Decoding the most recent Apple announcement, it appears the Apple Watch might quickly graduate from its standing as a subordinate accent for iPhones right into a full-weight product household in its personal proper.Here’s why I believe this.The iPhone occasion that wasn’tWhen Apple advised the world it’ll maintain an occasion on Sept. 15, business watchers had been confused. They’d heard that the brand new iPhones could also be delayed till October or past, whereas business insiders corresponding to Jon Prosser, Mark Gurman and others had been telling us that the occasion received’t see an iPhone 12 launch, however will as a substitute see the debut of the Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air 4. (The watch was seemingly confirmed by stray code on the Apple YouTube web page.)In this image, Apple’s new smartphones get their second within the autumn solar a bit of later, with iPhones, AirTags, over-the-ear AirPods and a brand new HomePod additionally ready within the wings. (Not to say the world’s first-ever Mac constructed on Apple Silicon.)While we don’t know for positive what Apple plans, the anticipated new product record appears much more in depth than the agency would historically cram inside one occasion. At the identical time, if it’s true Apple plans a launch occasion devoted to the Apple Watch and new iPad Air, there’s going to be one thing important about them.What would possibly this be?I believe the main target is basically on the watch.What’s in watchOS 7?Appearing at WWDC 2020, Apple’s vp for expertise, Kevin Lynch, advised us what to anticipate within the subsequent iteration of watchOS 7.Flagship options embrace new sleep monitoring, shareable watch faces and a hand washing monitor. The Workout app turns into “Fitness” with much more complete evaluation of bodily exercise and the capability to trace new households of train, together with dance. More on this right here.The watch additionally maintains route as an augmentation device designed to assist customers make higher selections with useful recommendation to do issues, easy methods to get extra sleep or when to get extra train, for instance.What we predict we find out about Apple Watch 6We assume we all know just a few issues about Apple Watch 6. Tracking claims made throughout summer season we’ve seen predictions it will likely be a bit of thinner than earlier than, boast a few new health-tracking sensors (together with a pulse oximeter for blood oxygen degree detection) and will embrace some type of biometric ID to switch the Digital Crown.Equipped with a bigger battery designed to assist the brand new Sleep monitoring instruments and supported by enhancements throughout the OS, Apple Watch Series 6 will stay the market-leading wearable.Which is why Apple needs to broaden the market by exercising its well-honed iPod mini technique.The iPod mini technique?Think again and chances are you’ll recall when the iPod was the world’s biggest-selling MP3 participant. Did Apple relaxation on its laurels milking that product for all it was price?No. It didn’t.Instead, it diversified and expanded the iPod market with the iPod mini, which rapidly grew to become its biggest-selling music participant till it was ultimately changed by the even larger promoting iPod nano (and shuffle, to an extent).This I believe stands out as the massive information on the occasion. Bloomberg just lately reported that Apple plans to introduce a lower-cost Apple Watch SE (that identify is a guess) that competes with lower-cost health trackers. Reports declare this will likely be obtainable in aluminium, with 16GB of storage, Bluetooth 5.0 and the identical S6 and W4 processors that can even energy the Apple Watch 6.It will proceed to make use of a Digital Crown, whereas the upper finish mannequin might introduce an optical sensor. Both mobile and non-cellular fashions will likely be obtainable. (It might not truly ship till March.)So, how will Apple flip what might be dismissed as little greater than a low-cost model of an current product into one thing that everybody all of a sudden feels they want?A brand new service for health?Over the summer season, Bloomberg additionally claimed Apple plans to introduce a brand new residence exercise service. This will use the superior bodily motion evaluation instruments the corporate introduced at WWDC together with AR to offer interactive residence health classes.This is more likely to sync with different Apple merchandise, so that you would possibly watch the health video utilizing an Apple TV, whereas your watch tracks what your physique is definitely doing.Perhaps Apple had this service in thoughts when it appointed health teacher, Jay Blahnik, as senior director of health for well being applied sciences. It additionally suits the big-picture technique the corporate has with Apple Watch, to develop it as a device that really helps individuals with their lives.Lynch alluded to this method when he spoke to The Independent:
“There are so many things in the world to distract us and occupy our attention,” he mentioned. “Supporting people in managing that transition is where the magic is…”
“In any of these adventures we go on when building things here we ask, what will make the most difference for people that, from a mainstream perspective, will be easy, helpful and empowering.”
The mannequin is one through which the system offers an individual with actionable insights that will assist them enhance their lives.One other thing?Of course, introduction of this new service may act as an ideal debut for information of the Apple One companies bundle, a brand new Apple TV and over ear AirPods. But it will likely be the Watch that probably generates probably the most consideration – notably if you wish to stream Apple Music tracks over mobile on the low-cost mannequin whereas in your day by day run.This is all hypothesis, after all. I’ve been unsuitable earlier than. But, underlining all of this I sense a continued transfer to make the Apple Watch a system that works with out an iPhone, extending the transfer Apple took when it made it doable to buy and set up apps on the system with out an iPhone in watchOS 6. That voice-first future, in different phrases, is arriving. With this in thoughts, many are additionally curious in regards to the AR Apple utilized in its invitation to the present. Might this recommend yet one more accent nobody is discussing as the corporate broadens its catalog?We’ll know extra in just a few days.Meanwhile, right here’s just a few ideas that will help you get issues performed utilizing an Apple Watch.Please comply with me on Twitter, or be a part of me within the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions teams on MeWe.
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