New Concepts Imagine the iWatch as a Lifestyle Device, Traditional Timepiece

[Tumbleweed666]

This section of the web site has seriously gone downhill recently. It used to be rumours about what apple would do, some very dubious some with real connection to apple, now its nothing more than a never ending list of people's ideas and prototypes that have zero connection with apple.

 

[SchneiderMan]

It wouldn't be possible. They'll have to use the entire product for hardware such as the strap. No way will the battery life be more than a few hours, or a day max, with such a display. These concepts have no merit whatsoever other than being pretty. Not a reason to post every little concept.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Viber "Notificacions"? Really?

But other than that, cool concept.

 

[mcdspncr]

That made me pause for a moment and think about whether I want to talk to my watch, and how society might look with others around me speaking into theirs, too.

I'm comfortable speaking into my phone and headsets (ear buds, etc.) and the social etiquette that helps us get along with each other while doing it. But I prefer my watch to be a silent partner. The more I think about it, the more strongly I believe that voice interaction with a wrist-top device would be a disruptive nuisance. Besides increasing the level of ambient chatter, it would give rise to a new set of arm motions ("wristies"!) as people try to isolate/enhance the conversation with their watch, especially in environments that are already noticeably noisy or quiet.

Will be interesting to see what scheme Apple actually comes out with for interacting with the device. If not Siri, then perhaps bluetooth or wifi connection to an app that offers all of the "knobs and buttons" necessary to set the device and customize its behavior.

Although I completely agree, I think it's almost inevitable that Apple with feature heavy Siri integration into the iWatch. I certainly wouldn't want to have a conversation on my watch, but when your wrist vibrates with a new text (via bluetooth from your iphone) it would certainly be conceivable to mutter "See you in 10" to your wrist rather than dig out the iphone. That seems to be the point of most smart watches these days - notifications. I don't see how anything other than Siri could allow the user to effectively respond to these notifications, however unnatural it might feel in public. Thanks for the reply though!

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"Waterproof" and "submergible" are not the same thing. "Waterproof" meaning you don't have to be paranoid about washing your hands or going out in the rain is essential, but "submergible" like going into the ocean isn't.

I wonder if sapphire crystal would be capable of transmitting sound into the inside of the watch, with an advantage coming from a rather large area. Charging: If top and bottom half are separated by non-conductive material, voltage for charging could be applied directly to the top and bottom half.

Just to be clear I'm fully aware of the differences between the terms. The article specifically stated "submersible" which I miswrote as submergible. Not sure why or where you got the term waterproof though...

 

[sully54]

i think the iwatch will borrow from traditional timepieces by putting the home button on the side where the crown would be, instead of on the bottom of the watch face like an iOS device.

 

[Urban Joe]

Nice

Yeah, my thinking from the start was that it was going to be round and have an innovative circular UI. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see what they decided. I'm sure one of the mock ups out there is pretty close ... but which one?

 

[KALLT]

This section of the web site has seriously gone downhill recently. It used to be rumours about what apple would do, some very dubious some with real connection to apple, now its nothing more than a never ending list of people's ideas and prototypes that have zero connection with apple.

And yet, plenty of comments. This is simply the editorial freedom of the Macrumors team. If they think a rumour or idea is interesting or relevant, then they publish it. They don't just publish every mockup either. This one is pretty peculiar, because it offers a new take on the iWatch concept that would probably appeal to a broader base. We don't have anything else to go on, not even concrete evidence that an iWatch is something Apple would release anytime soon (we know that Apple discards a lot of prototypes and projects). This is what Macrumors always did, it is simply more notable since Apple rumours have received mainstream attention and hence more mockups.

I still don't understand why some people cannot just pass items they are not interested in and leave it be. Not everything has to be tailored for you.

 

[the8thark]

All these concepts fail. Because:

- They are just taking the same form we are used to and just adding tech to it.
- Apple often change the form of the product to what we will need in the future. A good recent example of this is the new Mac Pro.

If it was me I'd design this without a screen. Think something like a Star Trek TNG starfleet badge worn on your chest. Just double tap it then say something like:
- "Time please" and it tells you the time
- "Play music" and it plays your music through your bluetooth ear piece
- "Call my best friend" and with a bluetooth earpiece you could have a phone conversation with the person you set up as your best friend in the device.
etc etc.

