Apple released its WatchKit SDK today, giving us our first glimpse at how developers will build apps for its forthcoming smartwatch. If there's one main takeaway, it's that using the Apple Watch requires you to understand a huge library of new interactions. A (non-exhaustive!) list:
- Short Look
- Long Look
- Glances
- Notification actions
- Vertical swipes
- Horizontal swipes
- Edge swipes
- Taps
- "Taptic Engine" haptic feedback
- Siri
- Force Touch
- Digital Crown scrolling
Digital Crown button - Single-click the side button to open Friends app
- Double-click the side button to use Apple Pay by waving watch at NFC reader
One of the best things about the iPod when it first came out was explaining how it worked — it was so simple, and people figured it out so fast. Same with the iPhone and iPad. You get the feeling that won't be the case with the Apple Watch.