Are 'Appcessories' Headed to the Apple Store?

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Are 'Appcessories' Headed to the Apple Store?

Photo by nabekor - http://flic.kr/p/8vGqTy

Appcessories. Just the word sounds cool, blending the popularity of apps with the omnipresent accessories for your Apple device. But can a word create a trend? You decide. The idea is being promoted by a hardware developer that iPhone apps controlling hardware devices could be as big as that watermelon-flavored case or the Nike+ iPod add-on. Indeed, the Apple Store could feature the category soon – or not.

"Appcessories are going to play a significant role in the future of smartphones and applications," Jawbone vice president Bandar Antabi, tells gadget blog T3. He believes "more and more companies" will integrate apps with accessories and hardware to enhance smartphone use. Additionally, he suggest "there is a lot of motivation for retailers" to create appcessory sections" at their stores.

Uh-huh.

Turns out, while pretty bizarre sounding, the term "appcessory" has been around for a while – at least since mid-2010. The North Carolina firm New Potato seems to have coined the word to describe its iPhone charging dock that also behaves like a one-armed bandit. Prior to that, the company also sold a device that turns your iPhone into a remote control. Why anyone would want to convert a $200 smartphone into a $20 channel changer, is beyond me, but it proves there is precedent for such a category of Apple products.

Of course, what the Jawbone exec wants to highlight is the upcoming release of its health monitoring app that connects to the iPhone.

While the company would love to promote its products, there does not appear to be any evidence Antabi has an inside track on Apple's retail plans. So, will we see more "appcessories" linking the iPhone, iPod or iPad? Maybe. Will Apple be rushing to promote the category? Not likely anytime soon.