Since the Pebble smartwatch broke Kickstarter records in 2012 (the first time), the smartwatch market has been a primary focal point for wearable tech. (The Pebble broke records again this year.
While many of the early model smartwatches that hit the market took on the feel of being just an extended notification device, today many are fulfilling the role of a supplemental communication platform. Though they still require connectivity through a smartphone, they are able to facilitate additional forms of communication beyond just simple notifications.
Though smartwatches were making technical advances incrementally, we saw a sizable leap forward in functionality when Apple unveiled their much-anticipated Apple Watch in September of last year. During the event, Apple debuted new communication features and a simplified and intuitive interface design that has become the hallmark of Apple products in this modern device-centric era.
In unveiling the Apple Watch to the world, Apple showed the public that a smartwatch could be more than a notification device, that it could be used to supplement our primary mode of communication through our smartphones and to personalize that communication. How successful these particular features will be is still unknown, but the Apple Watch doesn’t lack for other features just in case.
Apple’s new focus on the health space is apparent in the Apple Watch, as it has packed in many features found in other wearables that focus on health and fitness. That move ties in with their Apple HealthKit, which aims to aggregate biometric and health data from different apps and devices to a single place on the user’s smartphone.
Though not all the details and specs are known, that is all set to change on March 9 as Apple has an event planned in which the Apple Watch is expected to be the main point of focus ahead of its anticipated April 2015 release. I’ll be watching with interest, will you?
Until next time, stay connected.
Dana Blouin is an expert in the field of the Internet of Things and connected devices. Follow him on Twitter @danablouin
This column originally apeared in the March 6 issues of The Phuket News.