Apple Watch Developers “Chasing the Dream”

Even though the Apple Watch is facing an uncertain future, a growing number of Apple Watch app development professionals are working on software for the device. The hope, according to a recent article published on the Cult of Mac website, is that the release of the device will trigger a repeat of the early glory days of the App Store, when a relative lack of product availability allowed independent developers to take on big companies, and win.

The Apple Watch is an entirely different beast, though. User interactions are characterized by frequent but short bursts of activity, many of which take advantage of the device’s built-in health and fitness tracking features. As such, many mobile app developers are focused on creating products that leverage this trend to their advantage. However, given that the consumer market hasn’t yet fully embraced the Apple Watch, developers are largely viewing their efforts as hobbies, rather than serious bids to build lucrative products.

That attitude echoes Apple’s own point of view on its expanded product line, particularly in regards to the Apple TV. The company has classified its television as a “hobby project,” and continues to do so despite the fact that it sold 25 million units in one year, generating over $1 billion in earnings. Given the explosive potential of such hobby projects, smartwatch app developers have little to lose and everything to gain by creating products for the Apple Watch.

Some insiders have likened the emergence of the Apple Watch to the early years of the California gold rush. Buoyed by the possibility of striking it rich in an unpredictable new landscape filled with opportunity, prospectors flocked to stake claims and pan for gold. What’s happening right now with Apple Watch development is much the same.