Over the years, the Apple Watch has evolved in lots of different directions. But a new report from Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett at Bloomberg claims that one feature was under consideration which would have radically changed the usability of the wearable: compatibility with Android phones.
The report claims that the Watch engineers looked into many features that didn’t transpire. These include watch straps with sensors to gather data and, most intriguingly of all, “an Ive-designed blood pressure cuff that didn’t need to inflate.”
One of the items that never made it to fruition was support for the Watch and the companion Health app to work with Android as well as the iPhone. This makes a lot of sense if you want to sell more Apple Watches as there are so many Android phones around the world. As the report says, “For a time, Apple engineers were also deeply engaged in an effort to make the watch and Health app compatible with the billions of Android devices in circulation. The move, codenamed Project Fennel, would have brought the company’s health features — and the health benefits Apple has repeatedly underlined — to many more people, especially in countries where Apple has little market share.”
In all likelihood, with this capability, Apple would have been able to crow about being the most popular watch in the world much sooner. However, a different sales figure got in the way: the success of the iPhone. The report goes on, “But other business considerations prevailed: The work was nearly complete when Project Fennel was canceled, in part because the Apple Watch is a driver of iPhone sales. ‘If you gave up the watch to Android, you would dilute the value of the watch to the iPhone,’ said someone with knowledge of the decision.”
Since there’s more profit in the iPhone than the Apple Watch, it’s understandable that Apple didn’t want to sacrifice an extra customer with an iPhone for the sake of an extra Watch sale.
Instead, from the first Apple Watch to now, you need an iPhone to activate the Watch. Not every smartwatch behaves in the same way, with plenty that are compatible with both iOS and Android. But few, to be frank, are as potent as the Apple Watch.
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