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Survey Shows Pre-Launch Demand for Apple's iWatch on Par With iPad
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iWatch. I lol'd. The only thing more ridiculous than the whole concept, is the number of people falling all over themselves to say how great it will be. Yeah, I need something with a screen 1/8th the size of my iPhone that I can barely read. Take my money, please. 
I don't wear a watch anymore. I need data. I am willing to put one more thing in a pocket, but, god, please give me more pockets, even if I have to buy them from Apple!
Rocketman
Rocketman
Personally I think we may find that there's quite a difference in the surveys, as opposed to the number of people who are actually ready buyers.
But then again of all the potential smartwatches to hit the market, I predict that Apple will sell more than anyone and along with that will come the built in Apple fat gross profits.
All it really must have... is the hallowed Apple Logo and they will open their wallets in glee
Let me add to their stats: not likely
K thanks
For some reason a watch just doesn't strike me at all. I'm not even curious about it. I suppose my mind could be changed, but I just don't see it.
K thanks
For some reason a watch just doesn't strike me at all. I'm not even curious about it. I suppose my mind could be changed, but I just don't see it.
Groundhog day!
Why is it that every time there is news about a rumored product from Apple, most posts always say I have zero interest in this product or who on earth would be interested in that, it's such a bad move by Apple etc etc. It's exactly the same every single time without fail....it's like a hamster wheel!
Yet when it's released the same people say 'Oh it's amazing' or normally because of their pride, they state they still have no interest and were right in their assumptions but a few months later when all the fuss has died down, they sneak out and buy the very product they slated....bizarre mentality!
Why is it that every time there is news about a rumored product from Apple, most posts always say I have zero interest in this product or who on earth would be interested in that, it's such a bad move by Apple etc etc. It's exactly the same every single time without fail....it's like a hamster wheel!
Yet when it's released the same people say 'Oh it's amazing' or normally because of their pride, they state they still have no interest and were right in their assumptions but a few months later when all the fuss has died down, they sneak out and buy the very product they slated....bizarre mentality!
Remember this is Apple, so what you think is reasonable for a product, probably add a good 20% (at least) on top. The original pricing for the iPad was the only item that kinda deviated. If you think a watch is going to be $199, then it'll probably going to be $299.
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Actually the situation with the iWatch is not all that different to the period just before the iPad if you think about it. A few companies like Sony and Pebble have put out smart watches but nothing has gripped the public. It was the same before the iPad came out. There were other tablets before the iPad, they just weren't very good. If Apple can repeat the same trick of launching a fantastic product that blows your socks off then the competition will all be playing catch up again, at least for a while. It's one thing to know something amazing is coming from Apple but it's quite another thing to match it and better it before you've actually seen it.
I live in a medium size UK city and I'm amazed at the number of up market watch shops there are, all selling watches for anything up to 10 grand. Somebody must be buying them. I know a lot of friends who would willing pay 500 quid or a grand for a watch with the right brand. Imagine the margins there must be on those products.
If it charged with light energy and had an e-ink screen I'd certainly buy one. No need for another device which needs charging once a day.
Come on. We know nothing for sure about this device or even if it's real. But let's use our brains and assume:
In other words, it will provide the "few seconds" interface to your iOS device: anything you might whip out your iOS device for for just a few quick seconds will be handled by this device.
This is a device that many millions will gladly buy, even if the cost is in the several hundreds.
- Will have an intuative touch interface
- Battery life is at least a long day of heavy use.
- Will let you easily view iOS notifications (email, messages, reminders, passbook items, etc., etc., etc., etc., whatever you care about)
- Provides media playback info and controls
- Provides Siri interface (not that I care, but Apple will)
- Displays other good-to-know info. E.g. current item on todo list, current shopping list, etc. (Apple will provide an API for apps to provide good-to-know info based on time, location and user-selected goals/tasks)
- Might even display the current time
- Likely will need to pair with an iOS device (iPhone, maybe touch) to work.
- Provides a quick-response capability for various notifications. ("I'll call you back in 10 min", "I'm working on it", etc.)
