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I still can't see people wanting to wear watches en-masse. They already got a phone that tells the time...

The primary reason people carry iPhones these days is no longer to make actual cellular voice phone calls. The primary reason vast numbers of people buy (a multi-Billion dollar market) and wear wristwatches has little to do with them needing something to tell them the time.
 
I don't hold shares, as most people in the world don't, and don't care about profits.

Most people I know save for their retirement (or other things), and many retirement and investment funds at least partially include a diversified stock fund or portfolio... which might hold some AAPL shares. You probably should care about your savings investments.
 
I think Swatch is way too late.
Sad for a company that sells time.
Like many other Swiss company.

It's never too late.

Swatch is a giant in the industry, try Google they'll prove it to you.

What this represents is one more competitor, in an excellent free market system that provides a company like Apple the platform in which they can rise to the top and profit.
 
"Swatch is a giant in the industry, try Google they'll prove it to you."

Exactly. Anyone who hears "swatch" and thinks of those funky plastic timepieces from the 80s needs to use their internet god skillz to spend 2 mins on Google.

The swatch group owns ETA.

However, if I was running a high-end watch company (or in swatch's case: multiple high-end companies) I would be sh*tting bricks about the apple watch. I don't think it's going to trouble Rolex's/Patek Phillipe's demographic too much - but Omega? Maybe. Swatch also have lots of brands in the middle of the market which would be at risk.

if i was Swatch, I would be buying-out/partnering with fitbit.
 
Apple's got all the caché to make their smart watch work and be wildly successful. Swatch on the other hand--small hipster target market perhaps? I'm all about competition but good luck with that.
 
However, if I was running a high-end watch company (or in swatch's case: multiple high-end companies) I would be sh*tting bricks about the apple watch. I don't think it's going to trouble Rolex's/Patek Phillipe's demographic too much - but Omega? Maybe. Swatch also have lots of brands in the middle of the market which would be at risk.

All the 'existing watch manufacturers' are ******** themselves is fairly overblown IMO.

The key point is: The Apple Watch is restricted to owners of iPhones only - still a fairly large market, yes.. BUT - We aren't talking about iPads and iPods where there is no dependency of owning an existing Apple product.

Non Apple SmartWatch market will thrive due to this. Apple are limiting its potential customer base at its choosing - be it good or bad. There won't be a repeat of iPad and iPod dominance for Apple's Smart Watch while there is a hard requirement on owning an iPhone. World wide, the iPhone market share is not at Number 1 by a long way.


Could the Apple Watch attract Android users to iPhone? Probably but not enough to crush smart watch competition - due to the dependency of needing an iPhone.

I have no doubt that Apple Watch is going to be a success but not at the level of its other devices such as iPod, iPad and indeed iPhone.
 
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Again, it's apparent you didn't read the article (that's why primary sources are so important). No where does the article mention they'll be using a flavor of Google's software. The only reference to Android is the watch will be both Android and Windows Phone compatible and will communicate with phones via NFC. My conclusion is that they are taking a different approach to the idea of a smartwatch.

Is Swatch a software company in the same league as Apple, Google, or Microsoft (to name a few), of course not. However, that doesn't mean they don't have the chops to compete. As I said in the previous paragraph, they appear to be taking a different approach.

It's also obvious you didn't really read what I was complaining about either since I was reacting to comments that in no way reflected what was in the actual article but instead merely played off the poorly written story posted on MR.

They said they'll connect to many platform, doesn't mean anything about what they run on their own watches; they could in fact be running Android and be connecting to Windows and Android phones (Unless google prevents it of course). You do notice I didn't say it was a certainty even in my previous post, so your own reply is a misread. They'll use an existing embedded platform of some sort; they won't rewrite another one for sure.

Considering how much pressure there will be coming from Android makers (and what they'll put on the watch), not using Android would be very courageous of them indeed. In fact probably the best option long term if they want to keep their independence. But, we have no such certitude right now that this is what they will do.
 
I think Swatch is way too late.
Sad for a company that sells time.
Like many other Swiss company.

They're too late to a market that is just starting to be cracked?

Gee - it's a good thing Apple didn't have those concerns when entering a well established cell phone market...:rolleyes:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndycU_dUHNQ

Like this? Looks a lot better then what apple has shown so far . If it took apple realy this long and costing that much with not more functionality then what they have shown, I would be really disapointed .

Bingo. THAT is how you do a smart watch. I know the Kairos watch brand is more expensive than the Apple Watch but that is the level of design and detail Apple should've went.