The device would be set up to understand your voice and ignore others. And you'd essentially have it in power saving mode when it's not in use, and since it has no screen it has very little battery draw.

I guess Apple would have to create a version of this with a screen for hearing impaired people.

********************

Another idea I had.

What if Apple design this like a pocket watch of old?
Something like this but designed better.

People keep thinking of a screen with a wrist band on your arm. And they are not thinking outside the box. This Apple pocket watch could easily replace the iPod shuffle or even replace and become the new iPod Nano. It all depends ob what price point Apple is aiming for with the device. I can't see it being sub $200 though. As Apple don't do cheap garbage like the competition does.

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I still don't understand why some people cannot just pass items they are not interested in and leave it be. Not everything has to be tailored for you.

Not every article is well written either.
MacRumors is free to write articles of differing qualities. Some very good and others very poorly.
The members here have the freedom to comment on the article quality or ignore it and move on.

 

[chimpboy74]

Is it really that tough to pull your phone out of your pocket?

This screams "Solution in search of a a problem"

Yeah. That's exactly why I don't use the remote that came with my tv and use the buttons on the side.........

 

[spinedoc77]

Apple should be looking at why the livestrong bracelet was so popular.

The answer has something to do with the desire to be perceived by peers as: fitness oriented, healthy, apart of pop culture, youthful, charitable. People are vain, if you want them to glom onto something, give them something larger than themselves to buy into. The iWatch either needs to be incredibly innovative, or portray some elitism related to fitness, or both. You certainly don't just make a smart watch. (samsung, sony)

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Don't know about you, but the guy you pictured is in some seriously good shape. He's not some slob posing as a fitness guy wearing a fitness band.

I do agree on the uselessness of "fitness bands" though if that's what you were getting at. It's just a fad that makes people feel healthier, hey look I spent $300 I must be healthier!

 

[Elijen]

Apple should be looking at why the livestrong bracelet was so popular.

The answer has something to do with the desire to be perceived by peers as: fitness oriented, healthy, apart of pop culture, youthful, charitable. People are vain, if you want them to glom onto something, give them something larger than themselves to buy into. The iWatch either needs to be incredibly innovative, or portray some elitism related to fitness, or both. You certainly don't just make a smart watch. (samsung, sony)

Image

Price it $999. Done.

 

[Aeolius]

No one remembers the Squidget?

 

[Rogifan]

This section of the web site has seriously gone downhill recently. It used to be rumours about what apple would do, some very dubious some with real connection to apple, now its nothing more than a never ending list of people's ideas and prototypes that have zero connection with apple.

Unfortunately there is very little Apple news right now and the site still needs the traffic hence articles like this (or the one about safety experts concerned about CarPlay).

 

[ValSalva]

The design by Gábor Balogh is way too conventional. Have no idea what the iWatch or whatever is is eventually called will look like but it won't be this second design.

 

[sulpfiction]

A large rounded pocket watch would be the most stately and elegant option

You are absolutely right...the only downside is it's not 1840.

 

[krravi]

Stupid idea.

Just taking something that already exists without changing the core design but trying to fit in new technology to magically work together is wrong.
That’s the reason why taking Symbian phones in 2006 and slaping a touch screen on it, without adjusting the core system in a major way, didn’t work.

Especially the buttons on the side look pathetic. It’s just like the fake-leather calendar design of the former Mac App, with the bookmark symbol acting as a button that has completely different functionality than what it suggests.

Probably, everyone is expecting the iWatch to be a curved iPod or an iPhone?

That's why this is probably the closest to what an iWatch will be. I love the design. After all it's a watch first and others next!

 

[IJ Reilly]

That's the problem with these slick mockups via software. It's easy to design something good looking when you don't have to think about the actual engineering to bring it to market.

True, but even more to the point, "good looking" is not a primary design criterion. These mockups consider virtually nothing about what the device will actually be designed do, and we know that is Apple's primary design criterion.

Anyway, a lot of people are going to be embarrassed when a product arrives that has as much in common with a watch as the iPad had with a laptop.

 

[maestro72x]

Can we just stop with all the "Concepts" its really pointless now isnt it.. its not news.. its not productive to even write the article. This is not deviantart.com. Concepts arent news unless they come from the source, the source being APPLE.

