Apple CEO Tim Cook recently spoke about the Apple Watch, saying that it was the first smartwatch that really mattered.
The comments from the Apple CEO come just weeks before the release of the highly anticipated Apple Watch, which is not the first smartwatch on the market.
"These are lots of insights that are years in the making, the result of careful, deliberate ... try, try, try ... improve, improve, improve. Don't ship something before it's ready. Have the patience to get it right. And that is exactly what's happened to us with the watch. We are not the first," said Cook in an interview. "We weren't first on the mp3 player; we weren't first on the tablet; we weren't first on the smartphone. But we were arguably the first modern smartphone, and we will be the first modern smartwatch — the first one that matters."
Cook's comments about the Apple Watch are certainly controversial. While the device is Apple's first attempt at a wearable, other companies have been releasing smartwatches for a few years now. Many consider competitors to the Apple Watch to be far better designed despite the fact that the Apple Watch will certainly thrust the idea of smartwatches into mainstream focus.
Other companies to release smartwatches include Motorola with the Moto 360; LG with the likes of the G Watch and G Watch R; Pebble Watch; and Samsung, which has released a multitude of smartwatches over the past few years.
Despite this, many see the Apple Watch as a very important step forward for the industry. Like the iPod, Apple will bring its wearable to the masses, which will likely benefit other smartwatch manufacturers as customers look for alternatives.
Apple developed a number of new technologies for the Apple Watch, or at least incorporated ways of input into the device that weren't really thought about before. For example, the company took the crown of a traditional watch and created what it called the "digital crown," which is used for things like scrolling and zooming. It also developed what it calls "force touch," allowing the user to press on the display harder than they normally would to offer them another set of options and menus.
Cook went on to talk about how, when the iPod and iPhone were released, users didn't really feel like they needed them. Not only that, but the iPad was dismissed as a flop before its release. All of these devices went on to sell in the millions, however, with Cook suggesting that the Apple Watch will do the same. Despite these comments, a recent survey suggested that 69 percent of people do not want to buy an Apple Watch once it is released.
