{"id":32689,"date":"2023-10-20T14:28:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T14:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/technology-and-fashion-converge-in-the-apple-watch-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T14:28:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T14:28:46","slug":"technology-and-fashion-converge-in-the-apple-watch-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/technology-and-fashion-converge-in-the-apple-watch-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology and fashion converge in the Apple Watch – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Apple\u2019s ability to mesh technology with beautiful design will be put to the test when it finally releases the much-anticipated Apple Watch<\/a>. The tech giant is taking a super-advanced piece of technology and packaging it as a fashion statement.<\/p>\n

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Although the iPhone-compatible wearable watch is still more than a month from its official release date, the hype is building among Apple enthusiasts and fashionistas alike as they anticipate the first product Apple has designed to be worn.<\/p>\n

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On April 24 this year, the new smartwatch will find its way on to store shelves in a dazzling variety of colours and styles to trump even the options for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. There will be 38 Apple Watch choices with a range of changeable faces \u2013 including an animated Mickey Mouse face. Apple says<\/a> the watch is designed to be \u201chighly customisable for personal expression\u201d, allowing the owner to make a unique statement.<\/p>\n

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The watch is all about personalisation, even more so than previous Apple products, which have sported various colour possibilities plus the option of engraving<\/a> the iPhone, iPod and iPad, which will also be available for the watch. With six band types and 18 interchangeable colours, you can don the sport band for a gym session and switch effortlessly to the Milanese loop for a night out.<\/p>\n

Wearable technology<\/h2>\n

But is the world ready for wearable technology? We can hardly forget the moment when fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg<\/a> put Google Glass on the runway in 2012.<\/p>\n

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But the Google Glass project is currently on hold<\/a>. This head-mounted optical display was seen as somewhat dorky<\/a>, giving rise to the opinion<\/a> that technology belongs on our desks and not on our bodies.<\/p>\n

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So the question remains: will the Apple Watch succeed as a fashion item in a way that Google Glass has not? The emphasis on creating a fashionable product is readily apparent, with Apple leaning heavily on fashion insiders<\/a> and retail gurus throughout the development phase. Apple is betting big on the success of its watch.<\/p>\n

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Apple\u2019s senior vice president of design, Jony Ive<\/a>, even introduced<\/a> the device to iconic designer Karl Lagerfeld and a 12-page spread<\/a> is reportedly being prepared for Vogue<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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In case we needed further evidence that Apple is taking the fashion aspect seriously, super model Christy Turlington Burns appeared alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook to spruik the watch<\/a>. She went so far as to call the Apple Watch a chic fashion accessory at the official launch.<\/p>\n

The price of design<\/h2>\n

Given the emphasis on luxury, it is perhaps not surprising that the Apple Watch comes with a designer price tag for the 18-karat solid gold edition<\/a>, which also has a top-of-the-line computer inside it. Apple says<\/a> prices for these top-of-the-range models start from A$14,000.<\/p>\n

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For those of us who are not prepared to take out a loan on what is essentially a piece of jewellery, the entry-level Apple Watch Sport with its aluminium body and rubber strap starts at A$499 for the 38mm version and A$579 for the 42mm.<\/p>\n

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One step up from there is the Apple Watch, which has a A$799 or A$879 price tag for the 38mm and 42mm versions respectively.<\/p>\n

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Depending on the band you choose, be it classic leather or the Milanese loop, expect to pay up to A$1629. Apple has never been shy of setting premium prices.<\/p>\n

What can the watch do?<\/h2>\n

Given the hefty price tag, you may well be inclined to ask: what does the Apple Watch actually do (after telling you the time)? Quite simply, the watch aims to get us moving.<\/p>\n

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Like the Fitbit<\/a> -\u2014 an early leader in the fitness tracking market -\u2014 the Apple Watch is an activity tracker that counts our steps and measures our heart rate. And let\u2019s not forget, it\u2019s also a timekeeper and rather novel communication device.<\/p>\n

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Despite similar products on the market, Apple is betting that it can do it better, thanks to its ecosystem of hardware, software and services. Coupled with a loyal fan base and the watch\u2019s status as a fashion item, Apple is likely to be on to another winner in terms of sales.<\/p>\n

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But despite its potential to help us achieve our fitness goals and perhaps curb obesity rates<\/a> in Australia (three in five adults and one in four Aussies children are overweight), will we see Apple move from a well-loved consumer brand<\/a> to the next big name in fashion?<\/p>\n

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There does seem to be a convergence of technology with fashion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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This article was originally published on The Conversation<\/a>. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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