In other words, it will provide the "few seconds" interface to your iOS device: anything you might whip out your iOS device for for just a few quick seconds will be handled by this device.
This is a device that many millions will gladly buy, even if the cost is in the several hundreds.
This is a great quote. Because people wanted faster transport in a horse. Ford just gave them what they wanted (ie faster transport) in a better package, a car. And I believe Apple is the same. People wanted to be able to buy a useful computer for sub $1k that did everything amazingly (a super netbook). Apple did just what Ford did, delivered the thing the people really wanted "useful computer for sub $1k" but in a different package. Apple chose the tablet and not the netbook package for this amazing sub $1k computer.
So Apple are giving the people in most cases exactly what the people want. The difference is Apple (and a few others like Ford) gave this to the public in a new package that was so much better then the public could have ever dreamed of.
So the question is do the public really want a new and amazing watch or time piece attached to their wrists? Is the want strong enough for Apple to deliver this in a new revolutionary package?
My approach is not closed-minded. The iWatch is simply a stupid product. Just because apple adds an "i" to a pre-existing product doesn't make it "magical".
The iwatch is easily the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my entire life. It is literally useless.
I will play with it in the Apple store, compulsively add and delete from my online cart, and probably manage to wait for the 2nd generation. Unless someone in my family gets me one.
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fify
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Yup. I didn't know I'd need a car, computer, pants, or filtered water either. Frivolous things can be awesome, especially if they're shiny.
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Is it at all practical to drop a kinetic charger (don't know what they're actually called) like those in some traditional analog wristwatches? Like a trickle charge via normal everyday movements?
Thatlogo is like gold. Tech blogs and nerds may hate Apple for their simplicity and closed sandbox, but everyone else loves it.
I actually preffer apple for their simplicity and sandbox most of the time.
The sandbox is much better than an open system because it means that everything actually works. If you don't do a sandbox your will have products plagued with compatability issues, and hardware and software developers will be much less likeley to develp because they have to ensure compatability across hundreds of products. Just look at the Apple accesories market. You can get 100 different kinds of laptop stands that all match the finish of your item perfectly, and fit perfectly. For other products you'll be lucky if your laptop actually fits on the stand, and it will never match your product. Good luck finding an aluminium and rubber vertical stand with cable holder and moulded matching cooling pad for an Asus G55. MacBook Pro 15? I have 10 of each to chose from.
If I want an 2 stick gaming controller for my HTC phone I have one to chose from and I have to run it in a ridiculous compatability mode which means it takes 50 seconds to start up as I have to manually pair it each time and the bluetooth drops out every 15 minutes randomly.
How about an app for an App? I wanted to instal a trading app on the Galaxy S3, one of the most popular android phones. 4/6 I tried crashed each time. The iOS versions worked every time.
It's not even about options either. Because there are so few devices with much greater focus, you have more options and more moddability. I wanted to use a special device to firmware interface on a MacBook Pro. There were 7 different people working on the project. Yes it was harder than on a PC, but when I wanted to do the same thing on an HP notebook, I found one person working on the project, who had abandoned it a year go, and it didn't work any more.
Sandboxes are more open than open free for all systems, because even though they are more challenging, there is a greater focus on each product which more than makes up for it.
Simplicity can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing, if something has the features you want it's great, and reduces complication, your clock doesn't need a godamned twitter feed, and you don't need to go through 17 steps to delete a program. However if something is lacking core features that's a huge problem, hello lack of tolls road and HOV info to Apple Maps. I've seen the issue from both sides, and it's a tie.
Regarding the iWatch specifically. I think it's a lame idea fuled by nonsensical rumors and an over obsession with "the next big thing".
The iPad seemed like a bad idea at the time because programs were limited and flash domiated the web. You didn't need a gimped web browser, a gimped computer a gimped phone and a gimped music player. However as time went on, flash was elminated (as it should be, worst computer program in human history), the apps got better and a convenient device like it became very appealing, because it was more convenient with fewer trade offs compared to the alternative (laptops).
I can't see an iWatch like device taking off though.
