Why the Apple Watch will be the ultimate brand loyalty barometer

Apple are renowned for the brand they've created. The Apple brand is one envied by all other manufacturers because it is desirable and aspirational.

Simply put, Apple is the one that people will queue for. Users want Apple products, regardless of cost, but because of status.

Until now, Apple have been able to rely on the highest levels on brand loyalty when launching new items, even when the products haven't been cutting-edge or particularly innovative. They've leant on that loyalty with launches of the iPhone 4S and the 5S, alongside endless minor upgrades to the Macbook. The public still flock.

It is also true that Apple have always produced products that sit towards the top-end of the pricing spectrum, tugging on that brand loyalty to lace the pockets of the company. It's true of the iPhone, MacBook and now, the Apple Watch. Users have been able to show-off an iPhone as the same phone that the celebs use. It's been a status symbol and continues to be so. It may be the same with the Apple Watch, as Apple will be sure to intelligently seed the watch to influential figures. The key difference however, is that the iPhone and MacBook have demonstrated clear consumer purpose, so whilst they've been priced high, consumers have been happy to part with the money to ensure the seeming quality.

Everyone needs a smartphone. Apple makes them happy to part with a little bit more in order to get one.

This is not true for the Apple Watch. Apple have, alongside all other manufacturers, failed to show a purpose to owning a smartwatch - and perhaps even more concerning is a battery life that will only last 18 hours. Being priced north of £300 for the sport edition, and £450 for a fashion edition (not forgetting the watches priced at £1,000-£10,000) the price is pushing consumers to the edge of their loyalty to the Apple brand.

There's no denying that whilst Apple are continuing to post staggering profits, their brand loyalty has been shaken over the last few years. Their innovation and high-end quality have been placed under scrutiny, and the numerous competitors have had an impact.

Come April 24th, we'll be able to judge just how powerful that Apple brand loyalty really is and be in a position to see if and how that brand loyalty has been affected - using the Apple Watch as a barometer.

Thoughts welcomed.

Ignore Wearables - You don't need them

'Wearable Technology.' The buzzwords of 2014, the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2015. Tech companies are pushing 'wearables' in the direction of consumers and saying, "That'll work, they love this stuff". But do they? Do consumers really want it? The signs are suggesting no, not yet.

Firstly, I'm not including fitness bands in this. Fitness bands have a proven purpose and have sold relatively well. Other wearables, however, are still in 'geek' territory. People like me, into my tech, want wearables, simply to pick apart about how amazing some aspects of the technology are, and how woeful the rest is. Google cancelled Glass through little more important than a growing lack of interest. They felt they couldn't make it work for the moment.

Smartwatch sales are frankly, very poor. Pebble have had limited success with 1m sales in just over 2 years and so have Samsung (mainly because the watches are given away with Galaxy devices). Maybe the introduction of the Apple Watch will change that. Apple has a habit of doing making something currently available, copying it, and making it desirable.

The immediate reaction from consumers has been quite clearly - we don't really care. The intrigue isn't there, and it is just lost on the mass audience. Research by Fizz (below) shows a few problems for wearable manufacturers:

Firstly, the average price willing to be paid is far below the current price of wearable tech. Many Android Wear devices cost somewhere north of £200, and if rumours are to be believed, the iWatch could cost double that. More than half of those that responded with interest about smartwear mentioned cost would be the deciding factor which will worry manufacturers.

Finally, the purpose issue is of utmost importance. 37% of respondents pointed to a lack of necessity for the devices being the reason for lack of desire.

These items still have failed to find their place in society. There is no need for them. In response to the lack of purpose, wearables are trying to do everything. I use 1% of the Sony Smartwatch 2 capability on a day to day basis. The reviews are relatively useless, when in practice, those features just don't step into everyday life. Nothing has changed since I first wrote about the Samsung Galaxy Gear in 2013. Back then I complimented the smartwatch on its appearance and functionality. I still defend that stance with my 2013 hat on - but really, the smartwatch should have come on a lot since then. They've cracked the appearance element - now just for sorting the need.

(Huawei's new smartwatch - gorgeous)

It's a criticism I levelled at Microsoft with Windows 8 - too much, too fast. We're just reaching the point when smartphones are struggling to progress in innovation, and that needs a chance to settle and allow flagship capabilities seep through to the lower-end.

The smartwatch is an incredible feat, it really is. To cram all that technology into such a small piece of kit is astounding - but that doesn't mean it needs to be forced to consumers who are voting with their wallets.

