Apple will hold a special press conference at the San Francisco Floral Grass Art Center on March 9, when Apple may release Apple Watch smartwatch. This seems to be a repetition, as Apple had already released the Apple Watch 6 months ago.
But some industry insiders say that the reason why Apple released the Apple Watch is because it is not only a new product of Apple, but also an important measure for Apple to enter the US $3 trillion health care market. It's almost certain that the Apple Watch will change the way consumers view and use wearable devices.
Apple Watch will be available in April this year, so what impact will it have on the healthcare market?
Apple Watch's fitness tracking feature is for sedentary people.
is synced with a built-in heart rate monitor, accelerator, and synced with Apple's HealthKit health platform. Apple hopes to make the Apple Watch a breakthrough digital fitness tracker.
Jay Blahnik, director of fitness and health technology at Apple, said in an Apple Watch promotion video: "We want to provide users with all the data on the amount of exercise throughout the day."
Apple Watch uses three "rings" to show users' exercise goals and completed proportions throughout the day.
Walking ring: represents the calories consumed by the user;
Fitness ring: represents the user's daily fitness activity;
Standing ring: represents the frequency of the user's change from sitting posture to standing posture (rest).
Apple Watch can also remind users through "tactile push". For example, if the user sits for too long, the Apple Watch will remind users to stand up and rest through vibration. When the user achieves his goal, he can also "reward" the user. Apple said that over time, Apple Watch can also intelligently learn user behavior.
Speaking of fitness functions, is the Apple Watch really a breakthrough product? The answer is both yes and no. FitBit and some other wearable trackers also have many of the same features, although it may not be comprehensive with the Apple Watch. However, what makes other devices far behind is the software support of the Apple Watch. It is reported that developers have developed more than 100,000 applications for Apple Watch. (Of course, not all applications are related to fitness.) The key difference between
is: Apple executives believe that given the huge user base Apple has, Apple Watch can change the daily behavior of millions of users. Apple CEO Tim Cook said last month: "If I sit for too long, the Apple Watch will pat me on my wrist to remind me to stand up. Many doctors believe that sitting for a long time is a new cause of cancer." Other Apple executives also said that Apple's moral responsibility is to help people become healthier.
So can Apple Watch achieve Apple's expectations? Maybe! Some fitness experts say wearable trackers are very helpful for irritating sedentary people. There is no doubt that the Apple Watch's initial launch market (USA) has a large number of potential users (sitting people).
Americans walk the least compared to the population of some other developed countries. Compared with other countries, the United States also has the largest population of obesity.
Cut off the Apple Watch health care function. As expected,
Last month, it was reported that Apple has cut off the Apple Watch health care function because the performance of the relevant sensors cannot meet the standards. If the Apple Watch was said to be focusing on “health and fitness” before, then it should be focusing more on “fitness” now.
This is also a helpless move for Apple. Apple initially hoped that the Apple Watch could monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels (based on skin conductivity), etc. But unfortunately, during the development process, Apple found that the performance of the relevant sensors could not meet the standards.
For example, Apple engineers found that the hair on wrists, dry skin, and even the tightness of the watch strap can affect the measurement results.
Most of the health functions that Apple Watch can provide are also castrated versions. For example, the Apple Watch will have a breakthrough application from Dexcom that displays glucose levels and syncs with a display worn by diabetics on their waist. But initially, Apple had envisioned a glucose monitor built-in for the Apple Watch.
For patients, cutting off health care functions means that the Apple Watch is no longer a "must-have" device. But some analysts appreciate Apple's move, believing that since it cannot meet Apple's high standards, these features should not be built-in.
However, if Apple really wants to enter the healthcare market, then this status quo is not a long-term solution.
Darius Tahir, a reporter for Modern Healthcare magazine, said that Apple spent several years recruiting a large number of top medical equipment talents. Although some people have left, most are still at Apple. “So unless they do nothing, we’re likely to see more health features on the second-generation Apple Watch.”
Apple Watch will change our understanding of wearables
Apple Watch’s initial orders are expected to exceed 5 million units. In contrast, the global smart bracelet market size was 4.6 million units last year. Experts are confident about the Apple Watch's debut. Derek Newell, CEO of Jiff,
, said: "The demand for Apple products is so strong that I wouldn't be surprised if I sell 5 million more units."
In some ways, the sales of 10 million units are not a big deal for Apple. In the fourth quarter of last year, Apple sold nearly 25 million iPhones a month.
Despite this, Citigroup analyst Jim Suva believes that Apple will not make money through the Apple Watch this year, and the main driving force for Apple's revenue growth is still from the iPhone. However, the launch of these new wearable devices will change consumers' perceptions of wearable devices.
Newell said: "The significance of Apple Watch for wearable devices is equivalent to the significance of the iPhone to the smartphone market: defining and promoting the entire product category. It is obvious that the Apple Watch has great potential."
Article Original title: New Apple Watch Leaks Show Device’s Promise, Drawbacks For Health Care
