It’s not called the iWatch, but it’s an Apple watch all the same. In fact, it’s called the Apple Watch and the tech giant is billing it as its most personal device ever — chock full of “revolutionary” technologies with a “pioneering” user interface featuring a “Digital Crown” that lets you scroll, zoom and navigate.
But what does this device look like beyond all the buzzwords? Well, the Digital Crown is certainly a smart watch innovation. Apple considers the Digital Crown its most revolutionary navigation tool since the iPod Click Wheel and iPhone Multi-Touch. That’s saying quite a lot. But let’s hear what Apple CEO Tim Cook said about it before we dive deeper.
“Apple introduced the world to several category-defining products, the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad,” said Cook. “And once again Apple is poised to captivate the world with a revolutionary product that can enrich people’s lives. It’s the most personal product we’ve ever made.”
Shrinking iOS
Personal, how personal? Apple Watch lets you communicate from your wrist by sending and receiving messages, answering calls to your iPhone, and even sending your own heartbeat through Digital Touch. Apple is also tapping into the fitness trend with health and fitness apps for the watch, which comes in three flavors: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of design. “We’ve created an entire range of products that enable unparalleled personalization.”
With its iOS-based user interface customized for a smaller device, and the Digital Crown for scrolling, zooming and navigating without interfering with the display, Apple is offering a unique smart watch experience. Add to that the Retina display with Force Touch, a tech that senses the difference between a tap and a press so you can access controls within apps, and this may be the easiest to use smart watch on the market.
But the innovation doesn’t end there. Apple Watch also offers what the company is calling a Taptic Engine and a built-in speaker that make possible a new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can both hear and feel. And Apple custom designed its own System in Package that essentially miniaturizes an entire computer architecture onto a single chip. The smart watch also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair with your iPhone. (continued…)
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