The Apple Watch “is sure to sell like gangbusters out of the gate, but to achieve long-term success, Apple needs to find solutions to the following problems,” Chris Slate writes for TechRadar.
1. It lacks a defining must-have feature: There’s no single feature that marketers can use to define the product as unique or necessary.
2. It needs an iPhone: Anyone who doesn’t own a newish iPhone can’t use an Apple Watch… A PC user might still buy an iPad, and someone with a Samsung tablet might still pick a MacBook, but zero Android users will own an Apple Watch.
3. People don’t wear watches anymore: I wore a watch for years, but quit when I got used to pulling out my iPhone all the time.
4. It’s yet another gadget to carry: Our pockets, purses and backpacks are bursting with digital devices these days, from mobile phones and tablets to health trackers and handheld game systems.
5. It’ll be pricey: With no clear, defining reason to own one, many could view the device as nice but not necessary.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: iCal’ed.
1. “It lacks a defining must-have feature.” Apple Pay alone will sell the device.
2. “It needs an iPhone.” Requires iPhone 5 or later. Over 388 million iPhone units have been sold since iPhone 5’s debut.
3. “People don’t wear watches anymore.” Watches that just present the time and/or date, you mean.
4. “It’s yet another gadget to carry.” You don’t carry Apple Watch, you wear it.
5. “It’ll be pricey.” If $350 is too much for what Apple Watch offers, you’re not the type of customer Apple wants. Go get yerself a Sammmysung, dummy!
I haven’t worn a watch in 45 years & unless it gives me an orgasm I can’t see getting one now!!!
As I’ve said before: Just imagine if an Apple watch could monitor your heartbeat and give you 2 minutes warning of a heart attack or stroke. If it could do that reliably you would be dumb not to have one.
Heart rate monitors gave been around for years, wearable MRIs aren’t even on the horizon.
Make a Smart Pocket Watch!
They did. It’s called an iPhone.
I guess I’m gonna be among the lonely wearers of an Apple Watch. 😰😱😜
1) It tells the time.
2) Lots of people have iPhones, and lots more will have them.
3) Lots still do, me included.
4) Hasn’t been a problem with mobile gadgets so far. Only way, I’m afraid.
5) Price hasn’t stopped the Apple juggernaut.
Complaints about having to charge the watch every day tend to be overly revealing. If you take a shower every day, you take your watch off every day so you might as well set it on the charger as on the nightstand (but wait, the charger is _on_ the nightstand, right?). If you don’t take the watch off every day, you need to move down one bar stool.
I do not think it will flop, but doubt it will be earth shattering. Think Apple TV- a hobby that slowly builds over time.
iCal it, does not bother me a bit.
Apple watch, not for me, I love the good old mechanical watch. Right now I am fine with an iphone, air2 and a MBP i dont think there are any other gadgets that apple makes which I need. It will sell as there are a lot of people who just buy anything that apple makes, hopefully it will be of use to them.
Will be interesting to see what happens when they launch, either it will be a enduring product for years to come or will dissapppear after a couple of years.
I’m also one of those that still wears a watch. While my iPhone tells time, given the choice between pulling out my phone, clicking a button, maybe swapping out of an app I’m using that blocks the clock, etc, or just making a quick glance at my wrist, I’ll glance at my wrist.
People don’t wear watches anymore. Really? I have twelve. One on my wrist at this very moment. The IWatch will succeed because it is slick and it’s a piece of jewelry, not a time telling device.