So today is the big day for Apple. For the first time in 5 years, Apple has entered into a new market (with the last being the iPad in March 2010). The Apple Watch has been released to the world, but the burning question is, what is the Apple Watch actually for?
Despite their naysayers, both the iPhone and iPad had their fair share of advocates who could see and appreciate the benefits of the products that Apple had designed and released. There was a palpable sense at the moment the iPhone and iPad were announced and released that Apple were onto something, and that we were seeing a glimpse of the future. Hindsight shows us that Apple were almost spot on in their anticipation of what customers wanted, despite the recent downturn in the iPad market. But with the Apple Watch, it feels… different. The same buzz, excitement and anticipation doesn’t seem to be evident with this release. It feels a little bit like the Apple Watch is just a step too far, and that smartwatch manufacturers are just trying to flog us something for the sake of flogging us something.
But perhaps I am wrong. 5 years ago I was younger and was more easily enthused and excited about technology. Life was simpler and the latest new gadget was the most important and exciting thing going on. It was easier to see the positives and imagine and wonder how that technology might improve my own life and the life of others. Maybe I have just become more pessimistic the older I get?
Perhaps the lesson is that the success of a product should be judged by the market itself; how well it sells and how much money it makes the company who is selling that product, instead of what I or anyone else might think about it.
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