Wearables will breathe again, but manufacturers need to find out how they can help the consumer before they'll fly off the shelves. For the moment, they might as well be ignored.

SmartWatch Evolution in Appearance - Not Purpose

It's always nice to be on the money, and thankfully, regarding smartwatches, I have been.

It wasn't long ago that I was writing about the central problem with the smartwatches on the market - was that, first and foremost, they had forgotten to be a watch. I used the first Samsung Galaxy Gear and, whilst enjoying the technology, just couldn't get past the central issue - I didn't really want it on my wrist. 

Let's be honest, the smartwatch is a novelty. It serves no important purpose. Yes, it makes checking notifications that tiny bit quicker, but making £150+ difference to a life? No chance. It's for the people with the disposable income, or want to be on the forefront of technology, or finally, for fashion. It's that last point which is where manufacturers have finally cottoned-on. Us tech geeks are not a mass-market. We're a cynical bunch who are rarely 'fashionistas' so we are able to look past the image, and more at what the thing can do.

So, using my unpenetrable testing criteria for the appearance of the watch, I tested out the Sony Smartwatch 2 through London. Overall, it's only a rare and investigative second-look look that claims the attention of the passer-by. For me, that's the way it should be. It should be a watch, first and foremost, with technology following. I chose the Sony Smartwatch 2 because it looked most like a watch, and not some space-age invention.

With the Moto 360 and Pebble Steel leading the way, manufacturers have caught up. LG G-Watch R followed, and now finally Samsung too, with the Gear S. Obviously, the iWatch too. These watches have stripped back the technology, and focused on design, with more subtle (and more practical) technology.

I use 1% of the Sony Smartwatch 2 capability on a day to day basis. The reviews are relatively useless when in practice, those features just don't step into everyday life. 

Nothing has changed since I first wrote about the Samsung Galaxy Gear in 2013. Back then I complimented the smartwatch on its appearance and functionality. I still defend that stance with my 2013 hat on - but really, the smartwatch should have come on a lot more since then.

Have we really reached a smartphone impasse?

It seems so.

For the first time in several years, smartphones stepped back from the frontline at CES and that's no surprise. Sure, many manufacturers are looking to MWC for smartphone announcements, but over the last two years, we've seen less and less revolutionary changes in smartphones, and more performance tweaks.

Why?

It's a boring phrase, but 2015 IS the year of the wearable tech. Perhaps not for consumers, but certainly for the top-tier manufacturers. The endless wearable uses were shown at CES, and its all focusing around the clamour for that first 'hit' in the wearables market. Of the glasses, watches and fitness bands, no-one has managed to truly capture the public's imagination.

So where does that leave smartphones? Well, the new kids on the block are catching the others but offering little new to market. Look at Xiaomi; impressive company, impressive growth, but are they changing the smartphone? No. They are offering available features in a different shell and at a more affordable price.
     And it's that last point which is important. The price of smartphones is being driven down and less margin available for manufacturers. Given the impasse, consumers are seeing less reason to upgrade on an annual basis, and even sticking with devices for 2-3 years. Smartphones are becoming less of the cash-cow they once were. The annual performance updates and optimisation are in place to save the manufacturer money, and maintain face within the saturated market.

MWC is coming up, and both Samsung and HTC have announced launch dates for their new devices. We expect to see the evolution of Samsung's Galaxy Edge, which is a nice idea, but not greeted with rapture by consumers so far, and HTC will be likely to finely tune the M8. We are confident in neither bringing a drastic update to the smartphone market, but the opportunity is there for a surprise. Let's wait to see about that impasse but the signs are there.

Chances are, we should ignore the HTC One M9, and Samsung Galaxy S6, as that impasse has been reached.

iWatch: It's a design dilemma

Rumours of Apple's iWatch are continuing to circulate and gain a lot of momentum. The latest reports are that there will be up to 20 different available designs for consumers and a whole host of sensors tracking your every move. In all reality, reports on Apple device releases are usually well off the mark. Remember how the iPhone 5 was due to have an inbuilt keyboard projector? Yeh - you get the gist.

I think we're all in agreement that Apple will produce an iWatch, but 20 designs? Samsung? Yes. Apple? No. That would represent a giant shift in Apple's approach to the production of consumer devices. Up until now, Apple have been steadfast in producing one design for the iPhone, one design for iPod etc upon each release. Would they really change that?

