Apple’s much touted wearable tech rode in on a veritable tsunami of hype. It was meant to revolutionize the healthcare industry with it’s fitness potential and body monitoring sensors. It was to replace your phone in most applications from texting and calling to even paying at the register. There was much to be excited about, especially if you’re a gadget geek.
But then the actual release was, well — more like low tide than a tsunami. Apparently, a lot of the tech for the intended sensors was not yet up to par, and thus not included. It does replace your phone for basic functions, but the true smartphone replacement functionality just isn’t there yet.
Yet.
Here are four reasons why the Apple watch you’ve been waiting for could be just around the corner:
Apps – This is really reason number one for good reason. Do you remember when the iPhone came out? It was new and exciting, but it was still basically just an internet phone with a couple bells and whistles. Then the developers got a hold of it. Third party apps that turned your phone into everything you could think of. The “There’s an App for that” campaign was launched and the floodgates still haven’t closed. Due to it’s unique connection to your smartphone and it’s own special functions, expect the Apple watch to become something much more versatile than it is today.
New Tech – Things are always changing, and with technology this is particularly true. In fact, Moore’s Law says that computing power doubles every 18 months. Always and forever. Look at the current gen apple products compared to their first gen versions. Upgraded cameras, accelerometers, altitude detection and advanced motion chips — the list is long. As the market plays around with the Apple Watch and find new uses for it, or even desired uses, you can expect the tech to rise to meet the challenge. Those sensors that weren’t quite ready yet for the launch? Expect them to appear soon enough.
Social Status – Let’s face it. Having the new, hip thing is pretty important in our society as a whole. And when you have the biggest company in the world behind the device, you can be sure that it’s social currency is only going to improve over time. The longer you wait, the better the watch will become, and when you consider the ecosystem that Apple has created within its product line, the Apple Watch is likely to integrate quite nicely.
Cultural Integration – Do you remember a world before smartphones? Do you have to stop and think about it? When was the last time you got truly lost or had to look up some important fact once you got home? These handheld screens have become such an important — nay, imperative — part of our lives that everything revolves around them. The ratio of cell phones to landlines has completely inverted in the last decade, and we are still increasing our dependence on it. If history is any kind of teacher, we can expect wearables to become an expected part of our lives, not a fringe luxury item. You might be able to send your live blood pressure and health info to your doctor with the push of a button. You might be able to passively track your food intake, and monitor the quality of your diet. You might soon be able to exchange personal data with a handshake. Holograms could soon be a normal consumer experience.
Regardless of the exact path the Apple Watch takes, you can expect it to become more in line with what people want and need it to be as time goes on. It’s sales are doing well enough that it’s not going anywhere, so keep a sharp eye. It might just go from “cool-to-have” to “must-have” before you know it.