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Apple Recruiting Pro Athletes to Test iWatch's Fitness Capabilities

Enabledobject said:
Haven't worn a watch on my wrist in 20 years. No plans to start either.
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I think this is the problem that Apple will face with the iWatch: not a lot of people actually *wear* watches any more.

20 years ago it would have been unusual for anyone to not wear one, but now if you take a sample of random people on the street I'd be surprised if more than 5-10% were. It's something that is no longer necessary in day to day life.

Perhaps in order to be successful, the iWatch needs to not look like a watch.
 
Well unless the iWatch comes paired with performance enhancing drugs I doubt we will see the same improvements like these athletes.
 
BaldiMac said:
What if the iWatch is just a line of nice watches with sensors built in? No screen. No special features. Just a traditional mechanical watch with some sensors and bluetooth le. Solves the battery issue much easier.

People could be wearing them in public now with no one the wiser.
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Well that would crush my heart. It would just be a watch that tells me to get off my ass
 
Reason077 said:
I think that's ultimately the problem that Apple will face with the iWatch. Not a lot of people actually *wear* watches anymore.

20 years ago it would have been unusual for anyone to not wear one, but now if you take a sample of random people on the street I'd be surprised if more than 5-10% were wearing one. It's just something that isn't necessary for day to day life anymore.

Perhaps in order to be successful, the iWatch needs to not look like a watch.
Click to expand...

Yup. Plus, many of the people who wear them do so because they like watches. I fall into this category and am not interested in a non-mechanical watch. I can't see too many of these people getting an iWatch.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I know Swatch did. Not sure about Rolex. I don't think a watch from Apple is going to do anything to Rolex but it could ding Swatch's low end lines.
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Well most people who have lots of money tend to use the iPhone. I think if the functionality of the iWatch is advanced enough, people will feel like it's a pretty necessary thing to have on.

Especially people with money who care about their health or want to be more connected to their schedule, emails, messages, calls, notifications and other cloud services more closely.

If Apple nails the high end bands (costing several grand) and makes the display part classy enough, it could definitely threaten the high end watch market. All of the wealthier people I know would seemingly be in the market for something like this.
 
If you could make calls and text on the phone, it could replace the phone. I don't see that people with phones would buy the iWatch unless they had money to burn.
 
556fmjoe said:
Yup. Plus, many of the people who wear them do so because they like watches. I fall into this category and am not interested in a non-mechanical watch. I can't see too many of these people getting an iWatch.
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thank you.

i am the same way.
if this thing looks like a watch, I cannot wear another watch when I'm wearing one.
So the only time I would wear this iWatch is when I'm at the gym or something like that.
 
Reason077 said:
I think this is the problem that Apple will face with the iWatch: not a lot of people actually *wear* watches any more.

20 years ago it would have been unusual for anyone to not wear one, but now if you take a sample of random people on the street I'd be surprised if more than 5-10% were. It's something that is no longer necessary in day to day life.

Perhaps in order to be successful, the iWatch needs to not look like a watch.
Click to expand...

Personally i'd love the iWatch to something like the Fitbit Flex, just with more sensors. Something I could just slip on and forget about, the added benefit of not having the screen would be longer times between charges.
 
556fmjoe said:
Yup. Plus, many of the people who wear them do so because they like watches. I fall into this category and am not interested in a non-mechanical watch. I can't see too many of these people getting an iWatch.
Click to expand...

I wear nice mechanical watches too, but I can see how this can be a huge market. Just because I don't want one, doesn't mean there aren't millions of other people who do. And you know what, if they make it useful enough, maybe I'll give one a try.
 
Reason077 said:
I think this is the problem that Apple will face with the iWatch: not a lot of people actually *wear* watches any more.

20 years ago it would have been unusual for anyone to not wear one, but now if you take a sample of random people on the street I'd be surprised if more than 5-10% were. It's something that is no longer necessary in day to day life.

Perhaps in order to be successful, the iWatch needs to not look like a watch.
Click to expand...

People do not wear one because nobody needs one. Apple needs to give them a reason to wear one, health tracking might be that reason for many, including me. I don't need a watch to tell me time but if it's gonna measure my BP, heartrate and possible glucose, I won't take it off.
 
556fmjoe said:
Yup. Plus, many of the people who wear them do so because they like watches. I fall into this category and am not interested in a non-mechanical watch. I can't see too many of these people getting an iWatch.
Click to expand...

Uh, the reason people don't wear watches is because we don't need them anymore. But suddenly with this new tech it will have something to offer that will be exceptionally useful in this form factor. It will make watches cool and interesting all over again, in a totally new way.

I hate to be so abrasive, but you sound just like the people in the old iPod/iphone/iPad speculation forums who are just so wrong about how 'useless' the product will be.

Oh but this time is different right? Right. Check back in 6 months and let's talk about your comment then.
 
use of athletes in watch marketing is very common.
See these examples below:

Kobe Bryant
Hublot
Web_184_Hublot_KobeBryant_RivaBellaDinner.jpg


David Beckam
Breitling
David-Beckham-wearing-the-Breitling-Transocean-Chronograph-Unitime.jpg


LeBron James
Audemars Piguet
lebron-james-5.955.446.s.jpg


Yohan Blake
Richard Mille
39162london_olympics_athletics_men_457.jpg


Nadal
Richard Mille
nadal-wimbledon-02.jpg


Michael Schumacher
Audemars Piguet
APMS1.jpg
 
Imagine being one of these guys?

How incredible would it be to walk into Jony Ive's design lab and have him lift up the black cloth covering this thing the rest of us will have to wait months to see?
 
apolloa said:
"positioned as a fashion accessory,"

Reads expensive to me, and good luck Apple taking on high end Swiss watches, hmm a Rolex or Apple..

Personally I call BS on most of these iWatch 'Rumours'
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There is NO WAY that apple can compete in the luxury watch segment.
I don't think they will do that.
I also don't think they will go after fashion watches segment directly.

Fashion watches are made by non-watch designer brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, etc.
They are usually $200-1000 (USD) and have gaudy design, which appeals mostly to women.
 
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