Smart hardware industry leaders give in-depth analysis of Apple Watch

After a period of excitement, the public's discussion about Apple Watch has turned to various ridicules and mockery, as well as various speculations about its final launch.

In the smartwatch market, Apple is actually an absolute latecomer. So, what do other players in the smartwatch field think of the release of Apple Watch? Zhidongxi (public account: zhidxcom) interviewed several of the most representative smart hardware operators to hear their views.

These people are also old friends of Zhidongxi. In order to exchange views, we set a few basic questions to see their respective opinions. They are:

1. What do you think is the highlight of the press conference?

2. Will Apple Watch explode the smartwatch market?

3. Does the pricing of Apple Watch feel expensive or cheap?

4. Which of the following application scenarios of Apple Watch impressed you the most? Can you copy them?

5. Why does Apple attach so much importance to the Chinese market? Is it good or bad for local companies?

6. Do other players in the smartwatch market still have a good chance?

Here are some opinions:

Yang Zhirong, President of MBB Home Product Line, Huawei Consumer Business Group

Huawei's Mr. Yang is the head of non-mobile consumer products at Huawei's Consumer BG. He was still busy in Europe when he answered my questions. His answer was concise and he thought the press conference was about what he expected.

At the same time, he believes: "The pricing of Apple Watch is quite scientific, and it has insight into the psychological needs of consumers. Watches are very personalized products. I am optimistic about the prospects of smart watches, and Apple Watch will detonate this market. It is a good thing for the local market, and the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

inWatch CEO Wang Xiaobin

Late in the evening after the press conference, when I sent my questions, Wang Xiaobin sent me a reply 7 minutes later. It seemed that he had thought it through carefully. His understanding of the questions we were concerned about was as follows:

Personally, I feel that the biggest highlight is the new MBA (note: new MacBook), of course, the appearance of Apple Watch also brought a lot of surprises.

From the perspective of market behavior, Apple Watch has a great chance of detonating the consumer market with the help of Apple's strong brand influence and marketing capabilities. However, from the perspective of functionality and technological innovation, Apple Watch does not make its competitors despair.

Overall, it is a bit expensive. Although the sports version of Apple Watch is priced at $349, which is about the same as MOTO 360, apart from the different operating systems, I feel that MOTO 360 is better. You should know that MOTO 360 was produced a year ago, so I personally feel that the price of Apple Watch is too high. However, judging from the collector's edition, it does not feel too expensive.

At present, Apple Watch's payment function, communication between watches and other aspects are impressive. It can be said that Apple has once again played a new role in the scenarios that users are familiar with. However, from a purely technical point of view, it is not impossible for other brands and even domestic brands of smart watches to copy the above scenarios, but the positioning of each brand may be different, so whether it is necessary to copy them all depends on the specific product definition.

As one of the world's largest electronic consumer markets, it would be strange if the Chinese market was not taken seriously. The figures in Apple's financial report have already shown the reasons for paying attention to the Chinese market.

For Chinese local companies, opportunities outweigh challenges. After all, China has a large population and its consumption levels are more diversified than those in Europe and the United States. Apple products mainly target the high-end market, so the mid- and low-end markets will inevitably need to be met by other manufacturers.

Before this conference, most smartwatch manufacturers may have felt uneasy to some extent. After Apple officially released the product, at least for Inquiry Technology, we became more motivated. Because Apple Watch no longer makes competitors feel out of reach and unable to catch up. Especially the power consumption, the 18-hour standby time is really a complaint.

Apart from its absolute leading position in the ecosystem, Apple Watch is not outstanding in terms of technological integration and innovation. Therefore, we believe that all industry participants still have opportunities.

Broadlink CEO Liu Zongru

BroadLink founder/CEO Liu Zongru is preparing for the launch of new products at the Home Expo, and he also took the time to give his own opinion on the launch of Apple Watch. He believes:

Macbook and Apple have once again set the standard - USB C. At the same time, I think the battery life of Apple Watch is the biggest pain point and the most hesitant. But as an Apple fan, I will still buy it. This is the power of Apple's ecosystem. I dare not say whether it will explode, but it must be the smart watch with the largest shipments in the world.

The price is in line with the expectations of Apple fans. At the same time, this watch provides an interactive entrance for Carplay, Healthkit and Homekit. Apple Pay and Siri are the highlights. Through Siri, you can directly control the smart home, getting rid of the phone unlocking control. At the same time, the price reduction of Apple TV is paving the way for the popularization of Homekit. In overseas countries, TV is the unified interface of Apple smart home. Please consider why the price reduction of TV is mentioned separately at such a new product launch conference?

China's mobile Internet and IoT development has surpassed the United States and will continue to grow rapidly. Coupled with the increase in purchasing power, it will become the most important market outside the US domestic market.

Huawei's watch has aroused my desire to buy it, and I will definitely buy one. Unless a startup develops core competitiveness in a niche market, it will be difficult for it to grow. Whether it is Apple or Huawei, watches are part of the ecosystem. They can get the underlying permissions of their own mobile phones, so the applications on the watch can be developed to be practical and easy to use.

Gu Xiaobin, CEO of Guokr Electronics

Mr. Gu's answer was relatively simple and direct, with a clear point of view. He believed that Apple Watch was priced as a luxury product and it was difficult to say whether it would detonate the market, but for smart watch manufacturers, there were still great opportunities. Specifically:

The highlight of the conference was the MacBook, which once again refreshed many people's understanding of Notebook. Apple Watch will not detonate the smart watch market, and its positioning is a luxury product. The pricing seems to be quite appropriate.

