Business Insider
This is a fake Apple Watch. But, you get the idea.
The watch was announced last year, and is expected to be released in March.
Last week at CES, we spoke with someone that has worked on wearable technology. This person was skeptical that Apple's watch will be a smash hit like its other products. Interestingly, this person's skepticism almost exactly echoed what another person from the wearables industry told us late last year.
They say that for a wearable to succeed, people have to want to wear it. A black screen sitting on someone's wrist will not look good, and therefore, the product will fail.
We've previously argued that Apple's watch will succeed because Apple will build a good looking device that people want to wear on their wrists.
Much like people pay a premium to wear status symbols like a Rolex, people will pay to have an Apple Watch, which will also be a status symbol.
The key difference between a Rolex and an Apple Watch is that a Rolex's watch face is lively. The hands move around, it's got color and other stylistic touches that quickly show your status to the world. A smart watch is a black rectangle that only springs to life if your wrist moves.
People just aren't going to want LCD screens on their wrists, according to the people we talked to. Screens don't look good on the wrist, and that's the most important thing for something people will be wearing.
We don't know if their skepticism will prove to be right, but it's an interesting thought worth kicking around.