Apple Reported to Begin Shipping Apple Watch in March, 12-Inch MacBook Air in Early 2015

[MyopicPaideia]

If this is true, I wonder if this signals a shift away from the Lightning connector. Apple wouldn't shift to USB-C for just one device. If they do ditch Lightning, that would be one of their shortest-lived standards. But USB-C at least will be more compatible across a range of devices.

Why would it? Assuming the rumor is true, the MacBook Air 12" is a laptop, not an iOS device. We've never had the 30-pin or the Lightning connector on OS X devices.

Or you're confusing Lightning with Thunderbolt which the new USB connector does indeed signal the phasing-out-of, at least in consumer-focused computers.

This.

Was going to write pretty much the same thing. Thunderbolt is in danger of disappearing- I think they may go Display Port over USB-C. It won't be able to do 4-5k external monitors until the next Display Port standard is released (1.4 is it??), but Thunderbolt over Display Port has the same limitation.

Lightning is an exceptionally functional connector and is here to stay for a long time as a versatile & proprietary I/O for iOS devices.

 

[AndreSt]

I think they may go Display Port over USB-C.

That doesn't make any sense if there's only one port on the MacBook Air.

You'd probably like to use the display while charging the MacBook or accessing a USB memory device like an SD card or camera.

Having only one USB port will cripple the MacBook Air to an useless device for me. So I'm not going to buy one. I also don't like buying dozens of overly expensive adapters which would be required to use existing devices.

Lightning is an exceptionally functional connector and is here to stay for a long time as a versatile & proprietary I/O for iOS devices.

That doesn't make sense either. At least not for the common user. A USB C connector would be appropriate. But that's not gonna happen because Apple wants to sell expensive cables.

 

[kingofwale]

Not only that, but it appears that you could even charge the Apple Watch while you're wearing it at your desk if you wanted to. Just slip the magsafe charger disc between the back of the watch and your wrist - - it looks very low profile...

Image

HAHAHAHA... that's the dumbest idea ever.

 

[MacModMachine]

I think 2.8 million Apple Watches is a little on the low side.

they would probably be fine with just 5 watches...HAHA

 

[SeattleMoose]

Not to be a party pooper, but I'm just not interested in these devices. I really wish apple would listen to people on this site and continue developing their desktop line up and focus on making Mac OS 10 as great as it can be. That's what the mac experience is really all about. #

Agree 1000%....the phrase that used to be associated with an Apple product is "it just works". That reputation has slipped a bit. Most of the original team that made Apple so great is gone. I also suspect a fair number of Microsoft people now work for Apple...and brought that culture with them (the test team is YOU)

 

[Aluminum213]

Being able to tell the time is a very nice feature by itself. For some people that's enough by itself when combined with the fact it looks good, although fashion is obviously subjective.

And it's cheaper than a lot of watches - like this one for example: http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-CC107...&qid=1422192184&sr=1-1&keywords=citizen+watch

When your phone rings, you can screen your calls by glancing at your wrist instead of pulling it out of your pocket/handbag.

It silently presses against your wrist to notify of a phone call or text message or email, unlike an iPhone which either rings loudly or vibrates violently enough to be clearly audible by everyone else in the room.

You'll be able to read text messages and send simple replies again without pulling the phone out of your pocket or handbag.

You can make payments at any NFC equipped retail store in the world by just holding your wrist close to the payment terminal. No signature, no pin code, just touch your watch to it. If the watch is stolen/removed from your wrist, this shuts down - the next payment will require proof that you're wearing it and not someone else (Apple hasn't detailed exactly how that will work AFAIK).

Those are just the features that everyone will appreciate, it has others like playing music, fitness tracking, a remote for Apple TV, and whatever third party app your favourite developer comes up with.

It's also more expensive then thousands of watches. LOL @ an iPhone vibrating "violently".

Sorry, but reading text messages or anything besides time will not be easier then taking 1 second to take me phone out and read it on a big 5.5" screen. NFC works perfectly on my iPhone and its as easy as you described

Besides the fitness I've yet to see the advantage over the iPhone. The iPhone is required for the apple watch to have 99% of the features you mention, which makes the appeal drop even further.

