Apple Watch The Spark To Ignite Wearables

The moment the Apple Press Event started on March 9, Twitter went into overdrive. The brand was trending more than a pair of flares in the 70s, and fans have started to get incredibly excited. But is it the brand to kick start the wearable revolution?

We’re certainly talking about them a bit more that’s for sure, and Apple’s inclusion in the market now suggests they’re here to stay, particularly with them releasing a range that has 38 models.

Tim Cook, CEO released the details, which will see a starting price of £299 climb up to £13,500 for the most expensive model, and added that charges will typically last around 18 hours.

CCS Insight are suggesting they could sell 20 million by the end of the year which would eclipse the rest of the market considerably, with those selling 1.8 million in 2013, and 3.3 million just last year.

Although Android have also had their say; cheekily releasing an advert just moments before the Apple conference.

Android have been in the market for some time now, with Android Wear having six watches on the market, all beginning in the early £100s.

The rise of the wearable could be a huge for the industry, just as the smartphone was back in 2007, and already have announced a few brands which are developing apps for the Apple Watch. The likes of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and the Guardian have all signed up, but so far there’s a lack of games.

Which is certainly a huge gap in the market. The way smartphones have gone is that they’ve taken a huge shift to mobile, with the likes of online roulette and apps such as Candy Crush and Angry Birds contributing to an industry which will break the $41billion mark by 2017.

It’s a major part of how we use tech now, and the lack of them could eventually become a reason not to buy a smartwatch.

Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst for IDC hit the nail on the head stating, “In the end, similar to a smartphone or tablet, what will make smartwatches relevant are the apps available. And what will make them appealing is the design and the quality of the hardware that runs those apps.”

Which is very true. The jury will be out on smart watches for some time, but with 38 watches to hit the market in the next few months is could be the match which sets the wearable world alight.