Starting June 1, all apps submitted to run on Apple Watch must support watchOS 2, Apple announced recently.
Why does that matter? With the first version of watchOS, the Apple Watch needed to be near the iPhone to work effectively. Watch OS 2, however, added support for native apps that could tap into Wi-Fi, making it less reliant on Apple's smartwatch. Starting this summer, all apps must be able to take advantage of this functionality if they want to get Apple's seal of approval.
Watch OS 2 also added more watch faces, which now display third-party app information, a new Time Travel feature for easy scrolling through upcoming events, and the option to respond to Mail with dictation, Smart Replies, or emojis.
The June 1 deadline, meanwhile, comes just ahead of Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, which is set for June 14-17. There, we expect to hear more about the next versions of iOS and Mac OS, but details about the next version of watch OS could also be on the agenda.
Apple Watch debuted about a year ago, and in that time, Cupertino has sold approximately 12 million smartwatches, according to the Wall Street Journal. And while that's double the number of iPhones Apple sold in the smartphone's first year on the market, anything short of a blowout is often viewed as disappointing when it comes to Apple, the Journal notes. "Perhaps the biggest challenge is the Watch's lack of a defining purpose," according to the paper. See what PCMag's Sascha Segan has to say about it in the video below.
For more, see PCMag's review of the Apple Watch and the slideshow above.