[dilap]

Actually, thinking about it, they are doing something akin to the iPhone model -- initially iPhone development was supposed to be done as html+js web apps, and devs revolted, and then we got a real SDK.

WatchKit is the html+js of WatchOS development. OK, not that bad, but the situation is analogous.

[mrshoe]

I was going to reply to you and say the same thing: it's extremely similar to the initial iPhone 3rd party developer story, and for the same reasons. Apple is pretty predictable, really.

I know how WatchKit works, I was in on some of those meetings... Trust me, everyone at Apple had the same concerns you expressed and they still do. It will get better over time.

Also note that some built-in Apple apps do use WatchKit.

And I would still argue that allowing 3rd party code to run on the watch instead of in an extension on the phone would be just another example of an internal-only feature being opened up to the public. It's the same pattern. I realize that's a significant "feature", but so was the switch from html+js to native apps on the phone. And those significant advances go through the same decision process as smaller ones: do we feel comfortable opening up this feature to 3rd parties? what are the risks? have we used it enough internally to feel confident? has it iterated enough internally that we consider it stable enough to release (because it's hard to change after release)? etc.