Released in 2000, the IBM WatchPad ran Linux on a 32-bit ARM processor with a maximum speed of 74MHz, with 8MB of RAM, 16mb of flash storage, featuring a speaker, microphone and a fingerprint scanner

Times are Changing Quickly

As we ring in the New Year, technologists are already predicting that 2015 is gearing up to be the year for wearable tech and the smartwatch. Looking back at 2014 we can confidently say we have witnessed a massive interest in the wearable tech market. This year alone there has been an influx of new devices hitting the market from fitness trackers to a variety of new smartwatches with everything in between — such as the “Wotch” band that will turn any watch into a smartwatch.

With the Apple Watch landing sometime this year, there is still speculation from many about whether or not the smartwatch has the potential to become as big of a game changer as the smartphone has become in the last decade. What can a watch do that a phone can’t? Many use cases are trivial, for example fitness and sleep trackers are an excellent way to help you stay focused on your workout goals or help improve sleep quality.

Yet many seem to be forgetting how amazing the technology behind a smartwatch actually is and just how quickly it’s forcing the world’s biggest tech titans into a new arms race for the next computing platform.

The Miniaturization of Computers

Inside a Moto 360 — A smartwatch is a tiny computer that consumers are opting to wear on their wrist

In it’s purest form, a smartwatch is simply a tiny computer that people are wearing on their wrist. Yet somehow it’s hard to overlook just how powerful these devices really are on the inside. The LG G Watch R features a 1.2GHz processor with 512mb RAM and 4Gb internal storage, making it more powerful than the original 1st generation iPhone released in 2007 while being a tiny fraction of the physical size. Then there is Moore’s law, which states the processing capability of a smartwatch will double in the next two years. Let’s not forget the amount of sensors that are also packed into smartwatches — the Apple Watch will feature as many as four sensors just to detect pulse and doctors are saying it could go even further by monitoring internal tissue hydration using the available IR and natural light sensors on the watch.

Apple Watch: A Micro Computing Platform

When looking at the Apple Watch, we can’t help but think back to Apple’s first Watch: The 6th generation iPod Nano. Consumers saw beyond the compact and simple design of the square Nano. Apple took that lesson back to their designers and product teams when designing the Apple Watch. By making the Apple Watch a square and not a circle, they are allowing more versatility in the product.

The Apple Watch could become a computing platform with a variety of use cases and endless possibilities

If accessory makers were able to transform the iPod into a Smartwatch, what will they do with the Apple Watch? There are already many use cases for wearing a smartwatch on your wrist, for example if you work in an industry where you can’t take out your phone smartphone but would like to know who is trying to get ahold of you. There are a variety of potential applications for the Apple Watch that may not even be worn on the wrist thanks to the versatility of the design.

One of the most overlooked feature and design of the Apple Watch is the design of the band. Apple has created even more versatility with the removal of the band by making it extremely simple to remove. Not only does this allow users to swap out bands on the fly, it also unlocks an entirely new way to leverage the device. Since the watch also features Magsafe wireless charging, accessory makers will be able to create unique docks, charging stations and adapters allowing the Apple Watch to easily attach or mount.

A Pebble Smartwatch is mounted to a motorcycle using a custom built mount, providing a driver quick notifications and GPS.

There are many potential use cases for using such a tiny computer with a small screen, and it’s clear that many are still yet to be discovered by engineers and entrepreneurs. There are already a few that we have seen with the Pebble Smartwatch such as handlebar mounts for bikes and motorcycles shown above. It’s not impossible to think we could soon have small in-Dash Mounts for easy to read GPS and notifications inside the car dash.

The Rise of Micro Apps

While our phones may be growing in screen size, smartwatch screens will remain small. One might think, how can such a small screen provide enough information and how am I supposed to interact with it? Developing these applications is most definitely a different type of design philosophy. Wearable tech is already pushing designers and app developers to re-think the way information is delivered on a 1" screen.

The good news is that we’re still in the infancy of these devices and there is plenty of room for innovation. Google, Motorola, Asus, Intel, Apple, Microsoft — every major tech company is now involved in wearable technology. Rumors have it that even traditional watch makers such as Fossil, Swatch, Timex and Tag Heuer have been working on building their own devices. Companies are even starting to design smart rings that will vibrate for the notifications that matter most to you.

The Smartwatch is helping define the computing platform of the future. How will companies be successful with wearable tech? Apple is following the same path that worked so well with the iPhone and iPad: Tap into the limitless innovation power of the community to discover new use cases and possibilities we cannot imagine today.