Amazon, Google Maps and eBay Apps Quietly Removed From Apple Watch

Big-name apps, including Amazon, eBay and Google Maps, are abandoning the Apple Watch, AppleInsider noted Monday.

The apps disappeared as watchOS was updated.

Read: Apple Watch Battery Problems: Warranty Extended Following Swollen Battery Damage Reports

The most recent update for Google Maps on iOS eliminated its Apple Watch support. On the iTunes store, the removal of the app on the wearable device was not mentioned and only said the app was updated for a turn-by-turn navigation feature, the iMessage app feature and bug fixes. On its compatibility description, Google Maps was listed as requiring “iOS 8.0 or later” and “compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch,” but said nothing about the Apple Watch or watchOS.

For the eBay app, the iTunes store also doesn’t list the Apple Watch in the compatibility description and says the new update includes “bug fixes and performance improvements.” The eBay Apple Watch app allowed users to track bid status.

The Amazon update also ditched the Apple Watch and mentioned nothing of the change in the description of its new app version. The Amazon and eBay apps were updated late last month and Monday.

There are other Apple Watch apps that have been removed, including that of retailer Target, although watchOS integration is still available with its Cartwheel app.

That removal of the apps may have gone unnoticed could be a sign they were not used often, the report said, whereas the taking down of apps on the iPad definitely would have been more noticeable.

Read: Apple Watch 3 Release Date: Faster Smartwatch With Cellular Connectivity Launching In Q3

Major companies ditching the Apple Watch comes on the heels of the device’s second anniversary. Apple doesn't give out figures for the Apple Watch in its quarterly earning reports. However, research firm Canalys estimated Apple sold about 6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2016, a 12 percent year-over-year growth from 2015’s fourth quarter.

Apple Watch Series 3 Rumors

Apple is expected to launch the Apple Watch 3 later this year although the official release date has yet to be announced. A recent report said Apple is planning to use the new power-efficient display technology called micro-LED for its Apple Watch Series 3. It was also rumored the Apple Watch this year will come with an embedded Touch ID, similar to the iPhone 8 rumors, and cellular connectivity.

However, a recent survey suggests there is not much enthusiasm among consumers for the Apple Watch Series 3. The survey, conducted by performance-based marketing platform Fluent, said only current Apple Watch owners understand the benefits of the device.

The survey found nearly half of current Apple Watch owners, 49 percent, plan to upgrade to the next edition, down from last year’s 62 percent.

Those who don’t own an Apple Watch view the gadget as an extra expense and probably won’t get one. Only 5 percent of them say they “definitely will purchase” an Apple Watch in the next year.

More than 1,000 respondents were included in the survey, which was conducted in March.