After using other outdoor watches, I look forward to the outdoor version of Apple Watch.
Editor’s note: This article is from the micro-channel public number “APPSO” (ID: appsolution), Author: Wang Shao.
“Qiang”.
This is the sound of Apple Watch hitting the wall when I shake my hand. If you listen more carefully, it will be mixed with the sound of “Zila” when the glass is scratched on the wall. I raised my hand to see that it didn’t happen. A deep scratch.
This Apple Watch has been worn on my hand for less than a month, and I managed to scratch its Ion-X glass mirror when it hit the wall for the third time. It’s not that I’m not careful enough, it’s just that accidents are inevitable in life, and small bumps are inevitable, like life.
How I hope Apple can launch a “three-proof” watch at this time. Coincidentally, there was news last week that Apple is considering launching a more rugged and durable outdoor version of Apple Watch, or named “Explore “Explorer Edition” (Explorer Edition), and this version may come out later this year, the sword refers to outdoor watch brands such as Jiaming and Songtuo.
Sports and health have always been the core of Apple Watch
It is not a new thing for Apple to make outdoor smart watches. The question is not whether it will do it, but when it will do it.
Before the first-generation Apple Watch was launched, someone added a strap to the iPod Nano 6 and became a modified version of the Apple Watch. It has Mickey’s dial, sports, and album functions, and of course it can listen to music. Although it is still an MP3 in essence, it is this MP3 that is tied to the strap, which sets the prototype for the subsequent Apple Watch, and the side also reveals the consumer’s need for wearable devices.
Jony Ive, the chief design officer of Apple’s CDO at the time, called himself a watch collector. When designing the original Apple Watch, he aimed to compete with Swiss luxury watches. Therefore, the first-generation Apple Watch launched in 2015 not only has a “civilian model”, but also an 18K that starts at $10,000.Gold Edition.
However, unlike the much-anticipated Apple Watch, the Healthkit and ResearchKit toolkits released at the same time are rather low-key but far-reaching.
The function of the former is to use sensors on mobile phones and watches to collect user health indicators, put them in a database, and visually present them with more intuitive health information after processing; the latter provide health data to doctors , Medical institutions, small ones help doctors better track patients’ conditions, and large ones promote medical research. The medical data that Apple Watch can collect is beyond people’s imagination.
Researchers at Stanford University stated that more than 11,000 people have registered to participate in ResearchKit’s cardiovascular research last Tuesday, and this is only less than 24 hours before its release. Usually, medical research with a scale of 10,000 people requires a year-long effort of 50 medical centers…This is the power of mobile phones.
The Apple Watch, which is more personal than the iPhone, is inherently more suitable for monitoring the health of users. Apple, aware of this, has made health monitoring the core of Apple Watch. After experiencing the frustration of the first generation of luxury smart watches, Apple is more inclined to exercise monitoring and health monitoring in the development of subsequent product functions.
Today, Apple Watch has launched the 6th generation of products. The appearance and shape of the past generations have not changed much, but there are great things inside. By the sixth generation, this watch has the functions of heart rate, ECG, and blood oxygen monitoring, coupled with the continuous iteration of the exercise algorithm, and is becoming more and more perfect. Now there are hundreds of exercise modes, and it is time to enter the more professional sports field.
Outdoor Apple Watch has traces to follow
Own product technology is mature, and the external environment has also prompted Apple Watch to launch more subdivided products.
According to CounterPoint’s global smartwatch shipment tracking report released in March this year, Apple’s shipments accounted for 34% in the fourth quarter of 2019, and it rose to 40% a year later, thanks to Apple Watch Series 6 and SE’s dual machine strategy.
It’s not surprising that Apple, which has tasted its sweetness, will pay more attention to market segments to cover a wider range of users. Another report shows that consumers’ acceptance of high-priced smart watches has increased.
As can be seen from the figure, the proportion of watch product shipments of more than US$300 has risen from 36% in 2019 to 44% in 2020. The high-end market segment has made great progress. This is an opportunity Under the circumstances, the timely launch of professional sports watches with higher positioning and higher prices may be just a matter of smooth flow.
The Nike co-branded Apple Watch launched by Apple also pave the way for it to set foot in the professional sports field. The former needs training data from many athletes under Nike to help adjust algorithms and sensors.
