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Apple Watch First Impressions From Watch Experts, Fashion Sites
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I love everything about this watch except for the price. I'm sure that by the 3rd gen we'll start to see more reasonable prices. $249 for the base end model is a fair bit more reasonable... at $349 you can clearly tell it's a price gouge on the early adopters. Unlike the iPad which IMO was a bargain at $499 in 2010.
$199 would be the sweet spot for the base model with the silicone bands IMO... maybe in 4 years?
If you think I'm crazy remember that the original scroll wheel iPod debuted at $399 for 5gb by the 3rd Gen it was $299 for 15gb.
Being a smartwatch user though, this thing looks great so far if you can afford one.
$199 would be the sweet spot for the base model with the silicone bands IMO... maybe in 4 years?
If you think I'm crazy remember that the original scroll wheel iPod debuted at $399 for 5gb by the 3rd Gen it was $299 for 15gb.
Being a smartwatch user though, this thing looks great so far if you can afford one.
My first impression was disappointment. I didn't like the way it looked with the basic rubber strap.
When the video played and I saw how it looked with various straps, I was impressed by how much a different strap made it look like a different watch. It's really growing on me now.
I don't know yet if I'm interested enough to buy one (plenty of time to make up my mind). I could see some people buying the watch along with different straps for different occasions. The same people who have one iPhone and many different cases for it. Apple is probably going to clean up on these premium -priced accessories.
There's also an opportunity for third parties to introduce bands that are less expensive, or serve a niche market. There could be gay pride bands, or bands that show sports teams, universities, or religious affiliation. There could even be extended battery bands (though the magsafe connector would block the sensors, and we don't know whether the watch is operational while charging).
When the video played and I saw how it looked with various straps, I was impressed by how much a different strap made it look like a different watch. It's really growing on me now.
I don't know yet if I'm interested enough to buy one (plenty of time to make up my mind). I could see some people buying the watch along with different straps for different occasions. The same people who have one iPhone and many different cases for it. Apple is probably going to clean up on these premium -priced accessories.
There's also an opportunity for third parties to introduce bands that are less expensive, or serve a niche market. There could be gay pride bands, or bands that show sports teams, universities, or religious affiliation. There could even be extended battery bands (though the magsafe connector would block the sensors, and we don't know whether the watch is operational while charging).
All about fixing battery life.It's a pity they won't be available at Christmas.
Half the family uses iPhones, and naturally these would be great gifts.
Ah well, maybe a gift certificate for one, instead.
--
Maybe Apple just didn't want to commit to making them until they saw the reaction from the press
What do you bet that the design gets tweaked between now and sale time?
Meet the new iPod Nano!!
I've been giving this product a LOT of thought, simply because Apple tends to sneak up on you with the familiar but ends up blowing you away sometimes.
The
Watch looks expensive.
It looks like a quality product.
The digital crown is certainly innovative (like a new click wheel).
The attention to detail is typical Apple: top notch.
But I just don't like it, (particularly its aesthetics) perhaps because it is branded as a watch; it isn't.
As someone else pointed out, this is nothing but a remastered, albeit kickass, iPod Nano.
Apple just took the idea third-party individuals came up with (putting watch bands on a Nano) and ran with it, refined it, and made a device that leaped forward just like the iPod Touch did in relation to the Classic.
I never liked the Nano. But this, as a device with it's built in functionality (and the built in watch bands, of course) is far more compelling.
Too bad the aesthetics, like iOS 7 before it, are far too feminine for me. This'd NEVER replace a real, mechanical, MAN-watch.
But I can see it as a separate, occasional accessory, particularly tailored to the trendy/metrosexual male and most females (my wife liked it immediately). Which makes sense why fashion designers are lauding it and a lot of Apple advertising shows women wearing them.
A wearable device is the equivalent of jewelry. There's styles for men, and styles for women. This skews heavily toward the latter, in my opinion. It's nowhere near neutral, which is a trend I see in Apple products of late, particularly after Steve's passing.
Maybe it was always there (rainbow iMacs, iBooks), but now it just seems more prominent to me.
I've been giving this product a LOT of thought, simply because Apple tends to sneak up on you with the familiar but ends up blowing you away sometimes.
The
Watch looks expensive. It looks like a quality product.
The digital crown is certainly innovative (like a new click wheel).
The attention to detail is typical Apple: top notch.
But I just don't like it, (particularly its aesthetics) perhaps because it is branded as a watch; it isn't.
As someone else pointed out, this is nothing but a remastered, albeit kickass, iPod Nano.
Apple just took the idea third-party individuals came up with (putting watch bands on a Nano) and ran with it, refined it, and made a device that leaped forward just like the iPod Touch did in relation to the Classic.
I never liked the Nano. But this, as a device with it's built in functionality (and the built in watch bands, of course) is far more compelling.
Too bad the aesthetics, like iOS 7 before it, are far too feminine for me. This'd NEVER replace a real, mechanical, MAN-watch.
But I can see it as a separate, occasional accessory, particularly tailored to the trendy/metrosexual male and most females (my wife liked it immediately). Which makes sense why fashion designers are lauding it and a lot of Apple advertising shows women wearing them.
A wearable device is the equivalent of jewelry. There's styles for men, and styles for women. This skews heavily toward the latter, in my opinion. It's nowhere near neutral, which is a trend I see in Apple products of late, particularly after Steve's passing.
Maybe it was always there (rainbow iMacs, iBooks), but now it just seems more prominent to me.
I want to learn more about the sensor technology and battery life before judging the price, but it's about where I expected an Apple watch to be.
