Apple Watch is ‘Comprehensive Health and Fitness Device’

By Alan Lyndon

Apple today introduced two new iPhones as well as the much anticipated Apple Watch, which is a combination of mini communicator, health tracker and fashion statement.

Apple’s annual product events are often used to update current hardware and preview a new version of products in time for the holiday season. But today’s event included Apple’s first entry to a new product category since the introduction of the iPad. In fact, Apple moved into two new categories: payments and watches.

As always with the introduction of new phones, Apple built the bionic version of iPhones: bigger, stronger and faster.  The phone will now be available with a larger screen and a super-larger screen. The payment system, called Apple Pay, will allow users to pay by credit card with just a tap of their phone and only processed by using the fingerprint sensor on the phone.

Apple Watch is an advanced smartwatch that includes many familiar apps including notifications, messaging, maps and email — most of which can be controlled by voice command or physically with the digital crown, which is the modern term for the dial on the side of the watch.  Users will also be able to pay for stuff with their Apple Watch.

One of the new application categories that will be utilized on all of the new devices is Apple’s move into health and fitness. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook referred to the watch as a “comprehensive health and fitness device.” Several fitness trackers are able to count steps and distance for walkers and runners.  The new iPhones and watch are built with a motion processor that goes far beyond those trackers. The watch “will motivate people to be more active,” said Cook.

Jay Blahnik, Apple’s director of fitness technology, said the new watch will “change the way we look at fitness.” The watch includes new apps called Activity and Workout, which will measure calories burned, exercise goals and standing time, which is included to minimize sedentary activity.  The watch will be able to offer intelligent reminders and suggestions for exercise.  It will notify you when you’ve achieved your activity goals for the day.  And it is able to communicate with Apple’s Health app, which is a personal version of a medical record, and several third party apps such as the Mayo Clinic’s app built specifically for the new software.