1. It’s Apple sleek – plenty of companies have mastered great design in recent years, recognising that it’s increasingly hard to beat one another in terms of raw horsepower and specifications. Even the biggest Samsung stalwart would admit that the Korean giant’s recent designs still look a little more Apple inspired than the rest of the industry, at least they look good. I don’t know about you but after the dire S5, I’d given up hope, but Samsung’s S6 phone is sleek and sexy. Apple’s watch has been built up by rumours and speculation for years, but they delivered in the area they were most expected to – it looks sleek and new, but still clearly related to the iPhone. There’s room for improvement, and Apple could perhaps might be able to find a new definition of luxury that doesn’t mean painting it gold and adding an extra digit to the price, but by and large the Apple Watch will still get you admiring comments.
2. The App Store – Even with millions of unused and barely functional apps littering the Apple’s store, it’s still heads and shoulders above all the app stores. With the rampant piracy on Android, app developers prefer the App Store. This is a good sign for the Apple Watch, especially as Apple have only recently released the Watch API. Apple CEO Tim Cook has already announced that over a thousand apps have been submitted to the store, meaning that telling the time could be one of the watch’s least important functions. Here, we’re excited about the types of games that could be built into the watch – we always need more ways to slyly pass the time when we’re supposed to be doing something more important.
3. The accessories – whenever a new Apple product release, you know there’s going to be a hundred more products by the companies that specialise in Apple accessories and peripherals. From watch-straps to charging docks, from cases to adapters, the same companies that supported the iPhone are already there for the Apple Watch. Why does this matter? Because customisation is the name of the game – you don’t want your Apple Watch to look like the next guys. If you thought customisation was important when it was just your phone that was your status symbol, imagine how bigger it’s going to be when it’s always hanging off your wrist.
More than one thousand apps were submitted in just four days last week when the App Store started accepting them, and the rate of submissions has only been climbing since then.
The Apple Watch is already selling unbelievably well, leaving store shelves looking like a Hollywood style post-apocalypse. And it’s clearly going to have a great 2015, with Apple adding to their already padded purses. But that doesn’t mean you should jump onto the hype train just yet. Here’s 3 reasons why it might be best to keep that wrist bare, or adorned with a competitors’ watch.
3 reasons why it might be best to keep that wrist bare
1. It’s a big investment. The cheapest model comes at £299 and that’s for the sport edition. If you want your classic style watch you’re looking at closer to £500. That’s expensive even for an Apple product. There’s no doubt it’s chockfull of the latest technology, and there’s also no doubt that people are going to buy it at that price, but it was easier to justify the price for an iPhone. Why? Everybody needs and uses their mobile. On the other hand, most people don’t even wear a watch. They’ve no need for the Apple Watch. Apple are releasing a sleek and cool gadget, but they’re facing a battle to convince people that they actually need it.
2. Remember the first generation iPhone? Not as cool as you remember it being, right? Smartwatches are still in their early stages, and Apple’s addition more than most. Apple have a rich history of releasing products, capturing the market and then making massive refinements in order to keep their market share. It’s perfectly understandable if you want the Apple Watch, but it might be worth seeing just how much better the Apple Watch 2 looks in about a year’s time.
3. The rest of the players in the smartwatch game beat Apple to the market – and they haven’t been slouching. The likes of Samsung, LG and Motorola have been smartwatches for some time now, and they’re already on their second or third iteration. That’s a lot of feedback they’ve had from users, and it shows. The latest Samsung Gears and Moto G watches are as good as it gets right now, and they’re available for prices more reasonable than the Apple Watch. The Android system that powers the watches is only going to get better as Google works on it, too. If you’re after a smartwatch, there is a strong argument to say the Apple Watch isn’t the one to get.