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


While earlier iWatch concepts were inspired by the wearable's health-tracking features, a new set of renderings from Argentine design student Tomas Moyano imagines the iWatch as a device that'll produce "a further and deeper interaction between human beings and technology."

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Moyano pictures a perfectly round device, with grooves in the side that'll allow for multiple looks with different bands. Similar to the Shine from Misfit Wearables, the concept design features no buttons to catch on your sleeve and no holes to allow in water or dust. Submersible and resistant to dust, the watch lacks speakers and will rely on vibration notifications to alert you to an incoming message. Battery life will be a challenge in such a small device, so Moyano visualizes the iWatch with micro-solar panels and wireless recharging. To conserve this precious power, the concept iWatch will sacrifice the cellular connection and associated services that require an internet connection. Moyano's concept envisions Maps working on the iWatch, but it is not clear how the maps would be usable on such a small-screened device.

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Another circulating iWatch concept created by Hungarian freelance designer Gábor Balogh and published by The Verge is inspired by traditional wristwatch design. The concept uses an actual product image of the Havana timepiece from Swedish watchmaker Triwa. Balogh replaces the face of the watch with rumored iWatch features such as messages and heart rate tracking.

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Though the iWatch may not have many of the features mentioned above, it is rumored to include biometric functions like a heart rate monitor that'll tie into Apple's iOS 8 ecosystem via a new Healthbook app. It may also ship with a version of Siri tailored for the wrist-worn device.

Article Link: New Concepts Imagine the iWatch as a Lifestyle Device, Traditional Timepiece

 

[jkichline]

I like it!

Personally, I like the circular design. Now imagine a Shine (which is a great form factor by the way) with a circular touchscreen that works similar to an iPad click wheel for adjusting settings. Input is handled by Siri. I agree with the sound issue too. It will be interesting to see what this becomes.

Square watches don't work. Period. They look too much like a Casio calculator watch which immediately connotes "geeky guy". To appeal to the mass market, you would need to go round or go home.

 

[IJ Reilly]

This section of the web site has seriously gone downhill recently. It used to be rumours about what apple would do, some very dubious some with real connection to apple, now its nothing more than a never ending list of people's ideas and prototypes that have zero connection with apple.

I agree. After more than ten years covering Apple, this site should have developed a deep understanding of Apple's history, and the kinds of products Apple develops and releases. Yet these conventional, unimaginative, me-too concepts get treated here as serious guesses worthy of publication. The knowledge that Apple simply would never do this kind of thing doesn't figure into the decision to publish. Where's the plausibility filter?

 

[Ayr]

Ugly as sin. Apple always release something beautiful, something most mockups seem to neglect.

 

[0098386]

Vibrating notifications is what keeps me using the Pebble. I bought it to use as a remote control so I could use headphones with my iPhone, but now I always wear it because of the notifications.

 

[MacSince1990]

Holy crap. We could FEEL it? You mean like when my phone vibrates in my pocket? WOW!

I'd love to have my wrist vibrating while I'm typing.

And apparently the watch has an app that lets us receive texts from dead guys with no ID... Hm.. Innovative.

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It wouldn't be possible. They'll have to use the entire product for hardware such as the strap. No way will the battery life be more than a few hours, or a day max, with such a display. These concepts have no merit whatsoever other than being pretty. Not a reason to post every little concept.

It could recharge via sunlight like sun powered wireless keyboards that keep a charge for six months. Or through motion.

A device like this wouldn't require an ARM CPU clocked any higher than a couple hundred megahertz. Voltage could be very low.

 

[tomasdi]

Yeah, my thinking from the start was that it was going to be round and have an innovative circular UI. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see what they decided. I'm sure one of the mock ups out there is pretty close ... but which one?

Lot of the ios7 interface details are round. That could be a trace to follow

 

[SgtPepper12]

Another idea I had.

What if Apple design this like a pocket watch of old?
Something like this but designed better.

Image

People keep thinking of a screen with a wrist band on your arm. And they are not thinking outside the box. This Apple pocket watch could easily replace the iPod shuffle or even replace and become the new iPod Nano. It all depends ob what price point Apple is aiming for with the device. I can't see it being sub $200 though. As Apple don't do cheap garbage like the competition does.

I bet it goes nicely with a fedora and a pipe. CLASS.