A number of high-profile apps have been vanishing from the Apple Watch in recent months. The Amazon, eBay, Target (the main one, not Cartwheel), and TripAdvisor iOS apps have all had support for Apple’s wearable removed. Google Maps has also abandoned the Apple Watch, but a recent statement suggests it may return at some point.
Apple Insider reports that the companies quietly removed support through app store updates. Google Maps’ possible hiatus started a few weeks ago, whereas Amazon and eBay ended WatchOS support sometime during the last few days.
"We removed Apple Watch support from our latest iOS release but expect to support it again in the future," Google said in a statement.
None of the companies behind the apps have explained their decision to drop WatchOS support. Apple Insider suggests they simply weren’t being used, which would explain how they were removed with so few people noticing.
Google Maps is probably the most useful of the apps, which is probably why it looks set to return. In the case of Amazon, Target, and eBay, it’s unlikely that people will miss being able to do their online shopping and deal hunting via the Watch’s tiny screen, especially when a smartphone can do a better job.
It’s not clear whether the decision is a sign that the Apple Watch itself is struggling. The Cupertino company doesn’t give out sales figures for its device, but CEO Tim Cook said that the 2016 holiday quarter set a record for Watch revenue.
https://www.techspot.com/news/69154-amazon-ebay-remove-their-apple-watch-apps-google.html
