Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Tim Cook in London to Talk Apple Watch and Visit Covent Garden Retail Store

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,543
30,851



Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday made an unannounced visit to the iconic Apple Store in Covent Garden, a popular shopping and tourist location in London, according to The Telegraph. The chief executive also sat down for an interview with the British publication to discuss the Apple Watch, providing a few more interesting details about the device ahead of Apple's highly-anticipated "Spring Forward" media event on March 9.

Tim-Cook-Convent-Garden-London.png
Cook claimed that the Apple Watch will have several features that go beyond timekeeping and health and fitness, such as the ability to replace large car key fobs that come with most current vehicles. "This will be just like the iPhone: people wanted it and bought for a particular reason, perhaps for browsing, but then found out that they loved it for all sorts of other reasons," he said.

The chief executive told Apple retail employees at the Covent Garden store that the Apple Watch will be unlike any other product the company has ever sold before. "We've never sold anything as a company that people could try on before", said Cook. He added that "tweaking the experience in the store" will likely be a requirement when the wrist-worn device launches in April.

During his visit to the Covent Garden store, one retail employee asked Cook what his biggest accomplishment was in the past year. "I'm proud we stayed true to our North Star", replied Cook. "We are pro-privacy, pro-environment and pro-human rights." He added that the Covent Garden location is one of his favorite Apple Stores and praised the retail staff for being such a contributing factor to Apple's success.

Cook has been traveling on an international tour this week, making stops in Belgium, Germany and Israel over the past several days. The chief executive kicked off the week in Belgium to meet with the European Commission, visited the newsroom of popular German publication BILD on Tuesday and traveled to Israel on Wednesday to sit down with President Reuven Rivlin, committing to continued growth in the country.

Article Link: Tim Cook in London to Talk Apple Watch and Visit Covent Garden Retail Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/27/tim-cook-london-visit/
SatManager

SatManager

macrumors 6502
Feb 20, 2012
277
12
Las Vegas
Seriously, I can get rid of my Ford Key Fob and walk up open and start my car with my Apple Watch and iPhone? Now that is a neat reason to get the watch.
 
2

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
zedsdead said:
What I wouldn't give to completely get rid of my keychain.
Click to expand...

the-oz-man said:
And no longer need to carry my wallet too.
Click to expand...

I got rid of my car :eek:

Now my key chain contains one fob to enter my building and one key to enter my house. And the required bottle opener. That is it. I could give up the bottle opener at this point, really.:cool:

My wallet is mostly in my backpack. I usually carry my phone, one credit card and the train pass in my pocket along with the above key chain. When I need my identification, cash, or any other stuff that I have in my wallet I go dig it out of my bag, but I find that is almost never these days.
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,031
7,872
I wonder if Apple will sell the Edition online, or if you will need to go to a store to get it. Do I trust UPS or FedEx with a $10,000 watch? Perhaps Tim Cook will drop a few more clues at events before the 9th.
 
L

leenak

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2011
2,416
52
KPOM said:
I wonder if Apple will sell the Edition online, or if you will need to go to a store to get it. Do I trust UPS or FedEx with a $10,000 watch? Perhaps Tim Cook will drop a few more clues at events before the 9th.
Click to expand...

There are many things you can buy online that are more expensive than an apple watch will be.
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Mar 9, 2009
1,228
5,294
I'm seriously so BOTHERED by the fact that Apple cares so much about making a WATCH and a CAR but can't even get WiFi to work in Yosemite!

Has Apple just lost the care they used to have for their customers? :mad:
 
heeloliver

heeloliver

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2014
639
423
It seems people might have to come into an Apple Store to get the Apple Watch, instead of ordering it online. I could only imagine the lines, dear lord.
 
Z

ZCT

macrumors 6502
Sep 15, 2014
358
173
Minneapolis, MN
As a guy who rents a lot of cars for his job, I've often wondered why so many manufacturers are still using keys.

At this point pretty much all cars have a remote unlock system and central locking. So most cars already have the technology to handshake with a key fob, so how hard can it be to add the functionality to start the car using the same security handshake with the key fob?

Surely it would be a lot cheaper than physically building and installing a mechanical lock, having keys made to fit that lock and so on?

Car companies need to stop selling push start as some advanced feature, and just make it standard.

Mercedes charge $550 for a push button start. Other manufacturers often bundle keyless start into some other expensive package with an upgraded stereo or navigation.

