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Apple's 'iWatch' Planned to Launch 'As Soon As This Year', Could Include Biosensors and Mapping Features

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple's long-awaited smartwatch could launch as early as this year, claims a Bloomberg article.

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The article also claims to have information on planned functionality from sources familiar with Apple's plans. Although there has been much speculation about what Apple is planning for its smart watch, there has until now been very little in the way of specific claims of functionality from sources deemed to be reputable by mainstream news organizations.
Features under consideration include letting users make calls, see the identity of incoming callers and check map coordinates, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren't public. It would also house a pedometer for counting steps and sensors for monitoring health-related data, such as heart rates, this person said.
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A Citigroup analyst quoted in the article estimates that an Apple smartwatch could generate twice as much profit as an Apple television.

Oliver Chen, an analyst specializing in luxury goods, says that while the global TV market at $119 billion is larger than the global watch market at $60 billion, margins on watches are four times greater: 60% versus 15%. If Apple were to achieve a 10% market share in each, that would mean a gross profit of $3.6 billion for watches, versus $1.79 billion for televisions.

Article Link: Apple's 'iWatch' Planned to Launch 'As Soon As This Year', Could Include Biosensors and Mapping Features
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/03/04/apples-iwatch-planned-to-launch-as-soon-as-this-year-could-include-biosensors-and-mapping-features/
Chupa Chupa

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
Wondering if it will come out before my Pebble ships. At this point, I think so.
 
ironsienna

ironsienna

macrumors regular
Oct 28, 2010
215
0
I was thinking to order a Patek Philippe 5002P but now I will wait... This is gonna be much cooler! :p
 
antonis

antonis

macrumors 68020
Jun 10, 2011
2,085
1,009
I guess there will be a new cloud service as well: "Find my hand" ? Creepy.
 
L

levitynyc

macrumors 65816
Aug 19, 2006
1,123
3,704
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.

Watches are used for their jewelry/status symbols.
 
S

SimonTheSoundMa

macrumors 65816
Aug 6, 2006
1,033
213
Birmingham, UK
Totally useless product. The same is with the pebble. If I want to know who's calling, I get my phone out of my pocket, not forgetting you have the charge the Pebble more than once per day.
 
KdParker

KdParker

macrumors 601
Oct 1, 2010
4,793
998
Everywhere
Waiting to see what this final product.

Not impressed with the early reports so far, but the early reports have been wrong before...
 
rdlink

rdlink

macrumors 68040
Nov 10, 2007
3,226
2,435
Out of the Reach of the FBI
levitynyc said:
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.

Watches are used for their jewelry/status symbols.
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Wow, so you're the one who was appointed arbiter of how I tell time. I was wondering why, every time I lift my hand up and look at my watch I felt a shock in my pocket from my iPhone.
 
T

till

macrumors regular
Dec 3, 2007
248
1,563
New York or Berlin
The heart rate monitor is the first interesting thing I've heard about an alleged iWatch.

If they market this as a health and fitness device (as they've attempted before with the Nike stuff), it could be something genuinely useful rather than just another toy.
 
rdlink

rdlink

macrumors 68040
Nov 10, 2007
3,226
2,435
Out of the Reach of the FBI
SimonTheSoundMa said:
Totally useless product. The same is with the pebble. If I want to know who's calling, I get my phone out of my pocket, not forgetting you have the charge the Pebble more than once per day.
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Umm, the Pebble is rated for 7 days on a single charge. Granted, they are struggling with that for some users, and working on the issue. But once a day is not anywhere near correct.
 
T

technopimp

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2009
645
219
I'm not a tinfoil-hat kind of person, but geez-if I was wearing something that knew where I was, and what kind of health I was in, that kind of information is too tempting not to be exploited. Now when someone figures out how to mine that data you'll be walking past a 7-11 and get an alert saying "hey fatty, Double Big Gulps are 50% off!"
 
S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
JaySoul said:
"Long-awaited" since a few months ago.
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Exactly my thought.

And so far - nothing that's been mentioned is exciting (to me). I'm sure if Apple is going to enter the market - they'll bring something more than just alerts, mapping and biometrics.

Then again - if nothing else - it will be a device that is seamlessly integrated with iOS.

No doubt the popularity of Nike Fuel (and other similar tech) + Pebble watch media frenzy has made an impression.
 
S

sushant08

macrumors newbie
Jun 1, 2012
15
0
So just hours after the first galaxy S4 teaser is released,we have this report.coincidence?!?
 
Chupa Chupa

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
levitynyc said:
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.

Watches are used for their jewelry/status symbols.
Click to expand...

Right, tell that to all the sports watch manufacturers. :rolleyes:. Also most business people and professionals wear watches b/c there are plenty of situations where it's impolite to pop out your phone and there isn't a clock in sight.

But never mind all that... we'll see what Apple does, but you might want to get that old hat or crow out, ready to eat.
 
Gasu E.

Gasu E.

macrumors 603
Mar 20, 2004
5,033
3,150
Not far from Boston, MA.
SimonTheSoundMa said:
Totally useless product. The same is with the pebble. If I want to know who's calling, I get my phone out of my pocket, not forgetting you have the charge the Pebble more than once per day.
Click to expand...

If I want to communicate with someone, I just run down to the telegraph office and have a real expert type out a message. Not to mention, to use a phone the person on the other end needs to have one themselves; and often it's really hard to hear what they're saying.
 
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