Jony Ive: Apple Watch and New iPhones Apple's 'Best Work Yet'

[AZREOSpecialist]

Apple Watch is an absolutely incredible piece of design. It's curves and smooth surfaces are timeless. Those who are complaining are unhappy that it doesn't adhere to their extreme aesthetic expectations. The way Apple designed this watch, it can be anything to anybody.

This is not just technology, it's also jewelry. The thought and work that went into the software and interaction is simply brilliant and it absolutely is Apple's best work yet. The other companies just threw their clunky OS onto a watch, Apple made it beautiful, usable, and special.

I probably won't buy one because I don't need or want something on my wrist. But I can see tens of millions of the younger iPod generation getting these things. Apple phone offers a new dimension in social interactivity, and in the case of my deaf partner, the taptic feedback would be very welcome.

All in all, this was a great product launch after you get over the epic fail of the stream and Apple web site going down. The phones and watch are gorgeous. Remember when iPad was launched by Steve Jobs? Everyone panned it and called it a big iPhone. And then look what happened. The same will happen here.

The only thing I don't like about Apple Watch is that it doesn't have a built-in GPS and relies on your iPhone for that function.

 

[MikeFromTexas]

1. Apple Watch is not ugly, just derivative. Same basic design has been around since at least the seventies. However, how many ways can you design a watch and still have a functional item? Therefore, I am not pumped up about the design nor am I disappointed.
2. Functionally this strikes me as mostly a "secondary screen" for an iPhone. If you think this will work for your work/play lifestyle you may want one. Personally so far I have seen nothing that I want, but that will be a highly individual choice.

It will be many months before this can be purchased. We will all have lots of time to mull it over to decide if we want to plunk down the cash!

 

[edenwaith]

Best. Product. Ever.

Almost exactly what I was thinking. I get a kick out of companies saying how their latest product is the best version ever. Well, I hope so. Why bother if it isn't better than previous versions?

Granted, people might fondly recall how an earlier version of a product was better (such as a certain model of Porsche 911, or Windows XP over Vista, etc.).

On another note... I love the "this is the best iPhone we've ever made" comments.

I mean, if any company gets up and says "our new phone isn't as good as last years", I think that company is in trouble.

 

[Lachhh]

i hate coming on this site when apple shows new products everyone always bitches, this is why people hate apple fans.

I think you're a bit confused in this. In my experience people hate apple fans for their blind devotion and their blind defence of everything and anything Apple. I've never heard "gawd, those iSheep, always critizicing their own company!", like, EVER. I've heard the opposite more times than I can count.
I don't think the Droid community even know that Apple fans can criticise an Apple product. They sure don't talk like it.

@thread: I agree with those saying the design is weak. Apple has been known for distinctive, radical designs for ages now. I can't believe people pushing the lowest common design denominator defence, when what made Apple design so great in the past 2 decades was precisely because Apple products didn't look much like anything around at the time, yet still boldly proclaiming "I'm beautifully designed, I know you'll want me anyway". This design is timid and unimaginative in comparison, IMO.

 

[fortysomegeek]

It is all about the details folks.

In another post, someone posted their Moto 360 next to a 40mm Rolex (or knock-off). I'm familiar with that size because I own a bunch of 40mm watches.

Now compare that to a woman who is wearing an "Large Man's watch."
Charlize Theron with a 40mm Rolex Sub (I know this one is authentic). The Rolex is already big on a woman. That is out there. Imagine 46mm on her wrist.

Some of you guys are so stuck on round dials but rectangular dials have worked for women in the past. I present the Cartier Santos.

In a Sports setting

Now, the Apple watch for the women.

In A sports setting.

Looks and taste are entirely subjective. Draw your own conclusions. But there is no denying the build quality is premium for a mall watch.

 

[Kobayagi]

Are you kidding me? Why anybody would even *want* an SD card on their phone in this day and age is ridiculous. I have tons of music and pictures and movies and files of various sorts associated with my company and I've never run into an issue with a 16 GB phone.

I'm not saying it's a perfect solution, but when Apple asks $100 to double your memory, a $10 sd card becomes to look really temping...

Though I gotta admit, since they got rid of the 32gb option, you'll get 4 times as much memory when going from 16 to 64 for $100. But the thing is, it costs them 5$ tops to make that happen, so what's up with that, charing your customers insane prices for something as cheap as memory. It's not 2005 when it was all new, so they could justify the pricing.

 

[skinnylegs]

For me Apple has already been going downhill like a year or so before Steve passed away (he sure had better things to do than care about the company til his last breath), and since that time, I've become way more analytical on Mac news sites and comments on them instead of just silently ignoring all the criticless deificating and praise for anything Apple ****** out.

And I have to say, this thread is a delightful experience here on MR. Whereas usually the first page(s) were nearly exclusively filled with the type of comments mentioned above, for the first time I saw openly negative to cynical comments outweigh the openly positive comments by lengths.

Looks like some of the die-hard fanboys are finally waking up and realizing what Apple is becoming now. And I think we need that. We need to have Apple nearly completely crash so they really have a reason to go out and find another visionaire who brings Apple back on track. Remember the 90s (though they had it easier back then as Jobs was just working somewhere else...).
I don't think the strategy they're currently running now - which is delivering little, praising much, and milking the cash cow even harder and faster than they already did - can work much longer.

