While brands like Xiaomi, Huawei and Fitbit have dominated the smart bracelet market, Apple remains on the sidelines without launching its own smart band. This niche, increasingly popular for its accessibility and basic activity tracking functions, seems ideal for the Cupertino company.
However, until now, Apple has avoided entering the world of smart bands. The reason behind this decision is not coincidental: Apple has a defined strategy which goes far beyond simply launching a new device.
Apple Watch: the center of your health and wellness ecosystem
The Cupertino-based company has made the Apple Watch the fundamental pillar of its health and well-being ecosystem, and a smart band could compete with your own flagship product. The company has positioned the Apple Watch as much more than a watch: it is a health device that measures heart rate, performs electrocardiograms and, in more recent models, monitors blood oxygen levels.
Launching a smart band could reduce the perceived value of the Apple Watch, which in many ways is a premium product aimed at an audience willing to invest in more complete devices.
While a smart band could offer a more affordable alternativethe guys at Tim Cook seem to be focused on keeping the Apple Watch a solid, multifunctional option. Reducing cost and functionality could dilute the message that the company has built around the Watch: it is not just a watch, but a health and connectivity tool that stands out for its high quality and design.
Apple is also known for maintaining a unique brand identity, where innovation and design are integrated to create high-end devices. Smart bands, for the most part, are inexpensive devices and functional that lack the premium design of Apple products.
The company differentiates itself from its competitors by offering products that not only fulfill a function, but also seek to provide an exclusive user experience. A smart bracelet, due to the simplicity of the device and its focus on low cost, may not align with that strategy. Additionally, the risk of not meeting your users’ quality and design expectations could affect brand perception.
Is Apple planning to launch a smart band?
Apple prefers to wait to launch products with truly innovative and disruptive proposals, instead of following existing trends, such as smart bands. Although these bracelets are popular, the company may not consider them promising enough to invest in their development, and is instead focusing on improve Apple Watchits flagship health device. This long-term innovation strategy is reflected in the success of products such as the iPhone and iPad.
Despite everything, the possibility of Apple launching a smart band in the future is not ruled out. Rumors of a possible “iBand” have emerged, speculating about a lightweight device, with basic functions and compatible with the Apple ecosystem, but that would not compete directly with the Apple Watch. However, if Apple decides to launch a smart band, it likely won’t be a simple copy of what already exists, but something that provides additional value and offers a genuine Apple experience.
