We buy gadgets for convenience; they are supposed to make life easier and make the routine things we do a bit more exciting-it is all about the user experience. This is the reason why manufacturers pack in all the features they think consumers want just to have an edge over their competition.
In the last decade, Apple has had the most success both in predicting what consumers want and delivering the best user experience. This has been proven again and again every time a new device or model is launched, and by the ever increasing numbers of Apple users.
If you ask any Apple user why they chose to buy an Apple device, given that for the most part, Apple devices are much more expensive, they will give you a lot of reasons, but it really boils down to the fact that they know that they can enjoy their Apple device in any situation, at any occasion, and for whatever lifestyle or activity they want to indulge in.
No one can dispute the Apple cachet. Take the case ofthe iPhone.lt is not just another smartphone. Of course it can do everything other smartphones can do, like keep track of your Words by Presy Alba appointments, tasks and lists, but in addition, you can use it to take meeting notes and even make audio-visual presentations when you connect it to a projector.
At home, your iPhone can work as your entertainment system: plug it into your TV using a connector that you can buy from the iS tore and watch videos on a larger screen, and enjoy high quality audio via your home theater speakers.
Your iPhone can work as an exercise and health monitor as well. To keep fit, we have to do some sort of physical activity, whether we love to do it or not. Your iPhone can be a handy tool that keeps you motivated while making the activity itself more exciting. There is a wide selection of workout apps that you can download for free from the App Store. If you want to commit to a specific regimen, be it yoga, Pilates, Zumba, abs training, weight-training, jogging, or running, you will find an app that will make your exercise routine more fun and efficient.
If you walk to keep fit and you want to keep track of how many steps you make in a day or if you want to measure how far you walk around the track or a specific route, download the free Walk Star app and it will reward you with a star for every 1 000 steps you make, and you don’t even need to have GPS to make it work. For people who have more ambitious goals than just fitness, your iPhone can work as a training assistant if you plan to run a marathon or aim to join a triathlon. What’s more, many of the training resources for these activities are downloadable for free.
Staying motivated to carry on with an exercise regimen can be a challenge. Studies have shown that listening to music while exercising helps. The iPhone can multi-task and play your favorite exercise music while you’re monitoring the apps that keep track of the other other aspects of your workout.
Moderation in all things is key, so it is important that you monitor your heart rate and breathing to ensure that you’re not over-exerting and doing more damage than good. There’s a plethora of health-related apps that you can download to keep track of your health and well-being, and most keep a data history, which your doctor will find useful on your next physical check up.
Words by Presy Alba
First published in Gadgets Magazine March 2013