Introduction

The apple watch is one of the most popular and convenient multifunctional timepieces on the market. It is a small wearable device that although it might not replace a smartphone, it augments it by allowing users to perform various tasks that a smartphone would be able to accomplish. The watch was first released back in 2015 by Apple, and it was an innovation of the classic mechanical and digital watch. The concept of a smartwatch is not new as the idea goes all the way back to the 1940s with the “Dick Tracy” comic concept. The inventor that started working on the device was Jony Ive, Apple’s chief designer, who reportedly started to build on the idea back in 2011 right after the death of Steve Jobs (appleinsider, 2022). The purpose of creating the Apple Watch was for people to disconnect from their phones since they were spending too much of their time looking at a screen (Eadicicco, 2015). The goal was to invent a device that didn’t cause the use for hours, therefore filtering out all irrelevant information while still providing the important services that a smartphone would give. The Apple Watch allows the user to monitor their heart rate, track their fitness and workouts, answer calls and messages, control music, and tell time. Throughout this seven-year period since its release date, there have been nine different series that were created as a variation of the device. The first variation was the “Apple Watch (1^st generation)” and the most recent variation that came out in 2021 was the “Apple Watch Series 7”.

Components

The base

The base of the watch is a metal rectangle with rounded edges like the apple phones and it comes in two sizes: 1.4 inches or 1.65 inches. The metal alloys of the base are made as strong as possible in order to support an unexpected impact. The base also includes the digital crown attached to the right side, which is a small input device that is used to scroll through and zoom in and out of the screen. Pressing the button would return users to the home screen. This allows people to navigate through the watch without the need to touch the screen with their fingers which blocks the view. There is another oblong button under the digital crown that is responsible for bringing up contacts with one press and using Apple pay with a double press. The base also connects the wrist band which comes in different colors and styles to fit the comfort of the wearer. 

Heart-rate sensor

The back of the watch includes a ceramic cover with sapphire lenses that are on top of a sensor that detects the wearer’s heart rate. This sensor is covered in zirconia and made up of photodiodes, infrared and visible light LEDs to keep the user informed of their heart beats. The watch also includes an accelerometer and gyroscope to detect physical movements like steps and distance traveled as well as calories burned.

S1 chip

The Apple Watch is powered by a single chip labeled as the S1 SiP (System in Package). The chip is covered in a resin shell which was made to protect it from dirt, water, dust and impact. This tiny chip has an entire computer system in it, and it makes the watch function at its fullest potential. 

 

Battery

The device is brought to life with a battery that uses lithium-ion technology. The size of the battery varies depending on the size of the watch, the one that is 38mm contains a battery size of 246 mAh while the larger 42mm version includes a battery size of 250 mAh. Both batteries are made to last 18 hours with typical use which equates to checking 90 notifications, three whole hours of talk time and 6.5 hours of music playback (Woollaston, 2015). The expected time for the watch to charge to 80 percent is 1 hour and in order to charge to full 100 percent would take 1.3 hours. In addition, the watch uses Apple’s Magsafe technology with inductive charging that is built under the watch case. This allows the watch to be charged wirelessly with the use of magnets snapping into place automatically. 

Taptic engine

An internal component that is built into the watch is the taptic engine which responds with vibrations that wearers feel when notifications appear. This small part inside the device produces haptic feedback and it vibrates to notify the wearer whenever they receive a notification or press down on the screen. This component also helps people navigate with Apple Maps since it would produce vibrations to signal when to turn left or turn right. People are also allowed to send their heartbeats to friends to get their attention.  

 

Loudspeaker

            Although the watch does not include a camera, it does include a loudspeaker that allows voice directions and taking phone calls. It also produces audio cues for alerts and reminders. 

Touchscreen

The touchscreen has a laminated flexible Retina display that is made from a single crystal of sapphire which is the “second hardest transparent material after diamond according to Apple” (Johnson, 2015). The display not only senses touch as any other touchscreen, but also senses force with the small electrodes that were added. This is known as Force Touch. This allows the screen to differentiate between the user pressing the screen and tapping the screen. This screen is Apple’s first ever OLED display which are often harder to engineer compared to the LCD’s. OLED displays are ideal for the apple watch due to their “thin layer solid-state displays with high pixels-per-inch (ppi) that can be manufactured and cut into small smart watch sized screens with resolutions of 320×320 pixels” (Soneira). The screen provides an accurate perception of colors and picture quality for the users. 

Functionality

The apple watch functions with the iPhones running with IOS 8 or later which includes the iPhone 5 and all other generations after. The watch turns on by a raise of the wrist and a press of the digital crown brings up the home screen with all the options for applications. The apps will appear as small circular icons that would be easy to rearrange. Swiping downward would bring the notification center to see messages and alerts. The microphone and speaker allow the user to answer phone calls and record voice messages. Siri is also included in the watch which can serve as a dictator of messages or directions. The Apple Watch will automatically lock itself once it is taken off the wrist and it will require a passcode once it is put back on for security purposes. Apple play also requires a passcode. In addition, one of the best features that the watch has is the ability to control music playback and store music in order to allow users to listen with Bluetooth headphones without the need to bring their phone outside.   

Conclusion

The apple watch is a small device that it is made up of different materials and components that play an important role in making it accessible and functional for usage. The tiny parts that require patience and delicacy to be put together makes up one of the most suitable timepieces on the market. The multiple services that it offers, besides being synchronized with the Universal Time Standard and telling time, makes it a watch unique from others. The implementation of heart rate sensors and the speaker are innovations that revolutionized the watch market and it has influenced the creation of other smartwatches from different brands. 

 

References

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Johnson, B. (2015, January 14). How the Apple Watch Works. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/apple-watch.htm

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Swider. (2015, April 24). [The Apple Watch has a smaller than expected battery size]. Apple Watch Battery Size Half as Big as Top Android Wear Watch. https://www.techradar.com/news/wearables/apple-watch-battery-size-mah-1291964

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