Apple may show off more than watch at next event
Published Wed, Feb 11 2015 2:06 PM EST Updated Thu, Feb 12 2015 5:52 PM EST
Cadie Thompson@CadieThompson
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Apple has a lot of explaining to do.
While the tech giant showed off the Apple Watch at its iPhone launch in October, the company has since held its cards close, revealing only minimal information about the wearable device.
And even though its now known that the device will begin shipping in April, there's still plenty of things investors and consumers are waiting to learn about the smartwatch. But they may not have to wait much longer.
Earlier this month it was reported that Apple was planning an event on Feb. 24. While Apple has not confirmed that date, it is expected the company will announce a launch event in the near future, industry experts said.
Investors, as well as consumers, may expect to get an earful about the Apple Watch at the event, but the company may also have a few surprise announcements in store, those experts said.
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Apple still has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to the Apple Watch.
"They have left a lot of details to be filled in that they are going to fill in," said Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research. "From pricing, application availability and battery life to where consumers can buy it, all of those things have to be clarified."
The company has only disclosed the price of the sports model of the watch, which will cost about $350. But the gold model could cost as much as $5,000 and might be sold in high-end retailers, O'Donnell said.
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As for the battery life, reports say it could be as low as 2.5 hours.
But the key thing Apple will need to do is make consumers want the watch, and its best strategy will be to talk a lot about available apps, experts said.
"What we haven't seen yet is how Apple will sell this thing to consumers. How they will position it, and what the key selling points will be," said Jan Dawson, founder and chief analyst of Jackdaw Research.
"I really expect them to talk up third party applications. When the iPhone first launched it didn't have third party applications so it was all about what the phone could do out of the box. But what has happened with the iPhone and iPad is that what the third party developers bring to the table is a huge part of the appeal. And a huge part of what it is used for and why you would want it."
Beats streaming music service
Besides lots of news about the Apple Watch, the company could also reveal its music streaming ambitions.
Read More Apple to compete with Spotify, Rdio on streaming
It has been rumored that the company is planning to launch a Beats-based subscription music streaming service sometime this year. And the launch of the Apple Watch may be a good time for the company to make the official announcement, some analysts said.
"The subscription service seems like an obvious bet because the timing seems to be about right," Dawson said.
"I don't think there would be a sole event for a music service launch if they could hack it into this and do the two at the same time. And then of course if there is some implementation of the service on the watch, which I assume there will be, then it would be a logical time to highlight that, too. So I think that is the most obvious thing."
New iPad, new MacBook Air?
The tech giant may also reveal a new larger iPad and new models of its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, O'Donnell said.
It has been rumored for awhile that Apple is planning to launch an iPad with a 12-inch to 13-inch display screen. In October, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company had originally planned to mass produce the large iPad beginning in December, but was forced to push production back to early 2015 because of high iPhone demand.
While Apple has not confirmed it will be launching a bigger iPad, CEO Tim Cook has made it clear that the enterprise market is a priority, which is where the larger tablet would likely get the most traction.
It has also been reported that Apple is gearing up for an early-2015 MacBook Air refresh, which may mean the company will show off the newest model at its next event, O'Donnell said.
Earlier this week Apple Insider reported that the company has begun taking steps to prepare its international channel partners for the new inventory. Specifically, the company has stopped shipping older models of the MacBook Air to distributors and has given the OK for them to lower the price on certain in-stock models.
Then again, there's always the chance the company will stick to the Apple Watch and save other product announcements for a later date, said Scott Kessler, a senior equity analyst at S&P Capital IQ.
"I really feel like as much as in the past they have done events where multiple products are showcased, I think this really needs to be all about the Apple Watch," Kessler said. "There are just too many things they need to communicate clearly and comprehensively."