The Apple Watch has only been around for five
years, but it’s already become the most popular watch in the world. In fact, just this year, Apple achieved more
watch sales the entire Swiss watch industry. And I remember people laughing back in 2014
when Jonathan Ive warned that Switzerland was in trouble. A statement that turned out to be pretty accurate. So in this video I’m going to walk you through
the history of Apple Watch, and explain how it became such a dominate product. This is Greg with Apple Explained, and I want
to thank Skillshare for sponsoring this video. If you want to help decide which topics I
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your mobile activity feed. So the Apple Watch story begins in April 2014. When The Wall Street Journal revealed Apple’s
plans to release a completely new product that year. This sparked all kinds of speculation about
which category Apple would enter, with many people betting on a smart watch, since Samsung
had just released their Galaxy Gear watch in 2013, or a smart TV, since in Steve Jobs
biography he claimed Apple had cracked the code in regards to television. In September, the product was finally revealed
alongside the new iPhone 6, and it turned out to be the Apple Watch. This was a super important release for Apple,
since Tim Cook just replaced Steve Jobs as CEO three years earlier, and caused speculation
over the company’s ability to innovate. The Apple Watch was the first new product
created under Cook’s leadership, so people were paying especially close attention to
it. Now what was the first Apple Watch like? Well, there were three models, the Apple Watch
Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition. The Sport model was the most affordable at
$350, and featured an aluminum design available in four colors, space gray, gold, rose gold,
or silver. The pricer Apple Watch was $550 and made from
a stainless steel available in space gray or silver. This model also had a ceramic backside and
a sapphire glass display which was more scratch resistant than the Sport model’s Ion-X Glass. Finally, there was the Apple Watch Edition. Made from 18-Karat yellow or rose gold, it
was the priciest Apple Watch ever made, starting at $10,000. It was available in limited quantities at
select Apple Store locations, and came with its own unique buying experience. The standard Apple Watch models were sold
using 5 to 10 minute demo sessions at tables throughout the store, but the exclusive Edition
models came with a private one-on-one demo session that could last up to an hour. It wasn’t entirely clear why Apple decided
to release such an expensive model of Apple Watch, but there were rumors that Tim Cook
was initially opposed to the idea until Jonthan Ive convinced him otherwise. Some have speculated that the $10,000 model
helped the entire product line appear more luxurious and desirable, especially since
high profile celebrities like Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Kanye West were seen wearing it. Now when it came to technology, the original
Apple Watch models were quite impressive. They featured a digital crown that was used
to scroll through lists and to zoom in or out. And a pressure sensitive display that enabled
Force Touch, which allowed for additional functionality by simply hard pressing on the
screen. The built-in heart rate monitor enabled detailed
fitness tracking which was utilized with the activity and workout apps. Apple created a new custom chipset for the
Apple Watch, called the S1 and while it allowed the device to achieve all-day battery life,
it was criticized for being painfully slow, especially when launching apps. Causing many to simply use their Apple Watch
to check notifications or weather. Now if you’re enjoying this video, and you’re
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members was extremely helpful. Also, the first 1000 people to use the link
in my description will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership. Alright now despite the drawbacks of Apple
Watch, Apple sold 12 million units in 2015 alone. Earning them the title as the world’s #1
smartwatch manufacturer, capturing 66% of the market. But this was only the beginning. Because as competitors like Fitbit and Samsung
were scrambling to catch up, Apple was already releasing the next generation Apple Watch
in 2016. Consisting of two models. The Series 1, which was identical to the previous
Apple Watch other than its upgraded S1P chip and more affordable $270 starting price. And the Series 2, which cost $100 more at
$370, but received many new features like built-in GPS, twice the display brightness,
water resistance up to 50 meters, and a new workout tracker for swimming. The more affordable Series 1 was only available
in aluminum, while the Series 2 was available in aluminum, stainless steel, and a new white
ceramic. Apple also added a new aluminum Nike+ model
that featured exclusive sport bands and watch faces. That year, sales of Apple Watch began to slow
down, falling about 55% compared to 2015. And this was mainly attributed to a lackluster
update to the Series 1, and only a few new features added to the pricer Series 2. Customers were waiting for a more significant
change to the device, especially when they were hearing lukewarm reception from Apple
Watch owners, who felt there simply wasn’t much to do with it. But 2017 turned that all around. That fall, the Apple Watch Series 3 was released,
and featured crucial improvements. Its S3 chip was 70% faster, making it much
less frustrating to navigate different apps. Siri finally provided voice responses instead
of just text on the display that you had to read. Bluetooth was updated from 4.0 to 4.2 which
meant a stronger and faster connection to its paired iPhone. An NCF chip was added to allow for Apple Pay
right from the watch. And there was finally a cellular model customers
could buy for a higher price, which would always be connected to your cellular network
even if you left your phone behind. That meant you could make and answer calls,
send and receive texts, check email, and even stream Apple Music anywhere, anytime, right
from your wrist. Also, the Apple Watch Edition was offered
in a new gray ceramic color. Now if all these new features weren’t enough
to convince customers to pull the trigger, its price probably was. The Series 3 model retailed for just $330,
the lowest price ever for a new Apple Watch. Plus, Apple continued to sell the older Series
1 model at a reduced price of $250. As you can imagine, customer response to this
new lineup was very positive. With Apple Watch sales in 2017 reaching a
record-breaking 18 million units. Helping Apple become the #1 watch manufacturer
in the world. They’d already dominated the smartwatch
market since 2015, and just two years later was dominating the entire global watch market. Which was just really hard to fathom. But Apple wasn’t resting on their laurels,
because the first redesign to the Apple Watch came the following year with the series 4
in 2018. It had double the performance of the previous
S3, a larger display with smaller bezels, and rounded corners like the iPhone X. A new electrical heart sensor that enabled
ECG readings, which was a first in any consumer device. Fall detection, a more compact digital crown
with haptic feedback, and 50% louder speakers. Apple also added new watch faces to take advantage
of the device’s larger display, although the Series 4 starting price increased from
330 to $400. Apple also added a new gold stainless steel
model while removing the ceramic Apple Watch Edition. Though the model did return the following
year with the Series 5 in 2019. This was probably the most incremental update
in Apple Watch history, since there were only a few changes, the addition of an always-on
display, a more power-efficient S5 chip, and a compass. Apple also introduced titanium models offered
in silver or space black. But despite the lack of new features, Apple
sold over 30 million units in 2019. Setting a new record, and outselling the entire
Swiss watch industry. Now the most recent update was in September,
when Apple introduced the Series 6 and new Apple Watch SE. The Series 6 included a 20% faster S6 chip,
a brighter always-on display, a blood-oxygen monitor, and a U1 chip for that would allow
Apple Watch to become a digital car key. Now the SE model is essentially a Series 4,
with an S5 processor and without the ECG feature. The Series 6 starts at $400, the SE at 280,
and the series 3 will continue to be sold for just $200. No one knows what’s next for the Apple Watch,
although many are hoping for a significant redesign next year. Perhaps a model with flat edges like the new
iPad Air and rumored iPhone 12. Alright guys thanks for watching, don’t
forget to subscribe to help decide which topics I cover, and I’ll see you in the next video.
