Apple is having an event next week that should shed more light on the Apple Watch. Besides the unveiling last September, there has not be a lot of information regarding what the watch will be totally capable of. We do know that companies like SPG and American Airlines were featured as having apps aboard the new watch – the SPG app to unlock doors at your hotel and American Airlines to have your boarding pass on your wrist for easier boarding. As for the fitness aspects of the watch, that is really one of the core features of the watch. However, the lack of GPS (it uses the iPhone’s GPS for GPS functions) makes it not as promising for me. That means I would still need my trusty Garmin.
See More: Manufactured Spending With Apple Watch
On the payment front, it will have Apple Pay onboard to really streamline your payment options and cards while out. Being able to just have the watch or phone on me when out is a huge help, especially when running. However, there would still be one thing that I would need to carry, depending on the outing.
From Apple.com
One Feature That Could Make Me Want Apple Watch
That one thing is a car key or fob. I know it sounds like a crazy thing to think about carrying car keys as being too cumbersome, but when I am out for a run, it is always something I need to carry and, depending on the car I am driving, it can be awkward. Now, I don’t have to worry about it since my Renault’s key is basically just a card that is a little thicker than a credit card. But, when renting cars, most agencies prefer to leave both sets of keys hardwired on the same chain which makes it very awkward to carry when on a run. They do not fit in my water bottle holder, they are too bulky for my pocket and I do not want them scratching my phone in my SPIbelt case. So, it always takes for some different carrying with some vehicles. I remember one race, the Dances with Dirt marathon, where I would be in the woods for a few hours and some pretty difficult areas. I did not want my rental car keys to get lost during that and really do not like keeping them in a dropbag. So, I actually threaded my race belt through the keychain hoop and endured that for the race!
Reports now indicate that Apple will be having capability on the Apple Watch to act as a replacement for car keys and fobs. It is not said yet how that will work but that would be a huge step forward for having the Apple Watch be a great companion when going out to reduce pocket clutter. It would also be great to see that brought to car rental companies as a token of some sort that you could transfer to your Watch for use during your rental. Silvercar already uses technology with your smartphone to control your rental and it would be a great option to have with rental cars as well. I have already said that I will be passing on the Apple Watch but if they are able to have a feature like this go mainstream with vehicles, it could be a big step in having me think about it!
It is great to see Apple talking about more features that their watch may provide besides things like sharing your heart beat. I’ve got to admit, when I heard that part during the Apple presentation about sharing the most personal thing – the heart beat, I couldn’t help but laugh if that was supposed to be a big selling point. I’m sure it will be, but not for me! A car key replacement? That would grab my attention!
On the other hand, also consider that Samsung bought Looppay, so there are a possibility of more MS since Looppay claimed that we can use it to pay by stored credit cards almost everywhere…..that means Samsung’s next products as S6 or Samsung smartwatch will have this feature too!
Yep, that post is coming tomorrow! 🙂
So,
I know this is a REALLY Luddite question, but what’s so special about the Apple Watch that all the above couldn’t be done through the iphone?
I get that a watch is marginally more convenient in that it’s strapped to you rather than held, but I still feel like I’m missing something?
No, you aren’t missing anything at all! I know it is really just minor differences. There are times that I like to go out without a phone and run as light as possible. Being able to have all of that functionality in a watch so I would not need to carry anything else would be great. So, it is more of just a consideration. Again, if it had a GPS chip in it, I would sell my Garmin tomorrow (or whenever the Apple Watch comes out) to get it. But, I will likely wait for that feature – knowing Apple, they just left that for Apple Watch 2. 🙂