The fitness watch should come with a guilt mode for those like me wholl wear it while motionlessly sitting on my butt operating a Mac or iPad while eating corn chips.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Recruiting Pro Athletes to Test iWatch's Fitness Capabilities
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I struggle to see a use case for the smartwatch. It seems to be skewing to health and fitness--but with no real benefit over other ways a collecting and collating these data.
It is a pointless technology that will bomb hugely.
It's human nature. They see a woman getting married into royalty, that wedding dress now goes thru the roof in sales.
And that's why I think the Google Glass will be hot. Every celebrity sighting will be with them wearing one. And why would they you ask? To turn the tables on the paparazzi of course!
What if you saw your favorite artist using a particular kind of art supply or tool?
Gosh, a lot of people replied to me so I can't respond to everyone but I want to make a point.
We currently view watches as time-keeping, jewelry items right now, but we're about to experience a paradigm shift where watches will again be about their functionality. They'r re-thinking the idea of a watch from the ground up-- we're looking at a class of wearable tech that we're not yet familiar with.
Give the iWatch a few generations and it really could replace your wallet, your keys, your remotes... Who knows-- it could eventually read the subtle muscle gestures in your arm and hand to fundamentally change the way we control computers and new devices like the oculus rift.
If Apple succeeds at making the device sleek and non-descript enough to appeal to a broad range of ages and social classes (partnering with different world-class band-makers), the advantages of owning an iWatch will catch on. When it does people could easily dump the whole notion of an analog, mechanical watch at the drop of a hat.
Think like Apple. The iWatch isn't going to be just for fitness. Nor just for adults, or kids, or healthy or unhealthy people. It won't be for a niche market. It will be for everyone, to wear all the time. It will be on your body at almost all times. Once you put it on, you'll may say "oh wow", and never want to take it off.
I hate to harp on about this, but if you don't realize the impact this device could have then you've probably forgotten what it was like before the iPhone hit the streets. Don't forget, many people were saying "why does the world need an phone by Apple?"
We currently view watches as time-keeping, jewelry items right now, but we're about to experience a paradigm shift where watches will again be about their functionality. They'r re-thinking the idea of a watch from the ground up-- we're looking at a class of wearable tech that we're not yet familiar with.
Give the iWatch a few generations and it really could replace your wallet, your keys, your remotes... Who knows-- it could eventually read the subtle muscle gestures in your arm and hand to fundamentally change the way we control computers and new devices like the oculus rift.
If Apple succeeds at making the device sleek and non-descript enough to appeal to a broad range of ages and social classes (partnering with different world-class band-makers), the advantages of owning an iWatch will catch on. When it does people could easily dump the whole notion of an analog, mechanical watch at the drop of a hat.
Think like Apple. The iWatch isn't going to be just for fitness. Nor just for adults, or kids, or healthy or unhealthy people. It won't be for a niche market. It will be for everyone, to wear all the time. It will be on your body at almost all times. Once you put it on, you'll may say "oh wow", and never want to take it off.
I hate to harp on about this, but if you don't realize the impact this device could have then you've probably forgotten what it was like before the iPhone hit the streets. Don't forget, many people were saying "why does the world need an phone by Apple?"
Not really relevant. There were music players, there were smart phones, there were tablets all selling poorly or at okay levels before Apple showed their take on them.
I like your vision...
I didnt know anything about apple until the iphone was released. Didnt see much use for it as I was already ahead of everyone I knew surfing the web on my nokia and getting directions with a garmin sd card I had inserted into it. Then I tried a friends and ran out immediately and got one. Ipad gets released and I think cool, but not for me. Just a giant iphone. Then I tried one and again went and got one.
Twice I underestimated apple and since then, I have upgraded to a mac from a pc, picked up the airport and several appletvs and have upgraded the iphone/ipad usally every other year. Now maybe Im being overly confident in apple this time but what if its not really just a watch with iphone notifications or some fitness tracker that counts your steps... what if its more of an instrument panel for your body?
I posted this in another thread:
Those were just off the top of my head..
-Imagine someone goes into cardiac arrest. Siri senses something is wrong and calls out to you. You dont respond and siri calls 911 and gives the operator your vitals and medical history. Paramedics are dispatched to your house.
-You are alerted that the conditions outside are too hot or too cold to stay out for long periods of time.
-Hikers lost in the mountains are tracked by gps.
If half of this stuff is possible, this thing will change everything.
