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'Click' Aims to Introduce Apple Watch Band Adapter in Upcoming Crowdfunding Campaign
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But the band on the Apple Watch is my favorite part. The rest of the watch doesn't look that great compared to non-smart watches (not that I blame Apple for it), at least not in the pictures.
Band makers will be a cottage industry. As far as attachment methods go, that's been done over and over since the dawn of keeping a time peice.
Knowing Apple, the bands will be insanely priced, so yes.
I also doubt this is going to be what it would look like.
But who needs an adapter? Of course there will be a crap load of knock of bands to choose from without needing an adapter.
Oh come on. This device will allow you to buy any $5 watchband off of amazon. $10 will get you a ton of choices, even leather ones. Do you think there is ANY chance that Apple sells one of its bands for less than $30?
I don't think this will be an elegant solution, but it will certainly allow Apple Watch users to customize their watch more than Apple can ever match.
It is also an obvious solution, so it isn't going to come as a surprise to Apple that this is coming out. Apple sells expensive cases that are beat on price by other companies. It is no big deal.
Yeah, I don't see a viable market for this product. Cheap and nasty bands will be flooding eBay at $10 for three; reasonable quality bands from third parties will be $20 and up. I guess if you *really* want a particular pinned strap, and if this is a *really* good quality product, there might be a few sales...
You mean like Keurig did?
Keurig recently launched a new brewer called the "Keurig 2.0" that is meant to be the replacement for its current line of k-cup brewers. This new brewer contains an optical reader that attempts to only allow 'Keurig Licensed k-cups" to work in it. This "technology" attempts to prevent any competitors single serve brewing pods (Like the Onecup) from working in their brewers.
Perhaps you have never run into a "physical" car key with a chip or transponder in it. Another case where the cost of a replacement skyrockets orders of magnitude from a few dollars to over $100?
Of course, Keurig's DRM has been defeated as I'm sure any DRM (if included) in the physical strap will be too. It isn't hard to imagine an electronic DRM feature, though and the electronics would be another reason for Apple to inflate the price of the bands.
You can always depend on China for knock-offs.
What if Apple plan to put sensors in the bands, but have kept it secret so far? Maybe announce it at the March 10 event?
That would mean there's an electrical connector in the slide-in band-connection mechanism which Apple can lock-down and license just like the lightning connector.
This would also give Apple an avenue to let watch owners upgrade sensor hardware or add new sensors, over time, without purchasing a new watch. Just buy a new band and keep the old watch you're sentimentally attached to. People replace bands all the time for conventional watches - so there should be no resistance to that approach.
IMO, Apple should have put the battery cells in the band, if at all possible, with just a tiny "switch-over" battery in the phone. Then you can leave a spare band charging all day, when you run low just switch bands.
Plus - from Apple's perspective - it'd be another good reason to up the price of the bands.
Plus - from Apple's perspective - it'd be another good reason to up the price of the bands.
Like that idea. Maybe not for launch, but if there's an electrical connector hidden in there then anything is possible in future.
Maybe even an assortment of snap-in modules that let you add extra features like specialized sensors, extended batteries or louder loudspeakers. However you want to customize it to your needs. That would nullify some of the hardware obsolescence objections to the watch. That, and already having a lot of the processing handed-off to the iPhone also helps in this regard, since your new iPhone 8 replacement in a couple of years would also appear to speed up your watch.
Who knows, in a few years we might all be wearing multiple snap-together modules, the original Apple watch being just one. And the conventional leather/plastic/metal band would just be tightened up a notch or two to remove any slack (or you just buy a shorter one).
Edit: Hang on - Nokia's already patented the idea. Pic below. I was imagining much smaller modules, BTW. Pencil thickness. The modules below look clunky and uncomfortable to wear: http://www.crunchwear.com/nokia-files-patent-modular-smart-watch-design/
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I have a few nice watch bands that I wouldn't mind keeping around so if these things are relatively inexpensive, and since locking mechanism is easier on the Watch, I'll probably buy a few.
