After the
Apple's announcement of the Apple Watch, the media as expected has been going
gaga over the new device. In my first iWatch blog post on Feb 12, 2013, I gave a basic wish list of
items that I would like to see in an iWatch and Apple has pretty much taken
care of the entire list. In my second post on the same subject dated - June 19, 2014, I talked about the possible
use of Bluetooth as the means of communication with the iPhone. It is not yet
clear, what is the communication technology behind the Apple Watch, but Apple
has stated that it has to be paired with an iPhone. So as I mentioned in my two
previous posts, I still believe Apple Watch is an accessory to the existing
apple device and not a completely new product category.
Personally,
after watching the launch event video, I feel Apple has a much grander plan for
this device than a simple time clock. The name Watch might probably stand for
watching your body along with the time. The sensors might play a much bigger
role in the next iterations of the watch especially the haptic sensors (sense
of touch). Also, I personally see this device as a universal remote controller
that will be able to control every device owned by you. Of-course, everything
depends on the 3rd party app developers and their eagerness
to embrace it, which considering the past, should not be a problem.
Leaving
that aside, here are some of the unanswered questions regarding the announced
Apple Watch -
- Will the Apple Watch only work
with the iPhone or will it work with an iPad/iPod touch?
- What is the battery life on
the Apple Watch?
- How does it communicate with the
iPhone? Bluetooth or any other technology?
- If using Bluetooth,
- Is the iPhone's Bluetooth permanently
turned on?
- How much battery drain is
expected out of the iPhone if the Bluetooth is always on?
- How does it work in an area
without cellphone coverage or wireless coverage?
- What is the maximum distance of
separation between the iPhone & Apple Watch?
- Do we need to switch to airplane
mode on both the Apple Watch & iPhone or
does the Apple Watch follow the iPhone?
- Does it have storage?
- It seems to play music, so does it
store music or does it play from the phone? Also, is there an audio jack(of-course, it will be weird)?
Apple
announced iPad in January 2010 and released it in April 2010. Considering the
early 2015 release date of the watch, I am guessing, Apple probably had a
similar timeline in mind for the watch. It is possible that Apple could
have succumbed to media & public pressure to announce a new device
that is not yet ready for prime time.
There are
many unanswered questions now, but I hope Apple will clarify it over time and
as usual come out with a great final product.
Labels: Apple, Apple Watch, bluetooth, Clock, ecosystem, Fitness, HealthKit, iPad, iPhone, iPhone 6, iPod, iPod Touch, iWatch, SmartDevice, SmartHome, Smartwatch, Watch, WatchKit, Wifi, Wireless
