Apple laid the foundation for the iWatch at WWDC and everyone missed it!

On June 2nd, Apple had its 25th annual developer conference which has been covered extensively by the press. Personally, I thought Apple’s announcements were very important in a variety of ways, and I can’t wait to get the next version of the Mac OS which is called Yosemite, the first Jewish version of the OS (Yo Semite) as well as IOS 8.

It is surprising that with all the press coverage, one very important aspect of the announcements was missed: Apple laid out the foundation of the iWatch that should launch in the fall. Here is why I think that:
Smart Home
Apple outlined the software structure it plans to use for Home Automation. The company indicated that IOS would become a platform for this capability. The iPhone was the example device. Using your iPhone, you will be able to control the lighting in your home, climate, security and more. To do this means you have to have you phone with you. But many if not most people do set down their phones in their homes. It is much easier to keep something on your wrist.

Health Care
It is no secret that Apple has been developing a platform to integrate health information. The platform for this is called Health Kit. It will allow the integration of health information from a variety of devices, applications and services. Don’t be surprised when it become apparent that most prominent on this will be Apple’s own devices, applications and services. The key device will be the iWatch as I have stated before.
Siri-always on and always listening
Siri, Apple’s voice control App is constantly improving. It is getting better at understanding what you are saying and can do more things. For instance, I can ask Siri to pay a certain song or call a certain person. Now with the new versions of the Operating Systems. Siri will always be listening. You will not have to push anything but just say, “Hey Siri” followed you your question or command. This will be especially important when the thing on your wrist is doing the listening. It will be a lot easier to just say “Hey Siri, can you dim down the lights and turn on the next episode of “Orange is the new Black” without having to look for your phone.

You don’t need your phone to have a phone
Apple will provide a way to make and accept phone calls and text on every device. If your cell rings, but you are not near your computer, you can answer it on your computer, iPad, AppleTV or your iWatch. It is likely that your phone will not be near you when you are now able to answer or make a call from any device. I have experienced this for sometime using a combination of Google Voice and Hangout.

Security
App developers will be able to use Apple verification to authenticate users. The fingerprint verification will be added to all devices but once you verify yourself on the iWatch, you will not have to do that again unless you take the watch off.

iBeacon
iBeacon is a very important part of Apple’s strategy going forward. With iBeacon, Apple will know where you are in your home for instance (they will give you good reasons to put beacons around your house).

iCloud
Apple is moving more an more functionality to the cloud that is a critical component of their strategy for the future. Steve Jobs discussed this during his last speech. Moving functionally, and data to the cloud makes devices much more powerful and yet easier to use. iCloud is not there to support the iWatch. It is the other way around.

Finally I should say that the iWatch will not be named iWatch. The name of this device is one of the most carefully guarded secrets. I think that I will refer to it as iBand in the future.

8 thoughts on “Apple laid the foundation for the iWatch at WWDC and everyone missed it!”

Nicely put together. Thanks!

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Dead on. Great points. I thought of a few of those

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One thing that is really important about the security is the availability of 2 factor or 3 factor security. Google is correct that security must be multilayered to work effectively. They have posted a response to Apple’s harping on the lack of security in Android phones. They used the layered approach to describe exactly how rare the security problem is in Android. The problem with Android is the core is rotten. Without having a secure system to build on, and this is the key, a secure system’s weakest point is the user. Apple has built this from the ground up to keep the user out of his own way. When you are changing passwords using an iPhone and an iBand, you will be passing a 3 factor security system without having to know more than one factor. Your health profile, and you fingerprint will already be there in the secure part of the A8 or A9 chip. I am assuming that Apple is going to double down on the chip architechture lead they already possess. The power envelope of the iBand will be much tighter than the iPhone. It will be charged once a week if possible. The screen will be much smaller and the radios will be much simplier and lower powered. I can definitely see Apple using a motion charger based upon what is already done in high quality watches for a unique steam punk watch that will be priced to compete with high end Swiss watches.

It really was fun to watch things and wonder when someone was going to start putting all of this together. Even the comment about the failure of some new Apple Map technology fits with the new iBand. Yes, I love the name. Apple has always been focused on one thing at a time. Maps can wait. The new products coming out this fall are all going to work with each other to create a system that is stronger as a whole than any single piece of the ecosystem. Apple has always been putting all the clues out that in their developer conference. I still remember Steve Jobs digital lifestyle lecture during the early days of OSX. I was shocked when I watched that and it was from 2001. Here is the link on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9046oXrm7f8. The biggest irony of that lecture was the location: youtube. Steve wanted Apple to host your movies, but Google is just plain better at the internet business. So way back in 2001 Apple had a vision for a digital lifestyle that they could mediate in ways that no one else could. They still have the central advantage that makes them so successful. They make all the pieces so the technology can get out of the way of everyday people so they can use it without having to be tech geeks.

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Excellent analysis. Besides Apple getting a desperately needed Circumcision, you have mapped out a path for successes for Apple. The question is weather Cook, plus his Celeb additions will have the ability to see the way and execute. I have no way of knowing weather they have the ability to see and execute this version since they have shown absolutely nothing that isi creative let alone visionionary for several years (including Jobs at the end).. The problem is that you and I are not running Apple and don’t want the job.

This type of environment would solve my problem of wanting a doorbell, camera and intercom that would supersede any Computing or TV application.

Another thing: when is Apple going to make Siri into a “help” device for operating your system instead of just telling you what the tallest building in the world is?

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