Apple's AI Strategy: Cameras on the Apple Watch
Apple Watch's AI potential hindered by Siri's limitations
Rumors swirl that Apple is cooking up something special for their smartwatches, potentially adding a camera to the Apple Watch for AI purposes, similar to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. You'd think about pointing your device at a pair of shoes, then asking where to buy them, with the watch capturing a snapshot of the product for AI processing.
However, Apple's AI journey has been a slow burn, and the Apple Watch might offer the prime spot for their AI features to truly shine, despite entering the party a bit late. Unfortunately, the Watch faces one glaring issue: Siri delays.
Can Apple Succeed where Others Failed?
Initially, the idea of a camera on the Apple Watch seemed redundant to me. Smartwatches aren't exactly known for their photography prowess. But this camera isn't intended for artsy selfies; according to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, it's for turning the Watch into an AI device, collecting visual context about the user's surroundings to inform AI requests, questions, and tasks.
Remember the ill-fated Humane AI pin and Rabbit R1 from last year? Those devices aimed to act as standalone AI devices, much like the proposed Apple Watch AI. However, they failed to connect with users. But the Apple Watch has a major advantage—it's already popular. Users already know and love the Watch, making it the perfect platform for Apple to shine in AI where Humane and Rabbit stumbled.
The Future of Wearables: AI and Beyond
Apple's dominance in the wearables market gives them an edge that Humane and Rabbit didn't have, making the Apple Watch a potential AI superstar. Their success hinges on Apple's ambitious Siri update, plagued by delays—the release might not happen until 2026 or later, according to recent whispers.
Until then, Apple can still bring some AI features to the Watch, like integrating ChatGPT. But without a modern Siri, making the Watch a genuine AI device might be out of reach. Bloomberg's report suggests we might not see this upgrade on the Watch Series 11, but it could be on the horizon for Series 12 or potentially the Ultra 3 or Ultra 4.
Apple's focus on improving AI within wearables is a promising sign for the future, but they'll need to leap over Siri hurdles to avoid the same fate as Humane and Rabbit. Time will tell if they can stay on track, but I think they're heading in the right direction.
Stay tuned for more insights on the fusion of AI and wearables!
Additional Reads:
- Apple's Next-Gen AirPods to Use AI for Early Health Detection
- Why I reconsidered my disdain for wearables after Pebble's comeback
- Atari Revives 2600: A New Smartwatch with a Retro Twist
- In the realm of technology, the Apple Watch may potentially get a keyboard input feature with the integration of AI, enhancing its functionality and solidifying its position as a multi-purpose device, like gaming on a laptop with ample RAM and an impressive display.
- While the gaming prowess of the Apple Watch is not its main focus, there have been discussions about its potential to support gaming applications, given its AI capabilities and the upcoming improvements in technology.
- Despite the excitement surrounding the proposed AI camera on the Apple Watch, the improvement in its display would also play a crucial role in capturing clear visual context for AI processing, as seen in gaming laptops that rely on high-quality screens to provide immersive gaming experiences.
