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Apple's 'iWatch' Planned to Launch 'As Soon As This Year', Could Include Biosensors and Mapping Features
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Yep. Whenever I see someone wearing a watch I always think to myself "Gads, what a dinosaur."
Huh? A pebble's has a week battery life... longer than the iPhone or a FuelBand.
I'd hardly call it a useless product just because you can't personally find a need for it. That's a bit arrogant, no?
Some of us gets lots of calls and it's a huge distraction or not proper to always pull out the phone, not to mention all the other things a Pebble can do, or potentially can do. Pebble raised $10m on just the idea, so it seems plenty of others see a use for it as well.
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What will this iWatch actually do that will help an average user who already has an iPhone?
That kind of thinking is exactly why you are spouting thoughts on the MR forums and not inside Infinite Loop.
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Yep. Whenever I see someone wearing a watch I always think to myself "Gads, what a dinosaur."
Maybe, but a classy one. A nice watch is a sign of success and maturity. Even kids at better unis wear them to upscale events. It's just the basement crowd that rejects them out of hand... cool lot that they are.
I was thinking to order a Patek Philippe 5002P but now I will wait... This is gonna be much cooler!
If you were REALLY planing on getting the PP, you could swing a few hundred more for both!
I think the mapping features will be used for finding a lost iPhone. I'm starting to love the idea of an iWatch more and more.
What will this iWatch actually do that will help an average user who already has an iPhone?
The far more relevant question is whether this watch will go any of the "gee whiz" features without a phone ?
The watch isn't going to have a celluar radio in it. Most likely its radio is just a very short range bluetooth.
Making a phone "beep" so you can find it in the same room is hardly 'mapping'.
With a very low power radio like bluetooth, this device won't "find" your phone if it just drove away in a taxicab or was left on a table in a coffeshop you've walked away from.
Cell phones have been rendered useless by iPads.
iPads can be enhanced by this convenient satellite display.
I just hope the iWatch doesn't look like a toy. Most of the time I put my Movado on when i'm at some formal or semi-formal event. I wouldn't mind doing an iWatch, but if it looks like a cheap toy, I would find very little use for it.
What will be interesting is how function the watch is without any other iOS products (if at all).
Another thing I'd be interested in is ultimately how much battery drain it would cause if/when paired with an iOS device.
I don't think I'm out of line when I say that pretty everyone wishes their battery lasted longer than it does - not matter what version/manufacturer of a phone one has. While many are good/great enough - most people always see to extend it as much as possible. Would actively using a watch tethered to a phone (if that's how it's going to work) cut battery life significantly?
Another thing I'd be interested in is ultimately how much battery drain it would cause if/when paired with an iOS device.
I don't think I'm out of line when I say that pretty everyone wishes their battery lasted longer than it does - not matter what version/manufacturer of a phone one has. While many are good/great enough - most people always see to extend it as much as possible. Would actively using a watch tethered to a phone (if that's how it's going to work) cut battery life significantly?
"Oliver Chen, an analyst specializing in luxury goods, says that while the global TV market at $119 billion is larger than the global watch market at $60 billion, margins on watches are four times greater: 60% versus 15%. If Apple were to achieve a 10% market share in each, that would mean a gross profit of $3.6 billion for watches, versus $1.79 billion for televisions."
Yes, margins on watches are four times greater - but this won't be a watch as we understand it now: it'll be a piece of electronic kit that receives the "watch" moniker.
I do not believe it will replace watches. It will be a new product category, and I imagine it will require an iPhone to achieve full functionality.
So the margins analysis is, to my mind. erroneous.
Yes, margins on watches are four times greater - but this won't be a watch as we understand it now: it'll be a piece of electronic kit that receives the "watch" moniker.
I do not believe it will replace watches. It will be a new product category, and I imagine it will require an iPhone to achieve full functionality.
So the margins analysis is, to my mind. erroneous.
Yep I got rid of my watch years ago. Maybe this will do something useful but based on rumored functions it's not that exciting yet. As a macrumors site this place cheers pretty much everything apple does...
It would need to be phenomenal to make me stop wearing my TAG. To be honest, this watch just sounds like it's replicating most features that are already available in iOS. It's accepted in society that people are always fiddling with their phones but people are going to look like morons messing about with a watch.
Obviously this iWatch or whatever you want to call it is just a rumour but I just don't get it. I got the smart phone concept long before it became mainstream, I got the tablet concept and could see how it could be useful but I just cannot understand what use a cheap piece of tacky looking crap on your wrist will offer over existing technology.
Even if it ripped off Knight Rider and I was able to talk and have a civilised conversation with my car I still wouldn't be impressed.
Aren't you forgetting one thing? Price.
It's not going to destroy anything unless it's priced right (comparatively) and provides value.
Why can you confidently claim you will 'be getting it' when you don't even know what it does?
I could see this being a massive driver for Apple, and could give the iPhone an advantage over the competition. I really like the idea of being able to quickly glance at a watch to see who's calling, or read a text without having to take my phone out of my pocket. I can't see me actually using it to make a call (and I doubt it will have that ability anyway), but the health-related stuff could be useful.
Just don't give it an 80's style plastic strap, like all the others seem to!
Just don't give it an 80's style plastic strap, like all the others seem to!
Don't assume it's going to be restricted to Bluetooth only. Given the restricted functionality, it would not have to be continuously connected in order to use a cell network. Clever design could allow it to use cellular only when needed, in short bursts, saving power greatly.