Apple’s release of its first smartwatch on April 24, 2015, proved that it was able to nail its introduction into a new and ever-growing market. Although iPhones and services are its primary source of revenue, one must wonder whether wearables are the future. I remember when my parents got my Apple Watch Series 2. Although I was a fanatic of legacy watches like Citizen and Baume and Mercier, I soon discovered that the Apple Watch changed my lifestyle by increasing productivity. With its Breathe functionality and capability of receiving notifications from your wrist rather than taking out your phone to look at them, I was already sold on its idea.
Its impressive two-day battery life and integrated haptic feedback in the digital crown in Series 4 led to a more immersive user experience. Surprisingly, Apple has been able to pack a large and powerful speaker which would be able to provide clear sound. This allows me to pick up the occasional phone calls and listening to music from my wrist while away from my phone.
With all these features, I have worn the Apple Watch every day since its purchase rather than other luxurious brands. Apple’s capability to make this watch appealing as a fashion piece to both genders through a rectangular design shows how far their influence across the world is. WatchOS 6, along with a number of new software features such as over-the-air updates, is beginning to make the Apple Watch not just an add-on to the iPhone but rather a new category of its own. Any street you cross, there is at least one person who owns an Apple Watch.
Not only does this device appeal to the younger generation for its broad range of productivity and fitness features but also to an ever-growing elderly. With the new electrocardiogram feature, which would allow for users to take their own readings and send this data to their doctor rather than going to see them for a prevention appointment, Apple is leading the charge for a new era in medicine. Software engineers such I are able to design applications which are able to integrate medical devices directly to the watch using HealthKit UI, allowing for users to have better control over their information while being able to prevent any potential health symptoms. With technology such as this, we are entering a new era where a simple checkup can be done through your watch and where prevention would be available at the movement of the wrist.
