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At this year's annual All Things Digital conference hosted by AllThingsD, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher asked Apple CEO Tim Cook about wearable devices, such as Apple's much rumored smart watch, which has been dubbed the "iWatch."

Tim Cook mentioned that he found wearables to be "incredibly interesting" and went on to say that it could be a "profound area." Cook himself is equipped with a Nike Fuelband, but believes that there's nothing "great" on the market, and that wearables are an area "ripe for exploration."

pebblesmartwatch.jpg
The Pebble smart watch
Of course, when pressed on whether Apple will be developing a wearable device, Cook declined to answer, though he did hint that it was an important area of potential development, and that while both glasses and watches had drawbacks, the wrist was "natural."
There's nothing that's going to convince a kid who has never worn glasses or a band or a watch or whatever to wear one. Or at least I haven't seen it. So I think there's lots of things to solve in this space, but it's an area where it's ripe for exploration, it's ripe for us all getting excited about. I think there will be tons of companies playing in this.

I see it as another very key branch of the tree.

I think from a mainstream point of view [glasses] are difficult to see. I think the wrist is interesting. I'm wearing this (Nike Fuelband) on my wrist, it's somewhat natural. But as I said before, I think for something to work here, you first have to convince people it's so incredible that they want to wear it.
With the growing popularity of smart watches like the Pebble, the Jawbone UP, and the Nike Fuelband, rumors about Apple's own smart watch have ramped up in recent months. Most recently, reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple's rumored iWatch will debut in the second half of 2014.

The watch, which will integrate with Apple's existing mobile lineup, is expected to feature a 1.5-2.0 inch display. The New York Times has suggested that Apple is experimenting with curved glass, and according to a February report from Bloomberg, Apple has a team of 100 product designers working on the smart watch.

MacRumors has full coverage of the interview with more of Tim Cook's comments on the iWatch.

Article Link: Tim Cook at D11: Wearables Are 'Incredibly Interesting', Nothing Great on the Market
 

spyguy10709

macrumors 65816
Apr 5, 2010
1,005
644
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino CA
I'd be so for a WELL DONE iWatch.

Please Apple, get this right. I really want something like an "always-on" notification center so I don't have to keep pulling out my phone.

So far, it seems like Apple doesn't want to rush it for a "cash-grab" which is a really good thing.
 

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
He's right about the glasses. People who've never worn glasses before are certainly not going to jump at the opportunity.
 

JayCee842

macrumors 6502a
Jan 21, 2013
589
0
None of us know if this market for "wearables" has any potential for huge profit, but I can most certainly bet Apple will jump on if it expands. I just hope that they will be one of the first - if not the first to introduce such technology.

The only problem is that Apple seems to be afraid to do anything really. They're afraid of risk.
 

jmgregory1

macrumors 68030
I would be the first to say that Apple designs great hardware, computers (Mac Pro), laptops, iPhones and iPads and have no qualms about having anyone see I use their hardware, but at least today, Apple won't get my money or attention for an iWatch. I love my Seiko Arctura Automatic and will wear it until it stops working, which will be a long time from now given it is an automatic. Watches just seem too much like a piece of jewelry and few people like to wear the same jewelry that millions of other people have.

There is a reason why there are so many watch companies and styles of watches. It just doesn't seem like the next evolution of tech. Not to me at least.
 

diazj3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2008
879
135
Pebble should register patents for their watch - all of it, as SJ would say - and then drag Apple through endless lawsuits. Including the way it fits on the wrist and the bands to hold it. :D

Perhaps that'll bring more innovating engineers instead of patent trolling lawyers to Apple.
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,084
31,014
So we need three separate write ups for basically nothing? As expected we learned nothing new from Cook except that he hired someone from the EPA. What exactly is there to discuss? :confused:
 

doelcm82

macrumors 68040
Feb 11, 2012
3,737
2,757
Florida, USA
He's right about the glasses. People who've never worn glasses before are certainly not going to jump at the opportunity.

Nor will people who once wore glasses, but have moved to contact lenses, or corrected their vision through surgery.

I haven't worn a watch in decades, either.

I could be wrong. This generation might really embrace these wearables while (most) old fogies like me shake our heads. Then they will in turn shake their heads while the next generation rushes to implantable computers.

