Apple Watch Seen To Be A Marketing Challenge For Apple

In about two months, we will finally be seeing the Apple Watch in the retail market. And while there is little doubt that it will sell well like any product Apple puts out, there seems to be some reservations about whether Apple will be able to answer the greatest question of them all. What is the Apple Watch, and smartwatches in general, for? Cupertino's spin on that is likely to set the tone for the smartwatch and perhaps all smartwatches in general, and some are saying that the company might already be at a loss for words.

The Apple Watch was expected to have a great many things, and almost none of those ever came to be. What Apple ended up showing was a smartwatch that was able to interact with the iPhone to some extent, see notifications, use Apple Pay, and display the time. Pretty much standard issue with all smartwatches these days. Of course, the difference is that it is made by Apple for Apple and for Apple only.

Apple is poising the Apple Watch as a functional smartphone accessory as well as a fashion statement, one that Apple fans won't hesitate to flaunt. In fact, it might be brand loyalty, as well as novelty more than actual practical need that would drive sales initially. Whether it continues all year round is another question entirely and one that Apple might have a tougher time answering.

To some extent, the Apple Watch is becoming a litmus test of the company's ability to innovate and create in the post-Jobs era. Although the company has indeed introduced a great many changes in iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 designs, the Apple Watch is the first completely new device type that the company will put out under Tim Cook's management. The device has already taken up a lot of Apple's resources and time, insider sources say. Suffice it to say, there is a lot banking on the small device, and we'll have to wait in a few weeks time to see if it will be as good as it was promised.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal