Former Apple Human Interface Developer Speculates on Future 'iWatch'

[b11051973]

I want an iWatch!!

[Bubba Satori]

Originally Posted by pixelpro

Next: An iShoe. Eliminates the need of a GPS in phone, monitors your weight, and improves dating chances!

Apple already patented it and is going to sue you for mentioning it.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/App...sor,20688.html

[theBB]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

Everyone says the dont want or don't need one, but how many of these people said the same thing when the iPhone and/or iPad came out?

Tons of people were begging Apple to come up with a phone and a tablet years before they were announced.

[ipedro]

Originally Posted by Mad Mac Maniac

It's pretty unbelievable how narrow minded many of the people are on this forum....

I had zero desire for a smartphone before the iPhone was announced. I loved my little small flip phone and it did everything I could ever want in a phone. The second I saw an iPhone I new I NEEDED one immediately. I see this same possibility with the iWatch.

Sure, you say most people don't wear watches? That may be true (although I think there are a lot more watch wearers than you realize), but that's simply because most watches only serve one function... to tell time, and we all get that on our phones.

But the possibilities are endless with an iWatch, assuming it's implemented correctly (and with proper security). Wirelessly charged as you sleep each night. Warns you when you walk away from your phone. Can ask "where's my phone?" and it makes your phone start beeping. NFC payments. Notifcations. Siri communication (seems especially useful with reminders). Fitness apps/health monitoring. Apps that record precise sleep monitoring to wake you up at the right time. and so much more!

But no just because YOU don't wear a watch anymore, there is no reason you (or anyone else) would ever want to wear one again...

I love your ideas. Siri is still in its nascent stages but it's not difficult to understand where it's going and a watch is a perfect fit.

Asking your watch for information in Siri like style would present the answer, not a list of sites that might have that answer. To display that answer, a screen that fits on your wrist is sufficient. Apps specifically built for that screen size: a map showing your immediate surroundings and directions or a Passbook card with QR code (and NFC activated) or the cover of your currently playing album with overlaying playback controls or a notifications or incoming calls.... Any of these can be designed to need no more than a couple of inches of screen real estate.

The fact that you have this watch on your wrist makes it infinitely less likely to get lost and geo fenced with an iPhone, even more remotely possible. There are many more biometric authentication methods that have not been explored and a watch that is strapped to your skin is the perfect case scenario. The watch only works when on its owners wrist. Remove it, it won't work. Remove the phone from the proximity of the watch, it too won't work.

It used to be that MacRumors was a small community populated with Apple-minded people who understood Apple's DNA and owned Macs because they subscribed to that mindset. If people wanted super customizable devices with buttons for everything, they wouldn't own a Mac. They'd be happily off in the PC world. Since the surge of Apple's popularity, its users have become the mainstream person who can't think beyond what they see in front of their noses and who would never had asked for an iPhone before it was introduced.

Like Steve Jobs said: If Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted, they'd have asked for a faster horse.

[Krazy Bill]

Originally Posted by Shrink

First, it's great you haven't wore one for 7 years.

It was not my intent to suggest that anyone should wear a watch, or not wear a watch.

I was only commenting on the fact there are still a few of us luddites who still wear a watch.

I hesitate to mention to those who consider unpressed khakis as "dressing up" that there is some style to wearing a watch, granting that it marks you as hopelessly old fashioned and out of it. And wearing a suit and tie in the appropriate circumstances...well...

Not dissing you for wearing a watch either my friend. "Back in the day" my wristwatch was the most functional and important device I owned. (or a close 2nd to my $1200 HP calculator)

But I still have some leisure suits in the closet. When they come back I'm all set!

[sinsin07]

Originally Posted by Shrink

First, it's great you haven't wore one for 7 years.

It was not my intent to suggest that anyone should wear a watch, or not wear a watch.

I was only commenting on the fact there are still a few of us luddites who still wear a watch.

I hesitate to mention to those who consider unpressed
khakis as "dressing up" that there is some style to wearing a watch, granting that it marks you as hopelessly old fashioned and out of it. And wearing a suit and tie in the appropriate circumstances...well...

Plenty of people in NYC wear watches, young, old, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic etc .. Can't speak for the stixs.

[turtlez]

I don't wear a watch because it leaves a very ugly tan line haha. I go surfing a lot which is handy for wearing a waterproof watch but just can't bare the white skin watch silhouette next to tanned forearm

[HMI]

Originally Posted by ianmacc

"...........using pressure data from millions of watches, Apple could build a precision altitude map of the world. This map would indicate true altitudes everywhere that iWatch wearers travel. The granularity would be several orders of magnitude......."

