Apple’s WatchKit toolkit will be available sometime next month

Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off Thursday’s Apple event in Cupertino with a recap of last month’s product reveal, and was quick to tout the accomplishments of the company’s mobile payment platform Apple Pay, which is set to officially launch Monday. Cook said that since last month, Apple has signed another 500 banks to support the platform. Without immediately naming names, Cook said the banks will begin rolling out support later this year and early next year.

Apple will make its WatchKit toolkit available sometime in November, CEO Tim Cook said at its event Thursday, enabling developers to begin building apps for its forthcoming smartwatch. WatchKit was first announced at a flashy Apple event last month, where the company unveiled the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch, and concluded with a performance by the rock band U2. The Apple Watch is expected in spring 2015. Today’s event in Cupertino, Calif., a much lower-key affair, marks the second product launch for Apple in as many months. Some third-party apps appear to be already available for the wearable, including Twitter, American Airlines, Starwood Hotels (for unlocking your room door), Pinterest, BMW (with a car locator service), Honeywell (for connected home control) and others.