Watch Out: A Timely History of the Smartwatch

The year was 1946. The man was Dick Tracy. The gadget was The 2-Way Wrist Radio. That is where it all began.

Since its inception into the market in 1982 with the Pulsar NL C01, the smartwatch has become an ever-evolving token in the tech world. Iterations of this fashion accessory-turned-necessity have included pager functionality, external keyboard for data-entry, applications for memos and scheduling, even a calculator. In 2009, Samsung released the S9110 Watch Phone, what they thought would become the giant of the electronics market. While the watch’s success did not pan out, it did prove to be an influential stepping stone for the fostered concepts of future models by makers such as Sony Ericsson, Linux and yes, even Apple.

In the years since then, numerous makers have come forward with their notion of a smartwatch; the most recent splash was the Kickstarter-born Pebble. During its extraordinarily impressive month-long stint on Kickstarter, the Pebble raised upwards of $10.2 million. Yes, million, and yes, a month. Fresh off the crowd-funding site and straight into the hands of tech lovers, the Pebble’s basic function was sending a vibration to the wearer to alert them of text messages, emails, incoming calls, and notifications from social media accounts. Its initial functionality has since progressed into a device that boasts over 1,000 applications within its namesake app store. Pebbles can now be purchased for $99 at most major retailers in a variety of colors; there is even Steel edition with a metallic band for those geological groupies.

In September 2014, Apple unveiled the prototype of the Apple Watch; debatably the most luxurious smartwatch to ever grace the market. It is estimated that a basic model will run $349 with Edition collection featuring watches with 18-karat gold casing could potentially cost upwards of $1,000. Similar to the concept of the iPhone, Apple strived to make the Apple Watch an indispensable element of your every day. With three distinctive collections to fit tonality of your lifestyle, Apple took the time to specially design and engineer a watch that is both functional and attractive. The innovated interface is married with the user-friendly applications Apple users have become accustomed to. What is going to set this watch apart from the competition? While you can spend hours trolling the internet on postulating blog posts but when it comes down to it, the Apple Watch combines the usability of a smartphone with the healthy lifestyle assistance of a pedometer while brandishing unique features – like Siri, access to iTunes and Apple TV- that encompass your technology needs.

Have you thought of purchasing this revolutionary piece of technology? Your life may depend on it. Just ask James Bond or Captain James Tiberius Kirk.