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CES 2014: Apple's Competition in the Smart Watch Arena

"Smart" watches ???

These watches are cool gadget but please don't call them smartwatches because they are not smart at giving you time...

I have a feeling that I will have to wait for Apple to launch one and Google to copy it, or design one myself for free.
 
I am all for wearable tech, but for some reason the Smart Watch seems dreadfully impotent in the age of the Smart Phone. I personally don't like the idea of wearing a watch that needs to be charged constantly, nor really even the idea of needing to carry around yet another piece of kit. Maybe Apple can change that, they tend to be very good at making products that become part of lifestyles, but I don't know, it'd have to really do something my phone isn't already doing, either in function or integration.

Much more interested in Smart Clothing...
 
Stella said:
Except.... Smart watches existed before the Pebble.

I can just imagine where you got your statistics from.
Click to expand...
I guess you can play games with the word 'smart' as much as you want. In truth the Pebble itself is a stretch.
 
proline said:
I guess you can play games with the word 'smart' as much as you want. In truth the Pebble itself is a stretch.
Click to expand...

Since the Pebble fits the definition of 'smart watch'..... and is accepted as a smart watch, except for the minority, such as yourself....
 
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Has anyone else found CES 2014 to be boring? I'm not knocking the technology but everything announced seems evolutionary. There's nothing that has really jumped out at me to want me to buy anything. I welcome the idea on improving the TV to 4K but it will be a while until there is mainstream support. There are still many networks out there still only providing 720p content.
 
Stella said:
Since the Pebble fits the definition of 'smart watch'..... and is accepted as a smart watch, except for the minority, such as yourself.
Click to expand...
I didn't say it wasn't a smart watch- I said it stretches the word 'smart'. What I did say, correctly, is that nothing that predates the Pebble is worthy of the name.

Your use of the word minority is also inappropriate- the majority of people have never even heard of a smart watch nor do they believe in such a thing. It is only a minority of a minority that have bought into this fad.
 
phillipduran said:
It's normal. They were behind on the MP3 player, the cell phone and tablets.

I think it's normal for Apple to take their time to make a product right while they watch the rest of the industry flounder to rush something to market.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Sit and wait....let the others create a 'red ocean'. In time , Apple differentiates itself with a unique watch...something completely awesome, and create a blue ocean, thus becoming untouchable in the marketplace. They've done just that with the cell phone, the MP3 player....up next the itv and the iwatch.

The typical blue ocean strategy, coupled with the second mover advantage. It's the Apple way.

From the Kellogg business school website:
"A riskier but more rewarding strategy is innovative late entry. Entering late without any sort of meaningful innovation can be tough. Compared with noninnovative late entrants, pioneers have an advantage on a number of important fronts: they have higher rates of repeat purchase, their investment in marketing is more effective, and their sales rates tend to grow faster.

Innovative late movers, on the other hand, are able to redefine the category, reshaping the category ideal and enjoying many of the same benefits as pioneers. Think of the way that Apple has come to redefine and dominate the market for mobile devices—a category pioneered by Motorola."
 
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proline said:
I didn't say it wasn't a smart watch- I said it stretches the word 'smart'. What I did say, correctly, is that nothing that predates the Pebble is worthy of the name.
Click to expand...

That's your opinion, which of course you are quite welcome to.

Mine is: There were smart watches before the pebble that could quite easily be classified as a "smart watch", and indeed were.

For example:
The sony smart watch - original. Has all the features that would deem it a smart watch, and a pretty good device, considering its 2012.
http://androidandme.com/2012/07/reviews/sony-smartwatch-review/


proline said:
Your use of the word minority is also inappropriate- the majority of people have never even heard of a smart watch nor do they believe in such a thing. It is only a minority of a minority that have bought into this fad.
Click to expand...

Fad? Definitely too early to tell. I'm guessing "Probably not". Smart Watches will continue to evolve.
 
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Nunyabinez said:
Maybe if you stopped thinking about it as a smart watch and thought of it as a wrist worn computing device your thinking might not be so constrained.
...

And I'm sure there are many more applications. I am amazed that people are able to predict the uselessness of a device that hasn't even been announced yet, let alone demonstrated.

And give developers a chance, and they will come up with all kinds of wild and cool things just like has happened with the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Very good comment, the current smartwatches look and behave too much like a watch.

I think Apple will pack in powerful additions like sensors for fitness and medical purposes, add to that an army of experienced iOS developers and an API and there might be a winner.
For example, the iWatch may document your sleeping and eating patterns, maybe Apple will also add a payment system, the iWatch could for example feature Touch ID.

The main issue holding up the project could be battery life. Apple will likely make sure the battery life is acceptable. I wouldn't want to charge an iWatch every night.

In general, I think the name iWatch is misleading. It will be nothing like a watch telling time with a few features added, much like the first iPhone was nothing like a dumb mobile from the 90s or existing smartphones back in 2006-2007.
 
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firedept said:
Unusual to see Apple behind on things.


Guess I am wrong and stand sooooo corrected. Thanks all.
Click to expand...

