All These App Rejection Stories in One Headline “No One Dares to Build WatchKit Apps that Matter”
In a tweet so ludicrous it bears quoting in full, Greg Pierce announces that Apple has yet again rejected the Drafts.app Today Widget:
Last week’s rejection? Your Today widget does too much.
This week’s? Your Today widget doesn’t do enough.
Seriously.
— Greg Pierce (@agiletortoise) December 9, 2014Every time one of these iOS 8 Extension rejection stories tears across my Twitter and Bloglovin feeds, my mind goes straight to one thing: Apple Watch.
If you’re not already aware, the first round of third-party apps for Apple Watch will be built using APIs similar to those used to make Today Widget extensions. The Watch apps will bear one other crucial similarity to Today Widgets: they’re brand new.
I fear that Watch apps will be subject to the same capricious rejections and inscrutable policies that are already spoiling what should be a renaissance of fresh ideas. Between the lack of sustainable productivity app pricing (subscriptions, trials, paid upgrades) and the unpredictable threat of an App Review rejection, I personally can’t summon any excitement whatsoever about WatchKit. Why should I give a shit about sassy new hardware if the only apps worth building either can’t make money or might get rejected?
Unless something changes at Apple, I predict that we’ll mostly see two kinds of Watch apps next year: hobby apps by curious solo developers, and play-it-safe, free apps for business like Twitter or eBay. And it will be a shame, because the Apple Watch will deserve better.