WASHINGTON: Apple watch is being in the news for the last many weeks. And now it is said that it will make millions of lives simpler, save hours spent looking at smartphones and like the iPhone in 2007, today’s Apple Watch is simply version one.”
Apple has announced that the Apple Watch will be released on April 24 in numerous territories.
The technology giant’s debut smartwatch must be synced to an iPhone to function, and works in conjunction with a companion app, which is included in iOS 8.2.
The Apple Watch features a built-in microphone, allowing users to receive calls on their wrist, and is capable of displaying full emails.
Telegraph Head of Technology Matt Warman claims it’s Apple’s unique combination of competence and brand pulling power – in spite of a lack of truly groundbreaking features – that will decide whether the Watch sinks or swims.
This lack of discernible unique features remains a key concern for consumers. Ronan de Renesse, lead analyst of consumer technology at Ovum, fears the Watch is in danger of merely becoming the ultimate iPhone accessory instead of a standalone product in its own right.
“Apple will have to go beyond just a great design and materials if it wishes to take the Apple Watch to the mass market and convince iPhone users who don’t wear a watch to wear one. While the iPhone and the iPad redefined their respective device segments when they launched, the Apple Watch will not play that role,” he said.
“Samsung and Motorola don’t have to worry that Apple has leapfrogged them in many functional ways – the Moto 360, for example, already does most of what Apple showed today, though sometimes the user has to go looking for those features,” said James McQuivey, analyst at Forrester.
“Who should really be nervous is the top end of the luxury watch market – not because today’s Rolex buyer is going to buy an Apple Watch Edition for thousands of dollars, but because tomorrow’s Rolex buyer may never materialise, having been thoroughly trained to believe watches should be as useful as they are beautiful.”
Consumers still need to be told why they need a smartwatch in their lives, especially if they own an iPhone, said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight.
“Pricing will dictate how fast Apple Watches fly off the shelves. Although it’s an aspirational brand, a starting price of £299 and rising into the thousands of pounds for a solid gold Edition means it’s hardly cheap and – given this is a first of its kind –we don’t yet know if it’ll deliver on its promises.”
