Freeing the Apple Watch from iPhone could allow Apple to grab an even larger share of the smartwatch market it already dominates.
By the time watchOS 6 drops later this year, only the slimmest of threads will keep the Apple Watch tethered to the iPhone. The watch itself will soon have its own App Store. It’ll have more useful built-in apps, such as a calculator and voice memos, and long ago, the cellular models eliminated the need to rely on the iPhone for internet connection. It’s already so close to being a standalone device, so I say it’s time for Apple to snip the last thread and open it to buyers who don’t have an iPhone.
The Apple Watch is already a hit with its current design, but a standalone Apple Watch may turn into a cultural phenomenon of the likes that Apple hasn’t seen in years now. Even handcuffed to the iPhone, the Apple Watch is already the undisputed leader of the smartwatch world… With the rest of the smartwatch market so weak, making the Apple Watch a standalone device would be tantamount to going in for the kill.
MacDailyNews Take: Not only would a standalone Apple Watch spur sales, it would drive third-party Apple Watch app development which are currently treated as a bit of an afterthought since they require an iPhone parent app. With some users having Apple Watch units without iPhones, the Watch apps themselves would need to be fully able to work on their own, too!