Apple Watch is perhaps the most awaited product from the Cupertino company after the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with the smartwatch being Apple’s first attempt at the market. No surprise that Apple Watch carries the same design philosophy as seen in other Apple products, but Jony Ive – Apple’s chief designer – says that designing the smartwatch was more challenging than designing the original iPhone.
Ive was speaking at a live event at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this Thursday night where he was awarded the 2014 Bay Area Treasure Award for his revolutionary work at Apple on the iPhone and iPad.
According to Ive, what made designing the Apple Watch a real challenge were the “cultural, historical implications and expectations” associated with contemporary wrist watches, which is why “it’s been such a difficult and humbling program.”
Ive mentioned that consumer expectations are raised with the creation and release of a new ‘wearable’ device, and “as soon as something is worn, we have expectations of choice”, because people do not want to be wearing the same thing. Which is why Apple said it will be offering three versions of the Apple Watch, starting at $349, but specifics for the more expensive variants were not mentioned.
Apparently, Apple Watch will be released in two sizes with different strap styles, aiming to offer the right mix for a consumer’s particular taste. You have the contemporary Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport Edition and the Apple Watch Edition.
Apple Watch has been in the works for 3 years before being unveiled in September, according to Ive, emphasizing the daunting challenges he and his team have been facing with the watch itself. Apple had also brought in a number of fashion experts, including designer Marc Newson and former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to help in aspects of the design that will help it ring more in sync with the consumer and market expectations.
Apple Watch should be hitting the stores by early 2015, and as yet we still don’t have much on the insides and the working of this smartwatch from Apple. We’ll keep you posted on more developments.
(via: WSJ)
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