Apple Watch. What you can and cannot do in applications, parsing the SDK
After the official announcement of the Apple Watch, many were left at a loss - what is it, why there is so much noise around it, and is Apple really blown away? It was completely incomprehensible, why this thing is needed, what is so special about it and how will it be better than other watches from competitors? The marketing talk of Tim Cook and the attempts to draw on this device were not completely convinced.
But with all this, there is an understanding that a significant number of people will buy it simply because it is Apple, which means there is a potential market in which, who is first, is good.
In order to understand what this device can actually do and how it can be used, we had to get into the SDK immediately after its release.
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The results of the study are somewhat puzzled.
In short, this is just an extra monitor for your iPhone. Imagine that an additional 3x5 cm monitor was connected to your laptop, now you can display something on us. What? “Well, I don’t know, maybe some kind of notice,” Apple tells us. Like that. Those. watches alone can not do anything. Even the cards on them are displayed as a png-file, rendered on the iPhone.
That's what Apple says officially:
The application on the iPhone contains all the code, on the Apple Watch side there are only resources for it and the display of the UI (Storyboard). Here are some diagrams that explain how it works:
Since the application runs on the iPhone, the programmer has access to all methods and data from the iPhone itself (although Apple has already notified about possible restrictions on energy-intensive operations). WatchKit is a bridge between the code on the iPhone and the interface on Watch.
It is installed on it Watch OS.
The dimensions of the device are 38x38mm or 42x42mm with a resolution of 340x272px or 390x312px, respectively.
Sold in 3 different versions of Watch, Sport Watch, Edition Watch (differ in the type of glass coating, straps and editions - with 18 carat gold).
Periphery:
There are pre-installed applications , and there are applications that you can develop yourself:
As a result, from the point of view of development, now it is a completely useless device. This is on the one hand. On the other - it is very similar to Apple. It will still be, although it is not known when. It was also not immediately possible to write applications to the first iPhone. But the essence is clear now.
Based on what we have now, Apple Watch’s prospects for the market are very vague. But what managed to understand. This is not a watch.
This device is for health. The HealthKit features in the SDK description are much more devoted than everything else combined. And the functions themselves there, too, significantly more and will be even more.
Apparently, Apple has seriously aimed at the market of health and services related to this. Receive signals about insufficient activity, achievements and badges for the kilometers traveled, advice of a doctor about the features of your heartbeat and lifestyle, prevention of diseases and their early diagnosis. That's what Apple looks at, apparently.
But it may already be interesting and very much so. But so far no mere mortals are allowed to come to this pie. It's a pity. And of course, in the domestic markets it will be available much later.
In the end, Apple was disappointed and intrigued at the same time. Now we will wait. There’s nothing to do right now.
IMHO.
References:
Apple's marketing for non-developers: www.apple.com/watch
Features: www.apple.com/watch/features
Technologies: www.apple.com/watch/technology
Developer stuff : developer.apple.com/watchkit
But with all this, there is an understanding that a significant number of people will buy it simply because it is Apple, which means there is a potential market in which, who is first, is good.
In order to understand what this device can actually do and how it can be used, we had to get into the SDK immediately after its release.
')
The results of the study are somewhat puzzled.
In short, this is just an extra monitor for your iPhone. Imagine that an additional 3x5 cm monitor was connected to your laptop, now you can display something on us. What? “Well, I don’t know, maybe some kind of notice,” Apple tells us. Like that. Those. watches alone can not do anything. Even the cards on them are displayed as a png-file, rendered on the iPhone.
That's what Apple says officially:
“The app for Watch complements your main iOS application, not replaces it. If now you measure the time that the user spends in the program, in minutes, then the work with the applications for the Watch will be in seconds. ”
The application on the iPhone contains all the code, on the Apple Watch side there are only resources for it and the display of the UI (Storyboard). Here are some diagrams that explain how it works:
Since the application runs on the iPhone, the programmer has access to all methods and data from the iPhone itself (although Apple has already notified about possible restrictions on energy-intensive operations). WatchKit is a bridge between the code on the iPhone and the interface on Watch.
Now about the periphery and opportunities.
It is installed on it Watch OS.
The dimensions of the device are 38x38mm or 42x42mm with a resolution of 340x272px or 390x312px, respectively.
Sold in 3 different versions of Watch, Sport Watch, Edition Watch (differ in the type of glass coating, straps and editions - with 18 carat gold).
Periphery:
- As if there is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but they can be connected only with the iPhone. Those. in the development of their use can not be.
- As if there is an accelerometer and gyroscope, but they can not be used in development.
- The screen feels the power of your touch, but it cannot be used in the design.
- There are also tactile notifications (TapTic Engine), but this cannot be used in development.
- As if there is a built-in speaker and microphone, but you understand ..
- As if there is a GPS, but only on the iPhone. Those. if you run without it, then you will not see your route, which you ran.
There are pre-installed applications , and there are applications that you can develop yourself:
- Glances - only to display information, i.e. there are no elements in them that require action from the user.
- Notifications - there are two types: short and long. Short - one watch screen. Long - with a scroll. They can use text, image and buttons with our text. Clicking opens the app on the iPhone.
- WatchKit Apps - but this is a full-featured application, which, in theory, should work without an iPhone. But this type of application is not available and when it appears, it is not clear.
As a result, from the point of view of development, now it is a completely useless device. This is on the one hand. On the other - it is very similar to Apple. It will still be, although it is not known when. It was also not immediately possible to write applications to the first iPhone. But the essence is clear now.
Based on what we have now, Apple Watch’s prospects for the market are very vague. But what managed to understand. This is not a watch.
This device is for health. The HealthKit features in the SDK description are much more devoted than everything else combined. And the functions themselves there, too, significantly more and will be even more.
Apparently, Apple has seriously aimed at the market of health and services related to this. Receive signals about insufficient activity, achievements and badges for the kilometers traveled, advice of a doctor about the features of your heartbeat and lifestyle, prevention of diseases and their early diagnosis. That's what Apple looks at, apparently.
But it may already be interesting and very much so. But so far no mere mortals are allowed to come to this pie. It's a pity. And of course, in the domestic markets it will be available much later.
In the end, Apple was disappointed and intrigued at the same time. Now we will wait. There’s nothing to do right now.
IMHO.
References:
Apple's marketing for non-developers: www.apple.com/watch
Features: www.apple.com/watch/features
Technologies: www.apple.com/watch/technology
Developer stuff : developer.apple.com/watchkit
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/243865/
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