Apple's much-rumored wearable device, unofficially dubbed the iWatch, will reportedly be able to run third-party apps as well, according to a new report.

This would mean a major step forward for Apple, as the company's iOS ecosystem has often been criticized for being a "walled garden." We already knew that the latest iOS 8 marked significant efforts toward opening up the platform a bit, and now the upcoming iWatch will apparently illustrate it.

According to a new report from Apple-centric publication 9to5Mac, the iWatch will feature an App Store and will be able to run third-party applications. Moreover, Apple has reportedly seeded the Software Development Kit (SDK) to developers already, under strict non-disclosure agreements. Devs have reportedly started working on neat apps for the upcoming wearable.

Citing unnamed sources, the publication further notes that one of the select developers who received access to the SDK is Facebook, the social networking giant that is also developing an iOS 8-optimized app for the next-generation iPhone. The iPhone 6 Facebook app will reportedly feature improved notifications, among other things.

"A small handful of high-profile social network and services companies with apps on the iPhone and iPad App Store have already been seeded with a pre-release version of the Apple SDK (Software Development Kit) for wearables under strict non-disclosure agreements," 9to5Mac reports. "One of the developers with access to the pre-release SDK is Facebook, according to a source. Facebook is also said to be finishing up work on an iOS 8-optimized version of its iPhone app with improved notifications. The social network is also experimenting with ways it can leverage the new Notification Center widget APIs."

In terms of the actual App Store that will grace the iWatch, it remains unclear whether it will be a full-fledged, dedicated App Store as the ones for the iPhone or iPad, or whether it will simply consist of a selection of apps within the iPhone App Store, compatible with the SDK.

The practice of seeding the SDK to developers before a product launch allows companies to have apps ready to showcase at the launch event, in order to highlight and demonstrate certain functionalities during the keynotes.

The new SDK reportedly sports deep integration with iOS 8 features such as the HealthKit and HomeKit APIs, as expected, as well as other features that will enable iPhone users to seamlessly transfer files between the smartphone and the smartwatch.

Apple has scheduled a press event for Sept. 9, where it is widely expected to unveil at least one iPhone 6 model, as well as its much-rumored wearable device. Nothing is officially confirmed at this point, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as Apple makes its announcement.