Their mindless self-aggrandizement urges me to do a facepalm every time, though with all their "we'll always stay true to our DNA" PR nonsense I think at least some at Apple do exactly know what's happening (or are they doing it *just* to not have investors panic?)

I used to love Apple (though also critically thinking, unlike fanboys) and their products, but seeing how this company f*cks itself up more and more now makes me just want to cry. But the reactions I read here give me hope.

Uh.......no.

If you think the MR boards are representative of the general population then you are an even bigger tool than your comments makes you appear. Apple continues to thrive because they make outstanding products. The iPhone 5s was (and still is) a great phone; arguable better than *any* existing Android device on the market. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are even better. The current crop of Android wearables are crap and this is reflected in their sales. The Watch changes everything and this will be reflected in sales. Feel free to come back to this thread a year from now and bring your fork with for the crow pie you will be eating. Apple Pay absolutely and unequivocally changes everything. The ability to pay for goods and services without taking out your wallet has been widely available on Android devices but it hasn't even remotely taken off because it was horribly implemented. *Nobody* is using it and maybe a handful of retailers are even offering it. Once again, Apple has taken existing technology and refined it both in terms of software and hardware and things will never be the same.

 

[Xenu007]

Apple Watch sets watch design back to the 1970s

All this hype and the best design they can come up with is a shiny version of a '70s Casio digital watch?? Aside from it's (non-waterproof) potential as a gym/exercise watch, who needs to duplicate their smartphone on their wrist? For the same price point you can get a real waterproof exercise heart rate monitor from Polar, etc.

http://usvsth3m.com/post/55173874636/ten-reasons-we-love-our-casio-f-91w-digital-watch

http://www.polar.com/us-en/products/maximize_performance/running_multisport/V800

 

[MyDataMyProbs]

Hahahhaaaaaamuahuahua… Mr Ive, what planet are you from ???
They're the as ugly as sin. Period. I'll go for 5S, because it's "The last of the Mohicans" in Apple's stock.

AAPL stock = Doing GREAT.

 

[trip1ex]

Looks cool. Still not sure abut the market for it as instead of staring at my watch for much of what they showed I would whip out my phone instead. And by day 2 I won't be drawing question marks or fish symbols.

And not sure people want to carry around another gadget either. The phone is a pocket watch as it is.

And then price ? $350 to start? Most of us are already devoting more money than we want to on our phones and monthly service payments.

I don't think I could handle using my phone with the watch attached to the wrist at the same time. I'd have to take off my watch when using my phone. Otherwise I would be confused and angry about the $350 screen redundancy.

 

[skinnylegs]

I'm not saying it's a perfect solution, but when Apple asks $100 to double your memory, a $10 sd card becomes to look really temping...

Though I gotta admit, since they got rid of the 32gb option, you'll get 4 times as much memory when going from 16 to 64 for $100. But the thing is, it costs them 5$ tops to make that happen, so what's up with that, charing your customers insane prices for something as cheap as memory. It's not 2005 when it was all new, so they could justify the pricing.

My point is that local storage is going the way of the dodo bird. Stream your movies, music and pics and keep your other files on iCloud, DropBox or whatever.

 

[Kendo]

In another post, someone posted their Moto 360 next to a 40mm Rolex (or knock-off). I'm familiar with that size because I own a bunch of 40mm watches.

They have to make the watch that big because having a round dial wastes so much space. As generic as the square shape may seem, it really is the best shape functionality wise.

 

[TheRealCBONE]

They have to make the watch that big because having a round dial wastes so much space. As generic as the square shape may seem, it really is the best shape functionality wise.

It should be mentioned that the guy who took the picture said the Moto watch is closer to the camera than the Rolex so it looks bigger.

 

[thering1975]

I dont get this fascination with how Apple Pay will change the world. and that they have done it right?, i mean i drive through mcdonalds and get my card out and touch it against the machine. job done. However you need to get your phone out and hold the fingerprint sensor then tap? A solution for a problem that did not exist and added one extra step. I can already use my phone to make payments, but to be honest i dont care for it. Chip and pin does the job nicely thanks.

 

[vvswarup]

Jony is so up himself it hurts to watch (pun intended). The Apple Watch is an exercise in self-indulgence and adds absolutely nothing innovative, new or practical to the wearable market.

Nothing "innovative, new or practical?" Really?

Show me a smart watch that is designed to notify you discreetly and unobtrusively.

Show me a smart watch that brings the best of both worlds in terms of interaction.

Show me a watchmaker whose bands are like the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch isn't perfect. But no one can deny that Apple brings unique perspective to the table.

 

[PsykX]

That made me LOL.

The guy is a complete ********.
Millions and millions. Pah! You know when I move the seat back in my car it becomes a completely different model to next doors one. He’s not good on video.

It's the same as Subway. How many distinct sandwiches can they make ? Millions and millions. Because the same sandwich with or without lettuce is a different one.

