10 Years of Apple Watch: How It Evolved and What’s Next

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I wasn’t always hooked on the idea of an Apple Watch, especially back when it first launched on April 24, 2015. Unless you were into tracking workouts (which I wasn’t) it didn’t seem necessary at all, especially if you already had an iPhone. A decade later, I’m one of those people who swear by it as a sanity-saving tool for juggling work and life. (Still don’t care about my fitness rings, though.)

Apple is celebrating the watch’s 10th anniversary with a few digital treats and even giving away pins at stores on April 24th for a special “Close Your Rings Day.” So for this week’s episode of One More Thing, which you can watch embedded above, I wanted to look back on the history of the Apple Watch and how this wearable computer expanded Apple’s health business — and changed how we interact with tech. 

The Apple Watch itself had quite a start, debuting at a two-hour Apple live event on September 9, 2014. It was the same day Apple revealed its first plus-size phone with the iPhone 6, and it was when the company introduced Apple Pay. You might also remember it as the day Apple put a U2 album on everyone’s iPhone. 

As more sensors were added, the Apple Watch became a silent guardian of sorts, warning you of potential health issues, calling emergency services for you or reminding you to take a meditation break. Apple gear wasn’t just for cutting-edge creatives; it offered confidence to anyone hoping to live la healthier life.

But beyond health, Apple Watch also played another roll. It became a connectivity tool that could cut screen time. (If, that is, you learned the art of effective notification controls.) It helped me step away from my laptop and phone and spend time with kids without worry I’d miss an important message.

Some people are now making iPod-like cases for the watch to turn it into something that keeps you connected to media and contacts without all the doom scrolling. 

What’s in store for the next 10 years? Perhaps it will monitor blood pressure or blood glucose, as the rumors suggest. Maybe it’ll have a folding screen, as we see in patents. I don’t think people will necessarily want that much tech on their wrists, but then again, a decade ago I didn’t even think I needed any tech on my mine.

If you’re looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.