Full disclosure: I’m a little bit of a Luddite when it comes to horology and happen to think smartwatches are somewhat pointless. I’ve never quite understood why anyone would want yet another device that needs to be constantly charged or why they would need to look at WhatsApp messages *on a tiny little screen* when an intriguing new device called the smartphone is at hand. But this is only me.
In 2015, the Apple Watch cast a slightly condescending eye over the smartwatch market and then proceeded almost casually to take it over; it’s been the world’s bestselling smartwatch since then, with a current user base of over 100 million. This has happened in part because the attach rate (the number of add-on products sold in relation to a primary product) for smartwatches vis-à-vis smartphones has been growing—and nobody knows how to rate the heck out of an attach better than Apple.
The Apple Watch Series 7 gets slicker and brighter
Analog straps attached to Huawei's GT 3
OnePlus offers less expensive options than the Apple Watch that are still feature-rich
Its ecosystem is so compellingly attractive and smoothly efficient that getting iPhone buyers to also shell out for an Apple Watch is akin to child’s play. It’s also the only true ‘smart’ watch in the world; for example, you can use it to communicate with your other Apple devices, unlock your MacBook or iPhone, dictate message replies to Siri and even browse web pages.
"OTHER BRANDS ARE FOCUSING ON ARE AFFORDABILITY AND BATTERY LIFE, SINCE THOSE ARE THE APPLE WATCH'S PRINCIPAL WEAKNESSES."Nishant Padhiar
"In comparison, every other wearable out there is really just a glorified fitness tracker with a large screen,” says Nishant Padhiar, editor, Stuff (India). Padhiar wears an Apple Watch himself and says he doesn’t even own a regular watch; all he has worn on his wrist since 2015 has been the various versions of the Apple Watch. “Other brands are trying, but they can’t compete with the scope of the Apple ecosystem because they have to use either Google’s Wear OS or their own, so what they’re focusing on are affordability and battery life, since those are the Apple Watch’s principal weaknesses. Especially in South Asia, there’s a cool quotient to smartwatches that attracts young people. The majority of them aren’t too concerned with brand appeal and advanced features; they just want an affordable wearable that looks good and is reliable.”