It’s easy to be disappointed by the announcement of Apple’s latest ‘game-changer.’ The Apple Watch, slated to be released in early 2015, has been described by Tim Cook as “the next chapter in Apple’s story,” but consumers are hesitant.
Apple’s previous successes — iPhone and iPad — both introduced entirely new product categories, and revolutionized communication in an (arguably) positive way. The Watch, however, which promises only marginal improvements on features already found in other mobile devices, further exacerbates the social challenges and unrestrained pervasiveness of mobile technology through its so-called convenience factor.
What should concern us is that the Apple Watch is not a piece of mobile technology, nor is it a mere gadget. It’s a clothing item; an accessory designed to be a permanent fixture in our daily lives from morning until night. Devices created to provide an augmented reality experience for the user aren’t anything new — Google’s overly ambitious and notoriously ugly Google Glass technology is the most notable example — however, the device is past beta testing and will soon be in consumer hands.
At a recent lunch with friends, I witnessed an all-too-familiar sight: five faces glued to their screens, casually dismissing one another. Such a scenario is a constant hazard in modern life, but imagine how much worse this would be if there was no option to unplug. There is no question that our lives are increasingly involved with mobile communication, but the Apple Watch is a step too far.
We need technology to live with us and to be at our disposal, not the other way around.
Each time you receive a text, Tweet, or Facebook notification, the watch lights up and sends your brain into overdrive as you re-focus your attention from whatever you’re doing in order to respond. It’s simple and rather liberating to let a vibrating phone sit in your pocket for 15 minutes before responding. However, it’s difficult to ignore a glass watch that constantly invades your personal space, and incentivizes multitasking through its cluttered design.
The Apple Watch is also marketed as an exercise aide. It includes a workout app and can flip through music simply by being in contact with your wrist. Apparently, a stopwatch and a trusty old iPod Shuffle can’t effectively do the exact same thing, because they’re not on your wrist and don’t cost $349.
Additionally, Apple has partnered with Honeywell and Lutron so that the Watch can dim your lights or turn on your air conditioning. It’s clear to me that the Watch has been designed to complement every part of your life, a somewhat invasive aspect that should not be taken lightly by users.
I do not intend to sound averse to technological advancement, but we need technology to live with us and to be at our disposal, not the other way around. CEO Tim Cook has proclaimed the Apple Watch to be “the most personal device Apple has ever created.” Though, it will soon be time for the average consumer to decide how personal is too personal.
