The Apple Watch will have support from a wide variety of apps later this month, if a leaked letter from Tim Cook is any indication. 9to5Mac reported that Apple’s CEO told employees at the company that developers already submitted more than 1,000 apps for the Watch, even though it won’t be available to consumers until April 24.
“More than one thousand apps were submitted in just four days last week when the App Store started accepting them, and the rate of submissions has only been climbing since then,” Cook wrote.
It’s good news for Apple, which is spending a massive amount of time and money to build hype for its new smartwatch. Having the support of many third party developers should help make the Apple Watch more appealing to consumers, since it’s more likely that the device will be compatible with the apps they use every day.
That was just one tidbit in Cook’s letter, though. He also revealed that Apple is offering employees a 50 percent discount on the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport, to encourage them to pick up the company’s latest smartwatch. 9to5Mac reports that employees who have a bit more expensive taste and would prefer the gold Apple Watch Edition will get $550 off that watch – a drop in the bucket compared to its $10,000-$17,000 purchase price.
As for the rest of us, people interested in purchasing the device will be able to pre-order it starting on Friday at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time from Apple’s online store. The company will also allow people to schedule brief appointments to visit their local Apple Store and try on the Watch for themselves before picking out which one they want to buy. Before all of that, though, Apple is releasing “guided tour” videos that showcase the Watch’s functionality.