Oh and that battery length of 5-7 days? That's far, far better than less than 19 hours to be recharged. A lot of people don't GET the scheme Apple is trying to pull with the watch.

You can't have the watch without the iPhone and that can be a problem which could make the company shoot itself in the foot if new customers say " I have to buy this iPhone in order to have this watch? Screw that! ". They're stifling the watch's appeal. It's the pricing that's a huge problem which doesn't quite justify what Apple is trying to convince.

The Kairos design is spot on and focused. I'm assuming they're an American company using japanese and swiss parts.

Oh, and the upgrade is $99 to stay up to date is not bad. And seeing the FAQ with a list of their team shows they're not fooling around.
 
Bingo. THAT is how you do a smart watch. I know the Kairos watch brand is more expensive than the Apple Watch but that is the level of design and detail Apple should've went.

Oh and that battery length of 5-7 days? That's far, far better than less than 19 hours to be recharged. A lot of people don't GET the scheme Apple is trying to pull with the watch.

You can't have the watch without the iPhone and that can be a problem which could make the company shoot itself in the foot if new customers say " I have to buy this iPhone in order to have this watch? Screw that! ". They're stifling the watch's appeal. It's the pricing that's a huge problem which doesn't quite justify what Apple is trying to convince.

The Kairos design is spot on and focused. I'm assuming they're an American company using japanese and swiss parts.

Oh, and the upgrade is $99 to stay up to date is not bad. And seeing the FAQ with a list of their team shows they're not fooling around.

It's a very interesting concept and I look forward to reading reviews. I wouldn't buy a 1st gen - but I will thankfully read reports of those that do.

BTW - that's why I said in another thread that Montblanc found a creative solution. Rather than affecting the watch, they put the "smarts" on the band. Now their execution isn't the best, but they at least took the "problem" from a different angle.

Apple's watch is going to sell well. But they came at their solution really no differently than those that came before in the market. Oh yes - I know there are differences and it comes down to software - but they didn't shake things up as much as this company is in terms of design and execution.

But again - it really comes down to whether or not Kairos has pulled this off...
 
It's a very interesting concept and I look forward to reading reviews. I wouldn't buy a 1st gen - but I will thankfully read reports of those that do.

BTW - that's why I said in another thread that Montblanc found a creative solution. Rather than affecting the watch, they put the "smarts" on the band. Now their execution isn't the best, but they at least took the "problem" from a different angle.

Apple's watch is going to sell well. But they came at their solution really no differently than those that came before in the market. Oh yes - I know there are differences and it comes down to software - but they didn't shake things up as much as this company is in terms of design and execution.

But again - it really comes down to whether or not Kairos has pulled this off...

It remains to be seen how Kairos will fare with their new product offering. I think they, like you said, approached the design from their point of view in solving certain problems. After all, it is the industrial design that requires thought and foresight in using form and function. I didn't study in that major but an old friend of mine did back in the day ( I was in the graphic design/illustration department )

I can tell Apple was holding back on a couple things with the watch but it disturbs me to see how people comment on thinking that they can use it independently without the iPhone which isn't the case.

I believe the farthest you can use the Apple Watch is about 30 feet from the phone. Any further out and it can't interact on its own. I think Pebble watch is the same way, or most of the smart watches out there.

Certain features such as feeling someone's heartbeat in the Apple Watch, I'm sorry, disturbs me. That needs to go. Or making little drawings to send to someone. What the?? I can see young kids doing that. If I were to buy a device like that, I would have no reason to use that feature. It doesn't do anything for me.

The only use I can get out of is notifications, messages ( handy if I'm driving and too busy to text. It's against the law the hold the phone while driving in my state ), GPS ( requires the phone ), and health related tracking apps. Or programming the watch to vibrate to wake me up from a nap if I turn the hearing aid off. And maybe Siri voice control for certain things only if I'm driving or working with my hands.

Things like Photos or playing music seem pointless for the watch since I have my phone for this reason. That's where all my photos go to and store my digital portfolio on the smart phone to communicate with clientele.

But I do see your point that since Kairos has been around for 1-2 years now ( apparently ) and is new to the market with a veteran crew, who knows how the market will look two years from now. I don't think the Apple Watch will dominate because the company is going to have a bigger challenge in convincing people to buy BOTH of these devices to succeed. I don't think customers are that foolish or blind not to see through the scheme.

