US online chat more focused on iWatch design than cost or functionality
Forty per cent of US social media conversations regarding Apple’s yet to be unveiled iWatch were focused on what the wearable technology will actually look like upon release, according to a report from social media intelligence platform Synthesio.
iWatch mock-up by Todd Hamilton
The report analysed online chat regarding the Apple’s new smartwatch on the verge of the firm’s next-generation tech event which will be held on the evening of 9 September in California. Here the iWatch be unveiled for the very first time to the public.
Forty per cent of US social media conversations focused on what the ‘iWatch’ will look like whereas a third of conversations focused on its potential price.
The smartwatch’s functionality came in last with a mere 27 per cent of commenters speculating what the device will actually be capable of doing.
Leah Pope, vice president of global marketing for Synthesio, said: “With phrases such as ’luxury’ and ‘fashion designers’ among the top keywords being used by consumers discussing the design of the iWatch, it is clear that people have high expectations for a high-end devices from Apple, both technologically and aesthetically.
“What is most interesting is how the numbers change when you look at different regions globally.”
In European conversations, 48.5 per cent of posts focused on the device’s design and cost concerned 31.6 per cent. Like the Americans, citizens of the EU discussed functionality the least.
In contrast, in the Asia and South Pacific region, the iWatch’s functionality was the most discussed talking point with almost half of discussions relating to the what the smartwatch will be able to do. Discussions on design and cost dropped to 28.9 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.
The iWatch has been touted to be one of Apple’s biggest-ever announcements, with Forrester analyst James McQuivey, claiming that it “will be one of its most important and brand-reinforcing launches in years”.