Despite the fact that it will be a very late entrant, could the iWatch still lead the smartwatch industry?
It won’t come as much of a shock when the so called iWatch finally launches Apple into the wearable technology, where its competitors have nearly all started to carve out their own segments of the market.
What will have people watching is whether or not Apple waited too long or will have been worth the wait.
The wearable technology category is rapidly filling up with different types of products that can be worn on the body, particularly in the area of smartwatches and fitness bands. Some manufacturers, such as Samsung and Pebble, have already managed to release second generation devices, which have improved the look and performance of their original models. All the while, Apple has been sitting back without anything to offer this rapidly exploding category.
It now looks as though Apple will be releasing the long anticipated iWatch device before 2014 comes to a close.
But many people are now wondering whether or not the timing of the company was a good move on its part. Apple is known for revolutionizing every industry that it enters. This was the case with the personal computer, the smartphone, the tablet, and even music. However, it typically does this by leading the way and launching products that define the industry from the very start. In this case, it is one of the later entrants.
This means that customers and investors, alike, will have their expectations even higher because Apple will need to outdo all of its competitors in an area that has already managed to establish itself, instead of being the pioneer that carves the first trail.
Many of the early adopters have already purchased a smartwatch or other form of wearables because it would be out of the question for them to wait more than a year before they purchase their first model. This means that they will already own their device of choice and will have spent the money on their gadget. After dropping several hundred dollars on their new piece of mobile technology, this could notably shrink the size of the early adopter market that will be available to Apple.
That said, there is no shortage of people who do not yet own a piece of wearable technology and there are a large number of people out there who are loyal to the Apple brand. It will be interesting to see how Apple is able to impress them after all this time, or if this will be the brand’s biggest letdown.
