“When you look at an Apple Watch, the last thing that comes to mind is the iPod,” Michael Simon writes for Macworld.
“On the surface, there’s isn’t a whole lot of correlation between Apple’s first wearable device and its classic MP3 player, save perhaps a clever navigation tool and a music app,” Simon writes. “But while the two might not share much in the way of physical similarities, they actually have more in common than the ability to play your favorite tunes.”
“In fact, Apple Watch might end up being just as important as the iPod was all those years ago,” Simon writes. “Apple Watch could end up bringing Apple to heights its music player could never reach, with a halo effect that makes the iPod’s seem small by comparison.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The amount of Android to iPhone upgraders that Apple Watch triggers is going to boggle the minds of some pundits. These generally new-to-Apple users will also eventually purchase Macs and iPads due to Continuity and handoff. Watch and see.
Related articles:
Analyst: Android switchers fueling iPhone growth; Android users even more interested in Apple Watch than iOS users – March 23, 2015
The Apple Watch is not a watch, it’s an iPhone sales engine – March 11, 2015
Once you get your Apple Watch, you’ll be surprised how little you use your iPhone – March 7, 2015
The Apple Watch will mark the beginning of the Age of Impossible Miniaturization.
Age of
Unimaginable Miniaturization
Unexpected Miniaturization
Inconceivable Miniaturization
Incredible Miniaturization
Ultra Powerful Miniaturization
2015 WATCH has 8GB storage – 2GB for music, 75MB for photos, 802.11n Bluetooth 4. Watch these specs seem paltry in a very few years.
💥😱👀🚀😱😜
The great “halo” power of Apple Watch, is that it is a form of verified digital identity via your fingerprint. That sense of security will allow not only Apple Pay to work, but also your front door, your car, atm transactions. Looking further ahead, an electronic passport? In many ways your relationship to the state, and the cyber connected world around you.
Not having a ready access to a electronic fingerprint backed identity, will hamper access to all these additional services. And would be like being only allowed paper documents to prove who you are and what you can do.
How long Apple can maintain this level of verification and trust by its user is a moot point but for now it is a powerful competitive advantage.
Great advantages lie on this path but also great dangers. One wonders how China might implement this sort of identity technology.
A brave new world.
Unless you live in China why would you care how their big brother government implements “identity technology.”
The iPod’s halo effect didn’t begin until it was both compatible with Mac and Windows. How much of a halo effect can the Apple watch have if it’s only an iPhone accessory?
A real long time. 💥😱😃😜👀🚀
The iPod was introduced just 3 years after Apple dodged the bankruptcy bullet. Market share/mind share were virtually zero. OS X wasn’t yet a toddler and Macs were still using Motorola CPUs and floppy drives. Still the iPod had a tremendous positive impact on Apple.
Fasr forward 15 years and now Apple is the largest (by market ca) and wealthiest technology firm in the world.
The Apple Watch does not need cross platform compatibility to be more successful than any competing product.
In 2000 cross platform meant MacOS and Windows. Today cross platform means iOS and some number of many versions of Android.
Any cross platform argument is a red herring, and ignores Apple’s worldwide dominant position.
Halo is halo. Halo means that you provide an application that works with other platforms in order to prove how much better Apple does things than anyone else. If any Apple device is only compatible with other Apple devices, how is a halo effect supposed to occur?
I know I get down voted into oblivion (or get called a troll) every time I suggest this, but unless Apple releases an Android version of the iTunes equivalent of software for the Apple watch, there will be no compatibility therefore no opportunity for a halo effect.
You misunderstand the “halo effect.” It means that the purchase of one Apple item, such as an iPod, eventually leads to the purchase of other Apple items, such as a desktop or laptop computer, iPhone, etc. that leads to the purchase of apps and music, and so on. There is no requirement for any of these items or functions to be cross-platform, although it certainly helped with iTunes and the iPod.
The lure of the Apple Watch will encourage people to switch to the iPhone. The iPhone is currently the largest revenue and profit generator for Apple. And the combination of the iPhone and the Apple Watch will be like selling an iPhone-and-a-half in terms of revenue. So there will be a halo effect, and it will have nothing to do with cross-platform functionality. In fact, it will be stronger because the Apple Watch works only with the iPhone.
Sometimes people get voted down because their posts do not make any sense.
I understand the halo effect, you start with one device, are impressed or intrigued which causes you to purchase another device and so on.
For a person who has no iPhone, an iPhone will need to be purchased along with the Apple watch. That’s quite a commitment.
A better way of looking at it is by turning it around. I’m an Apple user, I have a couple of Macs, an iPad, an iPhone and an Apple TV. Say I see a smart watch that only works with android. I like the functionality and the looks but in order to use it I would have to abandon my iPhone for an android phone, subsequently losing my investment in apps and more importantly losing the integration that I currently enjoy with an all Apple ecosystem. Do I buy the watch? No.
So turn it around again. You’re an android user, (which generally means cheapskate) and you see an Apple watch, see the prices, vomit, but decide you like the watch but then realize that in order to make use of it you also have to buy an iPhone. We’re talking quite an investment and you realize that there are a plethora of android compatible watches you can buy.
You’re just guilty of looking at the Apple watch from an Apple-centric perspective. To the average android user, it isn’t the holy Grail of watches. Hell, I’ve been an Apple user for over 30 years and I’m not even interested.
Apple was right to take their time creating a great watch. While their competitors rush out their products to be first, Apple is the first to get it right… once again.
That’s yet to be seen.
I own almost everything they’ve produced thus far.
This time, no soap.
I have less than no interest in an Apple Watch.
Methinks this’ll be a fail.
We’ll see.
Jeez, with all these nay sayers I might sleep in on April 10th before ordering my Apple Watch.
Please do. I need to get my order in ahead of you.😜👀😱💥😎🚀