蘋果手錶「背刺」小天才，智慧手錶「少年版」大戰開打！

在2014年9月舉行的蘋果秋季新品發布會上，蘋果CEO蒂姆·庫克推出了上任後主導的第一款消費電子產品：初代Apple Watch，這也是蘋果公司旗下首款智慧穿戴裝置。

在此後十年間，Apple Watch蓬勃發展，不僅在全球智慧手錶市場佔據了主導地位，還逐步細分出了Ultra、SE等產品系列，以滿足不同消費者的需求。

圖來源：Apple

其中性價比相對較高的Apple Watch SE系列，是許多用戶嚐鮮蘋果智慧手錶的首選。畢竟SE系列入手門檻擺在那，即便對比Series、Ultra系列存在功能閹割，但作為入門款產品，整體體驗還是保持著一貫的「果味」。

近期，本就定位入門款的Apple Watch SE系列被曝外殼材料即將迎來重大調整。同時，蘋果希望將Apple Watch打造成全齡段的智慧手錶產品，而下一代Apple Watch SE正是促成這項轉變的關鍵。

改用塑膠外殼，Apple Watch SE背刺小天才

從更新時間軸來看，初代Apple Watch SE發佈於2020年，Apple Watch SE 2則發佈於2022年，保持著2年一更的頻率。如此算來，2024年也到該更新下一代Apple Watch SE了。

彭博社的Mark Gurman連續兩次強調，下一代Apple Watch SE智慧手錶將改用硬塑膠材質。目前Apple Watch SE與其他高階Apple Watch一樣，採用鋁製錶殼。如果消息屬實，這項改變的明顯好處是削減成本，為蘋果提供更大的定價彈性。

蘋果在2022年發布Apple Watch SE 2時，重新設計了後殼，將背面材質從陶瓷改為了新的“尼龍複合材料”，發售價格比初代Apple Watch SE降低了30美元。雷科技推測，Apple Watch SE改用塑膠錶殼後，發售價格降幅絕對不會低於上次的降價。

圖片來源：Apple

事實上，改變外殼材料帶來的連鎖反應遠不止售價降低這麼簡單，蘋果真正的目標是打造「全年齡」的智慧手錶，其中較廉價的塑膠殼版Apple Watch SE，瞄準了兒童和青少年市場。

目前主流兒童手錶的市場價格大多集中在千元左右，以頭部品牌小天才為例，其兒童手錶根據配置差異，價格分佈在398元到2299元不等。 Apple Watch SE過去接近2000元的售價屬於兒童手錶品類的頂部價格。

不過小天才等品牌的兒童手錶都不算是真正的智慧手錶範疇，除了基礎通訊並無其他功能，雖然有一些教育、娛樂、社交甚至影像能力，但功能都很粗糙。對大多數家庭來說，花2000元給孩子添置一個主要用來聯繫通信的非智能手錶顯然不現實，即便家長有錢，產品也實在沒這個“價格說服力”——這是Apple Watch以及安卓手錶們的機會。

此外，塑膠材質意味著蘋果可在手錶配色方面進行大刀闊斧的改造。蘋果同樣採用塑膠材質的iPhone 5c，就提供了藍色、黃色、粉紅色和綠色等配色，更豐富的鮮豔色彩或許更符合兒童和青少年族群的美感需求。

圖源：雷科技攝製

做兒童智慧手錶，Apple Watch必須更「獨立」

網
做兒童智慧手錶，Apple Watch必須更「獨立」

網

，貨列了一個蘋果了大約12個理由，闡述Apple Watch如何完美適應兒童使用者群體。

有趣的是，蘋果官網新頁面僅推薦了Apple Watch SE 2，並未提及更高階的Apple Watch Series 9或Ultra 2。或許蘋果自己也清楚，對多數孩子來說，Apple Watch SE 2已擁有足夠功能，而旗艦手錶上豐富的娛樂功能並不是家長希望看見的。

圖片來源：Apple

🎜

Lei Technology noticed that the "child-friendly" functions mentioned by Apple include: calls, text messages, do not disturb mode in class, search function, waterproof, exercise recording, contacting emergency services, playing music, installing third-party applications, using Apple Cash, etc. , basically covers the daily use scenarios of children, coupled with the quality brought by Apple’s system, the experience is not inferior to any brand of children’s watches. The only thing that limits its market expansion is perhaps the ecological bundle that Apple is most proud of.

Everyone knows that Apple Watch does not support use with mobile phones other than iPhone. Even an Apple Watch with cellular network capabilities requires a family member's iPhone for initial pairing and setup, and subsequent management also requires use with the iPhone. In other words, Apple’s ecosystem has caused Apple Watch to directly exclude families without iPhones.