Let's assume there is the one iWatch. How do Apple approach it? So far, we've seen two companies get it right, Pebble and Motorola. Both companies have prioritised design, and this will help significantly in their attempts to penetrate the market. Motorola in particular are pushing the boundaries of design by opening up the look of the Moto 360 to the public via a competition. A couple of the best entries are below - but they range from classic to zany. With few exceptions, they all look very good.

Samsung have been a major letdown. I praised their work with the Galaxy Gear first edition because they were trying something different and pushing boundaries. After the experiment they should have learnt from it and adapted, however they appeared to have already started developing the Gear 2 without learning from consumers. The poor sales were not just because of the technology and capability, more important was the design and price.
     Pebble were far more intelligent. They looked at the product and gained feedback before designing the Pebble Steel - and look at the results! They've now produced a watch that people would buy - regardless of the smart capabilities!



























With this precedent, what will Apple do? The concepts to this point have headed in the futuristic direction, which makes sense with Apple's traditional style, minimalist and glossy. The Apple direction certainly doesn't shout leather strap. This example is far closer to what I'd anticipate from Apple, without a dramatic shift in the company outlook.



If this is how Apple are to approach it, they are making a major mistake - and following Samsung and LG into a tech (not consumer-led) direction. If smartwatches are to become a part of our everyday lives, then manufacturers need to conquer the most important aspect of a watch - it's appearance. It's a accessory, and an accessory must look good. The tech is secondary (however difficult that is for me to say).

Used a smartwatch? What're your thoughts on them and what's on offer?

The SmartWatch Race: Can Samsung and the Apple iWatch make it a mass-consumer device?

First there was the kickstarter-inspired Pebble, then Sony jumped ahead of the still rumoured Apple iWatch with an Android-powered Smartwatch and now it looks like Samsung don't want to miss out on all the fun.

As the 'Smartwatch' is still a fairly unknown entity here's a brief overview of what is out on the market:

The Pebble

This Kickstarter project currently owns the market - but hasn't managed to create the SmartWatch into a mass-consumer product. It all started with the "inPulse" - a device that tried to use BlackBerry OS, and never really took off. The follow-up is a far more professional device called the Pebble. Importantly, the Pebble doesn't try and take over from your phone, it simply couldn't do that - instead, it is an extension of your phone, so you don't have to get it out whenever it's needed. Lazy - probably, but that's the world we live in!

The Pebble is sleek to your wrist and most won't be able to tell that it is a Pebble unless you tell them. The screen is a disappointingly low-res, black and white LCD, and this is probably it's biggest weakness. It has good battery life (reported one week) and once set up works well with either iOS or Android. It will notify you when you get tweets, calls, texts, emails etc and this is a really nice thing to have. You can also control your music via the watch, all via a Bluetooth connection.

Sony SmartWatch

The other SmartWatch option is offered up by Sony. In essence it is similar to the Pebble but with a couple of nice extras. Firstly, a colour screen. Simple, but gives the watch more of a 'Smart' feel. The screen quality is still poor however, and the Sony struggles a bit more because of it's touchscreen. Again, more Smart, but less clean. It still sends the same notifications over, calendar, tweets, Facebook, emails.

It still allows you to control calls and music but the Sony SmartWatch makes use of Android apps, that the Pebble simply doesn't. For example, there is a Google Maps app, which is a nice addition. There's a weather app, which I think is a little pointless - but there is the capability to run it which is the important factor. 

In my opinion the watch isn't as good looking as the Pebble but it's hardly disgusting - and wouldn't be a big ask to wear it around.

Both watches are available for around the $150 mark, which is a lot, when in essence it a simply a convenience device. However, competition from Samsung and Apple would drive this down and make it a more realistic purchase. It doesn't sound like Google will follow the trend - especially with Google Glass not being too far away from launch. They will be happy with the Android OS being used widely on SmartWatches. I would like to see a SmartWatch running Windows OS because it is an OS that transcends devices well. Interestingly, the leaked images of the Samsung SmartWatch look like the OS is following a Windows OS theme... We'll have to see.

Will I be buying a SmartWatch? Not quite yet, but I intend to do so when Samsung and Apple enter the fray - that is when the race really begins. I love how the important details are selected from your phone and sent to your watch. Without looking at your phone you are able to see who is calling, texting or emailing you. However, SmartWatches are simply an extension of your phone and take the little details from the notifications and put them onto your wrist, and $150 for convenience simply isn't worth it at the moment.

Thanks for reading, as always all thoughts are welcome. Will you look to buy a SmartWatch? Can they become more than just an extension of your phone? If you like what you read give me a follow in the top right, or have a look through my previous blogs if you need more convincing.