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I recall discussions with friends about wanting a good wearable computer, years before good smartphones came out. Innovation has an overlooked requirement, whi

I recall discussions with friends about wanting a good wearable computer, years before good smartphones came out. Innovation has an overlooked requirement, which is that there has to be an unmet need (or at least an unmet want). I don't doubt that there are unmet needs/wants still, but they may not be for a new type or class of hardware. If the next innovative class of product is, say, something in 3D-printing or a better way to communicate electronically than email and social networks, then it may not be something that Apple is well positioned to provide. Or, you know, maybe it is. But it's not necessarily the case. The Apple Watch was made because it was within Apple's domain of competence, and it has not taken off because it wasn't also in the users' domain of need/want. It is possible that the two don't overlap.

pm90 8y ago
There are many reasons why the watch hasn't taken off, but I don't think they have to do with the product itself, but with the market. Digital watches are only recently catching up and most folks prefer the cheaper fitbits than forking out > $200 for a "watch". Compare that to iPad. When it came out, it was an instant hit. It wasn't replacing an analog iPad. The competitors just didn't match up.
- MarkMc 8y ago
  Actually I think Apple's decision to have a rectangular watch face was a major unforced error. Here are two smart watches from almost 4 years ago: https://m.imgur.com/V9YZ5Kz https://m.imgur.com/V9YZ5Kz The Moto 360 looks beautiful and classy while the Apple watch looks like a cheap casio from the 80s