More Claims of September 9 Debut for Apple's Wearable Device, Likely Positioned as iPhone Accessory

[heisenberg123]

it will just be a continuation of what the nike fuel band has been, nike and apple have been in bed a while on this device and isn't Tim Cook even on the Nike board?

also did Nike not stop the developing side of the fuel band earlier this year?

all of the concept photos are silly I can't see how any of those would be durable for usage while being active, they look like something hipsters would wear to make reaching for your phone easier.

than again hipsters are apples biggest customers

 

[Piggie]

You wish that to be the case so you come here afterwards and let us all know what a letdown it was.

Nope, only that, if it WAS only that, then it would explain why there has been nothing to see, as it would all be off the same production line as Nike's Band, just with a bit more guts.

I hope its a LOT more, and I hope Apple makes it an open platform so people with Android phones could use it to read data also, and have Apps on that platform be compatible with it also.

 

[sfwalter]

I'm perfectly happy with the iWatch or whatever it is an accessory to the iPhone. Just hope its stylish for both men and women. So far all of the wearables to date are targeted towards men.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Tim promised product category not iPhone accessories.

he said that any "reasonable" person would call it a new product category. not sure how many MR posters will meet that criteria.

wearables are a different category than cell phones.

 

[bunnicula]

Yeah, except those fitbits and fuelbands aren't doing that well (ask Nike who just dropped out of the market). It's a niche market for runners since about 2007, and became a small trendy fad the past couple years. They've all been plagued by the same problems of bad battery life, bad user interface and high price.

I think this band/watch is the reason that Nike dropped the FuelBand. They immediately discussed their partnership with Apple when they did it.

And what you said there? Good point. Fitbits and FuelBands (and UP, let us not forget the UP band) are NOT doing well... not as well as they could, anyway.

But... people want them to do well. It's not like people weren't buying them, they were just dissatisfied with their performance. I know I was. I've tried 2 versions of the UP band and both of them ultimately sucked.

If Apple can invent a band/watch deal that does NOT suck? That is integrated with some good apps for tracking metrics off that band/watch?

Gold.

This is pretty much all I ever thought the "iWatch" was going to be, so if they do that much, I'll consider it a success.

I don't even like wearing watches, so as long as it's not hideous, I'd buy one for the data tracking, because none of the others really seem to work well.

If it has more features than I thought it would? Hey, that's great.

I just never thought Apple was trying to compete with Rolex or anything.

 

[iChrist]

Everyone is thinking "watch" or "bracelet", but we're probably far from reality.

Remember when there was rumours about the iPhone and people thought it would be an iPod that can make phone calls? Steve even had a funny image in his presentation.

Image

It wouldn't surprise me that when they show it to us, we'll all be "what? wow!".

I hope you are right.

If it's as ugly as the mockup on this article, they should just give it free with an iphone.

 

[69Mustang]

You won't be. It won't be like the Galaxy Gear. That's the best Samsung could imagine when they tried to beat Apple to the punch with a wearable.

It's not going to be a touchscreen. Think 3D Minority Report-type tech.

The Gear is on it's 6th iteration believe or not; the Gear S. The latest doesn't look bad imo. Also, is that 3D Minority Report device going to come with an outlet and extension cord? I don't think a battery will cut it.

Battery life. No way you can get complete smartphone functionally in a tiny device like a watch without having to charge it all the time. Honestly I hope Apple isn't trying to design an iPhone for the wrist. Have it do stuff the phone doesn't do.

Is this in reference to the SG Gear S? Funny thing, the Gear S looks similar to the mock up that accompanies this article. I actually like the look but a 300 mAh battery pushing a cellular device? I'm with you there. I don't even see how Samsung can claim 2 days of normal use.

Saw you on Ars and figured you be back over here with this announcement.

I'm on record for finding no use personally for any smartwatch, including the rumored iWatch. Others may find value, and good for them. I'm just interested to see what the final product will offer compared to the rest of the market. I disliked the look of Samsungs first offering but I think the Gear S looks nice. I wonder if Apple's offering will be more reminiscent of Gear, G Watch, Moto 360, or something totally radical.

 

[Chrjy]

Bloomberg speculates that Apple's plan to debut the wearable device alongside the iPhone may be the company's way of limiting expectations for the device

Really. This seems contrary to the rather large structure they're building for this event. If they wanted to manage expectations, building a large structure at the Flint Center where Steve Jobs introduced the Mac 30 years ago is not an ideal way to lower expectations!

 

[apolloa]

The only way I'd buy an I watch is if it had some sort of kinetic charging so I don't have to take it off every couple of days to charge it.

