The smartwatch wars kick off in earnest this week as Apple's hotly anticipated new wrist candy becomes available for pre-order on Friday, setting the stage for the latest arm-wrestling match between Android and iOS.
The Apple Watch debut provides the first real litmus test for smartwatches: Will Baby Boomers — who remember a time when having a watch was as crucial as having a toothbrush — embrace this reimagined version of the relic that does much more than just tell time? Will Millennials, who never lived in a world where watches were necessary, find them novel, trendy — maybe even ironic enough to be cool? And will the richest few who still regard high-end watches as a status symbol be impressed enough with Apple's design chops to make the investment?
Apple has a lot riding on the answer to all three key questions being an emphatic "yes," having designed an unprecedented 20 models of its Apple Watch, which come in two sizes and start at $349 for the "Sport" version. The "Apple Watch Edition" costs an eye-popping $12,000 for the 42 mm, 18-karat rose gold version, signaling a bold play for the market of bejeweled luxury timepieces.
So while both Apple and Android-makers battle for hearts and wrists, only Apple has essentially expanded into the business of selling jewelry. It shouldn't surprise anyone if Apple Stores take on a look similar to Tiffany & Co. on April 24, when watches finally ship and become available.
On the Android side, Samsung has had its foot on the gas for well over a year, churning out the Galaxy Gear, Gear 2, Gear Fit, Gear 2 Neo, Gear S and Gear Live. Each successive smartwatch from Samsung has its own niche. And to an extent, its panoptic strategy to pre-empt Apple has paid off, resulting in a respectable 1.2 million smartwatches sold in the U.S. in 2014. But analysts say Apple could sell millions of its watches in the first month alone.
Samsung is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Apple debut. With no public plans for a new Gear model on tap, Samsung wants to see how the market evolves and expands this month.
The newest Samsung watches have a healthy stable of apps, voice recognition and the ability to make calls and answer them. Kickstarter-enabled Pebble also remains a player, with the Pebble Time Steel bearing a striking resemblance to the Apple Watch and boasting a seven-day battery compared to Apple's 18 hours of power. And the Pebble works with iOS and Android devices, while the Apple Watch is a closed platform.
Some companies have decided the only way to win the smartwatch wars is not to play. The highly reviewed Microsoft Band is much more function over form, and unmistakably a band. And successful manufacturers of fitness-tracking devices like Jawbone and Nike don't appear to be switching up their formula of focused wellness devices anytime soon, and Apple is probably hoping to peel off some of those customers this week.
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