This article was published on September 10, 2013

I’m going to buy 6 iWatches. Here’s why.


I’m going to buy 6 iWatches. Here’s why.

In a few hours we are going to see what Apple has been working on lately. There’ll be new iPhones, maybe some new software and perhaps even an Apple TV or iPads.

And one more thing.

Please, let there be a ‘one more thing’ this time!

It is not like we deserve a brand new revolution from Apple, but it would be so nice to have one. I think most people who follow Apple are holding their breath to see if Apple will be able to innovate their way into another industry, and revolutionize it.

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We don’t want to see mere upgrades. We want a revolution!

The iWatch certainly could be it. It may not be shipping in the next few weeks, but what if Apple gave us an early look, just as it did when the iPhone and iPad were first revealed months before their release dates?

Screen Shot 2013-09-10 at 13.25.56

I’ve asked several people over the past few weeks if they would be interested in buying one if it comes out. The question in itself is interesting, because we don’t know what we are saying yes or no to. Will it be an accessory to the iPhone? A fitness gadget like the Nike Fuelband or Fitbit? Or just a wearable iPod? Nobody  knows, but most people I talked to had their answer ready. And most of them went like this: No, I’m not going to buy the iWatch because I just don’t see why I would need one.

Okay, a few dedicated Apple fanboys admitted they’d buy anything with the Apple brand on it, but those were rare.

Me? I’m buying six. Why? Because I have a theory, and I think that if my theory turns out to be correct, you too will buy one, or maybe even several ones.

My theory is simple: Apple wouldn’t introduce the iWatch unless it is revolutionary and if it is revolutionary, you’ll want one.

Apple-iWatch-03

If the iWatch is just a watch that connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and doesn’t offer much else, the backlash would be incredible. The iWatch needs to revolutionize something. Just like the iPod revolutionized the music industry, the iPhone revolutionized the mobile phone industry and the iPad revolutionized the PC industry and led us into the post-PC age.

So what industry could Apple disrupt next? The answer seems obvious when you put some things together. Check these quotes from an article on 9to5Mac a few months ago:

Based on new hires, it seems that Apple’s interest in sensors focuses on the ability to measure glucose and other body level information. With this data, the product could inform users of vital information in a non-invasive way. These sensors could also pick up more data to give a user a snapshot of their health, which would be ideal for fitness applications.

To assist with the development of these sensors, Apple has hired several scientists and executives from multiple sensor developers. Some notable firms who lost employees to Apple are AccuVein, C8 MediSensors, and Senseonics.

and

The company’s technology provides a non-invasive way to measure substances in the human body such as glucose levels. The technology could be ideal for patients monitoring diabetes. For an Apple wearable device with sensors, this functionality would likely be a true game-changer for the many people across the world.

Now picture this: what if Apple launched the iWatch as a health and medical tracking device. You might have picked up the flu, and not even know it. But your iWatch detects it, two days before any symptoms start showing, by using these non-invasive sensors.

Your doctor has an iPad with a special patients monitoring app, and can send you a push notification with some advice (“better cancel your meetings for the next 7 days!”) or even direct you to the nearest pharmacy to stock up on some medicine.

Screen Shot 2013-09-10 at 13.28.18

This device would also monitor your blood pressure, movement, temperature and a whole bunch of other parameters. It would sync with your iHealth portal to which you could invite some other people, like doctors or family members.

If Apple would be able to achieve something like this we would definitely see another revolution. It would be game changer for the medical profession. And I wouldn’t just buy one for myself, but also one for my two kids, and their mother, and my parents of course. So that makes six iWatches for me.

Lets get back to the question whether you would buy an iWatch: the answer is always ‘yes’. The basic logic is this: Apple is ONLY going to introduce an iWatch if it is revolutionary, and if it is, you will want one.

Ergo: you’ll want one.

Now read: Smartwatches are still too dumb

Concept image credits: Ciccarese Design, ADR Studio

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