Samsung has made sure its new Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit are compatible with third-party apps from launch with a new software development kit (SDK).
The South Korean electronics giant has announced the “immediate availability” of its SDK for the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, as well as a separate SDK for the new S Health app.
One of the major issues with the original Samsung Galaxy Gear at launch was the device’s lack of third-party app support. Increase app and smartphone compatibility was added in a later update, but the smartwatch was still hindered by its limited functionality.
When Samsung announced the new Gear range at its special Samsung Galaxy S5 MWC 2014 event, the company also revealed it would release an SDK for the 2014 smartwatch series.
This new SDK will allow developers to submit their own apps for the new Tizen Gear range, which is the first time Samsung has done so for its smartwatches.
The Tizen based Gear SDK allows developers to create both Android and web apps for both the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo. The Gear Fit version offers an app emulator and the ability to control the device from an Android app.
The S Health Service SDK is designed to help developers create health applications for use on Android.
Despite Samsung’s claims of immediate availability, we’re still not seeing the Gear SDKs live on the Samsung Developer Portal at the time of writing. However, expect them before the end of the day.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Gear vs Sony SmartWatch 2
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.