Big Tick For Apple? Time Will Tell
On Monday, Apple finally unveiled its much heralded smartwatch.
It goes on sale on April 24 and the prices of the various aluminium, steel and gold bodied models will range from £299 to £13,500.
With a battery time of 18 hours, it is intended to last the day and recharge at night. It will come in two size options, one with a 272 x 340 pixels display, the other with 312 x 390 pixels.
Alongside making phone calls, exchanging messages and using GPS tracking, its Apps are seen as the key Apple Watch selling point. Software providers have been tooling it up with many favourites from fitness to travel Apps, and the inevitable Uber and Facebook. There are even built options for opening hotel rooms and garage doors, provided they are fitted with compatible locks.
Internet reaction has been muted.
“Likely to go the way of Google Glass” said one expert.
“Why would anyone need it?” asked another.
This column has suggested before that smartwatches are a retrograde step - a solution in search of a problem.
While phone screens are getting bigger in response to the market, how many will want to get to grips with a far smaller one?
Smartwatches have been around for a couple of years now, but are generally regarded as a flop.
The need to have a phone in your pocket as well as the watch is seen as a key factor in this. So, can Apple reverse the trend?
The Pundits predict that diehard fans will be queuing round the block at Apple stores on 24 April.
Will that trigger the start of a smartwatch era? Only time will tell!