Among the application scenarios of Apple Watch, the one that impressed me the most was ResearchKit, which is about health research.

At the same time, Chinese users who consume Apple products are an area that Apple will not miss, both in terms of quantity and spending. This is good news for local companies.

There are still great opportunities for smartphone manufacturers. When the iPhone was not yet available, other brands had no idea what a smartphone should be like. But Apple WATCH is still a little bit inferior to the iPhone.

Tuman Technology CEO Lao Wang (Wang Wei)

Wang said that he was most concerned about Apple Watch and thought that the price was reasonable and could accommodate people with different purchasing power. What impressed him most was the addition of WeChat. Specifically, he thought:

I personally only care about the Apple Watch, but other than that, I think the Research Kit is pretty good.

Apple Watch will set off a smartwatch market. The price is reasonable, and the high, medium and low prices are suitable for people with different purchasing power. The most impressive thing about Apple Watch is definitely the WeChat application, which can be copied, provided that WeChat Open API is available.

It is certain that Apple attaches importance to the Chinese market. It is mostly beneficial to local companies, especially those with differentiated practices and innovative thinking. It is a good thing, but it is a blow to smart watches that adopt the approach of small mobile phones and traditional watches.

Yimi CMO Tan Kangyin

Shenzhen-based Yimi Technology also launched its own smartwatch a while ago and is also paying close attention to this market. Its CMO Tan Kangyin believes that Apple Watch will explode in the market like the iPhone did, but the time required may be shorter than that of the iPhone. Specifically, he believes:

The biggest highlight of this release is still the latest MacBook Air, which is amazing. Apple watch has already known a lot of details before its release (or this time it is on sale).

Can it explode the market? I think the first generation of Apple Watch is like the first generation of iPhone, the layout significance is greater than the market significance. Of course, the speed of Apple Watch explosion will be faster, and behind it is the acceleration of the entire Internet of Things. If the iPhone explodes the market in the fourth generation, then Apple Watch may only need 1-2 generations.

The overall pricing is currently on the high side, but so what? Apple always manages to sell its products at a premium.

The application scenarios are still in the Internet of Things (although there are not many smart home scenarios), offline payment, and Siri.

The scale of the Chinese market and Apple's rapid growth in China over the past two to three years have forced Cook to adjust his strategy. The rapid increase in the number of Apple Stores since last year is a sign of this. This year, there will be more Apple Stores in China.

In terms of opportunities for other players, there are still opportunities to find differentiation and product direction, just like after the iPhone 4, Android phones still have a large market.

Zhang Chong, founder of Paick smartwatch

Zhang Chong, the person in charge of Pacik smart watches, is also a peer in the industry. He believes that sending Sketch drawings and heartbeats is very creative in the application scenarios of Apple Watch. He is also optimistic about the explosion of Apple Watch in the market. His specific views are:

I think the biggest highlight is the new MacBook, especially the USB-C port, which integrates VGA, HDMI and other ports in one, which is basically just one universal port. It is also thin and light, which is amazing.

Apple Watch should set off a market boom. After all, it is Apple, with a strong application ecosystem. In addition, the watch is the most personal device, and it comes in different sizes and more than 30 straps, basically covering people of all personalities.

Regarding pricing, except for the gold-plated version, all are reasonable. But I don't understand why the gold-plated version costs more than 120,000 yuan. Although it is limited edition, it is an electronic consumer product after all. Can it maintain its value? Many people in Hong Kong wear famous watches, and they value their value retention more. The VERTU series mobile phones that were sky-high a few years ago can only be collected now. I believe Apple has its own strategy. There are too many local tyrants in China and the Middle East, and many people are looking forward to the limited edition.

You can receive Sketch and heartbeats from friends who also have Apple Watch. WeChat is one of the first applications that can push lightweight messages, but messages are constantly sent every day. It would be better if you can set it to push only messages from designated contacts. The payment scenario is very convenient, but it needs market cultivation.

The importance of the Chinese market is known to everyone in the world, except Hong Kong people. The purchasing power of Chinese people is too strong. This may be due to the improvement of living standards in recent years, and the pursuit of brands. In fact, it is also the fault of Samsung and Xiaomi. The poor workmanship and stability of their products have caused many people to switch to Apple. It is a mixed blessing for Chinese companies. I don’t have time to think about this issue.

There is a market for other smart watch players. After all, not everyone has an iPhone, and not everyone can afford to charge it every day. For friends who are more active at night, it would be embarrassing if they find that their watch is out of power and the screen is black at 9 o'clock.

Conclusion:

First of all, I would like to thank several people who took the time to interpret the questions raised by Zhidongxi (public account: zhidxcom) and expressed their views very sincerely.

From the perspectives of several people, there are several common points. For example, they all believe that the launch of Apple Watch is good for the industry and also provides great opportunities for other smartphone manufacturers.

Different opinions focus on whether the pricing of Apple Watch is reasonable and whether it can detonate the market. Most people believe that the extended price line of Apple Watch can meet the choices of multi-level users, and Apple Watch will detonate the smart watch market like the iPhone did back then, and the time may be shorter.

At the same time, some detailed observations also reflect the sharp vision of several experts. For example, Liu Zongru believes that the potential purpose of Apple's price reduction of Apple TV is to lay out the entrance to smart home. Qin Kangyin believes that Apple's optimism about the Chinese market will accelerate the layout of new Apple retail stores in China. Wang Xiaobin also saw the differentiation or roughness of competition from the standby of Apple Watch. Tuman Lao Wang saw the importance of WeChat Open API to other smart watch manufacturers.