Apple yesterday informed developers that new Apple Watch apps will need to be built using the watchOS 2 SDK or later. Starting on June 1st, only apps meeting this requirement will be accepted on the App Store. The terse note to developers reads:
Starting June 1, 2016, all new watchOS apps submitted to theApp Store must be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later.
Apple introduced the ability to run apps directly on the Apple Watch with watchOS 2.0 at WWDC 2015. The new feature means that apps no longer relied on a connected iPhone to run. This allows them to run faster and more smoothly and gives the Apple Watch more autonomy in situations where it is not connected to an iPhone.
Apple’s new requirement will presumably also apply to updates to Apple Watch apps currently not built with the watchOS 2 SDK but was not explicitly called out in today’s announcement.
Apple’s deadline comes two weeks before WWDC 2016 kicks off. A new version of watchOS, along with new versions of iOS, OS X and tvOS, are expected to be announced at the annual developer conference. Should Apple unveil watchOS 3.0 (or a new 2.x version), it’s likely that it will only be available in beta to developers until a new watch announcement comes. Some rumours have suggested that we could see a new and thinner Apple Watch at the event but this appears unlikely.
Source : Apple