First
came the iPhone. In 2007, Steve Jobs took the stage months before the
launch of a revolutionary new device, one that combines the function of
the iPod, the phone, and the mobile Internet communicator. With
expectations to send huge shockwaves around the industry, Jobs wanted to
show the device to the world before it was ready and before anyone had
seen it - a change of course for Apple who usually unveils devices
shortly before their commercial roll-out.
Then came the iPad. In
2010, Jobs did the same thing. The iPad was a brand new category of
devices, it had to be unveiled earlier before images of its production
mold had stormed into leaks and spoiled the surprise. The tablet
launched in April, and it was a tremendous success.
It has been
four years since then. Four long years, we should add, for those hoping
for the next revolution in devices, and it seems that Apple is ready to
deliver: it is time for the iWatch.
After four years of no new categories for Apple, it is ready to deliver with the iWatch
The
company is expected to unveil its first wearable device to the public
on September 9th at the Flint Center in Cupertino, a historic place for
Apple, a venue where Steve Jobs unveiled the original Macintosh 30 years
ago in 1984, and the place where Jobs took the wraps off the colorful
iMac in 1998, the device that started the turn-around for Apple.
We
expect the same thing that happened for the two earlier new categories
to happen for the iWatch as well. The release date will most likely not
be imminent - it’d take a few months until the iWatch arrives on store
shelves, but business has changed for the company in those in-between
years. It will be a little different this time around.
Design: premium “Swiss made”-like, with an affinity for fashion (not nerdy)
First,
though, let’s get the basics off the table. The Apple iWatch is
expected to be much more resemblant to a real, good-looking, fashionable
watch rather than a nerdy, geeky, giant-square-screen-on-a-wrist.
The
writing is on the wall: Apple has hired Angela Ahrendts, former fashion
brand Burberry chief executive, and also the former sales director at
Swiss luxury watch maker Tag Heuer. We’ve been hearing about Apple
trying to poach talent from watch makers like Swatch and others (with
mixed results), so all those lead us to believe the iWatch will have
looks that will appeal to more than just geeks.
Not only this,
experts are saying that Apple’s plan is to market the iWatch as “Swiss
made”: not literally, but as a metaphor for its high quality of finish.
Apple iWatch: specs and features
With
the looks out of the way, it’s time to focus on something equally
important: the specs and features. Based on various reports, here is
what we expect the iWatch spec sheet to look like:
- To come in two sizes: with a 1.3-inch and a 1.5-inch screen
- Flexible AMOLED panel
- Sapphire cover lens for the display
- Water-resistance
- New system-on-a-chip with lots of sensors
- Biometric functionality
- Integration with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Biometric recognition
- NFC chip
- Wireless charging
- 200 to 250mAh battery
- Slim and light design
Hey, Siri: voice commanded
Siri
was introduced to the world with the iPhone 4s and it has evolved a
long way since then, but it still has a lot of shortcomings - most
notably, it does not play well with third-party apps and devices. The
iWatch has inspired a radical change in Siri’s functionality.
The
smartwatch is said to support the personal assistant, and allow users
to book a hotel, rent a car, or send messages via various apps.
Another
interesting additional feature rumored for the iWatch is advanced
mapping functionality, but we’re scant on details about that, and how
it’d integrate with Siri.
Apple iWatch as your health and fitness pal
Apart
from just telling the time and being a fashionable timepiece, the
iWatch is expected to double up as your health and fitness pal. We don’t
exactly know how, but the foundation has been laid down: Apple’s
HealthKit in iOS 8 and key hires from the fitness industry, point to the
iWatch delivering some fitness and health-related data.
Apple is
also rumored to have a brand new system-on-a-chip for the iWatch and
the board for it could include sensors to measure steps taken, calories
burned, hydration, and sweat. It won’t be a medical-grade device by any
means, but we do expect it to provide some basic information about your
health.
Apple has also hired a key Nike FuelBand developer and
fitness expert Jay Blahnik last year, and we’ve seen star athletes like
NBA’s Kobe Bryant on Apple’s campus in late June. Sleep researcher J.E.M
Raymann from Philips has also been brought in, likely to help with
sleep functions, and possibilities here include measuring the quality of
your sleep.
NFC for wireless payments
The
latest newsflash from the iWatch rumor mill is about a near-field
communications (NFC) chip on board. The wearable is said to not only
pack one, but use it to the fullest, allowing consumers to make
purchases via the device. Cashless payments have been a pipedream for
the industry for a long while, and in 2014, Apple might finally decide
to join in the craze and try to liven things up. Reports have surfaced
about the company being in talks with various carriers and retailers to
support wireless payments widely.
Apple iWatch price and release date
Despite
all the iPhone leaks and craze, Apple has managed to keep a veil of
utmost secrecy where it matters - new product categories. We have inside
reports about the iWatch, but no leaked images, no detailed reports
about it. All of this makes it fairly clear that the company’s first
wearable has not yet entered mass production. Early projections were for
this to happen in late September, but it seems that Apple has pushed
the dates further back to mid- to late-November.
The iWatch
release date is hence said to be in the beginning of 2015. Price for the
smartwatch is projected at around $300 for the basic model, but luxury
options should be available for prices of over $1,000.
Premium design to come with premium pricing, release date might be in 2015
Unlike
the iPhone and the iPad, though, the iWatch will be different. Apple
itself is a different company than what it was even just four years ago.
The confirmation from this comes from the widespread belief that the
iWatch will be launched alongside the new iPhone 6 and not at a separate
event. This highlights its function as more of an accessory to the
iPhone, rather than a fully independent category like what the iPhone
and iPad was. But don’t make any mistake - Apple plans to hype it up and
expectations are for tens of millions of sold iWatches. It’s an uphill
climb when the yearly sales of wearables amount to less than 15 million
units now, but if there’s a company that can pull it off, Apple is it.
