The Apple Watch is due to be released this coming April. In light of that, Stijn Schuermans of Developer Economics took a look at three different features of the device that he thinks will set it apart from all the other watch devices.

First and foremost is the Watch’s healthcare functionality, called HealthKit.  CEO Tim Cook emphasized that optimizing the Watch for healthcare applications is a “very important area for me and a very important area for Apple”. This emphasis is supported by the fact that Apple has released an SDK solely dedicated to creating healthcare functionality for the Watch.  Although it will have to compete against entrenched opponents like Google Fit and Validic, it’s safe to assume that HealthKit developers are going to make the most of the Watch’s integration with the iDevice ecosystem.

Identity functions and their accompanying possibilities are what I find most interesting about the Watch. Biometric information has already been adopted for use by organizations as diverse as border control agencies and Disney theme parks. When coupled with the capabilities of Apple Pay, it’s possible we’ll start to see venues, restaurants, bars, and businesses where you can leave your wallet at home, and just bring your Watch along.

User-centric design is ostensibly the most “classic” of Apple’s tactics with the Watch. As Schuermans notes, Apple has long capitalized on a group of hardcore, dedicated users who purchase the first edition of each device the company produces. This establishes a strong enough user base to incentivize software developers to begin producing programs for the device. One killer app later, and Apple has another hit on their hands.

Check out the full article at Developer Economics, and keep an eye out for more Apple Watch news…we have something that’s just about ready to take out of the oven.