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Rockondevil

macrumors member
Aug 25, 2012
71
68
These days I only wear my watch as more of a fashion item if I am going out rather than to tell the time.
However that doesn't mean smart watches are useless as so many people are saying.

I love the concept of the Pebble, but currently I don't think it does quite enough to warrant a purchase for me. Nor does it look aesthetically appealing which is the biggest importance for me in a watch.

People use fitness bands such as the Nike Fuel band for example. These bands could and should be part of the watch because that would nearly seal the deal for me right there.

All guessing for now though before we actually see if they have anything up their sleeves and what it is.
But why couldn't it nearly completely control your phone without having to get it out of your pocket. Obviously it would use the phone via bluetooth for all its needs.
Chuck in siri, surely it could get a small microphone and speaker.
What about FaceTime? I personally couldn't see FaceTime being something in the first generation of these smart watches, but in the future why not.
Then you have the standard uses like emails, messages etc.

Perhaps you could even take calls on it. Yeah it might look funny, but I've seen people calling on the iPad and it isn't like its any weirder.
Maybe it doesn't even have to look like your standard watch. Could it perhaps be just a band that you would hardly notice on somebody? There are watches like that in existence that are so thin you nearly don't see them. That could be interesting to as it might be more appealing to a whole different group.

I personally think the price is the big yay or nay for this though. It would need to be appealing in style for many people, probably many different options.
By having a lower than Apple standard price tag they could possibly get more people involved in the eco-system because they would see this device could work flawlessly with all other Apple products.

In the end it's still speculation at this point, but I for one hope to see something like this.

Here is the sort of style I mentioned above that might be more appealing to the people who don't think a standard watch is an ideal choice - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1655017763/cst-01-the-worlds-thinnest-watch
 
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Mak47

macrumors 6502a
Mar 27, 2011
751
32
Harrisburg, PA
I'd like to see this as a standalone device. Since the iPad and iPad mini, my iPhone generally serves little purpose as anything more than a phone.

Build the phone, with improved Siri functionality into the "watch". Let it sync contacts, calendars, reminders etc with iCloud. Use Siri as the interface. Let it connect to Bluetooth headsets for those who care to use them--or vehicles. Or just plug in the earbuds. Let it get music from iTunes Match.

It would need a decent processor, but no high powered graphics needed.

If they did this and made it work, I'd be on it in a heartbeat. It would be a very sic-fi kind of product. The wrist communicator if you will, and it would make my former 10 year old self extremely happy.

A simple Bluetooth connected smartwatch would be a waste in my opinion.
 

Tar Sniffer

macrumors 6502
Apr 11, 2012
273
1
Its purpose is puzzling given the small screensize, and the fact that the iPhone is already attached to us, but if they create a convenient way to recharge than I'll probably buy one.
 

RodThePlod

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2005
811
454
London
Can't wait for this!

I can't wait for this! I think some people in this thread are being extermely short sighted by saying its "only a watch" and "I have my <insert-name-of-expensive-watch-here> so why would I need an iWatch?".

Just like the iPod, (which was met with much negativity on its introduction), the iWatch will be a game-changer.

Wearable computing is the way forward here, folks. Tablets and smartphones have to be carried which, for some people, is a pain. Because one or both of your hands are occupied while interacting with it. Why not strap your computer to your arm and leave your hands free?

Google are ploughing ahead with their take on wearable computing - the Goggles project. Its certainly interesting, but personally, I don't see this taking off for a number of reasons; it's way too geeky looking, (can you imagine you, your partner, and maybe your kids all walking around with these things on?) also, it shouts "look at me with these mega expensive glasses on my head"; before you know it, your Goggles will probably get ripped off your head by some dude on a mountain bike. IPhones, iPods, etc. you can put in your pocket when not in use, but the idea of Goggles calls for the, to be in-situ most of the time you're out and about.

I think a Smartwatch is a much more considered, subtle and intelligent approach to the idea of wearable computing; In five years time, i predict there will be many, many more iWatch users than Goggles users. I have some ideas of its functionality, but I'm sure the killer app will be the Siri interface as well as communication with other Apple devices.

I say "Apple: bring it on!".

RTP.
 

smiddlehurst

macrumors 65816
Jun 5, 2007
1,228
30
I read an article the other day (that I can't find now, sorry!) on this that raised some very interesting ideas and, I'll admit, totally flipped my views on such a device. The basic design proposed would effectively be a bunch of sensors, low power Bluetooth 4 connectivity, touch control for basic tasks and Siri for complicated ones with an iDevice handling the heavy lifting. That suddenly starts to make a lot of sense especially in one crucial area.