I know it's stretched but it's definitely how you calculate the possibilities.

 

[fortysomegeek]

It should be mentioned that the guy who took the picture said the Moto watch is closer to the camera than the Rolex so it looks bigger.

I doubt the angles made much difference. On a watch, every 1mm makes a HUGE difference.

Here is a 40mm vs a 42mm Rolex Explorer 2.

The small 2mm difference is very profound.

I've been on watch forums and groups since 1994 and this has been a raging debate. The difference in mm can make the difference between a ladies, boys, or men's watch.

The difference is even more profound with the Moto because it is all dial. The Rolex 40mm has the same dial space as a 38mm watch but the bezel gives it more weight. All the big 44-46mm Swiss watches usually have hefty, big bezels to offset it's girth. It is all proportion. The Moto 360 is so whak big it is almost the equivalent of a 50mm watch.

Here is a 40mm Rolex against some 44-50mm watch. The 360 will fit right in there.

 

[skinnylegs]

I dont get this fascination with how Apple Pay will change the world. and that they have done it right?, i mean i drive through mcdonalds and get my card out and touch it against the machine. job done. However you need to get your phone out and hold the fingerprint sensor then tap? A solution for a problem that did not exist and added one extra step. I can already use my phone to make payments, but to be honest i dont care for it. Chip and pin does the job nicely thanks.

Oh my. I'm not sure this comment is even worth a reply......

 

[TheRealCBONE]

What happened to Skinny Jony ??? Either he is buffing up for mr universe or has found the Apple Muffin stash.

Also I can see why he does not speak at the keynotes.....

Moving around that big ole slab of a watch all day long doing [Public Enemy]"Jony Ive speaks with his hands"[/Public Enemy] has gotten him jacked.

 

[Damtoft]

Oh im on camera, better flash the watch and iPhone

 

[Milese3]

I cannot agree more.

 

[lookatchu]

Ive looks like Jim Norton in that photo.

 

[iSee]

No Story

I mean, what was he going to say? "Eh, we've done better"???

Come on, why even bother posting this kind of thing?

 

[loybond]

I get the impression that Ive believed in his and Jobs' ideas and design in the beginning, but he's just sold himself out now... he'll say anything, no matter how far-fetched. I suppose it's a given; Apple needs to sell the world on a new phone each year, and each phone is supposed to be better than the last, otherwise... who would buy it?

In the tech business, they've been pining for a new product category that will shake up the market and generate revenues like the modern smartphone and tablets have. These product categories have made many companies incredibly rich, so it's no surprise that they want another golden egg.

Since no new product type has evolved of its own volition, the industry has been pushing wearables/watches lately as the next major product category, but it's obvious to most people that this category will not be the next smartphone or tablet. This category is being pushed on the consumer by manufacturers, not fueled by consumer desire.

Modern smartphones and tablets have been successful primarily because they fulfill needs and people enjoy using them. This is my opinion, but the watch does not fulfill any real needs, and is not a particularly enjoyable experience.

The smartphone can do everything the watch can, and plenty more. If I want to pay for something, check e-mail, weather, send a message, check my calendar etc., I can do this rather well on my phone. In fact, any activity that requires typing or reading will be a far better experience on the phone. The product demo was pretty ridiculous and far more gimmicky than any demo I can remember from Apple.

We enjoy large screen sizes, so we can feel more comfortable interacting with the device, so it makes little sense to put away the now larger device, only to interact with it through a small, limited device. Most, if not all of Apple's products fulfill needs, and are great at what they do (Mac, iPhone, iPad for example), and this seems to be their weakest offering in recent times.

I think on top of all that, the watch is priced wrong. At $350+ (I think it could be significantly higher with the metal bands and particular finishes) for a new product category that offers little real benefit, it's far too high. They want to market it as jewelry, but it is not jewelry. Jewelry does not depreciate, lack features or become obsolete. No one will be cross shopping Omegas, Tags and the Apple Watch. This is just another tech gadget, and once past the initial excitement phase, I think people will treat it as such.

I see how Apple wants to see it... a new product category with high margins, a new app store with a new revenue stream. Beyond the initial hype, I think it will sell in some quantity, but it definitely won't be another smartphone, where over 70% of the population (in many countries) will have one.

 

[yangchewren]

AAPL stock = Doing GREAT.

Exactly. Well let's see how this value does over the next few months to finally show whether the majority of comments here are noise or are accurate predictions.

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General comment - $349 is an additional $349 of revenue captured by apple through new demand they've created... The Apple Watch isn't like other smart watches or doesn't need to live up to the expectations of the other watches because there is nothing like it. Pricing rules shouldn't follow that of jewellery or craft watches because it isn't, jewellery has little functionality outside of its aesthetics.

The glitzy smartwatch category seems new and it seems premature to estimate what market forces will be like... And at very least, we've got the absolute lowest bound (an unlikely scenario) where the Apple Watch will serve merely as an accessory to the iPhone. This isn't a bad outcome either - it builds strongly on Apple's lifestyle/ digital hub ecosystem (cliched, yes). A relevant question is how Apple's efforts compare to competitors or whether there's any reasonable basis of comparison in the first place.