Log#6 Essay Samples

An article by Katie Roof dubbed “Will Apple Watch Catch On? in the Fox Business offers details regarding the press release made by Apple Inc. regarding the launch of the Apple watch. The author, in the article, posits that the watch would be first new major product for the company after Steve Jobs demise. The author further cites that the press release by Apple was instrumental for many investors that are keen on having a stake in the company. The article draws in depth various perceptions and views from various interviewees in the industry.
The quality of the article is exemplary with author basing much of her arguments on facts that can be verified by the Apple Company. The author being a techno-enthusiast as well as business journalist injects much credence to her article. Roof offers the much needed statistics such as the sales and revenue made by Apple in the recent past. She cites that Apple in terms of sales has sold over 750 million iPhones despite the strong competition from Android. She also quotes the prices set out by Apple for its newly launched watch. The article notes that the product would go for $349 slightly costly than its competition.
The news article further incorporates interviews from various players in the industry that Apple Inc. finds itself in. Nihal Mehta, an investor in Uber, is interviewed by the author and is said to have christened the new product “game changer”. The investor sheds light on the projected performance of the Apple watch in the market. Mehta notes that many people in future will tend “to look at their wrists instead of their phones”. The author also interviews Eric Migicovsky, a competitor as well as founder of the Pebble Smartwatch. Having been in the industry since 2012, argues that the “future is in wearables”. Collin Gillis, a BGC analyst, is also featured by Roof to analyze the intended market performance of the Apple smartwatch.
In the two articles, two opposing positions are observed. The first side accentuates the fact that the Apple smartwatch is a profitable innovation that may soon grow and dominate the techno-market. Nihal Mehta greatly supports this notion as an investor. Nihal places his money on the unprecedented growth of the Apple watch as a revolutionary product. As aforementioned, Nihal cites that the smartwatch would soon replace the mobile phone as a communication gadget. Eric Migocovsky and Collin Gillis hold that the product will only perform in its first few months after launch. Eric Migcovsky for instance is quoted saying that the product was too costly to compete with his, Pebbles Smartwatch in the market. Gillis, on the other hand, is of the view that the product will not be an overnight success as the case of previous Apple products launched into the global market.
As for depth of the report, Will Apple Watch Catch On? paints a rather grim picture of the Apple smartwatch market sustainability. The author argues that with a set market cap of approximately $734 billion, the product cannot be ultimately expected to perform in the market. She notes that smartwatch is a ploy by Apple to keep its customers on its unique operating system. With the growing competition from Xiaomi and Android, the article notes that the device is not enough to mitigate these concerns. The smartwatch market is further saturated with the likes of Motorola and Samsung translating to an established hostile and competitive market. The article further notes that the product has a questionable battery life as well as the desired number of applications. Being the first new product under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, the author posits that Apple still lacks the innovativeness it once enjoyed under Steve Jobs’ reign.