Like it did in 2007 with the iPhone, Apple is hoping to reign over the next era of tech innovation with the Apple Watch.

The long awaited wearable tech breakthrough was officially unveiled at the Apple’s March 9 event in San Francisco. The watch will hit retailers on April 24 and the prices will start at $349 for the Sport version and go up to $17,000 for the 18-Karat Rose Gold edition.

The event provided tech enthusiasts plenty of fuel for debate on the future success of the product. Some are skeptical that while the watch is stylish and has a few cool tricks, it remains simply an expensive extension to the iPhone and lacks that unique, “must-have” feature.

Wearable tech is still a foreign concept to most people and overtaking a new product category doesn’t happen overnight. Apple may not have it all figured out with its first release, but the watch is still in its infant stages and provides developers with a platform to get creative.

Think back to 2007 and the launch of the iPhone. The combination of an iPod and cell phone was a mind-blowing concept and consumers really had no idea what was to come. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Uber, which can be found on the majority of iPhones today, weren’t even thought of yet. The same ecosystem of apps and features can be eventually created for the Apple Watch, but obviously the watch has to come first.

Critics argue that the product lacks features that make it useful without the iPhone nearby, however, there are a few new innovative additions that make the new technology attractive.

Apple Watch gives users new personal ways to connect with friends by sharing your heartbeat, quick sketches or a light tap on the wrist to let them know you’re thinking about them. You can also respond to messages via voice command, answer phone calls and quickly share your location. It’s health and fitness features as well as the eventual integration of Apple Pay should be enough to attract curious consumers in the early stages.

Many tech critics also deemed the iPad as a bigger version of the iPhone with no unique uses. Apple’s history of pioneering new product lines proves that you should never underestimate the power of the brand.

The design of the watch is clean and Apple will offer multiple bands and faces to customize fit your preference. Apple products and wrist watches in general are often seen as status symbols so the two could be a perfect match. And this first version of the Apple Watch will likely sell well in the luxury tech category for wealthy Apple lovers.

We could look back at the introduction of the Apple Watch as the point in history when smartwatches became widely adopted. This version is essentially the prototype and may look nothing like the Apple Watch we know of in five years.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and Apple is laying the groundwork for developers around the world to try their hand at becoming the first wearable startup to really produce that missing piece.

Aarick Knighton is a junior information management and technology major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at adknight@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @aarickurban.

Published on March 18, 2015 at 12:10 am