Apple, the Cupertino based tech giant has been known for a lot of things, from the colourful iMacs to the iPhone, most of its products have been bestsellers. One of the more recent examples of a new product from the company that took the world by storm was the Apple Watch.
You would be compelled to believe that companies such as Garmin, Samsung, Fossil would offer better smartwatches since Samsung has always offered great watches and the other two companies are known for being watch manufacturers, but, if you go out on the street and ask someone what smartwatch you should buy, the primary option will be the Apple Watch.
So, what gives the Apple Watch the status that it holds and, is there no competition that comes close? Also, what actually sets the Apple Watch apart, is it the design or the features or both? Find out in the latter part of the article, but, for now, let us dive into the brief history of the Apple Watch.
The History of The Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is not as old of a product as you would think, as it made its debut in 2015, with three models on offer. All three variants offered Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and heart-rate sensing as their standard features. The first-generation Apple Watch was replaced by two new versions, namely the Series 1 and Series 2.
Interestingly, the Apple Watch began taking shape after the Series 4, as the prior models were decent but not earth-shattering. Now, the watch is in its 6th gen, with another variant on offer that promises key features for a lower price in the form of the Apple Watch SE.
Key changes that we saw over the course of the Apple Watch’s journey were the improvements that accompanied it, from a better display to Always-On functionality to faster processors, all these changes led to the Apple Watch that we have today.
What Sets The Apple Watch Apart?
First of all, the Apple Watch makes sure that its basics are decent, from tracking the activities of the user, be it running, cycling, walking or showing their daily activity, the Apple Watch nails all of them, with the accuracy being one to compare other watches to.
The recent version of the Apple Watch also added a fan favourite feature that was later pushed to older variants, which was sleep tracking.
Certain differentiators that Apple can boast of are ECG and heart rate monitoring, as well as a SpO2 sensor, which Apple states are a fitness feature and are not to be used as a medical tool.
The ECG sensor has usually been one of the highlighting features and the heart rate tracking has proven to be life-saving in multiple instances, wherein the user was prompted in case the watch saw something odd happening to the user’s heartbeat.
Emergency assist is another feature that is life-saving, promoting emergency services in case the user has a hard fall or are not active, has been a lifesaver more than often to not take note of.
All in all, without going too in-depth, the Apple Watch does not differentiate itself on hardware or looks, since there are many better alternatives on offer, at times for cheaper, but the features that it packs within itself is what sets the Apple Watch apart.
To add to this, certain features like handwashing and idle alert are features that have helped users lead a hygienic and energetic life.
Are There Any Cons?
Yes, the Apple Watch has minor cons that can be overlooked, but the major issue is the ecosystem tie-in. To use the Apple Watch to its full potential, you need to own an iPhone, even an iPad will not allow you to achieve the full potential of the watch.
Whilst this is not illegal, the system tie-in can cause issues to many people, since they might have had money to buy the watch but not the phone, but the ecosystem issue will make them look elsewhere for alternatives.
