How long for a standalone watch

[Will0827]

Had no plans on getting an apple watch or any kind of smart watch for that matter, got a sport last week and for what the apple watch is it's perfect. Overall just a cool watch with it's features a nice bonus. To get to the point of the thread, how many versions do you guys think it will take to get a standalone watch. I've had a vision that smart watches would serve as a data pipe to your other devices and you would carry the screen size you deem appropriate for whichever you are in. For this to be a reality alot would have to change not only in the battery department, but carriers would have to be onboard also. There are two watches currently that offer cellular service and im glad they exist but hopefully apple could make the push possibly towards this happen sometime soon.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

@Will0827 I don't think this will ever happen, because Apple would rather sell you a phone AND a watch, rather than just a watch... Also, a smartwatch with phone capabilities is pretty much a dumbphone as far as features go; you can't type on it, you can't browse the web on it; you can sort of use maps on it, a little, but not all that well. Video playback would be awful, and so on. The screen is just too small for content consumption, and much less generation.

Watches with basebands built-in is pretty gimmicky, I would be surprised if the tech ever really catches on for those manufacturers who make such products.

 

[hovscorpion12]

A standalone Apple Watch will most likely not happen. Currently both Samsung and LG have standalone watches that require a second SIM card with an secondary number with an additional call/data plan. I would rather have Bluetooth/Wifi connection between the Watch and my iPhone without paying Verizon more money. The solution is WatchOS 2.0. Having native apps that don't rely heavily on my iPhone can ease the pain.

 

[Newtons Apple]

There is no way a watch would ever replace my iPhone 6+. Even if they could cram a cell phone in the watch, I will still carry my iPhone.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

@Will0827 I don't think this will ever happen, because Apple would rather sell you a phone AND a watch, rather than just a watch...

This is not a convincing argument because Apple is well known for their philosophy on product cannibalization. They know if they don't do it, someone else will. As a result, they've embraced the cannibalization of their iPod business (due to the iPhone) and MacBook business (due to the iPad), as long as it's another Apple product that's doing the cannibalization.

 

[exxxviii]

I think that the next evolution is a connected wrist phone/data device, and then the larger pocketable device will be the extension of the watch. In other words, it will be the reverse of the AW/iPhone today. The watch will one day meet the minimum feature set of connected device for data and voice with limited messaging capabilities. If you need a more robust UI, you will pick up your future iPod Touch, iPad, or Macbook for the heavy lifting, and that will connect to the watch for Internet access.

It does not really matter what Apple does or thinks in this regard. If other players invent it, like Samsung, Motorola, whatever, and that new device connects to any extension device, like an iPod, iPad, Kindle, etc., and the consumers like it, then Apple will be forced to respond or cease to be relevant in mobile communication. Apple will unlikely cease to be relevant any time soon, so it will likely try to be on the forefront of innovation.

 

[Night Spring]

There is no way a watch would ever replace my iPhone 6+. Even if they could cram a cell phone in the watch, I will still carry my iPhone.

I agree the watch wouldn't replace an iPhone in tens of screen size. But it could become the point of cellular data connection, and all other devices could tether from it. So right now, I have an iPad, iPhone and watch. If I want to bring my iPad but want a data connection, I have to bring all three. If the watch was the data connection, I could just bring the iPad and watch, and leave the phone-sized device at home.

In the words, the smallest device is the one you are likely to always have with you, so that should be your data connection. Then you can pick which size screen you want to bring, depending on what you are doing that day.

 

[Will0827]

I agree the watch wouldn't replace an iPhone in tens of screen size. But it could become the point of cellular data connection, and all other devices could tether from it. So right now, I have an iPad, iPhone and watch. If I want to bring my iPad but want a data connection, I have to bring all three. If the watch was the data connection, I could just bring the iPad and watch, and leave the phone-sized device at home.

In the words, the smallest device is the one you are likely to always have with you, so that should be your data connection. Then you can pick which size screen you want to bring, depending on what you are doing that day.

