Apple Has Team of 100 Product Designers Working on a Smart Watch

[F123D]

Apple will make a 1.5" watch and Samsung will follow it up with a 4.5" screen watch.

[Rogifan]

According to 9to5Mac James Foster reports to Bob Mansfield so perhaps this is one of the projects his technologies group is working on?

[lifeinhd]

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

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.

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by arn

It'll be a "watch" as much as the iPhone is a phone -- which is to say, that wont be its compelling purpose.

I would agree that if such a watch were produced, telling (possibly literally) the time will be as central to it's function as the Alarm app is on your iPhone.

While I am not an expert on the Words Of Jobs, didn't he say something like Apple doesn't produce what people tell Apple they want, Apple tells people what they need in their devices.

Finally, I know that the comparison is essentially spurious, but the whole "curve" thing has been done before...in about 1930. Admittedly just a watch that diplays the time, but curved in both the body and the glass. I own one...

Gruen Curvex Watch...

[alphaod]

Automatic digital watch with iOS integration would be a neat.

[Stella]

Originally Posted by lifeinhd

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.

Its the concept.

If the final product is great, people will buy it, if it stinks, they won't - hopefully.

[Adam22]

The I watch will be controlled with Siri to use your iPhones features when you don't want to take it out of pocket and will come with bluetooth headphones.

[a0me]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

I'd prefer Apple to employ an extra 1000 software developers so we can finally get updates to Mac software like iWorks 09, iLife 11.... rather than yet another 'me too' device.

http://www.sonymobile.com/us/product...es/smartwatch/

Maybe Apple will make a watch that people wearing watches would consider buying?

[Carlanga]

OMG I don't wear a watch, this is a waste wah wah wah

Unless you are <12 y/o you should own a watch. Don't come to me saying that you use your phone as a watch... Yeah, because every-time I need to check the time I want to grab a phone from my pocket, remove it and press a button to see the time then put it back in the pocket... ridiculous IMO The whole reason wristwatches took over the pocket watch was because of this.

[Sedrick]

This iWatch is an answer to a question no one asked.

Now get back to freakin' work on iOS and that 5" iPhone!

[tech4all]

Originally Posted by doubleaa

Meh, I'll stick to my Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. I prefer real watches.

There was a time when a smartphone wasn't considered a 'real phone.' I think the same could be true for a smartwatch. They will become the norm.

[QCassidy352]

Originally Posted by avro707

This is one area where Apple will not win. People buy a Rolex, Jager le Coultre or Patek for its design and engineering, or perhaps a Richard Mille.

Not a disposable Apple product. And for others, they'll just buy a relatively inexpensive watch like a Citizen or something like that.

Yes, it will be too cheap for the people in your first category - who want to show off how much money they have - and too expensive for most people in your second category - who simply want to tell the time. Apple's device (a watch in name only, really) will be for a group with very different wants than either of those two groups.

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Originally Posted by Sedrick

This iWatch is an answer to a question no one asked.

Now get back to freakin' work on iOS and that 5" iPhone!

People said the same thing about the iPad.

...and the iphone.

...and the ipod.

[myrtlebee]

If it has all the features of the prior iPod nano 6th gen and then some, depending on price, I'd buy one. I do hope it isn't as bulky on the wrist as the nano 6th gen... but the curved glass display may help with that. Curious to see how the battery deal will work out. Innovations to the battery in this iWatch have the possibility of spreading to their other products, I would imagine. Not charging devices for days or weeks - that would be great.

[doubleaa]

Originally Posted by tech4all

There was a time when a smartphone wasn't considered a 'real phone.' I think the same could be true for a smartwatch. They will become the norm.

In my opinion a real watch is mechanical and doesn't require a battery to operate.

[unobtainium]

Whenever I try to wear a watch I get a rash around my wrist. So I guess this is one Apple product I won't even be tempted to buy

[Fatalbert]

Where is that picture from? That thing looks horrible.

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Originally Posted by doubleaa

In my opinion a real watch is mechanical and doesn't require a battery to operate.

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

[QCassidy352]

Originally Posted by doubleaa

In my opinion a real watch is mechanical and doesn't require a battery to operate.

everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but that definition seems enormously arbitrary and narrow. It's like saying a real phone requires a rotary dial and a bell on top.