Next stage of smartphones seems to be replacing your wallet. While I'm still personally unconvinced about this approach I can see how it could work but the big problem remains having to pull out your smartphone to make a payment, use Passbook or anything else where you need either screen or sensor. The example I keep coming back to is using an iPhone as an Oyster card on the London Underground. To get through a barrier you tap the card / phone on a reader and walk through, simple right? Well, yes, when you're using a plastic card. Using a smartphone you'd almost certainly see a huge rise in theft as all a crim has to do is grab the phone as you walk through the barrier. They have your phone, you're on the wrong side of a closed gate with no way back through.

Move the NFC sensor to a watch however and suddenly things get a LOT better. No need to go fishing for a phone in a pocket or bag. No risk of dropping your expensive smartphone and seeing it smashed either on the floor or under the feet of rushing commuters. Much, much harder to steal and if anything it'd speed up transaction times from current methods. By making it a companion device, rather than a standalone one, you solve a bunch of problems (power & interface restrictions amongst them), vastly reduce the cost and open up a ton of new functionality. It's an approach that would seem to match the way Apple tend to do things and be very accessible to the non-technical user while tying in nicely to the existing ecosystem.

Certainly an interesting area of speculation and if Apple do release a product it's going to be fascinating to see which way they go with it.
 
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macs4nw

macrumors 601
How often do you see teens these days wearing a watch? Not every day do you hear the next generation saying: "OMG I NEED THIS NOW! NEW WATCH!"

But then again, they haven't seen it yet, have they? Trends come and go, don't write it off just yet.
If as expected, it has compelling features, it'll be the next must-have product that, especially teens, will be lining up for, by the millions.
 

Thunderhawks

Suspended
Feb 17, 2009
4,057
2,118
The Apple iWatch. I bet it'll feature a voice command to tell you the time & date

For the Polish version YOU tell the time to the watch!

----------

I read an article the other day (that I can't find now, sorry!) on this that raised some very interesting ideas and, I'll admit, totally flipped my views on such a device. The basic design proposed would effectively be a bunch of sensors, low power Bluetooth 4 connectivity, touch control for basic tasks and Siri for complicated ones with an iDevice handling the heavy lifting. That suddenly starts to make a lot of sense especially in one crucial area.

Next stage of smartphones seems to be replacing your wallet. While I'm still personally unconvinced about this approach I can see how it could work but the big problem remains having to pull out your smartphone to make a payment, use Passbook or anything else where you need either screen or sensor. The example I keep coming back to is using an iPhone as an Oyster card on the London Underground. To get through a barrier you tap the card / phone on a reader and walk through, simple right? Well, yes, when you're using a plastic card. Using a smartphone you'd almost certainly see a huge rise in theft as all a crim has to do is grab the phone as you walk through the barrier. They have your phone, you're on the wrong side of a closed gate with no way back through.

Move the NFC sensor to a watch however and suddenly things get a LOT better. No need to go fishing for a phone in a pocket or bag. No risk of dropping your expensive smartphone and seeing it smashed either on the floor or under the feet of rushing commuters. Much, much harder to steal and if anything it'd speed up transaction times from current methods. By making it a companion device, rather than a standalone one, you solve a bunch of problems (power & interface restrictions amongst them), vastly reduce the cost and open up a ton of new functionality. It's an approach that would seem to match the way Apple tend to do things and be very accessible to the non-technical user while tying in nicely to the existing ecosystem.

Certainly an interesting area of speculation and if Apple do release a product it's going to be fascinating to see which way they go with it.

$ 299 for 16 GB
 

h&p

macrumors newbie
Feb 13, 2013
5
0
i miss LiquidMetal Rumors...

LiquidMetal: When it comes to how an iWatch might look, there is much debate about whether it would go the iPod nano route or instead take design cues from a more traditional watch. One possibility is LiquidMetal. Apple has been patenting a lot of technologies and manufacturing processes related to using LiquidMetal in different form factors since acquiring rights to the amorphous metal alloys. We also already saw the material used before in high-end watches (video above), but have not seen the highly versatile material make a major contribution to Apple’s product lines.

-----

Watchstrap: Apple could go with a high quality LiquidMetal for the watch’s strap, but it could also have a huge market in inexpensive, interchangeable watchstraps like it did with the sixth-generation iPod nano. According to the Wall Street Journal, Foxconn and Apple have tested watch prototypes. One patent coming from Foxconn gave us a look at a watchstrap that integrates a way to store headphones and an extra battery in the strap itself (pictured above).




http://9to5mac.com/2013/02/12/heres-all-of-the-public-information-on-apples-watchmaking-activity/
 

darkplanets

macrumors 6502a
Nov 6, 2009
853
1
For the same reason why we still use an iPhone even though there is an iPad. Or the same reason we use an iPad even though there is a Mac. Smaller devices offer different functionality and work better at certain things. You don't want to carry around a Mac Pro in your backpack, and you don't want to carry a n iPad in your pocket. You don't want to carry an iPhone around on your wrist, so they're making the iWatch.

