Tag: smartwatches

Atom Bank looks to wearable technology despite potential concerns

| April 14, 2015

Even though consumers have expressed certain worries and have been resistant, the institution is moving forward.

The chief exec and co-founder of Atom Bank, Mark Mullen, has revealed that the financial institution is looking into a future of banking that uses wearable technology, even though there are worries with regards to the resistance that consumers might have toward it.

Mullen feels that this digital lender from the United Kingdom is ready for an app designed for smartwatches.

Mullen explained that “I think wearable technology has a long-term future in creating an ecosystem of connective technology held together by the cloud.” Apple has already opened up its own Watch for pre-sale and it will be available for purchase later this month. This is expected by many to be the start of the launch of smartwatches into the mainstream market. It is also anticipated that it will be more than just the Atom Bank that will be focusing on creating banking apps for wearables.

Barclay’s has already revealed that it is among the first banks to release a wearable technology app for the Apple Watch.

Wearable Technology - BankingThat Apple Watch app is among the select few that have been made available even before the official launch of the device. The smartwatch app has been designed to let customers check their current account balance no matter where they are.

Mullen explained that through the app that Atom Bank is developing, customers will be capable of using their bank services no matter what device they prefer, regardless of whether it is a smartwatch, a smartphone, or over the traditional internet. He stated that “I think we will be one of many looking to optimise better services. The customer has to buy this technology and it’s about whether we respond or not,” and that “I think the Apple Watch is one example, but portable technology generally has a long way to go.”

According to a report on ft.com, people familiar with the matter have said that the bank intends to bring in at least another £75 million from investors by the summer, ahead of the launch of the banking app.

Apple Watch can be purchased only by way of reservations

| April 10, 2015

The Apple Store will not be selling these smartwatches directly to consumers, as many had expected.

An official announcement was recently made that revealed that people who had been hoping to make a direct purchase of the Apple Watch may be disappointed as the company will be using a reservation system instead of sending it out to the retail store shelves.

The smartwatches will not be making their way to the shelves of the Apple Store to be picked up by consumers.

Instead, the only thing that will be possible for consumers to make in-store will be to make reservations for the Apple Watch devices that they want. This will involve a unique reservation system that will open up on April 10. It will make it possible for customers to reserve the model that they want and then pick up the smartwatch device at the Apple Store of their choice once it becomes available on April 24.

The reservations for the Apple Watch need to be made with a representative of the company’s retail stores.

Apple - Apple WatchMaking the appointment gives consumers the opportunity to try out the smartwatch for themselves before they make the reservations to actually purchase one. While this may lead to disappointment for those who had hoped to make their purchase within the actual retail stores, the hope is that they will feel more confident in selecting the model that they want when they reserve it online, particularly after trying it out with a store rep.

Apple has made this decision to be able to ensure that they will have enough stock of the models that the customers want, when they begin their shipments. This way, shoppers won’t end up having to face letdowns when the model that they want goes out of stock in the retail stores where they want to buy them.

The Apple Watch reservation system will provide the company with the reaction time that is needed to ensure that it will be able to keep all of the stock dispatch issues sorted out. The pre-orders for the smartwatches will begin in the United States, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan.