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Apple Watch 2 With GPS for Improved Navigation, Fitness Tracking Coming This Fall
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You are so right, we should pick on Tim because he isn't Steve.
I think the Gen 1 Watch will meet mosts customers needs with the upgrade of Watch OS3 around the corner. And the Apple Watch is costly, depending on what model with what band, so not everyone will want to drop between $400.00-$600.00 again.
I think the battery life is sufficient for the first Gen Watch for most uses. And the software keeps improving. I will probably upgrade if the Gen 2 Watch appeals to me. But for those who don't upgrade, Gen 1 is still a great Watch for most uses.
True all that. But, for those cases you mention, you will more than likely have your iPhone nearby. When the phone is tethered, it feeds GPS data to the watch. The stand alone GPS would only be beneficial in those cases where you are without your phone. Say, a quick jog out of the house, swim, or full on race or work out. For most general day to day purposes I'd imagine it to not be worth the extra battery drain. Fitness enthusiasts may be the exception, IMO.
Thanks for your personal attack simply because I understand that there are limits to things like hardware, physics, battery chemistry, and probable use case for a target market and don't see a legitimate argument for shoehorning in a janky watch camera for the handful of fringe users who want to catch those "precious" moments using a smartwatch. By the way, I really did enjoy the job that people with your mentality did on the Openoffice Mouse.
You have my apologies for calling you names. I should have said that your posts make you come off like an unimaginative cynic to me. I have no idea if you are one or not (nor if anyone else infers it that way). This post doesn't help with that impression. Your respect for the limits of modern technology aside, I still see your primary objection is that you personally don't have any use or interest in a camera, which I would argue informs the rest of your argument against it. Again, I'm sorry for what was an inadvertently personal attack.
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GPS is a nice feature but a real battery hog. I hope Apple improves the HR tracking, or introduces a sports band that has the HR reader to read tech bottom of the wrist.
What? Fat? All my watches are bigger. Love Omega and Tag.
You still need to get maps loaded, and that requires a connection of some kind. Right now that is to an iPhone through Bluetooth or wifi. Without its own cellular chip, that won't change. Even with a GPS, it is a question as to how Apple will have maps loaded if people want to be completely detached from their phone. They could allow users to pre-load maps, load a given radius from a user's current position and hope that they don't exceed that limit, or maybe just store GPS coordinates and then show the path travelled over a map once it reconnects with its phone. Maybe it won't show mapping at all, but just distance traveled without a cell phone connected to it. Will be interesting to find out.
Camera is essential!
Not buying until has camera and can operate independent of my phone.
For capturing all sorts of photos on the go when you're without your phone.
Given its dependancy in the iPhone, being an iPhone accessory effectively , you have an excellent camera in the iPhone .
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Sure they'll look great
Perfect for profile pics for ..... Dating sites
Looking at today's watch, I suspect they considered a thinner v2 (and beyond?) when they landed on the current band specs. A crap-ton of unknown (to me) considerations aside, current band specs could easily accommodate a significantly thinner watch face. The Digital Crown, on the other hand, (at its current spec) seems to be the potential road block. It leaves little room for meaningful reduction in watch face thickness. I know the DC has been polarizing. I personally use it almost exclusively for any North/South scrolling. Find that a better user experience than blocking the screen with my finger in order to scroll.
That said, I'm not sure the watch needs to be thinner. I could maybe get behind a few mm wider. But it's current thickness is something I have never once thought as anything cumbersome or negative. I'm more interested in a much more responsive device that could be more independent of iPhone - which sounds like a realistic v2 deliverable.
about bloody time! i have been waiting for the GPS addition to be talked about in the next release. If thats fact I will buy one for sure!!
The low-cost technology needed to make a wearable communications device just doesn't exist yet.
Until then, AW will be a niche device performing a few specific tasks.
When technology advances enough to allow an inexpensive AW to have a flexible (OLED?) screen that could wrap around one's wrist and perform current iPhone functions, then the AW will be a mainstream success.
Until then, AW will be a niche device performing a few specific tasks.
When technology advances enough to allow an inexpensive AW to have a flexible (OLED?) screen that could wrap around one's wrist and perform current iPhone functions, then the AW will be a mainstream success.
Agree.
I have a Garmin Oregon hand held GPS. This particular unit has a camera built in. And I kick myself in the a** for buying this unit every time I am out using it. Almost by definition, I am out doing things that necessitate having my phone with me for safety or other purposes. When geocaching or traveling my phone, and much better camera, are always with me. Always. Until the watch has full cellular capabilities AND the ability to run full apps on its own, I can't see the value of adding a camera myself. The phone with its much better camera will probably always be nearby
Agreed. LTE serves no real advantage for me. If the Watch is not thinner, I would be fine with that. We should see an improvement for the processor with the S2 Chip.
Personalizing the Watch is one of my favorite things about it, from the Sport bands, to the Nylon bands and my Stainless steel link bands. It really changes its appearance.
That would be an awesome feature. They should be able to improve positional accuracy and time-to-fix times with two GNSS (GPS) receivers on your person at one time.
I hope they upgrade all of their devices to be able to track more satellite constellations than just GPS and Glonass. There are a lot more systems available up there since they first updated the chip to Glonass & GPS in the 4S (I think).
It would be even better if the chips were capable of tracking L2C and L5 signals. That way it won't stop working in 2020 when the government cuts off L1 & L2.
I still can't believe that the Wi-Fi only iPad doesn't have GNSS capabilities.
I hope they upgrade all of their devices to be able to track more satellite constellations than just GPS and Glonass. There are a lot more systems available up there since they first updated the chip to Glonass & GPS in the 4S (I think).
It would be even better if the chips were capable of tracking L2C and L5 signals. That way it won't stop working in 2020 when the government cuts off L1 & L2.
I still can't believe that the Wi-Fi only iPad doesn't have GNSS capabilities.
Exactly my point of view as well. I'd like to upgrade but not paying for another link bracelet.
Who are all these people without phones on them when they are "on the go"? Isn't that why we have cell phones? To take with us while going...
Camera is essential!
Not buying until has camera and can operate independent of my phone.
For capturing all sorts of photos on the go when you're without your phone.
No. because I'm James Bond. And Q has failed me.
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People into competitive sports come to mind. I'm happy with just the gps to be honest. But I'd love to go on s run with god enabled and no phone strapped to my waist.
me too wont buy till they make it charge by movement or light like my citizen watch
I see too many tourists take pics with an iPad. A watch would be much less annoying lol
Apple Pencil....Pro model with dual camera! Your heard it here first!
Current plans are $5 and, I believe, optional.
I'd pay the $5 if I could stream music, track runs with god, and make an emergency call if need be. It's not even inconceivable that the emergency call would work without a plan at all, which would be nice in and of itself.