When Tim Cook first showed-off the Apple Watch it was not necessarily clear what it was for. But, said James Titcomb at the Telegraph, it has proved to be a success.
New gadgets rarely come out of the gates fully formed; technology is an iterative process. The problem for Cook was that the company’s previous products had delighted instantly. The appeal of the iPod and iPhone were obvious as soon as they were touched. The Watch, by contrast, has been that rare thing for Apple: a slow burner. Unlike its predecessors, which were close to the finished item when launched, the original Apple Watch felt like a prototype, one that has since developed it out in the open. More recent versions have dramatically improved. Apple has dispensed with any pretence of the Watch being a luxury good, and stopped attempting to squeeze aspects of the iPhone onto its small screen.
Check It Out: The Apple Watch is a Slow Burning Success
I take issue with one aspect of the Telegraph’s premise — the iPod wasn’t considered a “success” either, until the 3rd Generation added USB support (for Windows users et al). While it was FireWire-only, the iPod was still considered a niche product, overshadowed by other music players of the time.
One could even say the same of the iPhone, until 3G phone support was added in their second year.
Apple products are almost always derided and slow to catch on, until people look back a few years later and realize they became a success when nobody was looking.
I love mine.