Apple Watch
The first news about Apple working on a wearable device appeared in NYT already in 2011. Two years later it was confirmed that the new device is a smartwatch. The team that worked on the prototype from the very beginning did not know exact problems the future watch would be solving. iPod crew had made “something” with a click wheel to be experimented with. One idea was that Apple device would serve as a message filter to iPhone by providing only the essential information on a wrist. The biggest focus was on the user interface which had to be invented specifically for a small device - a smartwatch.
Apple unveiled Apple Watch as the most ever personal device featuring “revolutionary new technologies and a pioneering user interface” in September 9, 2014. The key innovation in the user interface area was the Digital Crown - a small, rotatable button on the side of the watch that allowed users to scroll, zoom, and navigate the interface without obstructing the display. Digital Crown also served as a home button and could be pressed to access Siri, Apple’s digital assistant. The importance of Digital Crown on a watch was compared to Click Wheel on iPod and Multi-Touch on iPhone.
During the Apple Watch presentation in 2014 there were highlighted several key features of the smartwatch.
Precision - Apple Watch was designed from the very beginning to be very accurate and synchronized within 50 milliseconds of the Universal Time Standard. This precision was possible to achieve primarily through Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers Apple had worldwide, that were equipped with GPS antennas to connect to satellites broadcasting time data from the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. The Observatory houses an ultra-accurate atomic clock, which uses electronic transition frequency to measure time. In addition Apple Watch was to benefit from a temperature-controlled crystal oscillator built inside to combat time drift that clocks and watches would experience. This specific hardware solution made Apple Watch even more accurate than iPhone.
Digital Touch - a wave of studies documented many emotional and physical health benefits that come from human touch and Apple tried to re-create this feeling by employing a new piece of computing technology - a smartwatch. It lets to send pictures, sketches, knocks and even your own heart beat with just a few taps.
Health and Fitness - the watch included comprehensive health and fitness tracking features that would help people lead healthier lives. The first Fitness and Workout apps taking advantage of the new hardware stood out for several reasons:
Activity Rings - The Fitness app introduced the concept of Activity Rings, which track three key metrics: Move, Exercise, and Stand. These rings provide a visual representation of daily activity goals, encouraging users to stay active throughout the day.
Comprehensive Workout Tracking - The Workout app offered a variety of workout types, including walking, running, cycling, and even high-intensity interval training (since watchOS 4, 2017). It allowed users to set specific goals for each workout, such as time, distance, or calories burned.
Heart Rate Monitoring - Apple Watch included a built-in heart rate monitor, which provided real-time heart rate data during workouts. This feature helped users optimize their exercise routines and monitor their cardiovascular health.
With the help of these apps users could customize the metrics displayed during their workouts, such as active calories, heart rate, and distance, to better suit their fitness goals, which made Apple Watch a powerful tool for fitness enthusiasts, offering a comprehensive and user-friendly way to track and improve their health and fitness routines.
During the presentation, Kevin Lynch, Vice president of Technology showcased several apps developed with WatchKit that run on Apple Watch, highlighting how it could make interactions simpler and easier. For instance, the Facebook app would allow users to respond to friend requests and messages directly from the watch, while the Twitter app would fit perfectly on the screen, enabling notifications and interactions like favorites and retweets. Other notable apps included American Airlines, which allowed check-ins and baggage collection with a tap, and Starwood Hotels, which lets users check in and unlock their hotel room doors by waving the watch. City Mapper provided mass transit information and reminders for stops, and Pinterest offered walking directions to pinned sites. Additionally, BMW's app showed car charge levels and parking locations, MLB's app provided real-time sports scores, and Honeywell's app allowed remote temperature control. Lutron and Nike also had apps for controlling home lighting and tracking runs, respectively.
Initially, the Apple Watch functionality completely depended on the paired iPhone which made the app development more complicated. This was quickly changed with the introduction of WatchOS 2.
Apple Watch arrived in stores in nine countries on April 24, 2015. It was available in two different sizes, in three distinct collections - Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition and many more ways to chose a strap which came in a mixture of leather, stainless steel and a variety of color combinations. The most luxury Apple Watch Edition featured cases specially crafted from custom rose or yellow 18-karat gold alloys developed to be twice as hard as standard gold, a Retina display protected by polished sapphire crystal and a choice of uniquely designed straps and bands with 18-karat gold clasps, buckles or pins. It was clearly designed to serve the jewelry-type of buyers. Not surprisingly few month later, Apple announced a new joint Apple Watch Hermès collection.
Media reviews were mostly positive many times expecting the future watch models to be superior. NYT concluded that the first “Apple Watch may not be for you - but someday soon, it will change your world”. The Verge observer was more cautious writing “I wouldn’t spend money on how it looks until Apple completes the task of figuring out what it does”. Macworld had a more balanced review noting that “Apple Watch wasn’t the first ever smartwatch, and doesn’t really do anything rival products can’t.” Pcmag was not impressed since “without your iPhone nearby, there really isn't a ton the watch can do”. 9to5mac optimistically observed that Apple Watch was “a legitimate fashion accessory, and in a totally separate league from other smartwatches. In Europe, the Telegraph reviewer confessed that “it was only in health and fitness that the Watch came into its own”. Independent tried to be positive: “if you’re tempted by a smartwatch, Apple’s is easily the best, with the most enjoyable interface, the most intriguing range of apps, immaculate build quality and a highly attractive design”.
In 2015, the Apple Watch made a significant impact on the smartwatch market. Despite Apple not disclosing exact sales figures, analysts estimated that over 12 million units were shipped. This impressive number accounted for about two-thirds of the global smartwatch market. The holiday season alone saw more than five million units sold in 2015. Apple’s entry into the smartwatch space not only dominated the market but also set a high bar for competitors like Samsung and Pebble. This strong performance highlighted the growing consumer interest in wearable technology and solidified Apple’s position as a leader in the industry.