Few were surprised by Apple’s belated entry into the smartwatch market – the company is famous for its reluctance to release a product until it’s just right. But this time, it may have cost Apple precious time in the race to court developers.
Android Wear, a model of Google’s operating system, has already been incorporated into wearable devices from Asus, LG, Samsung and Sony since its release in March. With Google’s offering emerging as the “de facto software platform for smartwatches,” analysts suspect that the Apple Watch could be at a disadvantage, The Telegraph reported.
Apple unveiled its long-awaited smartwatch amid a spurt of new products and services at a high-octane event in Cupertino on Tuesday. Although other manufacturers such as Samsung rolled out wearables first, many analysts predict that Apple will play a big role in defining the gadget.
And there are some indications that Apple’s operating system may hit the ground running when the watch arrives in stores in early 2015. During a demo on Tuesday, Apple revealed that a wide range of companies have already agreed to make apps for the device using Watch Kit, Apple’s platform for developers. Social media will be closer than ever, with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest all visible from the wrist. But users will also be able to monitor their flights with an American Airlines app and hunt down their cars with a program from BMW, the Verge pointed out.
Apple unveiled a smartwatch this week, but the device’s operating system may struggle to compete with Android, analysts say. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
