As Apple gears up to release the Apple Watch, we look at some of the other gadgets that the electronics maker could release onto the market.
Worth over $600 billion dollars, Apple is the most valuable company in the world. Best known for its iPhones, iPods, iPads and Mac computers, Apple makes most of its money from the same, familiar product lines. For a bit of perspective, the upcoming Apple Watch (due out in early 2015) is the first new product line that Apple has come up with since the very first iPad was released all the way back in 2010.
Five years is a very long time to to work on a product (even if you are debuting it in three different versions) and it’s led us to ask ‘what gadgets could Apple make if they put their minds to it?’ With that much money and that much technical talent at their disposal the possibilities are virtually endless so read on to see what gadgets we think Apple should make next.
1. iShoe
For a company that makes gadgets that encourage us to sit on our behinds and waste the day away, Apple is surprisingly devoted to fitness. Take iOS 8 for example which included Healthbook, an app that would collect all of the health and fitness related data from third-party apps and send them to your doctor so that you can figure out when everything is going fine or when you should go in for a check up.
It’s for that reason that the iShoe would be a great addition to Apple’s existing range of products. The company is already partnered up with Nike to allow their Nike trainers to to sync data about your run to your phone but that requires you to get a separate sensor and put it in the sole of the shoe. What if Apple had their own futuristic line that synced the data automatically and recommended run techniques or apps to download and could even be paired with fun apps to make you run, sweat and work out a bit harder?
2. iPoo
While it may seem like a joke, an Apple toilet would actually be a fantastic idea. Just like the iShoe, we envision it as the ultimate gadget for the health focused.
We all use toilets every single day of our lives (apart from babies in nappies, obviously) and each day our toilet bowl learns more about us than a routine check up could tell our doctors. In that gleaming white porcelain we reveal what we’ve eaten, how much we’ve eaten, if we’re healthy and if we’re not. If there was a toilet that could analyse this data and tell us exactly what’s going on within our bodies (and offer more in-depth info than your basic health app or running shoe) it would be incredibly valuable.
And if it seems unlikely, consider that there’s already a smart toilet…for cats.
3. iGame
When the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were announced back in September, one of the biggest features that Apple was shouting about (other than the size of the screen or the improved battery life) was Metal. No not metal like the bendy aluminium that the iPhone 6 Plus is made of (har har) but Metal as in the technology used to make the iPhone a better device for gaming.
Apple clearly has the chops to make devices for gaming then, so why not make a games console? There are so many great and fun games already available on iOS such as Angry Birds, Cut The Rope and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood (we really mean it about that last one) and with these games being available so cheaply, it would be an affordable alternative to the PS4 or the Xbox One and players would have access to more games too.
And not only this but Apple could continuously release the game box in different designs and each one could come packaged with the latest iOS and on top of that Apple could make users who already own the iGame console pay to get the next update. It means that Apple still makes its money and we still get access to great games without having to pay hundreds of dollars each year.
4. iCar
An iCar is another possible Apple gadget that just makes ‘sense’. According to Apple over 90% of new cars sold in the United States have iPod/iPhone connectivity, making it easier than ever before to plug your USB cable into your device and blast your favourite music through the speakers of the vehicle. But what if Apple went one step further? What if they made cars of their own that not just let you play music from your mobile devices but let you control the cars too?
Google is already working on driverless cars and has plans to get them to market by 2020 and as Apple has more resources (they are worth twice as much as Google) they could potentially do the same. On your iPhone you could fire up maps and type in a destination and the car would automatically take you there, informing you of gas stations, sights that you might want to see and other important locations (e.g restaurants or stores) along the way.
5. iEye
Admittedly this one is mostly featured in order for us to make a terrible ‘iEye captain!’ joke but on the serious side of things, Apple could really work on hi-tech eyes and eyewear.
In July last year Google signed a deal with pharmaceutical company Novartis to develop a smart contact lens that would help those with diabetes monitor their glucose levels. While that’s certainly a useful product, what Apple’s contact lenses could go one further offering more health data (which it could cross-reference with the iPoo and the iShoe, of course) as well as extra insights on our world.
It doesn’t necessarily have to offer a Google Glass (Google’s hi-0tech glasses wearable) like heads-up display but it could come up with pop ups of interesting information or even tag a location/bit of info and save it to our iPhones for us. That would truly be an innovative gadget.
Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories, Diamond Encrusted Apple Watch Now Available for Pre-Order, Apple Watch Could Launch on Valentine’s, Cost as Much as $5000
