Apple today opened the Apple Watch section of its App Store, just in time for the device’s initial launch on Friday. Accessible via the Apple Watch app on iPhones running iOS 8.2 and higher, Apple offers a select list of high profile apps that will support Apple Watch, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, MLB.com At Bat, Evernote, and Dark Sky. Apple is also now identifying apps with Apple Watch support throughout the App Store via an “Offers Apple Watch App for iPhone” badge, complete with screenshots of the app’s Apple Watch interface.
But the long lead time between the Apple Watch announcement and its impending availability means that there are now an abundance of apps with various levels of Apple Watch support ready for launch day (an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal this morning that “more than 3,000” apps will be available), far more than Apple can highlight in a curated App Store list. To get a more comprehensive list of Apple Watch apps, you’ll need to turn to a third party.
Enter WatchAware, a site dedicated to cataloging and previewing the thousands of Apple Watch apps that are about to hit your wrist. The site currently lists more than 2,200 unique apps, and provides screenshot and icon previews so that users know what to expect. Like Apple, WatchAware has its own list of “featured” apps, but the key difference is that the website also offers a comprehensive browsable and searchable list of all Apple Watch apps that are currently known.
Apple may eventually offer an App Store section or filter that lets users browse all apps with Apple Watch support, but until then, users can get a good idea of what third party developers can offer is this first round of wearable apps. It’s also a great way to get a taste of the Apple Watch if you’re one of the unlucky customers who won’t see delivery for a few more weeks or months.
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