Well, I kind hope you do take your watch off? At night perhaps? Anyway I don't think they will, but they may put solar charging in it? Casio uses it a fair bit and the panels seem pretty small.

Their are some small brand Swiss smartwatchs with automatic movements on the market now or in development, but they all seem a bit odd looking or large.

 

[cdmoore74]

Inductive charging please

Not when Apple rather sale you a $20 proprietary cable.

 

[mad3inch1na]

iphone 6 part leaks: 10+

iwatch part leaks: 0


no iwatch this year

While I agree that the iWatch will most likely not be sold until 2015, there is a very good chance that it will be announced on the 9th. Apple typically does this with new product categories. Announce the product months before it is released so that you don't have to worry about part leaks, and they can control the hype machine. There were little to no leaks on the original iPhone, and it was announced way before it was released. The same is probably occurring here.

 

[69Mustang]

Why would a smart watch have to have full smartphone capabilities? What it has to do is a few things better than a smartphone really well.

Funny you ask. This one does.

 

[firewood]

Fitbits and fuel bands, YES, but smart watches that cost several hundred dollars and merely extend your phone, no.

On the other hand, I know people who will pay a lot for something like a fitbit or fuelband that looks a lot like real upscale jewelry. The more biometrics the better. If it also tells time or extends the mobile device, that's only a nice extra.

 

[H. Flower]

Yep, product will be DOA if it:

- Doesn't have added value (i.e. just an accessory)

- Is more "futuristic" looking and less luxurious/stylish.

 

[Sonmi451]

While the circular watch looks the best, I think it's not practical for displaying information that is not time.

 

[edgonzalez32]

I keep asking myself when I'd ever be truly using such a device. My phone is always with me, so the likelihood I'd be sending a text message on a smaller screen seems absurd.

For health. Pair it with health kit.

 

[Sonmi451]

Not when Apple rather sale you a $20 proprietary cable.

Apple has always included a charging cable rendering your comment useless.

 

[badNameErr]

I know

It's an Apple Television....that you can wear. Like with shoulder straps.

 

[Sonmi451]

History has taught me to wait until the second generation of Apple's mobile hardware.

I've had quite a few 1st gen products. Minor issues here and there, but nothing that has been bad enough to wait a whole generation.

 

[Mtmspa]

Still think the watch concept is nonsense with smartphones now ubiquitous. I could see the utility as AR takes necessitating additional convenient input (tracking hand motion?).

As it stands it's just a bad idea. Battery life ridiculously low, screen size too small to be of much use for content or for a rich touch-driven ui. There's a good reason this hasn't come out before.

I expect a runner's watch with an ipod and some health sensors. About as unexciting as it sounds. Hope I'm wrong.

You have no clue. That would have been shorter than that drivel you crapped out above.

----------

Not when Apple rather sale you a $20 proprietary cable.

Apple never saled me anything.

 

[Sonmi451]

You guys always drinking the kool-aid..

theres no kool aid to drink when we literally no nothing about the product. haters gonna hate I guess.

 

[wigby]

"Yesterday, Re/code broke the news that Apple planned to introduce its upcoming wearable device alongside the iPhone 6, and now Bloomberg is seconding that rumor, pointing towards a simultaneous debut of two different iPhones and a wearable device at Apple's September 9 event. ...."

With full recognition that this is a rumour site, it would be great if there were any basis other than wild guessing to something you call "news."

Re-code has 100% accurate record reporting on Apple rumors just before events. That beats any other news (rumor or legitimate) site sources' records I can think of.

 

[odedia]

I think the killer feature would be human-charging. We're a great electromagnetic device, and the iWatch would be attached to our skin. Either using kinetic energy or heat/sweat or whatever it may be, eventually the watch would be charged by the person wearing it. It would probably be extremely low power, which is a plus.

I can't see Apple releasing something like this, probably with a sleep mode, and still require you to charge it first.

P.S., I also believe we're going to have multiple designs and sizes. A watch is not a phone. It's fashion. Men and Women want different styles of watch. Big hands, small hands, different tastes - I predict as many as 10 different iWatch designs to choose from.

 

[troop231]

I think the killer feature would be human-charging. We're a great electromagnetic device, and the iWatch would be attached to our skin.

Or lick a lightbulb socket or stick a fork in a wall outlet. Long charge times will be a thing of the past!

 

[robjulo]

The problem being that Apple hasn't done anything revolutionary since the iPad.

It's been a long time.

Everyone is thinking "watch" or "bracelet", but we're probably far from reality.

Remember when there was rumours about the iPhone and people thought it would be an iPod that can make phone calls? Steve even had a funny image in his presentation.

Image

It wouldn't surprise me that when they show it to us, we'll all be "what? wow!".