The Apple Watch
Recently much of the wearable tech news has been all about watches. Apple sent out invites today to an event headlined “Spring Forward” that appears to be the event where they will finally launch the Apple Watch they announced last fall.
There’s obviously been a lot of buzz about this (as there is with pretty much anything Apple creates), and a lot of those who have had the chance to handle the device have said it’s the most advanced in the growing category. You can check out a hands on video by the gang at engadget HERE.
One of the elements I’m most excited about is barely touched on here, but I think could be huge when it is inevitably brought to the iPhone – the “Forced Touch” feature. This is a new type of touch interaction (at least for Apple) that recognizes a hard touch as different from a soft tap, and can respond differently to each. If this new interaction can be used on the iPhone in conjunction with other interactions (like a forced-swipe, for example), it brings a whole new way for developers to create interactions with the device.
The New Pebble Time
The kickstarter (heh-heh), and current reigning champ in this market, Pebble, also made a big announcement recently, with a Kickstarter campaign for it’s new Pebble Time. Pebble Time is the follow-up to the popular Pebble Smartwatch, which has basically dominated this category (sorry, Samsung) since it launched one of the most popular Kickstarter campaigns ever a while back. This new campaign for the Pebble Time has already blown past its Kickstarter goal, and is prepping to deliver to backers in June. The new Pebble Time features a new color e-ink display, more advanced graphics, and a new user interface. Starting at $179 (for backers), this is a great upgrade to the Pebble Watch.
Some aren’t convinced that the smartwatch market really should be considered a new category, but I think Pebble has made it completely viable, and with Apple jumping in, it’s going to be hard to deny.