What is granularity and how is it measured in orders of magnitude?

Sorry, this is enough to scare the c*** out of me. I don't want to sound defeatist, but thank God I'm in my mid 50's and hopefully wont be around (ie: I'll be dead!) when every single person on the planet will be trackable/contactable/accountable...

Why don't we all iOFF, get a life and appreciate the things that are important like gorgeous sunsets, bird song - anything but this junk...

iPis**d

Granularity describes the level of detail of a specific place or thing.
An analogy might be the difference in image detail between a 1980's video game like Super Mario Brothers, and one from now like Battlefield 3. Big difference!

He is imagining the possibility of millions of people willing to wear an iWatch to help provide additional data point detail to create a more accurate map of the world. Sounds nice, but isn't likely to happen without $donations$ and $volunteers$.

We are already mostly traceable, contactable, and accountable and will likely become more so. Those with the means to travel usually have electronic devices, and those with less money tend to stay put.

[ScottHammet]

Originally Posted by macsrcool1234

i can only hope Bruze Tognazzini doesn't ever work for a bank....lose your watch and have your entire identity stolen!

You don't know much about multifactor authentication, do you?

Amazing at the number of pubescent replies, from people who have no where to go, and no place to be, that they don't need a watch to know that their sorry asses are late.

[mr.steevo]

Originally Posted by GQB

Watches are pretty much 100% for fashion nowadays.

I love sweeping statements.

Nowadays? Really?

[jrswizzle]

Originally Posted by ScottHammet

You don't know much about multifactor authentication, do you?

Amazing at the number of pubescent replies, from people who have no where to go, and no place to be, that they don't need a watch to know that their sorry asses are late.

I'd guess most of the people with negative responses to this thread are the same people calling for Apple to "innovate" by making a larger phone screen and adding RAM......

The "smartwatch industry" seems eerily familiar to the smartphone industry pre-2007. There are some devices out there, but none that gain any traction - at least enough to cause a boom.

The iWatch could be Apple's next big innovation and all the possibilities (like the one's mentioned in the article and others mentioned by posters) are literally endless!

[SockRolid]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

The watch can and should, for most of us, eliminate passcodes altogether on iPhones, and Macs and, if Apple's smart, PCs: As long as my watch is in range, let me in!

Even better: fingerprint recognition on iPhone / iPad home buttons and Mac trackpads.
No need for an iWatch to unlock your devices without a passcode.
And there won't be any security issues with eavesdroppers reading your iWatch's RFID tag from nearby.

You might not even need to worry about bad actors cutting off your thumb and using that to unlock your devices.
Newer biometrics systems detect the density of the digit as well as its fingerprint. Bloodless severed fingers won't work.

[davidjearly]

I am 26 and despite being constantly physically attached to my iPhone, I would never leave the house without one of my watches.

Every man should wear a nice watch. IMO.

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

One of his more compelling ideas includes the elimination of passcodes. With a passcode, he speculates, the smart watch, which would incorporate a sleek, button-free design, could be used to unlock iPhones and Macs via proximity.

Yeah, so a thief just has to steal your watch and he's got full access to your iPhone AND your Mac? Let's see; that defeats the entire point of using a password. Brilliant!

How about a fingerprint sensor on the iPhone/Mac instead (still flawed, really since fingerprints are pretty easy to pick up off touched objects with some powder and tape, but probably still better than a watch). My wrist despises watches so I'd need a pocket watch and that'd be even worse for theft.

[flux73]

Originally Posted by TennisandMusic

What about the one BIG problem...I don't (and I know many others) want to wear a watch. Ever. I don't want a watch tan, and I don't want that dorky thing strapped to my wrist.

The "problem" it's supposed to solve is that I don't want to take the phone out of my pocket? Why have the phone then? I think it sounds silly.

This a problem for YOU. For watch wearers - not so much.

This may come as a shock to you, but not everything Apple builds is just for you.

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by SockRolid

Even better: fingerprint recognition on iPhone / iPad home buttons and Mac trackpads.
No need for an iWatch to unlock your devices without a passcode.
And there won't be any security issues with eavesdroppers reading your iWatch's RFID tag from nearby.

You might not even need to worry about bad actors cutting off your thumb and using that to unlock your devices.
Newer biometrics systems detect the density of the digit as well as its fingerprint. Bloodless severed fingers won't work.

Oh, darn...and I was so looking forward to that cutting off the finger thing. This takes all the fun out of being a sadistic scumbag thief.

Now let's hope that the cutting-off-your-finger bad guys either know a bit about biometrics or, at least, have read this post.

