The iWatch and the iNtegrator
Apple has released the new (and ingeniously named) Apple Watch, but what does it mean for integrators? Paul Skelton reports.
International sales of wrist watches fell 4% in 2008 and an additional 10% in 2009 to $A7.48 billion, according to Euromonitor International. And one can’t help to notice that the dip coincides with the launch of the first generation Apple iPhone and the even-more-successful iPhone 3G.
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On the surface, it would appear that people were increasingly conditioned to forego the humble wrist watch and use their smart phone instead. This makes the announcement (and subsequent release) of the Apple Watch an interesting one indeed.
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” Apple senior vice president of design Jony Ive says.
The Apple Watch features ‘Digital Crown’ technology, which offers a new way to scroll, zoom and navigate fluidly, without obstructing the display. The Digital Crown also serves as the ‘Home’ button and method of accessing Siri.
The Retina display on Apple Watch features ‘Force Touch’, a technology that senses the difference between a tap and a press, providing a new way to quickly and easily access controls within apps. It also introduces the ‘Taptic Engine’ and a built-in speaker that together discreetly enable an entirely new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can both hear and feel.
Apple explains that it custom-designed its own S1 system in a package (SiP) to miniaturise an entire computer architecture onto a single chip, as well as support Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0. While this all sounds interesting enough, it seems like a bit much. I know that I would much rather purchase a watch from the likes of Movado, Nixon or even Maserati for the same price.
But Apple Watch’s real potential lies in the apps on offer, in particular those from control system manufacturers.
“Apple introduced the world to several category-defining products: the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook says.
“And once again Apple is poised to captivate the world with a revolutionary product that can enrich people’s lives.”
Among the first companies to release an app for the new platform was Crestron, offering users the ability to instantly access the 10 custom controls they use most frequently. Two-way communication allows them to check what lights are on, the current temperature, or if the garage door is open.
“Wearable technologies are growing. We see them having a permanent place in technology and the home automation industry,” Crestron product manager Byron Wendling says.
“When the iPhone came out, everyone thought it would be the end of our remote/touch panel business. It actually had the opposite effect. What the launch of the iPhone and iPad actually did was create more awareness of our industry and the capabilities of home automation, using the phone and tablet for control.
“It ended up boosting our sales of touch panels and remotes, because they are nice complements to the home automation system, not replacements.
“The same can be said for the Apple Watch. It is a nice complement to your home automation system. It adds another layer to complete control of your home systems.”
Byron says integrators can use the new app to offer their customers yet another mobile control option while using the SIMPL programming language you are already using today.
“People are getting more comfortable controlling their homes anywhere, anytime from their smart phones and tablets. The Apple Watch simply gives them another avenue to monitor and control their home. It keeps their home even closer to them.
“The Crestron app for Apple Watch enables the home owner to select custom features/presets they want to access on the watch. Because of the limited real estate, home owners can select their 10 favourite or most frequently used features to include on the watch app. Anything from the preset ‘Home’, which would turn on the front porch light, unlock the front door and open up the shades to basic control functions such as lights on/off, shades raised/lowered, music/TV on/off, etc.
“We thought about the scenarios where it made sense to use the watch – when your hands are full or when your family is using your other controllers for reading, talking on the phone or when the remote or phone is on a charger. The watch is a nice addition to your system and it can be used for so much more.”
Byron says added convenience and accessibility is another perk.
“Why dig through your pockets for keys or a smart phone when you can unlock your door with just a tap of your wrist? Or interrupt a great conversation to change the playlist at your party? With the Crestron App for iPhone running on Apple Watch, you can turn on the lights and adjust the AC before you get home, or set the alarm and lower the shades as you pull out of the driveway.
“Even when your iPhone is out of reach or charging, the app on your watch is ready for action.”
Also getting onboard the Apple Watch bandwagon is Philips Lighting, which has adopted the device as another control option for its popular Hue system.
Martin Price is the product marketing manager of Philips Lighting’s consumer lamps, luminaires and connected lighting division.
“Light is at the heart of the connected home, therefore easy and intuitive ways of controlling light really adds a new dimension to the user’s experience. The Philips Hue app for Apple Watch makes personalised lighting simpler and more accessible as it allows Philips Hue personal wireless system to be instantly accessed from a device you wear all day everyday on your wrist,” Martin says.
Apple Watch uses the widgets from the Philips Hue app to control the lights in your home and activate your favourite light scenes, ensuring you have the light that you want wherever you are in the house.
Further, if you have geofencing activated on your phone, you will get a notification on your watch to inform you that the lights are on as you arrive home, meaning you no longer need to look for the switch in the dark.
“Philips Hue is a game-changer in lighting – a completely new way to experience, interact and personalise light. In the same way Apple Watch is a game-changer in devices, delivering a very personal experience that blurs the boundaries between a physical object and a user interface,” Martin says.
“Wearable technologies, such as Apple Watch, don’t signal the end of the traditional light switch, they simply provide users with another choice of how they can activate, create and personalise their home lighting.”
Approximately 370,000 smart watches were purchased by Australians last year and this number is expected to grow. Whether they will match the success of the iPhone or iPad is yet to be seen (just 18% of Australian adults are even remotely interested in the platform, according to element14), but integrators should be prepared should the occasion arise that they are asked for a wrist-based solution.
On the plus side, the launch of the Apple Watch has coincided with predictions by Euromonitor that traditional, non-smart watch sales will increase by another 30% by 2017.
And all on Apple’s watch.
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