Apple (AAPL) has a lot riding on its upcoming fall product releases. Both a new iPhone and smart watch will likely be announced in the coming months; specifically, Apple will address release specs for the iPhone 6 on September 9th. In the week prior, I outlined what consumers should, logically, expect from the highly anticipated iPhone 6 launch. While the iPhone 6 will undoubtedly revive Apple's mobile market presence, the truly revolutionary device, is expected in the form of a new iWatch.
Apple's iWatch announcement could be made alongside its updated iPhone 6, on September 9th. However, unlike the new iPhone, it's unlikely that Apple will release its iWatch, or even mention a product launch date. In fact, we'll be lucky to get anything but an acknowledgement from the tech giant (i.e. specifications, images, user data, etc.). Whereas Motorola (MSI) has, conversely, released its Moto 360 details, and announced upcoming September availability. But don't worry, Apple's iPhone 6 should be released in the weeks following September 9th, and will be sold in limited quantities (due to Sapphire Glass constraints).
While details on the iWatch have not been formally released, we can always speculate on product features and design configurations. The first thing customers should know about the iWatch is that, like all mobile Apple products, it will run iOS 7/8; consumers will undoubtedly need a compatible iOS device to enable its full capabilities. This means that the iWatch will only work with iPhones, iPads, and Mac products. Given Apple's history, the iWatch will not function alongside any Android devices. When paired with your iPhone or iPad, the iWatch will allow you to screen emails, calls, text messages, and more. Additionally, you will be able to execute voice commands via Siri. Apple also announced a new, native health app. Thus, the iWatch will likely include health-monitoring capabilities.
As for the design of the iWatch, it is hard to anticipate Apple's decision. While LG and Samsung implemented square screen displays, Motorola chose a more traditional circular interface. Apple could easily copy either of these designs, but it seems likely that Apple will, instead, release a completely unique curved glass display (based on patent requests). Apple was once known for rewriting tech rules, so don’t be surprised if it unveils a revolutionary design.
What is inevitably clear is that wearable technology will be the next big mobile B2C tech market. Smartphone innovation has slowed, and customers now demand a new technological revolution. Therefore Samsung, LG, Motorola, and Apple are scrambling to sell their smart watches to eager customers. Uniformly, most of these watches will perform the same basic functions; what will truly separate them are the devices they can pair with. The company that first addresses this question will own the wearable tech market.