The terrible battery that won't even last the night is why I won't even give it a shot till next year or whenever they get the battery tech right

 

[bmpwe]

12 inch MBA = 12 inch "iPad Pro". You heard it here first.

Not really. Someone else said that atleast a year ago in another thread.

 

[Natzoo]

lets hope the watch has a good battery life

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Probably as a result of the EU directive to have a universal charger on mobile phones.

You should probably get out of those Dutch "mountains"

The Lightning connector is going nowhere and is not effected one bit by the EU ruling. At the most Apple will provide an adapter dongle.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

That doesn't make any sense if there's only one port on the MacBook Air.

You'd probably like to use the display while charging the MacBook or accessing a USB memory device like an SD card or camera.

Having only one USB port will cripple the MacBook Air to an useless device for me. So I'm not going to buy one. I also don't like buying dozens of overly expensive adapters which would be required to use existing devices.



That doesn't make sense either. At least not for the common user. A USB C connector would be appropriate. But that's not gonna happen because Apple wants to sell expensive cables.

Not sure I get your drift here at all. I am not claiming there will be only one port at all on the new machine, I am just saying that Thunderbolt's days may be numbered as far as Apple is concerned, as USB 3.1 actually is capable of more, a complete turnaround from USB 2.0 and 3.0. They may move extra ports like a couple standard USB ports and a DP port onto the power cord brick instead, saving space on the machine itself as well as increasing the flexibility of peripheral placement. You could gain a lot of utility with this by being able to place printers and external drives much further away, for example. USB 3.1 is designed to be used like this. Since the Display Port protocol is also built in, just like TB, they could also move to DP over USB-C instead of TB over DP.

However they do it, I can virtually guarantee that the connectability will be at least a functional as the current 11" MBA, if not the current 13" MBA.

 

[ctg7w6]

Wow, so many of you have such strong opinions about what you want to do with a watch.

Did you guys know that some people don't even have smart phones, and THAT THEY ARE OKAY WITH THE "LIMITED" FEATURES??? Yes, they actually do not want email on their phone, they want batteries that last for much longer, or whatever. It is their preference.

Honestly, who cares?

Personally, I want a watch that I can accidentally or purposely submerge in water, and it doesn't break. I have several "fancy" watches for when I want to wear one. I need practical uses for the Apple Watch to justify buying one, and I don't see it there right now. I don't even mind the "short" battery life, I don't mind charging another device. But I do need GPS in whatever watch I buy next. And if I am going to get a smart watch, I need it to be smart without my phone around.

So, for ME, the Apple Watch just doesn't do it. But that doesn't make it a bad watch.

I am so surprised at how angry people get that some people shower with a watch and sleep with a watch on at night. People use their watches for different purposes. Some people don't want to be bothered with taking their watches off for it to survive water. Some people want a watch on at night for whatever reason (like me).

Wearing a watch in the shower or sleeping with one is not inappropriate. What is wrong with you people?

There are only two ways of looking at this. For some people, the Apple Watch is a good fit. For others, it is not. Either you buy it, or you don't. But what you do with your watch does not make you smart or stupid or whatever.

It's like saying that if you don't use email on your phone, you are using your phone incorrectly. Absurd.

I don't care for the Apple Watch, but I just can't believe the hate I am seeing on both sides of this. How can anyone honestly argue with someone over what they use their watch for, or whether they shower with it?

Buy the watch or don't buy the watch, who cares???

 

[lordofthereef]

The limitations would be charging circuit and amp output of the charger. Not sure why other devices would take 2h? There is absolutely no reason why it should take the same time to charge a phone with a battery 6 times larger, no electrical engineering reason at least.

I just looked up soecs since I was curious. They all have Sinilar limitations. I'm not well versed with batteries and elextrical, but it seems to me that they wouldn't all just arbitrarily decide two hours Ali's an acceptable number if it could be drastically reduced.

