Posted on 02/27/2015 9:49:35 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Apple CEO Tim Cook is doing a tour in part to help prepare the world for the launch of the Apple Watch, which is likely going to be the start of the show at a special even on Monday March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. He spoke to The Telegraph about the company’s first smart wearable, and in that interview he talked about what will motivate a purchase decision for the Apple Watch now, and why it’ll only get more attractive as time goes on.
Cook told the Telegraph that he suspects an initial driver for sales will be that consumers want the Apple Watch as a fashion statement, and the company has clearly been hard at work setting up the accessory in that light. The watch is also incredibly accurate, Cook reminds us, able to keep time within 50 milliseconds of variation. But the apps are the real story, and in the end the Apple Watch is still a convenience accessory – with the opportunity to become even more powerful in that regard once it’s present in the real world in a sizeable population, which will drive integrations with more of the other devices that we use on a daily basis.
Cook offers the example of the Apple Watch replacing your car’s physical keys or dedicated fob in the Telegraph interview, and it’s a powerful use case to propose because it’s immediately apparent that if one already has an Apple Watch for the benefits of notifications and communication it offers, migrating the functions of other dedicated gadgets with similar radio and sensor loadouts to the wearable makes a ton of sense.
Smartwatches are already pretty abundant and readily available, but the difference an Apple Watch can offer isn’t limited to just Apple’s ability to take existing concepts and refine the hardware and software experience into something people are actually going to enjoy and find indispensable. It also has the power to effect complimentary changes in adjacent industries, thanks to its ability to sell devices at great scale. A car maker might not currently see why they should offer Android Wear compatibility, for instance, but once there are even five million Apple Watches in circulation in the U.S., as a blind example, such functionality becomes a value-added selling feature for potential owners.
A car key fob is low-hanging fruit, in that it would probably require very little work to make a reality, at least in terms of technical changes required. But you can easily see how appliance makers, smart home platform operators, public transit corporations, airlines, hotels and more might start to see the benefits of setting up communication with a device worn by a fair portion of their clients and consumers – and a group that’s generally more free with their spending than other demographics, on top of that.
The Apple Watch has enough hype, style and substance to be a success out of the gate, but the longer-term story that will be told once sales volume moves adjacent markets is the most interesting in terms of broader impact for our everyday lives.
That begs the question, could a modern day Captain Koons ... hide it in a “ place” for Five long years to pass it along to his best friends son?
My fob has already replaced the key to my car. And it’s a lot smaller than a smart phone.
13. Non-prescription iGlasses.
I remember seeing a mockup of this in an old “73 Magazine” (Wayne Green published it for amateur radio operators) from 1977. Wayne Green predicted the watch would be used for phone calls and more.
I wanted the flying bucket he cruised around in. Still do.
Absolutely zero interest here. I have a wristwatch..$25 and one I can swim with..$40-ish. I want my home as dumb as a stone; no need to have a device that will interrupt me twice as much as a cellphone. Who could read maps on that thing?.
I guess my wife’s car “key” doesn’t tell time, but it does allow her to start the car without taking it out of her purse.
Our house is not a fan of Apple anything. We have no need for this type of gadget. My phone is a phone, my camera is a camera, my computer is a computer. I have no need for a “smart” gadget - we live a simple life out in a rural area. No extra light at night, we see the stars at night when clouds are clear - I’m a country bumpkin and I’ll stay that way.
Oh, yeah!
Has anyone seen my watch?
Only if it is free, will work with my Android phone and never needs to be upgraded then I might consider it as long as my key fob still works too for when it fails.
I know, I have a “$12 Wal*Mart Special” digital/analogue combo watch and I get a lot of compliments on it. Many people think I paid hundreds for it.
That queer can take his watch and stick it where the sun don’t shine!
This is just Disney’s magic band system.
When a guest goes to the florida parks, a wristband is their key, fastpass, tickets, and even charging to room.
Did apple license this from Disney company?
Apple has the unique genius of creating marketable products out of innovations nobody see’s any mass use for. The Mouse, GUI, Voice Recognition technology, Multi-touch, etc., these were not invented by Apple.
Apple simply saw the commercial uses of these technology and created useful products from them.
all the above spells crap!
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