[mslide]

People still wear watches? I already have a perfectly good time-telling device in my pocket at all times.

[flux73]

Originally Posted by ianmacc

"...........using pressure data from millions of watches, Apple could build a precision altitude map of the world. This map would indicate true altitudes everywhere that iWatch wearers travel. The granularity would be several orders of magnitude......."

What is granularity and how is it measured in orders of magnitude?

Sorry, this is enough to scare the c*** out of me. I don't want to sound defeatist, but thank God I'm in my mid 50's and hopefully wont be around (ie: I'll be dead!) when every single person on the planet will be trackable/contactable/accountable...

Why don't we all iOFF, get a life and appreciate the things that are important like gorgeous sunsets, bird song - anything but this junk...

iPis**d

And so you're on the Internet posting this because...the sun isn't setting and you're bored?

[BSben]

Even though all this is pure speculation, I can see a good point in having an iWatch. I personally have currently no use for a NFC chip, but I could see an iWatch making people use it. In railway stations, underground stations etc. it would be easier and safer to use a chip in a watch than flashing your expensive phone. It could be a bridge to the phone in your pocket when it would be inconvenient to get it out.It would also, hopefully, stop people staring at their phone screen all the time. As for watches being old fashioned, I can only say that a manager who has enough time to check the time on his phone is not very efficient and is not doing a good job. (yes, the last bit is tongue in cheek...)

[komodrone]

I rather have a finger print sensor that unlocks my device when i touch the screen. Isn't that even MORE compelling?

[TallManNY]

Originally Posted by henryhbk

Well, as a physician I use my watch endlessly throughout the day for work. I need to A) know the time as it's important to schedule all sorts of things and B) taking pulses and other measurements that need a group of seconds.

Before you attack me for being a luddite I use my iPhone and iPad through the day while caring for patients (I'm actually one of the docs in the "year in the life of iPad" apple movie [at 2:45-] using the iPad with the CT scan on the screen with the female patient), but whipping out your iPhone every time you want to do something time related is a pain in the butt! I can simply glance at my wrist (and a second sweep hand is much more useful for timing something than a stopwatch while glancing).

Oh I didn't mean they weren't useful. I meant that the choice between which watch you wear is primarily based on fashion issues and not features. I wear a watch as well. It is a nice one and it is partly functional and also very clearly a piece of socially acceptable conservative male jewelry that I hope conveys some taste (I get compliments on it) and I know conveys a certain amount of economic status (it isn't a Rolex or anything like that, but it also clearly isn't a $100 or less watch).

Can you imagine all of your friends who have an iPhone also having the same watch on and in full display? I just think for fashion reasons that is never going to happen.

[Spid]

Originally Posted by Derekuda

An iWatch is about 10 years too late! I don't know anyone who wears watches anymore because of the fact that they have cell phones!

I think you look at it backward.
Everyone would wear a watch if it would also be a phone

The watch could actually be the future phone form factor.

[BSben]

Originally Posted by TallManNY

Oh I didn't mean they weren't useful. I meant that the choice between which watch you wear is primarily based on fashion issues and not features. I wear a watch as well. It is a nice one and it is partly functional and also very clearly a piece of socially acceptable conservative male jewelry that I hope conveys some taste (I get compliments on it) and I know conveys a certain amount of economic status (it isn't a Rolex or anything like that, but it also clearly isn't a $100 or less watch).

Can you imagine all of your friends who have an iPhone also having the same watch on and in full display? I just think for fashion reasons that is never going to happen.

Are you actually really impressed by what watch a person is wearing, or are you trying to be funny?

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by jayducharme

I wonder if a gadget saturation point will be reached. I'm not sure I want to have yet another gadget, let alone wear one. If the "iWatch" was a workable substitute for my iPhone, I'd be all over it. But it's not that much trouble to pull my iPhone out of my pocket and wave it for a transaction.

Another consideration: how waterproof would the watch be?

3 Apple Care years for $ 149.95

----------

Originally Posted by Spid

I think you look at it backward.
Everyone would wear a watch if it would also be a phone

The watch could actually be the future phone form factor.

Stretched so we can look at it only using one eye and NFC and we tell Siri
whom to call, plus we can learn the altitudes of where we are......the possibilities are endless.

Those who crave bigger screens can hang iPad minis around their necks like Flavor Flav'
and WillIam will coem up with a rapper version in gold with diamonds.
All set!

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Derekuda

An iWatch is about 10 years too late! I don't know anyone who wears watches anymore because of the fact that they have cell phones!

Really? Tell that to the high-end Swiss and German watch market who is doing better than ever...!