It appears the time of the smartwatches has now come upon us. While multiple companies – among them industry giants like Samsung – have been throwing a number of differing devices on the market, again it took an Apple innovation to make the trend alluring to the masses. Deliveries have been pushed back by months due to the soaring demand.
This basically replicates the development we saw with smartphones. The first smartphones were luxury items, mainly used to play gaudy video games and to look pretty with those innovative touch screens – and sometimes even a nifty plastic pen for people with stubby fingers. Apple’s iPhone was the kick-off for a development that now leaves us playing Scrabble with our 93-year-old Grandmother while absent-mindedly swaying along at a concert. There is even a name for the fear of being without your smartphone – Nomophobia.
So, the Apple Watch is not the first smartwatch on the market, but its launch is definitely the loudest. And – funnily – is helping Apple’s competitors. Smartwatches are now a thing. When the Apple Watch was announced, Pebble, who released their first smartwatch in 2013 after gathering the funds from a crowdfunding campaign, noted a double in sales figures.
So, what’s new?
The problem was that with time being displayed almost anywhere now, it appeared watches were pushed from objects of convenience, to becoming jewelry, a luxury product. Smartwatches may well be disruptive to the tech market, but are no threat to Breitling, Rolex and other mechanical watch makers as they satisfy different needs and target mainly people who were not wearing watches before, as watch retailer Chrono24 discussed in their blog.
Smartwatches are aiming to let you use the perks of your smartphone without having to take it out of your pocket – or always having to carry it on your body. Messages, calendar entries, incoming calls, and even fitness data during a workout can all be displayed on the tiny screens.
Apple appears to be top dog again
With the Apple Watch now on your wrist, you can answer calls and record or dictate messages. The reviews suggest that iOS got ahead of Android once more. This article on Techpinions state things like, “having used nearly every smartwatch that hit the market over the last few years (…) None of them felt like a mass market product but more for a tech enthusiast or early adopter. The Apple Watch is easily the first smartwatch I’ve used that was designed for the average consumer.”
It appears that a head-start did not secure the lead in the smartwatch market. The state of hysteria brought along by the clan of Apple disciples however, may have given a boost to the whole industry. A win-win situation, it would appear.
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