Last year will be the year remembered for the explosion of wearables on the market, offering a myriad of devices that can be worn around the neck, or on the wrist, of the user to grant the ability for one to self-monitor and quantify their heart rates, steps taken daily, and even sleep habits. The miniaturization of computing devices allows us to stay connected to information and communication available through the devices we carry with us. The transcendence of smartwatches from bleak, impersonable, devices give way to a newly customizable and highly interactive addition to the multiscreen world. Designing apps for wearable devices is substantially different than designing for smartphones and tablets. Smartwatches have different strengths and weaknesses, different use cases, and different ergonomics altogether but offer the ability to bridge all three together with the right software.
Apple’s WatchKit “provides the iOS developer community with the tools they need to create exciting new experiences right on your wrist,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. Developers who have previewed the WatchKit tools and APIs are eager to start building on the personal and immediate experiences Apple Watch will offer users. We can create notifications that give users the ability to take action or respond right from their wrist such as turning the lights off after they’ve left the house, quickly accessing flight details at the airport, and rerouting their transit when a train or bus is late. We can also incorporate Apple’s Glances API, which quickly show users information and notifications that they care about most, like the latest news and sports scores, home security system status, or the next step of a favorite recipe.
Samsung’s Gear offers hardware functionalities like magnetics, ambient light, barometer, and UV sensors, with the ability to customize them through their APIs. Other Software Development Kits include Rich Notification and Samsung Accessory to give developers the ability to send messages, data, files, and customize notifications. Gear Standalone and Gear Companion are two different SDKs available for development of Samsung Gear. With Samsung’s standalone Gear app and enhanced network, call and Location-based APIs can be utilized on the 3G network without the dependence on mobile devices.
Android’s Operating System offers the ability for developers to implement features like notification cards to show on your smartwatch when it’s necessary, handle voice actions for handsfree interaction, send data between smartphones and other devices, and more. LG is already an active participant in the developing smartwatch market with two Android Wear models: the G Watch that inaugurated Google’s wearable software platform and the G Watch R. They’ve partnered up with ARM, a partner group that offers the in-demand components to build an ecosystem and give developers the tools and building blocks necessary for IoT devices and services, making it much faster and cost-efficient to produce.
The software developed that utilizes new functionalities offered by different smartwatches, like notification alerts, health monitoring, and other personal data aggregating software has been well-received among smartphone and wearable enthusiasts, but there is so much more that can be done with smartwatches in particular. Through utilization of the wide array of Software Development Kits available through the different OS providers like, Android, Apple, and Samsung, we can create custom smartwatch experiences with activities, services, and sensors. The end result is that consumers will benefit from this competition and be able to enjoy powerful, rich applications that can finally take advantage of the resources on their mobile devices.
At Ayoka, we offer diverse industry experience in custom application development, bringing ideas from different fields that can be tailored to your exact needs. Call Ayoka Mobile Application Development services to add mobility to your software application! Adding mobility by building mobile applications for your enterprise will empower your company with the tools and information that will enable you to ultimately be more accessible and successful.