Key Takeaways
- Apple Watches have the processing power to stand alone without an iPhone.
- Allowing Apple Watches to work with Android phones could boost sales.
- Apple doesn’t need to tie Watches to iPhones to maintain brand appeal & functionality.
When the iPad first launched, it was marketed (and worked) as an accessory for your Mac or PC. Fast-forward to the present, and Apple now considers it an alternative to its Macs, not an accessory. I think the Apple Watch deserves the same respect from its maker, and that these superlative watches need to be freed from their iPhone chains.
Apple Watches Are Too Smart to Be Just Accessories
The biggest reason I feel the Apple Watch is ready to be a standalone product is simply that there’s no particular reason it has to be tethered to an iPhone, or any phone for that matter. An Apple Watch (and many non-Apple watches, to be fair) has more than enough processing power to do all the things you need it to without a phone to manage it.
Besides, it would be simple to set an Apple Watch up entirely on the device itself, since they have Wi-Fi at the very least, so you don’t need a phone for an internet connection either for the setup. The only real reason to have the Watch tethered to a phone via Bluetooth is mobile internet access, but of course that’s not the case with a cellular Watch model.
When my wife got her Apple Watch Ultra, it occurred to me that this device is essentially an entire smartphone strapped to your wrist. There would be some sacrifices, but you could get by with only the Watch. Now with the latest Series 10 Watch models sporting much larger screens, it makes sense to sell them as an alternative to having a phone with you all the time.
Android Users Would Buy a Ton of Them
Even if you want to use an Apple Watch with a phone (which is fair), you can only use them with iPhones right now. I’ve long thought that Apple should at least let iPad users do the same, but the company has been stalwart in its refusal so far. This is likely a way for Apple to bolster iPhone sales, since if you want an Apple Watch you need to buy an iPhone. However, if there was ever a product that didn’t need an accessory to help sell it, it’s the iPhone!
I’m one of those people that love Apple products, but can’t stand the iPhone. If I could use an Apple Watch with my Samsung phone, I’d buy one in a heartbeat. It would be a combination of two products I actually like without the need for any sort of kneecapping of the Watch when it comes to functionality. Basically, Apple, I don’t think you’d sell any fewer iPhones, but you’d surely sell more Apple Watches!
Apple Doesn’t Need Watches to Preserve Their Ecosystem
If you’re an outsider to Apple product ownership, you’ve probably heard about “the ecosystem” and how it makes owning Apple stuff more than the sum of its parts. This is totally true, and really one of my favorite things. All of my Apple stuff interacts in one way or another. One of the best things about having an Apple Watch (before I ditched the iPhone for good) was unlocking my MacBook by just being close to it. It’s little touches like that, which makes it just a bit magical.
If the Apple Watch could stand on its own, and work with Android as well, it would do nothing to hurt the Apple Ecosystem appeal, and at the same time, the Watch itself would still be worth it minus the ecosystem stuff.
Technically, you can have an Apple Watch without an iPhone by using the
family member setup method
, but this still requires at least one iPhone, so it doesn’t count!
The Best Smartwatch Would Sell Even Better
The bottom line is that, as someone who has tried multiple brands and designs of smart watches over the years, I think Apple Watches are the gold standard. It’s my personal opinion, of course, but right now I don’t think anyone does it better. It’s already the best-selling smartwatch brand, and Apple is the largest watchmaker in the world full stop. With Rolex and Swatch fighting for second place.
Now, imagine if owning an Apple Watch wasn’t restricted to people who also own an iPhone. I don’t have an MBA or anything, but I think the number of watches sold will go up, not down. In fact, all smartwatches might be better off maturing into standalone devices, with the option to tether them. It might be the one thing holding them back from true greatness.
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