The Apple Watch is finally going up for pre-order on Friday, and many folks are likely wondering what kind of support the device will get from app developers out of the gate. Well, a newly-leaked memo from Apple CEO Tim Cook has shed a bit of light on that matter.
Cook sent a memo out to all Apple employees today, April 6, to remind them of the impending arrival of the Apple Watch and to share some new information about the iOS smartwatch. According to Cook, “more than 1,000” apps with Apple Watch support were submitted in the first four days that the App Store accepted them. The CEO goes on to say that the rate of Apple Watch app submissions has continued to grow since then.
The Apple Watch features that are included in the thousands of apps that Cook is referencing are likely going to vary, and we’ll have to wait until the device actually launches before we can really seen what devs have cooked up. That said, this news is good for consumers on the fence about the Apple Watch. And with two and a half weeks to go before the watch actually launches, there’s more time for developers to add Apple Watch support to their apps before the wearables begin to land on our wrists.
Cook also reveals in this new memo that Apple employees will get discounts on the Apple Watch. Both the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch will be available for 50 percent off, meaning that the Apple Watch Sport will start at $174.50 and the Apple Watch will start at $274.50. If an Apple employee is feeling particularly spendy, they’ll be able to get $550 off the price of an Apple Watch Edition, which’ll knock the starting price down to $9,450.
