What Happened
Apple is requiring all new Apple Watch apps to run independently from iPhones by June 1st. The company issued the mandate to developers on Friday, indicating that it would reject Watch apps unable to function on their own from the App Store. Apple has allowed developers to create standalone Watch apps since the launch of watchOS 2 last September, whereas previously all Apple Watch apps ran on the iPhone they are linked with. The announcement dovetails with the Wall Street Journal’s report that the next Apple Watch hardware update may feature built-in cellular connectivity.
What Brands Need To Do
Since its launch one year ago, twice as many Apple Watches have been sold as iPhones during its first year, according to the Wall Street Journal. While marketers have yet to receive much support to advertise on Apple Watch, some early-adopting brands, such as Nike, Target, and Starwood Hotels, have developed branded apps. Given this announcement, it seems safe to predict that the new Apple Watch will become more powerful in its computing capability and therefore enable brands to develop more wearable-specific use cases to deliver true value to their customers through standalone Watch apps.
Source: The Verge