The Apple Watch is set to shake up not just the smartwatch space, but the wider watch market, of that there is no doubt.
However, with the iPhone maker’s first wearable now just weeks away from hitting consumers’ wrists, an industry specialist has claimed Apple will never be considered as an icon of the watch space.
While the Cupertino-based company is the iconic brand behind the revolution of the smartphone, tablet and personal computing markets, the watch arena could be just out of its reach.
That’s the view of Elizabeth Doerr, Editor-in-Chief of online watch magazine QuillandPad. Speaking with TrustedReviews in the wake of the Apple Watch launch event, she suggested functionality and brand awareness doesn’t translate to iconic status in a market of such personal tastes and opinions.
“No, I do not [think Apple will ever be regarded as a watch icon],” she told us.
“While that might be true for Apple in its own industry -- a relatively new industry with little history comparatively speaking -- I think it is not special enough to be regarded as such in the watch industry.”
Whether or not Apple is clamouring for iconic status in the watch market is open for debate. Given the company’s efforts and expense in plunging into the new market, however, it is fair to assume the iPhone maker expects commercial, if not critical success.
Detailing her reasoning for dismissing Apple’s future claim to iconic watch status, Doerr stated: “It is much, much harder to design something universally recognized as genius or iconic in watches because functionality plays such a major role.
“Yes, the Apple Watch has a lot of functionality, but that functionality is easier to "control." A mechanical watch has certain parameters that must be figured into the equation.”
While it is undeniable that Apple is set to radically advance the smartwatch space, at least in terms of consumer awareness and adoption, She added: “I also think that it won't be a long-lasting impact because it is my thought that this type of extreme connectivity will end up being something that people might not actually like.
“People will try it out, but then it will probably get old.”
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Further muddying the waters of what the Apple Watch wants to be, their will be 38 different iterations of the wrist fodder at launch.
Pre-orders will kick off on April 10 and prices will range from £299 to a staggering £13,500.