 

[iamthecondenser]

Does Apple always host a large event for a refresh such as the 2015 MacBook Air?

Do these things typically sell out pretty quickly?

 

[zedsdead]

Does Apple always host a large event for a refresh such as the 2015 MacBook Air?

Do these things typically sell out pretty quickly?

Based on the rumors, it sounds like the Mabook Air and Watch will be released around the same time. I would expect an event in early March for both and iOS 8.2 (which hopefully will also include the launch of photos for Yosemite as well). MacBook should be available after the event, watch a few weeks later.

As for availability, redesigned macs usually get delayed rather quickly, but there's no way to know.

 

[GrumpyOldMac]

Oh Ming Cho Kuo said so?

Who is that guy and does he own MacRumors? He never seems to be right or else he seems to say obvious things.

Still no front pager on Google discovering three zero day exploits in os x, I notice.

 

[littyboy]

I'm curious about the Apple watch, but I know I won't be buying one until there is GPS built in, until it has better battery life, until it is proven to be a successful product, etc.

In terms of the MacBook, TAKE MY MONEY!

A little bit soon for the macbook are we? What if it is super underpowered? It is supposed to be fan-less after all. Who knows, Apple could be bringing back the netbooks again lol.

----------

The more i hear about the this watch the more i can see apple laughing at people buying the top end watch that will be superseded with 12 months.

Uhhh, I'm pretty sure Apple is going to laugh if we buy ANY line of the Apple Watch... Those will be outdated in 1-2 years. While if we were to purchase a regular watch, those will be timeless.

 

[Intelligent]

I will probably get the second Apple Watch , the first one is always the one where people suggest, compliment and criticize whats good and what's not, then the second product is good.

 

[kdarling]

You'll be able to read text messages and send simple replies again without pulling the phone out of your pocket or handbag.

For some people, that's very handy, especially it has quick replies.

One of my kids is a teacher, and cannot use a phone during the day. So she keeps her phone in her desk, and instead uses her Gear Fit to get any urgent messages from her husband, and to choose preset replies.

You can make payments at any NFC equipped retail store in the world by just holding your wrist close to the payment terminal. No signature, no pin code, just touch your watch to it.

Only if the credit card purchase is below the merchant's limits for requiring a signature for contactless payments.

And if it's used as a debit card, it'll need the PIN.

That's because NFC payments emulate a card. The merchant's terminal doesn't care if you used Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Softcard or the actual card.

The merchant also doesn't know if you used a passcode, or fingerprint, or nothing at all on the device to enable your payment app.

If the watch is stolen/removed from your wrist, this shuts down - the next payment will require proof that you're wearing it and not someone else (Apple hasn't detailed exactly how that will work AFAIK).

Supposedly you have to enter a code to enable it each time it's put on a wrist.

 

[lowercaseperson]

I feel like a lot of people who don't like the watch are missing the larger picture. The evolution of computers is running headlong towards a fully integrated human experience. The first steps we are seeing (i.e. ugly/clunky wearables like watch and Glass) are necessary stepping stones in the much larger/more advanced 10 year picture.

I won't even argue that the 5-10 seconds it takes to get your phone out of your pocket and see a notification/respond isn't significant (most of the time). The fact of the matter is that people don't want to do it, and if you can come up with a way around it...people will flock to it. Imagine a HUD in the form of a contact - people would go crazy for it (once deemed safe of course). But nobody has that technology anywhere near ready to release to the public right now. The these intermediate clunky wearables are just that: intermediates. But they are necessary. Obviously people don't like the watch, but I would venture to bet that nobody denying that it's an impressive feat of engineering and technology. Pushing the boundaries of technology and computer/user interfacing is necessary for developing of what (I believe) companies are striving for.

I doubt the watch will be around in 15 years...the idea at that point will be laughable. But isn't that the way of almost all technology? Word processors of the 90's, dial-up modems, tape decks...the list is almost innumerable. If you don't like wearables - don't get them. They are intermediates, that are admittedly clunky and flawed - but (at least in my opinion) absolutely necessary steps toward the next breakthrough.

