The Apple Watch through the ages

Last week, Apple unveiled its highly anticipated new feature for Apple Watch: Family Setup. Designed for families, Family Setup allows multiple watches to connect to one iPhone, perfect for families with dependents like young children or elderly family members.

Powered by Truphone’s global connectivity, the partnership brings the best wearable on the market to two new and very different demographics.

To celebrate another milestone in Truphone and Apple’s five-year-long partnership, we’ve taken a look back at the history of the Apple Watch, from its official debut to where we are now.

2014

We were first introduced to the Apple Watch concept back in September 2014 by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The announcement followed the launch of the iPhone 6, and back then the Apple Watch was much more of a smart accessory than what we’ve become accustomed to now. Nevertheless, it came with voice calling and messaging features, which in 2014 made your old Casio look a bit obsolete all of a sudden.

2016

Two years later, and we were introduced to the Apple Watch Series 2. This was a moment that the Apple Watch got some autonomy. Built-in GPS meant that the watch could find location data without being paired to an iPhone.

Series 2 also boasted better display features and a dual-core processor. This is also around the time we begin to see the ways in which the Apple Watch can transform the way we track our fitness, through its partnership with Nike.

2017

A year later and the Apple Watch Series 3 further proved that it was a device in its own right with the addition of voice calling. Launched at the same time as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X, the Apple Watch had already come along way since its time as a wrist accessory.

Alongside the ability to take calls, the Series 3 also let user’s stream music and interact with Siri.

2018

Previous iterations of the Apple Watch made it the perfect exercise companion, and a good substitute for your smartphone while doing so. But the launch of the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018 took its health credentials up a level.

The Series 4 was packed with new technologies to monitor not just your exercise routine, but your overall health. New features included an electrical heart sensor (ECG) feature, fall detection and Emergency SOS.

2019

In 2019, we got to meet the Apple Watch Series 5. While very similar to its predecessor, the Series 5 was the first Apple Watch to feature always-on display, meaning it functioned like a regular, old fashioned watch with the face permanently visible to the user.

2020

And that brings us up to…today. Last week Apple launched Apple Watch Family Setup.

Family Setup is specifically aimed at families looking to stay better connected. Where previously, a single iPhone could be paired to multiple Apple Watches, only one could be used at a time and each Watch would share the iPhone’s iCloud account. With Family Setup, customers can now use their iPhone to set up multiple Apple Watches for family members. Each Watch can then make or receive calls and messages, use Siri, use Maps, and more—with their own number and account.
It’s a great solution for people with younger children or elderly parents to regularly keep track of their whereabouts, their health and their online safety.

Powered by Truphone’s global network, the Family Setup feature brings the Apple Watch to a whole new generation of users.