
Financial services will come to the Apple Watch thanks to apps from Citi, Fidelity and Mint.
The three institutions will be the first to bring finance apps to the new smartwatch, which was unveiled yesterday by Apple CEO Tim Cook, and will appear on the market for pre-order on 10 April.
While Citi has gone for a general banking app for consumers, providing details on account balances and recent transactions, private financial management operator Mint has provided an app that allows people to view monthly spending goals and receive updates on their progress.
Meanwhile, asset manager Fidelity has provided an app that allows customers to track global markets and receive alerts on stocks and investments.
Clayton Locke, chief technology officer at Intelligent Environments, who worked on the world’s first smartwatch banking app for the Pebble Smartwatch, comments: "Our research shows that consumers are increasingly curious about how smartwatches can be used to manage everyday tasks such as banking.
"The consumer interest in the Apple Watch will act as a strong motivator to banks and it will be exciting to see how this affects overall interest in wearable banking."