1. it will act as a fashion accessory, unlike a phone which fits in your pocket an iWatch act as an article of clothing, and it will not be a good one. It takes away from anyone's apperance, just like those silly oversized pagers did a few years ago. No matter how good they make it look it will just make you look silly.
Products like the Nike fuel band work because they are very small and minimalist, you can't make an iWatch minimalist unless you give it a holographic display.
2. They already have these products, Sony makes one, nobody uses it.
3. It's less convenient and worse than a phone. You can just take a phone out of your pocket. With an iWatch you'd have to use the same amount of effort, namley moving your wrist to your face, except you'd have to stare at a 1 inch screen, which wouldn't be very convenient. Using a touch interface on that would be abysmal too, your finger tips would take up most of the screen. The benefit of getting call and text notications would be silly, as there are alread devices that do that and nobody uses them, preffering bluetooth headsets instead.
I think Apple would be smart NOT to focus too much energy making an iWatch. I just can't see how you could make something that is any better than a phone with a watch, unless it's a minor accessory.
The iPad seemed like a bad idea at the time because programs were limited and flash domiated the web. You didn't need a gimped web browser, a gimped computer a gimped phone and a gimped music player. However as time went on, flash was elminated (as it should be, worst computer program in human history), the apps got better and a convenient device like it became very appealing, because it was more convenient with fewer trade offs compared to the alternative (laptops).
I can't see an iWatch like device taking off though.
1. it will act as a fashion accessory, unlike a phone which fits in your pocket an iWatch act as an article of clothing, and it will not be a good one. It takes away from anyone's apperance, just like those silly oversized pagers did a few years ago. No matter how good they make it look it will just make you look silly.
Products like the Nike fuel band work because they are very small and minimalist, you can't make an iWatch minimalist unless you give it a holographic display.
2. They already have these products, Sony makes one, nobody uses it.
3. It's less convenient and worse than a phone. You can just take a phone out of your pocket. With an iWatch you'd have to use the same amount of effort, namley moving your wrist to your face, except you'd have to stare at a 1 inch screen, which wouldn't be very convenient. Using a touch interface on that would be abysmal too, your finger tips would take up most of the screen. The benefit of getting call and text notications would be silly, as there are alread devices that do that and nobody uses them, preffering bluetooth headsets instead.
I think Apple would be smart NOT to focus too much energy making an iWatch. I just can't see how you could make something that is any better than a phone with a watch, unless it's a minor accessory.
I couldn't disagree more.
1. Exactly--aren't all Apple products fashion accessories to some extent? Yes, they have amazing hardware and are legitimately great products, but you can't convince me that a good percentage of people don't only have Apple products due to them being a status symbol. Especially among the younger age groups.
2. They already had tablets before the iPad. They already had MP3 players before the iPod. They already had cell phones before the iPhone. Apple was the first to do it right. This will happen with the iWatch too.
3. It's not intended to replace a phone. I can see it having "watchlet" apps which simply extend the functionality of any given iPhone app. The watch would pair with your iPhone and provide specific functionality that app developers could include via their actuall App Store package. I can even envision a little label on the App Store that says "includes a watchlet" or something like that.
I think wearable technology is the next huge industry.
If there was truely no benefit to having it on your wrist then we wouldn't have wrist watches in the first place. The pocket watch far predates them.
People think they want this. But customers rarely know what they truly want.
Then again I've always been a pockewatch kinda guy. I even took my last wrist watch from over a decade ago (it was Velcro) and it has lived as my key fob for 10 years.... actually it doesn't even tell the right time anymore. Its stuck on a 24 clock and about an hour and 30 minutes head. Tomorrow it may be 3 hours behind, I have no idea anymore.
Then again I've always been a pockewatch kinda guy. I even took my last wrist watch from over a decade ago (it was Velcro) and it has lived as my key fob for 10 years.... actually it doesn't even tell the right time anymore. Its stuck on a 24 clock and about an hour and 30 minutes head. Tomorrow it may be 3 hours behind, I have no idea anymore.
I've always wanted the "iWatch" that the alien was using in the 1987 movie "Predator." That's what I'm talking about !!