What is it?
The Apple Watch is a smartwatch which enables the users to perform various tasks. Some of the features include receiving notifications, tracking fitness progress and of course, telling time. This watch is used to be tailored for the iPhone in order to make the experience for the user more convenient.
On Apple’s website..
Apple has showcased their smart watch to emphasize three key features. This is explained right off the bat when you visit the Apple Watch page. The three features are, notifications, fitness, and personalization. Finally, it says that the watch is “an essential part of who you are.” They want to convey that it is made for you, the user. This shows that Apple really wants their target audience to embrace the watch so that it is integrated into the lifestyle of the users. The features of the watch would make it a necessity for the user.
Features:
Notifications:
This is a very important feature for the user. The Apple watch remove the need for the user to check on their phone every time they receive some sort of notification. Instead of pulling the iPhone out of a pocket or a bag, the user can simply look at their wrist in order to receive their updates. The secondary advantage to this is saving some battery life (which iPhones are notorious for lacking). The user is alerted of a notification through a gentle “tap” on the wrist. The built-in gyroscope can tell when the user lifts their wrist to view a notification. If they keep their wrist up, then they can choose to act on the notification. Otherwise, they have the choice to ignore it and save it for later.
There is a clever visual on the smartwatch which shows whether or not the user has any active notification. This is shown with a small red dot at the top of the display. When the user clears all notifications, the red dot disappears. This is an effective way for users to quickly learn how their smartwatch works and to associate the red dot with any active notification.
Fitness:
The Apple watch has a built-in heart rate sensor and step counter to track fitness. Apple has also allowed several fitness apps to work with the built-in Health application in iOS.
The smartwatch will give the user updates in regards to daily activity and progress, as well as reminders whenever the user is lacking on their set goals. This is a great way to track fitness especially for those who give attention to their fitness activity and personal health. The convenience factor is to not need to carry a separate device (pedometer, chest strap sensor, etc.) to keep track of goals. All the user needs to do is simply wear their smartwatch and go throughout their day.
Personalization:
Apple features many different customization options for their product. This ranges goes from both software to hardware. On the hardware side, the user can select either the anodized aluminum sport or stainless steel finish. The former is meant for a more active lifestyle, and the latter, for a more professional and stylish design. From here, the user can choose a size, different bezel colors and different wrist bands. The Apple Watch is designed to be fully customizable so that the user may change the type/material of the wristband as they desire.
For the software, the users are able to choose different watch faces. They may choose a digital or a traditional analog appearance. The way the watch behaves can also be personalized for the user’s needs. If the user chooses not to see notifications from a certain application, they may turn it off from their iPhone. The users are also able to prioritize what notifications they want to see immediately.
Visual design
This product visually stays true with Apple’s other products. It is made out of high quality materials, very simplistic and easy to use. The users aren’t bombarded by buttons and switches similar to sport watches. In addition to the touch screen interface, the physical features are a single button and a knob for easy navigation.
If you put the Apple Watch next to it’s relative products (iPhone, MacBook iPod Touch etc.) you can easily see the cohesiveness of the design across all of Apple’s technology. It is really meant to be used within the family of Apple products.
Pros:
- Beautiful visual design (subjective)
- Intuitive design (both hardware and software)
- Convenient for everyday life
- Useful for fitness buffs
- Customizable in many ways
Cons:
- Pricey (Starting price $299)
- Cannot be used with other operating systems
- Lack of features (compared to competing smartwatches)
About the name..
I wondered about the name of the Apple Watch and why they didn’t choose to call it the “iWatch.” This is simply because Apple’s other products follow this naming convention (iPod Touch, iPhone iPad). After some researching, it turns out that the name “iWatch” was already taken by another company. I’ve seen other third-party companies use the infamous “i” in their product or even company names (iLuv, iBall, iSandwich-yes, there’s a Vietnamese sandwich shop that sells an iSandwich!).
Initially, I thought that the “i” was the way that Apple markets their product to be made for the individual users-that it would be made for them and only them. After some digging around, I learned that the “i” had several meanings (in a 90’s Apple keynote) but initially for “Internet.”
I read an article as to why Apple didn’t choose to follow the traditional naming convention their new wearable tech. Commenters claimed that it was named the “Apple Watch” because it isn’t constantly connected to the Internet like an iPhone is. This led to the theory that the Apple doesn’t want the users to think that their watch is constantly connected to the Internet in fear of privacy invasion. This is a very plausible claim especially considering recent news with the NSA as well as the idea of the product itself. The Apple Watch is supposed to be integrated into the user’s life and constantly be used, so in order to easily sell, Apple could have dropped the “i” so that they wouldn’t lose customers who are concerned about their privacy.
Apple is actually starting to use their company name in their more recent products like Apple pay, Apple TV, Apple music etc. This change of naming conventions could be a way for Apple to really establish themselves as a household name since the use of the “i” prefix is so freely used.
My thoughts and observations
Apple did well with this smartwatch. They really follow their trend of making high quality products which look great and are easy to use. Although it lacks some features, it does really well in making the existing features efficient and pleasant to use. The price point is really something to get over, but this won’t stop potential buyers from buying one. This goes especially for those who are die-hard Apple fans. I personally haven’t experienced using any kind of smartwatch. I currently use an Android phone but I’ve had an iPhone (3GS) in the past. I don’t think that I’d purchase an Apple Watch unless I commit to having an iPhone. The target market must keep this in mind as well because other smartwatch manufacturers can work with both Android and iOS. The lack of support for other operating systems is a way for Apple to keep their customers. A user might say, “If I have and iPhone and Apple Watch, why would I consider another an Android (or Windows..) phone when my Apple Watch won’t work with it? I’ve already spent all to of money on it, and I don’t want it to go to waste!”
The prestige that Apple exudes with their products makes up for the lack of features that other products have. This also make their faithful followers crave for more in the next device. The marketing strategy Apple uses is very key to their success and this is done through their endorsements and aggressive advertising. Now that Apple has established themselves in the smartwatch battle, they have made themselves a formidable opponent for their next iteration of the Apple Watch against their competition.
Sources:
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/09/why-the-apple-watch-isnt-called-the-iwatch.html
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2632371?tstart=0
http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/wearables/apple-watch-1264567/review
Bryce Villanueva 