3 Products, 3 Categories. One Mega launch event.
Watching the Apple event on my ‘MacBook Air’ with headsets and lights switched off (since my 3 year old daughter and never Old Wife had to sleep) I could still feel that I was sitting in the Flint center and watching the launch event live. The occasional buffering issue could not deter my excitement to watch the live event and I feel completely overwhelmed at the end of the 2 hour event. From the Apple Watch to the Apple Pay video and at the end the U2 performance, everything was perfect, in sync, in harmony with each other.
While in this article I would review all the 3 products launched yesterday, I will start with my favorite.
Apple Watch
| It gets recognized as a ‘Product’ only when Apple launches it. |
Feeling Nostalgic – It was June, 2007 and everyone was excited to see the launch of an amazing Smart Phone – It was the 1st generation of Apple iPhone. While there were smart phones already in the market by other manufacturers but it was the iPhone that totally redefined the market. I get a similar feeling today when Apple launched the ‘Apple Watch’. While the likes of Samsung, Motorola, LG have all tried to launch a ‘Watch’ but could never get the response/ recognition as they desired. ‘Apple Watch’ would change all that. It is a piece of beautiful artwork combined with high end technology. Something synonymous with Apple. Apple has never introduced a new product category (except probably for iPod & iTunes). It raises the product quality to such high standards and builds a whole ecosystem around it that the product starts to be identified only with Apple. In spite of the fact that it wasn’t the first to introduce the product. That’s what happened with iPhone and now will happen with Apple Watch. While there are a host of technical details to share about the Apple Watch, my favorite is the ‘Heart Beat’ sharing feature. I can buy the Watch just for this. I would resist myself from sharing the rest of the technical details in this blog and park them for my next blog. All in all the Apple Watch is a Winner, a Blockbuster. Jony Ive rightly said “Apple Watch will screw up Switzerland’s economy”.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
When will Apple launch the ‘iPhone Air’.
Smart Phones have lived their lives. They had their peak as the most sought after gadget for new technological advancement. They are at a saturation level in terms of ‘relevant technological advancement’. Apple realizes that and has shifted focus from Phone to other devices (read Apple Watch). The two new iPhone launches are basically to cater to consumer needs and to make sure they keep providing their existing customers something new to look forward to. This has become more of a hygiene launch than anything else. Apple will now look for more of ‘Art’ enhancements in iPhone than ‘Science’ advancements. What I eagerly await is the launch of ‘iPhone Air’. I am pretty sure Apple already has an iPhone model ready with the ‘Air’ design, (similar treatment what they did with iPad Air’) but they are not launching it now. My guesstimate is that they will launch the ‘iPhone Air’ in Sep 2015. Let’s wait and Watch.
Apple Pay
Another Blockbuster.
Being from the Credit Card industry I was keenly following the development around the mobile wallet, NFC, etc,. A very critical roadblock with all the early attempts was that while the technology was there, the players could not make the ecosystem evolve as fast to make it a success. With Apple Pay all this is going to change. It has the hardware, the best software, the payment networks (VISA, MasterCard & America Express) all together and due to its dominant position in the US market, Apple will make sure the ecosystem is available in no time. It has already enlisted the big retailers and service providers (likes of WholeFoods, Walgreens, Groupon, Target, Uber, Staples, etc.). In this age of technology payments are not supposed to be done physically. It has to move to contactless and with ‘Apple Pay’ this will happen pretty soon.
That’s all for today. Would keep sharing my thoughts as and when they knock my head.Signing out.
Saurabh Khaira
Comments