My point was that at a certain size, usability becomes nill. Again, I always carry my phone with me. Why do I need an iPod nano-sized device (with almost no extra capabilities)? It's absurd. It won't even be good for media consumption due to the placement.

The reason why the iPad made sense was that it increased screen real estate and power over the phone while retaining the portability. This made it preferable to a laptop for light computing, though it naturally lost its phone capability. Scaling down the screen from an iPhone and removing many features beyond calling doesn't satisfy any niche.
 

tekno

macrumors 6502a
Oct 15, 2011
842
4
I spent £1,000 on a watch about four years ago, have worn it daily and it still looks as good as new.

Judging by people's iPhones, I very much doubt an Apple watch will be the same quality and have the same longevity - unless, of course, people cover their iWatches in cheap and tacky rubber cases rather than wear them 'naked'.
 

mindvent

macrumors newbie
Feb 17, 2012
19
0
I'm guessing Apple will make Siri the main interface for iWatch.

Will likely sync to your iPhone and use voice control; send texts, search for information etc

Siri will need major improvements etc, but that's how I can imagine it.

Edit - also, might explain a proper use for that fingerprint security stuff Apples been playing with. Press thumb to watch to activate/authenticate then speak to Siri.
 

hello12

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2012
146
51
My prediction: iWatch may simply be a basic watch that can do things like an ipod can. Also, maybe have integration with your iphone and other apple devices.
BUT - I predict that the apple watch may eventually play a big role in the development of a type of glasses like google glasses, where the watch can act like a controller for the glasses.... maybe.
 

G4DP

macrumors 65816
Mar 28, 2007
1,451
3
Such a watch would be awesome, would be definitely interested.

I'm sure the watch wouldn't have much functionality of its own and depend on iPhone, iPad, iPod. Possibly even integrate with Macbook, now they have Bluetooth 4 too.

There's so much potential in smart watches.. Give a new life to watch market overall.

So what is the point if it needs another iDevice to work? You shouldn't need to have another device with you to use a watch, that defeats the point.

Having a watch tell you the time and date is stupid, it'll be quicker to look at the screen.
 

JaySoul

macrumors 68030
Jan 30, 2008
2,629
2,865
Wearable fitness is the future.

You're an idiot if you can't see it. Tim Cook can, he's no idiot.
 

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2011
3,145
3,861
So what is the point if it needs another iDevice to work? You shouldn't need to have another device with you to use a watch, that defeats the point.

Except that the point here would be to provide all sorts of information at a quick glance. No longer would it be necessary to pull your iPhone out of your pocket and turn on the screen every time in makes a noise. It could potentially also offer some anti-theft functionality, similar to that keychain device that was released recently.
 

Åkerfeldt

macrumors newbie
Oct 17, 2009
15
0
Sweden
An iWatch with Siri support is so 80's

knight-rider.jpg
 

sinfonye

macrumors regular
Nov 22, 2010
121
3
I'm going to call BS on this.

Tim Cook said Apple will only enter a field if they can greatly improve it or disrupt it. I don't see how a "curved" glass watch disrupts anything. And I can't imagine that Apple would sell that many of these.

Or could this be a device targeted strictly for fitness? A combo pedometer, GPS device, radio, and phone for exercising?

Don't think of it as a watch.

A miniature wearable iphone and iPod that gives bluetooth-free hands-free, allows control of smart devices, and connects to your car and tv
could be an interesting device and might even kill bigger phones.
It's kind of what google is aiming for with google
glasses, but without the clunky, awkward Joe 90 feel...
 

F1 Fan

macrumors regular
Apr 18, 2012
201
12
Germany
Don't wear a watch. Haven't done for years. Can't see what Apple could do with a wrist mounted device. If this makes it to market, I probably still won't see what all the fuss is about but millions of people will buy it for myriad different reasons, most of which will be functions / practical uses.

Just because I can't imagine a use for it doesn't mean they won't create something massively useful and popular, perhaps redifining the way we all use our tech. Who knows, maybe even I will decide I *have* to have one!
 

GermanyChris

macrumors 601
Jul 3, 2011
4,185
5
Here
It's amazing how many people, without even knowing anything about what this watch will be capable of, how much it will cost, what it looks like, etc have already decided if they'll buy it or not :rolleyes:

On another note, 100 people is a pretty big team at Apple. I wonder if the product is really that big of a deal to them, or if one of Cook's ideas was to increase team size in general.

I don't need to see it or it's specs to know I won't buy it, I simply won't buy it it's not difficult.

Where is that picture from? That thing looks horrible.

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So you use a wind-up watch? That must be really fun.

Even if it is a wind-up watch and not automatic, wind-up watches are just not that difficult. Im my case I wind-up my wind-up watch every night before I go to bed whether I wear that watch or not.

=========================

No I still don't own an iPad, my Phone is a 4, I have an iPod classic, and still wear a watch everyday.
 
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