Apple’s still-unconfirmed but long rumored smartwatch is poised to be a sales juggernaut and the product hasn’t even been officially unveiled yet.
But will the so-called “iWatch” be a hit with mobile gamers, online poker players, and other high-stakes digital gamblers?
According to mobile security expert Kent Fillings, the smartwatches of tomorrow could become a huge platform for gaming, as more states legalize such activities within their borders.
“Everyone is talking about the ecommerce potential of the iWatch and rival devices, but I think the gaming potential is equally as impressive,” Fillings says.
While the industry watcher believes that the security of tomorrow’s leading smartwatches will be ample enough to lend comfort and confidence to mobile gamers, the small screen may offer limitations to the gaming experience.
“I can see smartwatches being an excellent platform for gamers to monitor gameplay, check rewards, make strategic moves in a protracted gaming experience, and the like,” he says. “I just don’t think online poker is going to become the next big thing for smartwatches. But it could help gamers stay connected to their gaming activities in an entirely new way.”
Although we may not see Apple’s inaugural smartwatch until well into 2014, investment firm Piper Jaffray projects that the company could sell as many as 10 million units in its first year of availability.
“While we do not view the watch as a likely needle-mover for Apple in terms of revenue in 2014, we put it in a similar category as the television in that it could demonstrate Apple’s ability to innovate (good for the multiple) and potentially lead to a more meaningful new product category in wearable tech,” says Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.
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