Until automakers stop their nonsense like charging $2K for navigation, we're a long way away from using an Apple Watch to start your car. But I like the vision.
 
extricated

extricated

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
448
65
Arkansas
It's great that Apple has saved some yet to be seen goodies (key fobs!).
I'm SO looking forward to this.

I already loved the whole concept ... and it just keeps getting better!
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,144
31,199
Good to know:

The watch's battery life will last the whole day, Cook says, in another revelation that will please potential users, and it won't take as long to charge as an iPhone.
Click to expand...
 
A

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
Since the announcement of the Apple Watch I've been saying that this thing is eventually going to replace everything we have to carry around with us. Good to see Apple is already talking about key fobs and such.
 
Z

ZCT

macrumors 6502
Sep 15, 2014
358
173
Minneapolis, MN
KPOM said:
I wonder if Apple will sell the Edition online, or if you will need to go to a store to get it. Do I trust UPS or FedEx with a $10,000 watch? Perhaps Tim Cook will drop a few more clues at events before the 9th.
Click to expand...

If you are the kind of person who are okay ordering a $10K watch online, I doubt you are going to care too much about UPS or FedEx losing it. After all, they are not going to be shipping $10K watches without insurance. And most decent credit cards have some kind of protection against something being lost or stolen in the mail after purchase.

I once purchased a watch from authentic watches online. I just looked at their web site and they have Audemars Piguet watches for sale that cost over $60K! Plenty of Rolexes that cost far more than an Apple Watch. They've been selling watches since 1979, so I'm assuming someone trusts them online.
 
H

HenryDJP

Suspended
Nov 25, 2012
5,084
843
United States
aaronhead14 said:
I'm seriously so BOTHERED by the fact that Apple cares so much about making a WATCH and a CAR but can't even get WiFi to work in Yosemite!

Has Apple just lost the care they used to have for their customers? :mad:
Click to expand...

A chill pill might be your best friend. It's just a tech company making products. They don't control our lives unless you allow them to.
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
ZCT said:
Until automakers stop their nonsense like charging $2K for navigation, we're a long way away from using an Apple Watch to start your car. But I like the vision.
Click to expand...

You know... you saying this just made me think it's a lot more reasonable for Apple to make a car.

They would do it for the same reason that they made iWork. Not because they particularly care about it, but because everyone else is doing a lousy job of it and they want to shake up the market. As soon as other companies get their crap together, Apple bows out (until/unless they're needed again - this has been why iWork has come and gone so many times, between phases of lots of activity and no activity at all.)

So Apple will demonstrate how to properly make and sell a car, others will copy, and then Apple will bow out.

Except Tesla is already doing that (and with no plans of bowing out.) They're already firing their cannons on combustion engines and dealers, and it seems that they're slowly but surely winning.
 
anthonylambert

anthonylambert

macrumors regular
Mar 20, 2002
193
47
UK
So when your watch or phone runs out of charge... you won't be able to get into Car, or pay anyone, or tell the time or call for help....

Someone should start a chain of street corner PAYG emergency recharge points..... wait a minute......
 
S

snebes

macrumors 6502a
Apr 20, 2008
810
713
KPOM said:
I wonder if Apple will sell the Edition online, or if you will need to go to a store to get it. Do I trust UPS or FedEx with a $10,000 watch? Perhaps Tim Cook will drop a few more clues at events before the 9th.
Click to expand...

With UPS, Any package with a value over a certain amount ($2k I believe) is kept in a locked cage during transit, and overseen by retired cops / military during transit. I'm sure FedEx is similar. They aren't in the business of losing goods and being knocked off.

Is this completely secure? No. But neither are Apple stores.
 
Schizoid

Schizoid

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2008
1,043
1,316
UK
I thought I saw him in the pub over the road... knocking back Fuller's like you wouldn't believe! The joys of being chauffeured around!

I did offer him a pork scratching, his eyes lit up, but that must mean something else in America
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
Something I keep wondering...

How well will the :apple:Watch possibly do in colder climates? When I'm outside in winter here, I have several layers on over my arms, plus gloves. The watch itself won't be warm, so I wouldn't want it to be the only layer between my wrist and the elements. If it's under layers, it's useless (plus it'll make taking those layers off and putting them on more difficult). If it's on top of the layers, it's tacky, I'd worry about it being stolen, and it may as well just be a tiny iPod touch strapped to my wrist for all it's able to do - it won't be able to monitor any health information an iPod Touch couldn't. Plus its pulse feedback wouldn't work.

I just feel like the :apple:Watch will only work for people who live in warmer climates.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom