Apple's recent moves in the health and wellness technology segment are not yet on the level of game-changers such as the iPod and the iPhone. But the coming release of the Apple Watch and the company's HealthKit app has people talking — and competitors watching carefully.

The company's latest piece of hardware, the Apple Watch, is not the first of its kind. But it's likely to be the gold standard, due partly to Apple's well-polished marketing machine and partly to some truly innovative and useful features.

The watch will have many functions, among them sensors that position it as the next generation of personal activity monitor, following the popular FitBit bracelets or the Nike Fuel bands. Like those devices, it can count steps taken and calories burned, but Apple says it will have the potential to do much more.