This is exactly the idea, if you wanted to go for a quick run or a quick bike ride, you could leave without having to worry that you don't have your phone. I am aware of the trusted wifi feature being added in the new os, but with privacy being a selling point going foward as far as tech devices go, public wifi isn't a thing everywhere and it doesn't bode well with privacy.

 

[zhenya]

I'm waiting for at least GPS to get integrated. I would also like the ability to make phone calls. Paired with ApplePay I'd then be free of needing to carry a phone with me on my runs. I predict we'll see this by the 3rd generation - and that the mobile operators will make it very compelling to add a watch to your plan - like $5-10/month (which is basically where we are at already for adding a device to a plan so I think it might be even on the lower end of that spectrum.)

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think we will see many of the things we all wish for but not for a few more years. Apple is struggling to get the watch to do what it does with the battery. Add a cell phone and GPS . . . . we are just not there yet.

 

[Night Spring]

I think we will see many of the things we all wish for but not for a few more years. Apple is struggling to get the watch to do what it does with the battery. Add a cell phone and GPS . . . . we are just not there yet.

I know battery is the bottleneck. But if/when that gets resolved, then having the watch be the "phone" and everything else be screens that tether from it seems like the most logical way for these things to work.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I know battery is the bottleneck. But if/when that gets resolved, then having the watch be the "phone" and everything else be screens that tether from it seems like the most logical way for these things to work.

I am thinking we might see the phone have these multiple uses but not something the size of the Apple Watch for a while. Power will be the problem for several years to come, maybe more until they come up with new type battery. Even when they do come up with a new revolutionary battery, it will take time before it makes it into our devices.

We can all dream what want but physics still and always will rule!

 

[exxxviii]

The Samsung Gear S is already a stand-alone phone/watch with GPS, isn't it? Granted, it is larger and the styling is not to my taste. It's battery is about 50% larger than the AW battery, and it gets more than a day on battery. Though, I do not know how much voice & data usage in that day. So, this may be here already, and not far off for AW.

 

[Newtons Apple]

The Samsung Gear S is already a stand-alone phone/watch with GPS, isn't it? Granted, it is larger and the styling is not to my taste. It's battery is about 50% larger than the AW battery, and it gets more than a day on battery. Though, I do not know how much voice & data usage in that day. So, this may be here already, and not far off for AW.

It is like three times larger. Big enough for a keyboard!

I am liking my 6+ more and more everyday!

 

[Armen]

Had no plans on getting an apple watch or any kind of smart watch for that matter, got a sport last week and for what the apple watch is it's perfect. Overall just a cool watch with it's features a nice bonus. To get to the point of the thread, how many versions do you guys think it will take to get a standalone watch. I've had a vision that smart watches would serve as a data pipe to your other devices and you would carry the screen size you deem appropriate for whichever you are in. For this to be a reality alot would have to change not only in the battery department, but carriers would have to be onboard also. There are two watches currently that offer cellular service and im glad they exist but hopefully apple could make the push possibly towards this happen sometime soon.

A stand alone watch with its own cellular connection is pretty much this. Limited in what it can do.

- Phone calls
- crude SMS experience
- crude web experience
- crude navigation experience.

this is what I imagine the future to be LOL.

 

[Night Spring]

A stand alone watch with its own cellular connection is pretty much this. Limited in what it can do.

- Phone calls
- crude SMS experience
- crude web experience
- crude navigation experience.

Yes, but imagine having that experience in this package.

 

[Mac2me]

NO WAY do I want to incur an added expense of yet another mobile device with a phone bill. I think the current Watch is pretty ideal. Given that there are watches out there with standalone phone connections and I don't see them selling off the shelf, I think most other people don't feel the convenience is worth the price.

 

[Night Spring]

NO WAY do I want to incur an added expense of yet another mobile device with a phone bill.

I sure don't want that, either. I'd want the watch to become my main cellular data connection, then replace the phone with an "iPod touch" that can tether to the watchphone.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

NO WAY do I want to incur an added expense of yet another mobile device with a phone bill. I think the current Watch is pretty ideal. Given that there are watches out there with standalone phone connections and I don't see them selling off the shelf, I think most other people don't feel the convenience is worth the price.

