Apple Watch is a game changer

The Apple Watch unveiled a few hours ago is a game changer. Even if the "iWatch" flops, the voice input function will have a profound effect on lifestyles, finally liberating users from the tedious and clumsy digital (as in fingers) input that has dominated human-device interaction since the advent of the typewriter (actually since the invention of writing). Like the smartphone and the tablet before it, the Apple Watch marks another giant leap in usability, and in turn has the potential to boost adoption of digital financial services. In a best case scenario, mobile payments, digital wealth management services, and biomonitor-based insurance could all reach their long-awaited tipping points and achieve widespread adoption. It should come as no surprise due to Apple's reputation for design, but the fact that the Apple Watch looks like a watch, not a Dick Tracy-era device, will be a major factor in its adoption. The slim form factor and accuracy of the timepiece place the iWatch squarely in the jewelry accessories market as much as in the smart device market. This is a virtual first in the computing industry (it is hard to imagine many people wearing the clunky Samsung Gear as a fashion statement) and its significance in driving demand for the device should not be underestimated. No doubt we will see iWatch shops in the jewelry sections of department stores globally before long.