The price of Apple Watch with cellular network will be much higher. The bigger problem is the poor user experience. Even if a child can borrow a friend's iPhone to attach it to the watch, using the Apple Watch without the iPhone means that all interactions with the App must be completed through the watch's small screen of less than five square centimeters, which itself goes against smart wrist devices like the Apple Watch. Device interaction habits: The ideal smart watch interaction time should be controlled within 5 seconds, but if used without an iPhone, a single interaction time is likely to exceed 30 seconds.

The Apple Watch, which is used independently based on cellular networks, is essentially an "accessory" rather than a complete product. This is the biggest obstacle for Apple to make the Apple Watch a children's smart watch.

Launch of youth version, little geniuses are waiting for you

According to a report from Grand View Research, the global smart wearable market will reach US$8.948 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.92%. Among them, Apple Watch shipped 38 million units, accounting for 31.2% of the smart watch market, fully demonstrating its strong market influence.

Previously, IDC has provided data that in Q3 2023, China’s smartwatch market shipped 11.4 million units, a year-on-year increase of 5.5%, including 5.59 million adult smartwatches, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%; children’s smartwatches Shipments were 5.8 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.2%. Judging from the number of shipments, children's smartwatches have surpassed adult smartwatches and are growing faster. Xiaotiancai’s domestic market share of children’s smart watches has basically remained above 30%.

Picture source: Little Genius

If Apple is the well-deserved TOP1 in the global smart wearable market, then Little Genius is an existence that cannot be bypassed in the market segment of children's smart wearable watches. Nowadays, the two are "running in both directions". When Apple Watch is undergoing a younger age transformation, the little genius is also actively breaking through to higher age groups.

On August 2, Xiaocai Tian officially released the latest product of the juvenile series: Xiaocai Tian flagship Z10 Junior Edition. This product is mainly aimed at middle school students and has been fully upgraded to meet the needs of user groups, such as time management, Youth system, learning, sports and other functions.

Previously, Little Talent has been focusing on primary school students. Relying on the unique social method of "touch and touch", it has become an essential tool for making friends among primary school students. The advantage of first impression has caused the little genius to form a social barrier that is difficult for any brand to break, even Apple is no exception. Therefore, in the children's market such as primary school students, Lei Technology does not believe that Apple can gain share by relying on plastic materials.

Source: Little Genius

However, when the target users change from children to teenagers, the situation is completely different.

Nowadays, all teenagers have mobile phones and social accounts on their mobile phones, such as WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin. Many middle schools do not allow middle school students to bring mobile phones to school, but they can still use them freely on weekends and holidays. It is indeed necessary to expose middle school students to mobile phones as a tool and the Internet world on mobile phones.

Little Genius has its own ecosystem and adopts a closed-loop social approach. That is, only users of this brand are allowed to add friends, and mainstream APPs such as WeChat and QQ are not supported. WeChat is built-in as a social software. The "social ecology" that the little genius has worked so hard to build among children will be vulnerable once it faces mainstream social ecology such as WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin.

Looking at it this way, middle school students will be the home field of Apple Watch and Android smart watches. Little Genius has no obvious advantages, and there will also be problems with the adaptation of watches and mobile phones. Brands such as Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi all have mobile phone products and have sufficient conditions to lead the creation of more new features. Even if a young genius has a good idea, it will be difficult to implement it on their mobile phones first. After all, no one wants to contribute to competitors. .

Photo source: Xiaomi

Even Apple Watch wants to be a product for children and teenagers, and the market competition is fierce, which is evident. With the widespread application of artificial intelligence technology, children's smart watches and even smart watches for all ages will be closely integrated with AI technology to develop new functions and usage scenarios, such as smart assistants and AI learning tools with active sensing capabilities. In terms of the research and development and application of AI technology, major manufacturers such as Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi have obvious advantages. From this point of view, in the future smart watch market, the children's group will still be the sphere of influence of young geniuses, and the youth and adult markets will probably be It will be a "fight between gods".

In the first half of 2024, the technology world is turbulent.

Large models are accelerating, AI mobile phones, AI PCs, AI home appliances, AI search, AI e-commerce...AI applications are emerging in endlessly;

Vision Pro is on sale and launched in the Chinese market, setting off another wave of XR space computing;

HarmonyOS NEXT Officially released, the mobile OS ecology has changed;

Cars have fully entered the "second half", and intelligence has become a top priority;

E-commerce competition is becoming increasingly fierce, with lower prices and higher services;

The wave of going overseas is surging, and Chinese brands are embarking on the journey of globalization ;

...

In July, Lei Technology·Mid-year review topic is online, summarizing the brands, technologies and products worth recording in the first half of 2024 in the technology industry, recording the past and looking forward to the future, so stay tuned.

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