Are smartwatches really about to become a thing? Will we soon become a people talking into or staring at their watches as part of our daily routines?
Have you been wanting to communicate with people through your watch, via text message, e-mail or phone call? Are you nursing a desire to watch movies, TV shows or YouTube clips from a device on your wrist? Perhaps you’ve been hoping you could read articles on your watch, as if your phone didn’t already provide a small enough display for text and photos.
On Tuesday, Apple announced its new Apple Watch, riding the coattails of the rollout for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Most people were probably more excited about the newest editions of the iPhone, eager to upgrade their current phones or be one of the first to get their hands on the new smartphone hotness.
But in a nod to Steve Jobs’ signature twist, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave us “one more thing” with the Apple Watch, offering a product for which most of us probably weren’t yearning. But a classic Apple move is to provide something we didn’t know we wanted because it was there for us yet.
#AppleWatch pic.twitter.com/6aW4mEyB3F
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) September 9, 2014
Could we not have said the same thing at some point in our lives about the iPod, iPhone and iPad? We already had music players and cell phones. Did we really need tablets when we already had laptops? But now try to imagine your daily lives without these devices. They’re vital! We almost place them above interaction with other human beings now.
Smartphones have made me a bad son. “What? No, Mom — I’m listening to you,” I say as I’m checking e-mail, Twitter or movie showtimes. “Tell me more about what you and your friends did last weekend.” What could I become if I had a smartwatch?
As I joked on Twitter, would you still be able to pretend you’re listening to someone across from you while checking your watch? It’s not like placing your phone down on the table. Of course, you could put your hands on the table and look at your wrist. And really, we should all be more civilized human beings than this. Maybe you are. If so, kudos to you for helping hold our society together. I have work to do on myself, and I know that.
Yet do we, as a people, really want a smartwatch? Samsung has had the Galaxy Gear on the market for a year and it doesn’t really seem to have made an impact in the tech market or general culture. Maybe I would see this differently if I lived in a bigger city or more tech-friendly environment like the Bay Area. Perhaps my immediate circle of friends just isn’t that interested in having the latest cool gadget (though I know I certainly talk about such things with my closest friends). But I haven’t seen anyone in public using a smartwatch.
Maybe I’m underestimating the latent desire among our populace to talk into our watches or use a viewscreen on our wrist like Inspector Gadget’s niece, Penny. (Showing my age, my first thought was of Dick Tracy’s 2-way wrist watch. Same idea, different decade.) When we were kids, communicating with your watch seemed like the coolest thing ever. But we also had no comprehension or concept of cellular phones — or even the Internet — let alone devices that allowed you to make phone calls, send messages, check sports scores or watch a full season of Bob’s Burgers.
The funny thing is that so many of us no longer wear watches because we can check the time on our cell phones.
That’s not to say that a great-looking watch isn’t a fine style choice. I certainly wouldn’t turn down a nice, shiny Citizen or Bulova watch to wear (though it would probably be dressier than anything else I’m wearing). When I had to wear a shirt and tie to work, I often wore a Stuhrling watch that my father gave me. No, it wasn’t the finest Swiss watch, but I was hardly in the market for one. All I cared about was something that looked good.
Apple has taken that into consideration, offering different models of the Apple Watch that can look more stylish and elegant — especially if you choose the right wrist band to go with it. Depending on the face screen you choose, your device could almost look like a fancy Swiss watch. With a $349 price, you’ll have almost paid the same anyway — and this smartwatch will be able to do so much more.
Maybe people won’t find it necessary to use their watch to send messages, listen to music or watch streaming TV. Perhaps I’m also severely underestimating the Apple Watch’s ability to make electronic payments, tickets or boarding passes. Yet despite my doubts as to whether there will be much interest in an Apple Watch among the everyday populace, I do think there is one market that this device could make a huge impact in: The fitness tracker.
As a device to track your runs, bike rides or steps, to monitor how often you’re on your feet or moving, to count calories and log your fitness goals, the Apple Watch could be extremely useful. Perhaps this is where Apple is really looking without saying it outright. Watch out, Fitbit Jawbone and Nike! Here’s something with much more utility (you can talk to friends or associates), many more features (you can listen to music), and it can be worn as a part of regular attire without having to take it on off when you’re not exercising.
In this realm, the Apple Watch looks like a runaway winner. The competition isn’t even close, even if this smartwatch costs four to five times as much as the fitness trackers currently on the market. This is another thing that Apple does: Improving upon a product that another company has already invented and introduced, and then do it much better.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be so skeptical about smartwatches, after all. Yet outside of the fitness tracker market, I just don’t see the use for it. At least for me, personally. As it is, I’d have to buy another iPhone anyway because the Apple Watch has to sync up with your phone and doesn’t support models lower than the iPhone 5. If I’m spending $200 to $300 on a new iPhone, I’m not shelling out another $350 for an Apple Watch. Naturally, others with more disposable income to burn might feel differently.
Let’s check back in with each other in about six to eight months to see if I was completely wrong, and if you and your friends are all toting smartwatches that have become indispensable parts of your daily lives. If I end up writing a follow-up post, maybe you can read that on your watch too.
