The much discussed and awaited Apple Watch was finally launched at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco on Monday. This is Apple Inc.’s first new device since CEO Tim Cook took over the reins from the legendary Steve Jobs. Amidst rumors, design speculations, utility estimations, and what not, Apple finally made its latest technological advancement public.
The watch packs a number of features including convenient communication, health and fitness, world clock, Siri, maps, heart rate sensor, and even a camera remote which basically acts as a viewfinder for your iPhone’s iSight camera. The Apple Watch also incorporates the trademark Apple weather app with a pleasant UI twist. The weather forecast for the day is represented in the form of a dial with separate weather icons for every hour and the expected temperature sitting at the center of the dial. Apple’s focus on weather forecasting in their gadgets is not a departure from the usual. The rising significance of weather in people’s lives and the increasing awareness about weather forecasting has forced major companies to shift their attention to more reliable and real-time weather update stock apps.
But how weather wise is Apple’s new toy for people residing outside US? There are a few chinks in the armor which must be taken into consideration. Firstly, Apple’s weather app is a single-sourced data app which retrieves data from a single weather forecast provider based in US. This establishes a sort of monopoly as the user cannot run a comparative analysis of weather updates on the app itself. Secondly, local weather forecasting companies will remain the first choice for weather conscious people looking for a detailed analysis and filtered inputs. And lastly, while the weather app on Apple Watch may serve the purpose in normal weather conditions, inclement weather conditions call for a more localized approach. For instance, the unusual and widespread rain witnessed in North India in March this year, required high resolution weather forecasting inputs in order to provide you a much more accurate and real-time weather update. So until developers come up with watch apps or watch extensions for existing iOS apps, the Apple watch experience will remain somewhat incomplete.
Strictly speaking, the Apple Watch is a compact personalized design marvel with impressive UI tweaks. But on the weather front, it falls short of being a game changer. As of now, the watch has been launched in only 9 countries. The tentative launch date is set for April 24 and gadget freaks in US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Japan will soon be able to ‘wrist’ the precise timepiece. The Apple Watch will be available in three different collections. A stainless steel model, an anodized aluminum model, and an 18-karat gold case model. In total, there are some 38 variants of the watch which will be made available for purchase.
(Main Image Credits: nbcnews.com)