So, if it's decent quality I'll be a customer!
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I think this is more for security purposes, to be fair.
But you're right, companies do this often. I promise my comment wasn't just to be snarky, I've got another example from Apple themselves!
Remember the first iPhone with its recessed headphone jack? That got "Made for iPhone" plastered all over headphones its first year and after penetrating that market, it stuck for years after and replaced the "Made for iPod" label rather quick.
i would definitely opt for a 3rd party band it the apple ones cost more then the watch itself
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No, most manufacturers want to have their accessory available the same day as the product their accessory is designed for, becomes available. Even if it means the accessory isn't the perfect fit, initially. Most would want to manufacture their accessory before the product is released. That is the only way to ensure same day availability.
Dude you are on this site and you've had two smart watch braclet things in less than half a year. Don't kid yourself, you are buying this watch.
Haha, your probably right. I'm thinking if I can get my hands on 3 it would be awesome. Sell one on eBay now when inventory dries up, stow one away to be sold in 10 years and keep one for myself. Someone bought an original iPhone, un-opened in December for $25k on eBay. Someone also paid $205 for the bag they were giving away with purchase back then. I still have that bag in my attic.
I'll have to check it out!
EDIT: OMG, I love it! I didn't like the square/rectangle shape of the Pebble Steel and I feel the same about this FitBit surge on my arm now. I prefer round shaped watches, a couple of guys at work have android based smart watches that are round and look nice. I hope the UI and overall apple watch experience makes the shape less important to me, if not, this might be the one I've been looking for.
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Just like anyone can make a lightning connector, but your iPhone doesn't have to accept it for charging. I'd be shocked if the Apple Watch doesn't have a way to detect a knock-off band and refuse to operate with it. I'm not saying a agree with it, just that it's entirely within the realm of possibility.
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Whoever put that disgusting blue watch band on the prototype adapter has more or less proven that Apple will try to prevent this. God that is the ugliest watch band I have ever seen.
I'm guessing there will be an electrical connector hidden in the groove that connects the band to the case.
Rationale: I've tried to find pre-release pictures detailing the mating surfaces and there's practically nothing to see. Apple's shown us every other surface of the watch, but not that area.
They're hiding something.
The way I understood it is the sensors that monitor heart rate and whatnot can be used to determine if contact with the skin has been lost. You authenticate with a PIN upon putting on the watch and you're good to go. I could be mistaken of course...
Yes .. But to claim it will be fraction of the cost before pricing is out is premature and baseless at this point !
My bad! I mearly quoted Johny Ive.... But then your question made me look into it a bit more... I found this article !
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2014/0...ections-6-finishes-18-bands-2-sizes-11-faces/.
6 finishes ( 2 in each catagory)
18 bands
11 faces
So given the above the practical combinations would be :
Each finish can have 18 different bands.. That's 6x18 =108
Each of 108 can have 11 different faces.. 108 x 11= 1188
Reapeat the same for the smaller size
So its close to couple thousend combos !
Formula for combination N!/( n!( N-n)!)
Formula fir permutation N!/(N-n)!
N os number of dustinct objects
And n is the number objects in our combination set ! In thus case 3.. Watch body, strap, face
I think Johny is mistakingly talking about all possible combination out of the above set of 35 for every n .... Including combinations that are the same parts but different colors Or material.. Like gold , stainelss and alum watch body as a combination Which is meaningless in actual application ! Or even incomplete combinations of 2 pieces or combinations with 4 pieces or more... Which again are meaningless ....
Thoughs welcome
cheap and ugly
Hideous
Does that help you?
I would think even the "sport" band is going to be AT LEAST $49, maybe more. The higher end like the "link" and "milanese" probably close to $199 each.
This product once they get the design nice WILL definitely sell well. You will also see these adapters included with watch bands on ebay and such.