The Apple Watch has been received with mixed reviews. Battery life, size, and Siri voice recognition have trailed behind the overly popular features such as attractive style, iTunes synchronization, and outstanding fitness tools.
Source: Flickr
Tim Cook explained one of the important ways it sets itself apart from other smartwatches, “You look at the watch, and the primary technologies are software and the UI [user interface]. You’re working with a small screen, so you have to invent new ways for input. The inputs that work for a phone, a tablet, or a Mac don’t work as well on a smaller screen. Most of the companies who have done smartwatches haven’t thought that through, so they’re still using pinch-to-zoom and other gestures that we created for the iPhone.
Try to do those on a watch and you quickly find out they don’t work. So out of that thinking come new ideas, like force touch. [On a small screen] you need another dimension of a user interface. So just press a little harder and you bring up another UI that has been hidden. This makes the screen seem larger, in some ways, than it really is.”
With all of the reviews listed out there I haven't found anyone talking about how this will affect the IT and business environment. I don’t blame them, with a price range of $349.00 all the way up to $17,000.00 (not including the iPhone 5), it is easy to think of it more as an elite class accessory.
Deploying the Apple watch in your environment and using it to its real potential comes down to thinking differently about the device. Even though there will soon be apps that apply more directly with business and IT needs, the most important app you can use with the watch is you.
Imagine IT professionals and business executives being able to have their personal assistant with them at all times. Without fumbling for your phone or wondering if its back on your desk, you can set appointments, reminders, alarms for important events, and take notes on the fly. Nothing is more frustrating than forgetting vital appointments. The Apple Watch has the ability to increase your flexibility and versatility in the work place.
At the end of the day everyone can use a tool like the Apple Watch. Using this tool in conjunction with your smartphone and office software will help elevate you to the next level of professional performance.