In addition, last year’s Apple Fitness+ subscription service and the earlier launch of the GymKit development kit all hinted at Apple’s determination to enter the professional sports market. If a more robust sports watch is launched later, it can be regarded as completing the leap from the public to the professional field. The Apple Watch product line has also become more complete, corresponding to the distinction between the standard version and the Pro version in other product lines.
Fantasy/Fantasy
So far, there hasn’t been too much news about the outdoor version of Apple Watch, I just know that it will beA professional product for extreme athletes, but we might as well guess what the shape of the product will look like.
If the watch is in danger during outdoor sports, the first thing to bear is the watch case. The Apple Watch currently on sale has three case versions of aluminum alloy, stainless steel and titanium, although they are all It is made of steel, but the level of protection is different: aluminum alloy is easy to oxidize and has poor hardness. Stainless steel has better strength and hardness, but it is very easy to scratch. Compared with stainless steel, titanium does not account for durability. Excellent, but the victory is light enough.
It is still too early to decide to install a stainless steel case based on the strength of the material, because outdoor watches have another major pain point, battery life.
The current battery life performance of Apple Watch with one charge per day has not reached the battery life threshold of outdoor sports watches. During outdoor adventures, it is obviously unrealistic to charge electronic products regularly. At present, what Apple can do is to plug in a larger battery and increase the physical capacity to increase the battery life; or use some black technology to realize the charging while using it. Functions, such as the Power Glass surface of Garmin Enduro series, can use solar energy to charge the watch.
▲ Jiaming Enduro
Regardless of the plan, the weight of the watch will increase. To reduce the weight, the titanium case is the key.
I don’t know how many users are like me, and the surface of the watch they wear is already scarred. The surface strength of Apple Watch has always been criticized. The current surface materials are Ion-X glass and sapphire glass. The former is strengthened glass, which is slightly stronger than ordinary glass. It is accidentally mixed with sand, gravel, cement and other hard objects on the edge. After hitting hard,” it leaves a scar that will never be erased, and then the whole piece collapses.
Especially its curved edge, without the slightest protection, it is very easy to break under the impact of external force. The hardness of sapphire crystal glass is extremely high, so it is very resistant to scratches, and the chance of scratches on the surface is reduced, but the strength is still worrying. Some netizens accidentally dropped Apple Watch to the ground during outdoor sports. It fell from a height, and when picked up, it was found that the edge of the sapphire had been chipped.
How to improve durability from design, change the form on the basis of cash, and let usersThe outer version of Apple Watch is quite interesting.
According to this speculation, the outdoor version of Apple Watch may be presented in front of extreme sports enthusiasts with a combination of titanium body + reinforced sapphire glass mirror material. If it can be displayed with the bezel higher than the surface, it will be more The sense of security of the foot.
It is worth mentioning that there are many outdoor watch products that are made of plastic materials. Even many third-party accessories have introduced silicone or plastic protective cases for Apple Watch. Although they are highly protective, with Apple’s pursuit of design aesthetics, it is difficult to imagine that it will use this material to create the main body of Apple Watch.
In terms of function, the outdoor version of Apple Watch will retain the existing health monitoring function, and on this basis, the outdoor version of the exclusive dial will be launched, direct access to information commonly used in outdoor sports, such as altitude changes, blood oxygen, air pressure trends, GPS Key data such as coordinates allow athletes to keep abreast of information about themselves and the surrounding environment, which is also in line with the functional pain points that Apple Watch often emphasizes in promotional videos: It can be used offline in leisure time, and it is helpful to help yourself in emergency .
In addition, more hard-core sports monitoring modes such as kayaking, bouldering, rock climbing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, tactical cross-country, etc. are added, plus the “SOS emergency contact” function that Apple Watch already has ( I hope you will never need to use it), so that you can provide more sports/health protection for extreme sports enthusiasts.
If the above speculations come true, the price of this “Explorer Edition” Apple Watch should be set between the Titanium Edition and the stainless steel Hermès version, that is, between 6299-11999 Right.
Flagship competitors are also in this price range. Apple’s choice of positive hard steel is probably derived from the “ecological anti” between iOS and watchOS.
If one day Apple launches a “more durable and sportier” Apple Watch, would you vote for it with real money?
I looked at my “scarface” Apple Watch with mixed feelings.