Dan Frommer:
From Apple’s financial followers to the culture pages, expect few technology topics to garner as much attention in 2015 as the Apple Watch, which is set to launch “early” in the year.
Why? Because it’s not just a new gadget. Several people, companies, and entire industries are counting on it to be a hit. Without hyperbole, the Apple Watch has the potential to create new billionaires and to change the way people live.
Here are a few reasons—from micro to macro—the Apple Watch is shaping up to be the launch of 2015.
I don’t know about “Year of the Apple Watch” but I do believe it will eventually be a hugely successful category for Apple, much like the “slow burn” of the iPod.
Coming soon: The Amazon Fire Watch! Just the thing for reading books on your wrist!
You mean ordering on your Fire watch a 6 pack of toilet paper with free 2-day shipping via Prime.
I think its ahead of things to label it the year of the Apple Watch just yet. I mean yeah it looks great and all but who knows if it will have legs.
‘… much like the “slow burn” of the iPod.’
Agree. iPod took a long time to build sales because people said “What? Why would Apple sell an MP3 player?” The answers, as we all know now though hindsight, are 1. to build out the iTunes infrastructure, and 2. to ramp up component purchases (especially flash memory) to lower their per-unit costs.
I think the same thing will happen in wearables. Think of the Apple Watch as Apple’s first step into the whole wearable technology market. The Apple Watch will boost Apple’s bottom line somewhat, and it will be yet another value-add to the iPhone ecosystem. But only Apple has the long view of what they want to accomplish with it and future wearables.
Wow Friday Jan 2nd seems to be all about Watch. Must be a slow news day. 😉
And the first iPhone was really simply a phone, smart phone (for the time = phone + email) + iTunes/iPod + Safari (mobile).
I think Apple Pay may help the watch gain traction.
A9 iPad Plus all the way…. bah humbug to the watch I say!
The iPhone wasn’t an immediate hit. It took 3 years to clear 10 million in sales per quarter and pass the Blackberry. If the watch sold as well as iPhone then pundits would say it was a failure.
It’ll have legs, just not quickly enough for analysts with short attention spans.