Steve Jobs’ Original Inspiration for the Apple Watch Is Probably Different Than You Think
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Late Apple co-founder and former CEO, Steve Jobs, unfortunately passed away back in October, 2011 — over a full three years prior to Apple ultimately taking the wraps off its 1st generation wearable, the Apple Watch. However, despite the logistical nature of what some may be quick to believe — that, since Jobs was absent, he couldn’t have had much to do with the Apple Watch, a new inside report alleges that Steve was actually one of the primary inspirations behind the concept and development of the Cupertino-company’s wrist-hugging super computer.
According to TIME Magazine’s Tim Bajarin, who reportedly sat down to interview a consortium of top Apple executives who worked on bringing the company’s first wearable device to market, the real reason that Apple decided to jump aboard the wearables bandwagon was not to compete in the progressive, up-and-coming wearables market. But rather, Apple created its Watch — which, technologically speaking, transcends the capabilities of most dedicated wearable devices on the market today — because Steve Jobs envisioned a healthcare system in which the gap between patients, their vital data, and their healthcare providers was reconciled by a single, intuitive and universal platform.
According to Bajarin, though the late Apple co-founder succumbed to an aggressive case of Pancreatic cancer at 56-years of age, Jobs, prior to his death, had “spent a great deal of time with doctors and the healthcare system.” And it was during this time that “Jobs discovered just how disjointed the healthcare system can be.”
In light of this, according to Bajarin, Jobs then decided to dedicate his final years to creating and, at some point in time, integrating, new and intuitive products that would ultimately lead to better, more efficient healthcare for Apple’s customers.
And we’d say that mission has certainly been successful in the years since Jobs’ passing, although it is, for the record, still very much a work in progress. Patients and Practitioners, for example, now have access to Apple’s new HealthKit — a complex platform for up-and-coming apps that can be utilized to record and share vital data between patients and their practitioners. There’s also CareKit, which, unveiled at Apple’s March 21st “Let Us Loop You In” media event, not only allows practitioners to provide specifically tailored treatment plans for their patients, but also allows these practitioners to track their patient’s progress.
And, of course, let us not forget Apple’s all-new ResearchKit — which enables iPhone and iPad users to participate in surveys that will ultimately provide practitioners with useful data by which to better understand certain health conditions. An iconic example of this would be Boston Children’s Hospital’s ‘Feverprints’ study that was recently introduced.
Jobs’ primary goal was to create a product that helped Apple’s customers get healthy, and stay healthy, with the help of technology. And, to that end, as Bajarin states, “Apple concluded that a standard fitness tracker couldn’t do the types of things Jobs and current Apple executives really wanted to see. That’s how the Apple Watch came about.”
“Apple is on a mission to improve the overall health of its customers as well as that of the healthcare system, a task Jobs gave them before he died,” Bajarin added.
We have to admit, it’s pretty interesting to receive the “inside scoop,” so to speak, regarding the genuine purpose and intent of the Apple Watch. You know, a lot of people are likely quick to rationalize, “Oh, Apple just wants to line it’s pockets with money, and yadda yadda yadda.” But, in all actuality, these devices — whether on our wrist or in our pocket — are all serving a far greater purpose in our everyday lives than even the eye can see.
What are your thoughts on the Apple Watch as a healthcare tool?
Do you use it for the purpose that Apple intended it?
Or solely to satisfy your insatiable Domino’s Pizza cravings?
Let us know in the comments!