Apple is thinking big with this. The first version may not be able to do everything you've mentioned, but like the iPhone, changes will come. I'm sure features along the lines of your post will totally be possible at one point-- plus who knows what else. The most desired features will come first. Apple will renew the device with new capabilities out of left field that could blow our minds.
I don't even see how this could fail. If the executives at apple-- brilliant people like Ive have collectively decided that it hits the mark, we're going to be very pleased.
I'm sure it'll be met with awe, but also the usual dose of reality, ie, it doesn't do EVERYTHING quite yet. People need something to complain about.
It's a marketing strategy called Social Proof and it works as long as people like the celebrity and are into what that celebrity's doing
If some kid plays ball every day and admires Kobe, he's gonna be influenced to buy that thing.
I did work at an Apple Store for a few years and spent a lot of time thinking about these things.
Anyway, I'm always shocked that people lack an ability to put very obvious information together. People have the blinders on because they can't envision seeing watches differently than we see them now.
Everyone here is saying that they'll 'never' dump their Rolex for an iWatch. Right. I bet that in 5-10 years after the introduction of the iWatch, most people who own a Rolex will have it tucked in the back of a drawer somewhere. "Yeah I love my beautiful Rolex but I never really wear it anymore; I need my iWatch to ____, ____, and _____ "
Again, the way we think of watches will be totally different. Now it is just a time keeper, soon it will be an indispensable utility with functions that permeate various areas of your personal, social and work life:
Reach for your car door and it unlocks automatically, then starts your car. Speak into it and it starts whatever music you ask for. Why would anyone who uses these features have their Rolex on?
Reach for your home door handle, and it opens. Speak into it "AC on 73 degrees, play Radiohead, den lights on." Done. F' the Rolex, I hate using traditional keys!
Speak "Order a grande, no-whip frappucino from Starbucks." If you wear a Rolex you have to stand in the line, or order with your phone like the luddites.
"Hail the nearest cab". Looks like your business parter with the Rolex has to get his phone out. A little embarrassing for him but you know, he likes things the old fashioned way I guess.
Receive notification, "Your health may be at risk, consult your doctor." Good thing I wasn't wearing a Rolex, or I wouldn't be aware of this urgent news. Wasn't Phil wearing a Rolex when he had a heart attack? Such an unfortunate tragedy.
An amazing iWatch app allows you to control your presentation using arm or hand movements. Very impressive to the clients-- you look ahead of the game. Maybe you can just switch your watches out for the presentation, but that would be kind of silly, wouldn't it?
The iWatch 6 introduces a feature that reads the muscles in your hand (look up Google Gesture), allowing for the first time games that give you full five-finger hand manipulation over what is on the screen. Gaming may never be the same.
I'm just spit balling of course. If we can imagine these things, Apple and other developers will bring them and more beyond what we can even currently think of. Want to come up with some more?
I just think the tech on these wearables is going to surpass what most people think is possible at the moment. And if we come back to this thread in six months, many will be saying "Well, I didn't realize it would be able to do THAT."
DUH! This isn't a smartphone on your hand. This is a new class of device. Why would you want a useless flashy Rolex on your wrist when you could have something so much more useful in your life? They'll just be like one of those sad people still stuck to their Blackberry today. Not adapting to the new ways.
You don't have to be a genius to think things like this will be possible. Just put five seconds into thinking about it. Something tells me Apple has put a little more time than that.
Last edited:
If I see celebs using/wearing I don't want. Im kinda sure Apple don't need Kobe to sell watches.
mac , iPod , ?maybe apple will sell 2 versions. one with some sort of screen and one without a screen. that could account for the numerous screen option rumors. then you can wear a band on one wrist and your favorite watch on the other.
I didn't credit myself for having inside knowledge, just faculties for critical thinking. You stuck seemingly blindly to your opinions without clearly acknowledging any of the points I made; so your ability to think critically is in question.
I have no tolerance for that kind of thing so if you want another response from me demonstrate that you've processed my reasoning and have formed an opinion from there.
You are just guessing based absolutely no concrete information.
Please get over yourself.
"The iWatch will never be a threat to Rolex" as so many are saying, is just a guess based on no concrete information. It's called conjecture.
It is based on the reality that Rolex sells products with a median price above 10,000 USD and Apple does not sell any products in that price range or any product that can be classified in "luxury" or Veblen goods category.
A mortgage payment says these 'iWatch' prototypes being tested by several well-known athletes, are encapsulated in fake enclosures.
Otherwise, preventing very credible leaks, notwithstanding NDAs, would be a logistical nightmare considering just how many there are in circulation for testing.