Is Apple behind or is everyone too early, way way to early?
I'd say two years at least, to get the tech to do a reasonable product.
 
That Martian watch and the band look nice
I haven't wore my nano watch in a few months
 
It just shows that everybody is waiting for Apple to give clues and direction to develop smart watches.
 
derbladerunner said:
In general, I think the name iWatch is misleading. It will be nothing like a watch telling time with a few features added, much like the first iPhone was nothing like a dumb mobile from the 90s or existing smartphones back in 2006-2007.
Click to expand...

No, iPhone had very limited capability in comparison with existing smartphones of 2007 -
- no 3G
- a gps that wasn't able to support turn by turn navigation
- no third party apps
- crap camera

What did stand out was a good UI.

It would be a mistake for Apple to pack the kitchen sink with iwatch - aka Samsung Gear - with it's appalling battery life. But since Apple are very conservative with over engineering excess technology I don't think this is much of a worry.
 
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ctrlshft said:
I am all for wearable tech, but for some reason the Smart Watch seems dreadfully impotent in the age of the Smart Phone. I personally don't like the idea of wearing a watch that needs to be charged constantly, nor really even the idea of needing to carry around yet another piece of kit. Maybe Apple can change that, they tend to be very good at making products that become part of lifestyles, but I don't know, it'd have to really do something my phone isn't already doing, either in function or integration.

Much more interested in Smart Clothing...
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I just can't see this stuff being the next big thing. It's not compelling enough to be any sort of a standalone device (in the sense that you can rely solely on it). Maybe by virtue of being up against your skin, it contains sensors that your phone couldn't possibly have. But, that just seems more like a gimmick than anything.
 
nfl46 said:
I'm not going to lie: some of those watches look good.
Click to expand...

Agreed. At the risk of offending the "if it ain't made by Apple, it can't be any good" crowd, some of these --essentially prototype-- models, look pretty good as first offerings, specifically the Sonostar and Neptune Pine. They will no doubt get slimmer and more useful as newer iterations appear.

However I too am curious what Apple will come up with; what killer feature they will add that will leave the competition scrambling to catch up.
 
Redundant

Anything the watch can do the iPhone can do better. Reaching? Watches are jewelry now. These new watches are competing with jewelry? Smartphones? I'm not going to hold my arm up to my face and talk. I'm not going to text on it. I'm not even going to schedule appts on it. I just need my iPhone. Heck I don't even use my iPad since I have a MBP.

Too much already. More stuff to get replaced with newer versions. Who cares.
 
derbladerunner said:
I think Apple will pack in powerful additions like sensors for fitness and medical purposes, add to that an army of experienced iOS developers and an API and there might be a winner.

For example, the iWatch may document your sleeping and eating patterns, maybe Apple will also add a payment system, the iWatch could for example feature Touch ID.
Click to expand...

Yep. In fact, there are already smartwatches with sleep pattern watching, pulse monitoring, etc. And others planned to have NFC.

Some also have cellular connectivity.

The main issue holding up the project could be battery life. Apple will likely make sure the battery life is acceptable. I wouldn't want to charge an iWatch every night.
Click to expand...

Battery life is definitely a major factor when it comes to long term enjoyment and continued usage.

The band could hold batteries, but that takes away the advantage a lot of current models have, where you can use any standard watchband of your own fashion choice.

In general, I think the name iWatch is misleading. It will be nothing like a watch telling time with a few features added,
Click to expand...

I think you're right that these things will be far more than just clocks and remote displays.

One great advantage of these versus a smartphone, is that a watch is usually always on you.

For minor example, it could notice if the owner (say, your parent) falls down and doesn't get right back up, and alert someone. Ditto for heart issues.
 
The wrist device will work if Apple opens the venue to apps as it did with the iPhone. The device needs: elegant, long runtime, typical ABC functionality, IOS variant, and leave it to the imagination of brilliant developers.
 
Stella said:
That's your opinion, which of course you are quite welcome to.

Mine is: There were smart watches before the pebble that could quite easily be classified as a "smart watch", and indeed were.

For example:
The sony smart watch - original. Has all the features that would deem it a smart watch, and a pretty good device, considering its 2012.
Click to expand...
It's not a 'smart' device if you can't put software on it or there are only three titles to chose from. Sorry.
 
Lets not get the cart before the horse

Until Apple announces a product, they are not competing with anyone. Period. Not in the wearable arena, Tv or 4K screen arena either.

I find it funny reading threads claiming that Apple's offering in any of these new areas will be so much better that what is out there already. I, for one, have a good memory with visions of MobileMe, G4, the Newton and other Apple products to have a wait and see attitude.

The iphone was a brilliant, transformative device because Apple redefined the user experience...as was the iPod. But wearable devices are already on the market and going through their product evolution. And the same goes for TVs ...flat, curved or 4k capable. CES is full of them...but that was not the case for their phone or pod. Apple CREATED a market where, in every sense, there really was none before. In these new areas Apple is playing catchup.

So, calm down, everyone. Let us seen if they release a product and if it redefines a market or is just another player in a crowded space.
 
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