[ArtOfWarfare]

Why would it have to last multiple days on a charge? As long as it lasts ~30 hours on a charge, I'm good... Rare is it that I ever stay up longer than 30 hours at a time... In fact the last time I even stayed up that long was 2 years ago...

Anyways, people need to lose the mentality that watches last multiple days on a charge, just like they did that phones should last multiple days on a charge. It's an unnecessary feature that wastes space in the device and costs extra - just get in the habit of charging your watch when you sleep, just like you charge your phone now when you sleep.

[unobtainium]

Originally Posted by F123D

Apple will make a 1.5" watch and Samsung will follow it up with a 4.5" screen watch.

Or, Samsung and Google will ignore the watch thing entirely and skip straight ahead to Google Glass headsets. What more convenient way to glance at the time than have it staring you in the face?

[bjsterilite]

This report sounds weirdly detailed... :/
I just saw Tim Cook at the State of Union on PBS. I originally tuned in to watch a Steve Jobs documentary :P

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by Carlanga

OMG I don't wear a watch, this is a waste wah wah wah

Unless you are <12 y/o you should own a watch. Don't come to me saying that you use your phone as a watch... Yeah, because every-time I need to check the time I want to grab a phone from my pocket, remove it and press a button to see the time then put it back in the pocket... ridiculous IMO The whole reason wristwatches took over the pocket watch was because of this.

I'll take a cautious "wait and see" on an iOS watch. I don't see the need for it, but I can think of a few uses. If Apple can think of enough to make it worthwhile, maybe they can convince me.

Meanwhile I'm >12 and own a watch I never, ever wear. I use my phone as a watch, and lots of people do. Here's why:

• I always already know the approximate time. I don't very often need or even want to know the exact time. (I used to wear a watch and would check constantly. Why? Habit alone. It was refreshing when I cut that out.)

• Clocks are common. My car/home/office has them, and that's most of my life right there. (And most businesses and classrooms do too, but I'm not in the habit of using those.)

• Taking my phone out and pressing one button is easy. In fact, I do it for all kinds of reasons all day long (email, weather, phone calls, games... you know) so I naturally see the exact time when I do so. I probably take my phone out JUST for the time between zero and three times every day. No real burden. Comparatively, strapping something to my arm every day (ready to knock into stuff and get scratched) and then taking it off at night--and for things like washing dishes and showering--is more hassle.

[Fatalbert]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

Why would it have to last multiple days on a charge? As long as it lasts ~30 hours on a charge, I'm good... Rare is it that I ever stay up longer than 30 hours at a time... In fact the last time I even stayed up that long was 2 years ago...

Anyways, people need to lose the mentality that watches last multiple days on a charge, just like they did that phones should last multiple days on a charge. It's an unnecessary feature that wastes space in the device and costs extra - just get in the habit of charging your watch when you sleep, just like you charge your phone now when you sleep.

You needed phones to last multiple days on one charge because you ignored them more. Same with watches. I don't wear my watch every day. As much as I like the iPhone, life was better when nobody had an iPhone since now, more than half the population is glued to one 24/7. I guess it's hard to blame them for keeping their virtual social lives on Facebook

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Originally Posted by nagromme

• Clocks are common. My car/home/office has them, and that's most of my life right there. (And most businesses and classrooms do too, but I'm not in the habit of using those.)

The digital watch is perfect for me. For some reason, my school has no digital clocks, only a few analog ones that are very often off by small or large degrees. Not only are they more annoying to read than digital watches, but my eyes aren't very good, so they're nearly impossible for me. A smartphone cannot be used as a timer in a test, it's not waterproof, and it's relatively fragile. Checking the time in class on one is a no-no since the teacher thinks you're texting.

[scotty321]

Too bad nobody wears watches anymore, thanks to the iPhone. If this product comes out, it will be Tim Cook's G4 Cube. And then AAPL stock will REALLY be in the shi**er!

[bjsterilite]

Anyone want to guess at a price for this watch?

I'd say $99

[DaveN]

iWatch as a password keeper and search engine.

How about this. iWatch is an inexpensive accessory that holds all your passwords and looks at the signature of your pulse to make sure it is actually you. Any time you need access to a password, the watch receives a bluetooth signal and you tap the face of the watch to allow a login, credit card transaction, etc. You are less likely to loose a watch than you are to loose a phone so it is more secure.

That said, I really don't think they are working on a watch.