Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

...If one thing is clear, it’s that Apple doesn’t see any of the current smart watches as competition. Apple’s aspirations are far far greater than to just shrink the iPhone and put it on your wrist. Apple wants to produce something so great that millions and millions of people who have never worn a watch will buy it and use it. This isn’t just a better smart watch, this is a better watch.

Purpose — Why make a watch?

Why make a watch? What can you do better on a watch than you can on a phone or a tablet? What can you only do with a watch that would otherwise be impossible in any other form factor? What can you do to make a watch so good that people who have never worn a watch start wearing one?

After weeks of mulling it over, here are some key requirements I believe will dictate the design of Apple’s iWatch....

The smartwatch market is dominated by Samsung, followed by Sony and Pebble, according to a mid-May Strategy Analytics report, but that may change as soon as Apple’s rumored iWatch launches.

Obtained by Forbes, a new research note from Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty reveals that Apple’s ecosystem strength and consumer loyalty are going to drive an incredible amount of sales in the first year alone.

Citing data from AlphaWise, Huberty says that Apple’s brand loyalty continues to grow and that, thanks to its integrated ecosystem of devices and the “halo effect,” Apple may be able to sell more than 30 million iWatch units in the first 12 months, for $300 a pop. iWatch sales would bring in an extra $9 billion in revenue, and $0.49 EPS – that’s the “worst case” scenario, with the stock seen driving up to $110 as a result.

In the “bull case,” Huberty sees Apple selling 60 million smartwatches in the first year, with stock hitting $132 by the same time next year....