Opinion: Apple Watch – from tea timer to lifesaver
Apple's computer watch is ten years old this year. The development from nerd gadget to go-anywhere watch with health tracking has been exciting.
Apple Watch with user: major development.
(Image: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.com)
There are events that you never forget as a techie. For example, when people camped out in front of the stores for the launch of new iPhones. I was in New York on April 24, 2015. I excitedly entered the Apple Store in Grand Central Station – on the day the Apple Watch hit the stores.
Its rectangular design had been discussed so tirelessly since its presentation in September that, six months later, I was hardly a stranger to it. GPS and mobile communications were missing at first, but I didn't miss them at the time. The Apple Watch wasn't my first smartwatch, but I was enthusiastic about it. You could already make calls via Wi-Fi and even mundane things like setting the tea timer were fun with Apple's Digital Crown.
Apple Watch inspires
People I didn't even know asked curiously: "Is that an Apple Watch?" Nobody asks that question anymore. If you look around in a restaurant, you feel like you see the watch on every second wrist. The many different straps are striking, some even sparkle. Whether it is a Series 7, 8, 9 or 10, however, is hard to tell, at best if you know the colors of the respective model year.
They are joined by other watches whose design is obviously inspired by the Apple Watch. A uniformity that annoys some people. If you spend 450 euros or more on a functional upgrade for your watch, the look on your wrist is bound to arouse emotions. Of course, you can also put it in positive terms: Apple is staying true to the design of its Watch and concentrating on its inner values.
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Saving lives, monitoring the heart
The latter with great success. The Tea Timer from 2015 can save lives today. In return, we allow it to monitor our heart and independently call for help if we fall. Countless people trust the watch to monitor their health and fitness. Some even count on them in professional sport.
In terms of technology, the first Watch and today's Watch are worlds apart. However, I still like the look of my Series 0, which is why I still wear it occasionally. Even after ten years, it still connects faithfully to my iPhone, which is now an iPhone 16. Mickey Mouse points to the time with his big hands and once again greets me with his unmistakable charm offensive: "Good morning buddy!" And just like in the old days, people talk to me about it – Today, the dainty stainless steel casing with a side length of just 38 mm catches the eye again.
(vbr)