 

[bobob]

Of the smart watches I've owned (only two of them), I'd say that neither could be charged while wearing them. I think that represents a potential hazard - having your wrist tethered to a charging cable and then getting up. Seems like bad things could happen.

That's what MagSafe is for!

 

[Keirasplace]

Wow, so many of you have such strong opinions about what you want to do with a watch.

Did you guys know that some people don't even have smart phones, and THAT THEY ARE OKAY WITH THE "LIMITED" FEATURES??? Yes, they actually do not want email on their phone, they want batteries that last for much longer, or whatever. It is their preference.

Honestly, who cares?

Personally, I want a watch that I can accidentally or purposely submerge in water, and it doesn't break. I have several "fancy" watches for when I want to wear one. I need practical uses for the Apple Watch to justify buying one, and I don't see it there right now. I don't even mind the "short" battery life, I don't mind charging another device. But I do need GPS in whatever watch I buy next. And if I am going to get a smart watch, I need it to be smart without my phone around.

So, for ME, the Apple Watch just doesn't do it. But that doesn't make it a bad watch.

I am so surprised at how angry people get that some people shower with a watch and sleep with a watch on at night. People use their watches for different purposes. Some people don't want to be bothered with taking their watches off for it to survive water. Some people want a watch on at night for whatever reason (like me).

Wearing a watch in the shower or sleeping with one is not inappropriate. What is wrong with you people?

There are only two ways of looking at this. For some people, the Apple Watch is a good fit. For others, it is not. Either you buy it, or you don't. But what you do with your watch does not make you smart or stupid or whatever.

It's like saying that if you don't use email on your phone, you are using your phone incorrectly. Absurd.

I don't care for the Apple Watch, but I just can't believe the hate I am seeing on both sides of this. How can anyone honestly argue with someone over what they use their watch for, or whether they shower with it?

Buy the watch or don't buy the watch, who cares???

Well, you must have followed the near constant drones of the same types of arguments in this forum, that if the watch:

- Doesn't have GPS (impossible if you want it small and want it to last)
- You can't dive or shower with it (something I know nobody doing and I go very often to swimming pools/beaches (so very niche)
- Doesn't last a whole week (adding the pebble, a ordinary watch, as a super duper example to follow)
- Doesn't enable use in bed for sleep monitoring (a niche gimmick use)
- Doesn'T have independent internet (see argument about GPS)

It fails as a MASS MARKET device.

It is the constant buzzy drone of this non nonsensical argument that is very annoying.

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

Still a part of me thinking these watches will end up in the same dirt dump as those a Atari cartridges.

 

[snebes]

If the only purpose of the port was to charge and transfer data, that might be the case. But the Lightning Connector was designed to do so much more. The main advantage is that the pins can be dynamically reassigned to do different things at different times. This allows it to also be an audio/video out port and I believe that there were other purposes foreseen as well.

One could argue that these other uses of the Lightning port are rarely used by most people and that they can be replicated by Airplay/Bluetooth. So maybe Apple would decide that the extra functions aren't needed. But to just say that Apple chose a proprietary connector just to be different is wrong. They chose it because it offers additional capability that a normal USB connector cannot.

Honestly, I think he was meant to say Thunderbolt, not Lightning. People tend to get thunder and lightning confused, even in weather. You sound confused in your response as well, since I would argue that the Lightning port isn't "rarely" used, but commonly used by iPhone owners

----------

Does Apple always host a large event for a refresh such as the 2015 MacBook Air?

Do these things typically sell out pretty quickly?

New computer redesigns do get featured in events. They don't tend to "sell out" like iPhones, but availability can be limited for the first few weeks. The new Mac Pro was an exception--generally you can walk into a store to get the new computers.

 

[paulsdenton]

Why on earth do you wear a watch at night?

To measure your sleep cycles! Some smart watches already do this!

 

[Keirasplace]

To measure your sleep cycles! Some smart watches already do this!

And again, for what purpose in the current form? If someone put electrodes on and measured brain activity I'd get it, interesting (at least to geeks like me otherwise, I don't see the point.