These kids with their "transistor radios" have no respect for the way we did things in the good old days.
 

doelcm82

macrumors 68040
Feb 11, 2012
3,737
2,757
Florida, USA
Pebble should register patents for their watch - all of it, as SJ would say - and then drag Apple through endless lawsuits. Including the way it fits on the wrist and the bands to hold it. :D

Perhaps that'll bring more innovating engineers instead of patent trolling lawyers to Apple.

Then Pebble will become the new most hated company of the interwebs, countersued by every watchmaker in the world.
 

swarmster

macrumors 6502a
Jun 1, 2004
640
113
Not glasses, not a watch, but involving the 'natural wrist' where "there are other things in this space that could be interesting". Talk of 'sensors' and things being 'clear'.

Finally! Apple implants!


Oh my...Apple implant --> 'another branch of the tree' --> ripe --> Apple iPlant! Confirmed!
 
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LordQ

Suspended
Sep 22, 2012
3,582
5,653
Smartwatch? No, thank you. My Omega Seamaster is all I need on my wrist.
 

macse30

macrumors regular
Jul 30, 2009
196
0
"Nothing great." Translation: "We won't acknowledge great work done by a much smaller company that has delivered a product while we sit around and talk about "incredibly interesting profound areas."

I've had my Pebble for weeks and absolutely love it. I received my Boombot REX bluetooth speaker today (another Kickstarter). Holy ***** it is fun. The REX has great sound. I can control the playlist from my Pebble for music streaming on the REX. I can use Siri on the REX and use it for speakerphone.

Both pair up really well to my 4S at the same time. Hey Tim Cook, "incredibly interesting" just arrived and it's great. Check it out sometime.
 

NoNothing

macrumors 6502
Aug 9, 2003
453
511
Pebble should register patents for their watch - all of it, as SJ would say - and then drag Apple through endless lawsuits. Including the way it fits on the wrist and the bands to hold it. :D

Perhaps that'll bring more innovating engineers instead of patent trolling lawyers to Apple.

I think the major troll in Google suing Apple (first BTW) using standards essential patents.
 

unknwntrr

macrumors newbie
May 28, 2013
17
2
I'm not sure I'd wear any technology. I'm not wearing any now - no watch etc. what might be interesting would be intelligent clothing that connects to my phone when it's in my pocket.

I don't like the idea of something permanently emitting electro magnetic waves that close to my skin though. And I definitely won't charge my shirt before wearing it, that it will have to do in the washing machine…
 

otismotive77

macrumors 6502
May 18, 2013
467
0
tim cook is busy catching media's attention for the iWatch.
i hope they come out with a great smartwatch. i heard that iwatch will also have siri, apple maps, emails,etc.
 

AppleMark

macrumors 6502a
Jun 17, 2009
852
200
The CCTV Capital of the World
None of us know if this market for "wearables" has any potential for huge profit, but I can most certainly bet Apple will jump on if it expands. I just hope that they will be one of the first - if not the first to introduce such technology.

The only problem is that Apple seems to be afraid to do anything really. They're afraid of risk.

I did not hear that from the interview.

I only heard Tim Cook talking positively about TV and Watches. The fact that he was unprepared to go into details and say "yes we are going to make a watch" does not translate to being afraid.

Apple were not first with MP3, tablets or even computers. This should tell you everything you need to know....
 

Xiroteus

macrumors 65816
Mar 31, 2012
1,297
75
Be curious to find out if people will care enough. People likely stopped using watches to any great degree because they do not do enough so what is the point. If they release something that does a lot that can be looked at with ease it could do well.
 

757015

Guest
Oct 24, 2012
35
0
I did not hear that from the interview.

I only heard Tim Cook talking positively about TV and Watches. The fact that he was unprepared to go into details and say "yes we are going to make a watch" does not translate to being afraid.

Apple were not first with MP3, tablets or even computers. This should tell you everything you need to know....

Indeed.

I see the wearable computer (wrist or otherwise) market as very parallel to the MP3 player market in the early 2000's. There are already basic products out there. We are beginning to see more advanced stuff cropping up.

Apple will likely take its time, deploying later a product that they feel is vastly superior.

Like the iPod, I think the key to success here is cross platform compatibility.
 
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