple Watch. Users were very critical of the fact that the apps had slow loading times and that they had to swipe across multiple screens to complete a task using the 3D Touch. This frustrated Apple Watch users, as it took way too long to complete a simple task.

WatchOS 2 and 3 allowed apps from third parties to be used on the Apple Watch, but with the newest OS upgrade, an app’s code and interface are combined in one process and will load at runtime. Apple will now run a lot smoother in watchOS 4 and will be much faster and more responsive to the touch.

In the first two versions of the Apple Watch, third-party apps were difficult to use and often unresponsive. Apple Watch was seen mainly as a health and fitness tracker and occasionally used for notifications. With the recent watchOS update, however, we’ll begin to see a new interest in app development as Apple takes a huge step forward with standalone apps.

Core Bluetooth

The Apple Watch now integrates with gym equipment so users can view real-time data. The watch now tracks more information with the new Core Bluetooth feature that allows the Apple Watch to connect to exercise and health Bluetooth devices.

The watch can also use Wi-Fi networks when an iPhone is not in range to pair. The new watchOS 4 is freeing users even more by letting the watch connect to Bluetooth devices that are nearby.

Users can now connect directly to a myriad of devices such as golf-swing monitors, smart surfboards and sports trackers. With this upgrade, the Apple Watch is more useful than ever for active users, taking the fitness tracker to a whole new level. During the keynote at the special event, Xensr, a company that creates sensors for 3-D sports motion tracking, demoed this feature for the audience using a sensor on a surfboard. Users can see where they’ve surfed, how long they’ve been riding the waves and much more.

Additionally, Xensr is creating an app for the Apple Watch that will utilize some of watchOS 4’s new features, meaning people who love to surf can connect their device directly to their Xensr sensor. 

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More Background Modes

Apple is also letting developers get more creative with watchOS development by extending background privileges for audio recording.  In addition to extending background privileges, Apple is also allowing apps to remain open for an extended amount of time (around eight minutes). Users will now be able to view information such as a shopping list when they raise their arm to check their list. 

I think these new upgrades are going to change the way developers think about and develop Apple Watch apps.

Person-to-Person Payments

With the new updates, Apple has created a watch that is practically unparalleled in intelligence. Siri can display important information exactly when users need it most. Now, users can use Siri to transfer money to friends instantly and more securely via their Apple Pay Cash accounts. With the SiriKit release in iOS 11, developers should understand the importance of integrating voice services. SiriKit now allows third-party apps to interface with Siri, which is especially useful for note-taking apps.

The Future Of watchOS App Development

Performance is always a top priority for Apple, but during the special event this year, it was evident that responsiveness and an improved user experience are just as important. Apple continues to learn from its users and ensure that the effort is reduced for users, making it exceptionally easy to complete tasks. The watch now identifies users' behavioral patterns and recognizes what action a user will want to take next (e.g., a particular workout that a user repeatedly performs). Apple is taking the most common action that a user takes and making it as easy as possible to complete, staying one step ahead of them. The myriad of new features available in watchOS 4 will help developers build high-quality, engaging Apple Watch apps.