What exactly is an Apple Watch? No one – not even Apple – knows. It may be a gateway to health and wellness, sports and fitness, quantified self or personal navigation. It may be none of these things. It may be a platform for app developers or a failed attempt at a user interface. As of today, the Apple Watch could be anything… and that’s the point. It’s clear what the Apple Watch is not, though: a pocket watch strapped to your wrist. It was not designed to tell time any more than the iPhone was designed to make calls. We’ll find out exactly what it is and what people will use it for when it launches early next year. For now, it looks like a great first attempt at a new interface in a connected world. But until it has a “killer app” that makes it a “must have” device, it doesn’t mean much. Exploring the Apple Watch will be fun. Let’s see what Apple and other developers create to inspire consumers.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.