Thanks to watchOS 2, developers can write native Apple Watch apps, and so far 1,300 are available. watchOS 2 was released in September, and one of the features users and developers had been waiting for ever since Apple Watch started shipping earlier this year was support for third-party apps capable of running natively on the watch instead of tethering to your iPhone.
watchOS 2-native Apple Watch apps hit 1,300 in one month
Developers rushed to get their Apple Watch native apps ready for September 21, and their numbers have grown to 1,300 in a month. Apple shared that number during its 2015 fourth fiscal quarter earnings report on Tuesday afternoon.
Apple reported US$51.5 billion in revenue with earnings at $11.1 billion. The company sold 48 million iPhones and 5.7 million Macs during the quarter, and CEO Tim Cook said Apple Watch sales were up compared to last quarter and ahead of company expectations. He didn't, however, say just how many Apple Watch units were sold.
Mr. Cook also said more than 13,000 Apple Watch-compatible apps are currently available on the App Store.
Apple Watch isn't bringing in revenue on the same scale as the iPhone, but again without mentioning numbers, Mr. Cook said it was help drive company revenue. To be fair, selling $19 Lightning Cables helps drive revenue, too, but that doesn't mean they add significantly to the company's bottom line.
Still, 1,300 native apps in a month for what still amounts to a niche product is pretty impressive. It'll be interesting to see how many watchOS 2-native apps are available when Apple announces its 2016 first fiscal quarter earnings next year.