Since I'm not a watch person I don't expect to own an Apple Watch, but I still find the tech and design fascinating.
I've been giving this product a LOT of thought, simply because Apple tends to sneak up on you with the familiar but ends up blowing you away sometimes.
The
It looks like a quality product.
The digital crown is certainly innovative (like a new click wheel).
The attention to detail is typical Apple: top notch.
But I just don't like it, (particularly its aesthetics) perhaps because it is branded as a watch; it isn't.
As someone else pointed out, this is nothing but a remastered, albeit kickass, iPod Nano.
Apple just took the idea third-party individuals came up with (putting watch bands on a Nano) and ran with it, refined it, and made a device that leaped forward just like the iPod Touch did in relation to the Classic.
I never liked the Nano. But this, as a device with it's built in functionality (and the built in watch bands, of course) is far more compelling.
Too bad the aesthetics, like iOS 7 before it, are far too feminine for me. This'd NEVER replace a real, mechanical, MAN-watch.
But I can see it as a separate, occasional accessory, particularly tailored to the trendy/metrosexual male and most females (my wife liked it immediately). Which makes sense why fashion designers are lauding it and a lot of Apple advertising shows women wearing them.
A wearable device is the equivalent of jewelry. There's styles for men, and styles for women. This skews heavily toward the latter, in my opinion. It's nowhere near neutral, which is a trend I see in Apple products of late, particularly after Steve's passing.
Maybe it was always there (rainbow iMacs, iBooks), but now it just seems more prominent to me.
Nano doesn't do any of the things that make the Watch interesting.
Ugh, what a terrible name. Have to say "Apple Watch" or nobody knows WTF you're talking about.
And what exactly is it? Besides an auxiliary screen for the phone you already have in your hand?
I'm about as interested in British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman's opinion of the Apple Watch as I am in Tim Cook's opinion of Autumn hemlines.
I can't wait to see the watch in person, but I have I good idea of the size already. The photos of people wearing the watch show that the watch looks like the right size when viewed straight on, however they don't show the thickness well. The thickness is the one factor that will keep me from wearing it consistently and comfortably. They are the right size in width (38 and 42mm), but too thick. The side view photo shows the unwieldy proportions between thickness and width. The thickness proportion is a bit too large, but I realize it is the best Apple can do with the technology today. I'm sure in the next few iterations they will keep getting thinner.
But my point is that the hardware technology is not ready for my purposes. The device won't replace many current watches because of the thickness factor.
At the bottom of the article:
Hodinkee also points out a few flaws with the device, including the fact that it doesn't fit under a shirt cuff because of its bulk, and that it is "not as cool as a mechanical watch, to real people."
People with something negative to say are more likely to want to say it online.
The real test will be how well these things sell. The naysayers will also have bad things to say about the people who buy the Apple Watch, but the sales numbers will speak for themselves.
So the leading wristwatch site is comparing Apple watch to the traditional "meschanized" swiss watches? lol.
About the apple watch -it will sell and it will sell good. But dont think that this will be a sign that the watch is beautiful and usefull - We all know how good the Crocs shoes sell yet they are far from something pretty.
I would imagine each watch comes with one band. You would select this at the time of purchase.
A sports band with built-in cellular/3G would have been an absolute winner; instead Apple is going the jewelry route, and being subjected to the multitude of comparisons to high end watches.
As the trend in smartphones is going bigger for more screen real estate, there is a market for those who would also like to slap on an "iBand" and head out jogging, swimming, surfing, grocery store, whatever without having to tote along an ever bigger and bigger phone. If we could call, message, FaceTime and get all these fitness sensors in a band, I think it would be an absolute winner. The band allows for so much room to disperse the circuitry required for all this, so that everything need not be stuffed under a screen.
Well, as the Apple Watch is not even available till 2015, I guess I can stop dreaming of this. Makes me want to root for Samsung for the first time ever to step in and fill this market (not the Gear S though...please no)
As the trend in smartphones is going bigger for more screen real estate, there is a market for those who would also like to slap on an "iBand" and head out jogging, swimming, surfing, grocery store, whatever without having to tote along an ever bigger and bigger phone. If we could call, message, FaceTime and get all these fitness sensors in a band, I think it would be an absolute winner. The band allows for so much room to disperse the circuitry required for all this, so that everything need not be stuffed under a screen.
Well, as the Apple Watch is not even available till 2015, I guess I can stop dreaming of this. Makes me want to root for Samsung for the first time ever to step in and fill this market (not the Gear S though...please no)
Considering we're still probably six months from a production run on these things, they probably haven't seen the inside of any factory, domestic or otherwise. Most likely lots of custom milling on the cases and very personalized production of the circuit boards. Also, I'd love to see the size of a watch that had a million handmade bolts, nuts, screws, springs, and rubies in it. Are they still winding those springs by hand as they did in days of yore? And when you say "watch" do you actually mean "grandfather clock"?
Keep going. This is fun.
If you always walk around with your iPhone in your hand, you probably don't need an Apple Watch.And what exactly is it? Besides an auxiliary screen for the phone you already have in your hand?
I understand what you're saying. I thought the same way when they first came out with bluetooth headsets. Who needs a wireless earpiece for their wireless phone? It turned out that the answer was--not me, but a lot of other people.
I've got this thing in my pocket that's an awful lot like a really advanced Palm Pilot... I think they're calling them "smartphones" these days.
The band idea would of been my preferred choice but it does look nice, little thick but I dont think pictures do justice.