Apple now has a long and storied history in wearables. The Apple Watch set expectations for the category, replacing Swiss watches on so many wrists on its journey to become the world’s most widely worn wearable AI device. But is Apple making the most of the technology it has now developed — and is there another opportunity waiting to be explored?
Apple seems to think there might be. Mark Gurman recently reported the company is exploring a wider family of wearables, including products such as fitness bands and rings. And while the latter certainly represents a viable opportunity, the fitness band market seems ripe for a good bit of Sherlocking.
Why is it ripe?
The technologies Apple already has
First, think of the technologies Apple can already bring to a fitness band product. The sensors, algorithms, and software the company has already developed would certainly make sense in wristband form when used with a paired iPhone to review the data the band collects. Apple’s sensors have a good reputation for accuracy and could deliver outstanding battery life. They could carry a smaller display to show limited amounts of information, such as time or distance travelled. And I expect the company’s product design teams could build a high-quality health and fitness band with very little effort, as some of the key technologies to support such a device have already been tried and tested on Apple Watch.
