I Was Wrong about Apple’s iWatch
[Via Cult of Mac]
In September of 2010, I wrote a column in this space deflating the idea that Apple would ever make and sell a wristwatch.
I still think my reasoning was sound. But I didn’t know then what I know now. Specifically, two Apple technologies have become central to Apple’s long-term strategy. These two products — Siri and iCloud — change everything.
And because of these two products and how central they are to Apple’s longterm strategy, plus a few new things we’ve learned about Apple in the past year, I’m completely reversing my opinion. I now believe the current rumors that Apple is getting into the wristwatch business.
I even think we can accurately imagine what Apple is likely to do in the wristwatch department.
In my old post, I wrote that Apple is unique in the industry in that it has three criteria for entering an entirely new market:
1. There are glaring problems or inadequacies among all major players in the market that can be solved by Apple’s core competency of elegant design.
2. The new market area enables Apple to control a new platform that supports an ecosystem of content, such as media or apps.
3. Both the potential market and the marketplace for content must be huge, mainstream and central to how most people live.
I then went on to say that the iWatch idea fails all three criteria: 1) existing watches can be awesome and elegant; 2) wristwatch-specific apps would be too small a market for Apple to bother with; and 3) an iWatch could never find the massive penetration of the iPhone, or even the iPad, given that most people consider wristwatches a fashion accessor, which they tend not to buy from computer companies.
All this makes sense — if you think of an iWatch as a wristwatch and a stand-alone device. But that’s not what the iWatch will be.
[More]
Think of it – a wrist-based system, using Siri, to control all sorts of devices – not just tell time. No need for a keyboard.
Then think about all the things you could do with a command module on your wrist. Say the right code – open a car door and start the engine.
Ask it to order a pizza for you. Download a movie to the TV. Answer your iPhone from across the room. Maybe even use RFID to act as a credit card – with the right security.
Let’s just se how big it is and what its battery life is like.
