Apple's Next Chapter: 10 Key Issues
Apple is ready to enter the wearables market, but current technology only gets the company halfway there.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook describes the Apple Watch as the next chapter in Apple's story.
"We've been working incredibly hard for a long time on an entirely new product," he said during Apple's media event Sept. 9. "And we believe this product will redefine what people expect from its category."
In terms of quality, design, and capacity to delight, the Apple Watch appears likely to do that, once it actually ships. Expectations for wearable devices are fairly low. The watch's ability to share sketches, to function as a walkie-talkie, and to transmit taps and heartbeats translated into pulses should make it fun to wear. And for many Apple customers, that will be enough.
But as a general-purpose productivity and communication tool, it falls short of a smartphone or tablet. By definition, it must: It is an accessory that requires an iPhone for network connectivity, not a stand-alone device.
Apple Watch can do certain things well, like track activity, but so too can more specialized, less expensive devices like Fitbit. Scroll down the list of Apple Watch features on Apple's website and you'll find almost nothing Apple's iPhone 6 can't do. And the iPhone 6 will last longer while doing it, because of its larger battery.
The Apple Watch should tempt plenty of people, but not so many as Apple's iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It is just "one more thing" to manage among the many devices in our lives.
But Apple and all the other companies that have been thriving during the mobile boom have a problem: Battery technology has not advanced as fast as processors, memory, or other device components. The lack of power-hungry WiFi and cellular radio hardware in the Apple Watch testifies to that fact. If important services like Siri could run locally instead of being tied to the cloud, Apple could avoid stuffing power-hungry radio circuitry into its mobile devices without requiring a smartphone for network access. But even if that were the case, Siri doesn't work flawlessly enough to displace manual controls. Apple could have dispensed with its watch's rotary dial control entirely if Siri could reliably understand and execute spoken commands.
The fact is no one yet has commercialized the technology necessary to create a product as transformational as the iPhone, a user-friendly, portable touch-based computer that makes phone calls! Technologies capable of powering the next revolution -- like the ant-sized, self-powering radios recently developed by Stanford researchers -- may be emerging in labs, but they have yet to make it to market.
Until that happens, we should temper our expectations. There's still a lot to appreciate in Apple Watch, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Pay. The new iPhones address gaps in Apple's lineup and should be particularly compelling with iOS 8, which includes a number of sharing features that will make life easier for households with a lot of different Apple devices.
Here's a glimpse of what to expect as Apple turns to fashion to dress up its technology.
Journalists, that's who. And frankly, we have no idea how the Apple Watch will fare when it finally ships. Some publications have already declared it a winner. Some note troubling issues that Apple will find hard to resolve. And Vox says time is an illusion.
Apple Watch will take time to evolve. It may become more compelling as more third-party apps begin to appear. While its functions get sorted out, its form looks sufficiently varied to make it work as a statement of personal aesthetics. Apple Watch offers 11 watch faces, 6 finishes, and 18 different watchband styles.
Apple made a big deal out of its user interface innovation: the Digital Crown. It's digital mainly in the sense that you turn it with your digits. It's a dial by any other name.
Apple Watch allows wearers to draw on its tiny little screen and send the drawing to other Apple Watch wearers. It may not be a masterpiece but it's sure to be entertaining.
Apple plans to release two new iPhones in mid-September. They feature larger screens, which have proven popular in the Android world. Measuring 5.5" diagonally, the iPhone 6 Plus really qualifies as a phablet. But Apple would never use such a hideous word.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus fall into Apple's existing pricing structure, starting at $199 and $299, respectively, with a two-year service contract. If you want to buy either phone without a contract, you'll pay more: The iPhone 6 costs $649 with 16 GB; $749 with 64 GB; and $849 with 128 GB. The iPhone 6 Plus costs $749, $849, and $949 for similar memory configurations.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will make great mobile gaming devices due to the new A8 processor in the phones and to game makers' adoption of the Metal API in iOS 8. Keep an eye out for Super Evil Megacorp's Vainglory, coming this fall.
Both iPhone 6 models include a new sensor, a barometer, which will allow activity tracking apps to measure changes in altitude. Weather apps should benefit, too.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support Near Field Communication (NFC) payments, through a process Apple is calling Apple Pay. Apple Pay is the first move in a long game to dominate payments made through mobile devices.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support Near Field Communication (NFC) payments, through a process Apple is calling Apple Pay. Apple Pay is the first move in a long game to dominate payments made through mobile devices.
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