They can easily strike a multi-year exclusivity deal with a carrier to carry an iPhone-free Watch, at no additional cost to the carrier's customers (as it'll siphon off your mobile data), while continuing to sell the Watch in its current form to all other customers.

 

[Aluminum213]

They could add GPS and LTE right now if they wanted, but it was cost a few hundred more and the battery would last half a day

 

[Lennyvalentin]

I sure don't want that, either. I'd want the watch to become my main cellular data connection, then replace the phone with an "iPod touch" that can tether to the watchphone.

This is impractical, because cellular basebands draw far more power than BT or wifi (and more power the faster your cellular tech), and a watch-sized piece of tech can only hold so big a battery. A phone-sized device can obviously hold a much bigger battery, and people are quite willing to carry such a device with them, so the size in of itself isn't a problem. Even the near-lunch tray sized Samsung "phablets" (damn, I so hate that stupid word) isn't a problem; people hold them up to their face and talk into them, and in public in fact, without any embarrassment whatsoever - which always surprised me, but today has a new generation of youngsters, one which is entirely shameless it would seem!

Also, how would you feel talking into your wrist for the entirety of a phone call when you're out and about town, and your wrist screaming back at you the other side of the conversation, for each and everyone else to hear, on a bus or a tram or a subway car? You thought it was annoying with people talking to themselves like they're schizoid in public when people started using headsets, just wait. You've ain't seen nothing yet...

Yeah - we could all go and buy ourselves a pair of bluetooth headsets to use when making a phonecall. So now we're up to THREE devices necessary to replicate what we can do with just ONE today: your watch phone, your internet surfing ipod, and a headset (all of which needs to be charged regularly btw) to retain some dignity in the face of others...! Got any other bright ideas?

 

[Night Spring]

Yeah - we could all go and buy ourselves a pair of bluetooth headsets to use when making a phonecall. So now we're up to THREE devices necessary to replicate what we can do with just ONE today: your watch phone, your internet surfing ipod, and a headset (all of which needs to be charged regularly btw) to retain some dignity in the face of others...! Got any other bright ideas?

I already have a bluetooth headset I use for phone calls, as I can't hear a conversation over a mobile phone's speakers, anyway. And I'm wearing a watch and carrying an iPhone. So moving the cellular connection from the phone to the watch doesn't increase the number of devices I'm carrying around. What it does do is give me an option to just go out with watch + headset if I want. I don't have that option now if I want to stay connected.

And yes, I realize that in order for this to happen, battery technology needs to improve significantly. I think I've said that several times already.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

@Night Spring So because you own a headset already makes putting our phones in a watch and making our phones into arguably already obsolete iPods a great idea...? I'm not sure I'm interpreting you correctly, because it all sounds a bit off, really.

Most people would probably be looking to reduce the amount of electronic junk they're having to keep charging and carrying around, not the other way around.

I don't really care - I'm a gadget freak by nature who have actually been looking at behind-the-neck in-ear BT headsets but not decided on whether I should spring for one or not, but most markets cannot sustain themselves on arguably borderline certifiable people like me who spend hundreds of dollars every few years just on graphics cards for our computers. I'm an edge case, I realize this myself.

I don't think most people would want to wear their phone on their wrist, have to have earplugs for talking on it, and an iPod in their pocket or bag for browsing Facebonk.

 

[Armen]

Yes, but imagine having that experience in this package.

At least with the Apple watch your iPhone is in your pocket and you can always use that for some tasks. Imagine carrying around nothing but a cellular Apple watch and trying to do everything with it.

 

[Night Spring]

At least with the Apple watch your iPhone is in your pocket and you can always use that for some tasks. Imagine carrying around nothing but a cellular Apple watch and trying to do everything with it.

Don't you ever go for a walk in the park, or just go around the block for a quick errand, and don't want to carry your phone? That's my use case for the watchphone. I'm not going to try to do everything on a watch, but I do go for a lot of quick walks and errands where I only have to go out for a short time, like less than 30 minutes, and for those super short outings, it would be very convenient if I could just take my watch without having to carry my phone.