It's the level of incentive they need to work on to make it very convincing.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndycU_dUHNQ

Like this? Looks a lot better then what apple has shown so far . If it took apple realy this long and costing that much with not more functionality then what they have shown, I would be really disapointed .

Funny...that is exactly the concept I had of what the Apple Watch was going to be. When I saw the 80's Casio look alike that Apple is about to release I was terribly disappointed.

Steve Jobs is sorely missed. Apple is being led by bean counters, it seems. The more time goes by (after Steve's death), the more I'm convinced that Cook is Apple's version of Steve Balmer. :(

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Bingo. THAT is how you do a smart watch. I know the Kairos watch brand is more expensive than the Apple Watch but that is the level of design and detail Apple should've went.

Oh and that battery length of 5-7 days? That's far, far better than less than 19 hours to be recharged. A lot of people don't GET the scheme Apple is trying to pull with the watch.

You can't have the watch without the iPhone and that can be a problem which could make the company shoot itself in the foot if new customers say " I have to buy this iPhone in order to have this watch? Screw that! ". They're stifling the watch's appeal. It's the pricing that's a huge problem which doesn't quite justify what Apple is trying to convince.

The Kairos design is spot on and focused. I'm assuming they're an American company using japanese and swiss parts.

Oh, and the upgrade is $99 to stay up to date is not bad. And seeing the FAQ with a list of their team shows they're not fooling around.

I agree with everything you wrote.

The Kairos watch is functional and beautiful (well, at least the designs appeal to me, while the Apple Watch looks like a toy). I can't believe one of the selling points of the Apple Watch is sending useless taps\heartbeats to your contacts (and only those who are also wearing the same watch).

Every time I see that Apple Watch video I get an urge to slap Jony Ive in the face at least five times...and to kick Cook in the...err...kick him low...at least two times. :confused:
 
'billions of dollars'
'several years'

Far from it. Even in the keynote, Tim Cook said they'd just been working on it for about 6 months. And if you really think the Apple Watch is the result of billions of dollars, you must be easily impressed. The iPhone was billions of dollars and several years. The Apple Watch is not.



Yeah, the digital crown is so innovative and clever. Remember those old projectors when you'd twirl a nob and it'll zoom in? It's the absolute laziest way around the limitations of a small screen. It's too small to use multitouch, so they descend to the next lazy idea.

I'm as much an Apple fan as the rest of you, but why on Earth so many people seem to be lapping up the Apple Watch is beyond me. Battery life is pitiful (after everybody was laughing about Samsung's 2-day battery life, saying Apple would never release something like that), and the user interface/general usefulness of it seems to offer very little.

I don't know, am I missing something?

You do realize that the :apple: Watch inherits a LOT of technology from Apple's other mobile devices like iOS, system on a chip, touch screens, etc. Apple has in fact spent billions of dollars developing the components and software that is going into the :apple: Watch. No other non-tech company has invested billions of dollars into the technology being used in their smart watches.

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Can you provide me with a link where those billions of dollars in R&D for the Apple Watch are explained?

Here's all the info you need... iPhone, iPad, iOS. Those took billions of dollars & years of R&D to develop. I'm gonna go out a limb and say Apple leveraged the software and components used in those devices to build the :apple: Watch.
 
Bingo. THAT is how you do a smart watch. I know the Kairos watch brand is more expensive than the Apple Watch but that is the level of design and detail Apple should've went.

Oh and that battery length of 5-7 days? That's far, far better than less than 19 hours to be recharged. A lot of people don't GET the scheme Apple is trying to pull with the watch.

You can't have the watch without the iPhone and that can be a problem which could make the company shoot itself in the foot if new customers say " I have to buy this iPhone in order to have this watch? Screw that! ". They're stifling the watch's appeal. It's the pricing that's a huge problem which doesn't quite justify what Apple is trying to convince.

The Kairos design is spot on and focused. I'm assuming they're an American company using japanese and swiss parts.

Oh, and the upgrade is $99 to stay up to date is not bad. And seeing the FAQ with a list of their team shows they're not fooling around.

I think you missed the fine print beneath the video where they say the images are purely concept. The size, shape, and functionality are all subject to change. The concept does look cool, but it's 100% vaporware at this point. Unlike the :apple: Watch which is 100% real hardware and shipping in 2 months.
 
or when Apple released the iPad to compete with other tablets?

Oh please, please, please tell me you are joking? Or totally out of your mind!! Did Apple actually had to compete on a tablet market when it released it's first iPad? Or other 100 companies or so who quickly followed had to compete with Apple rushing with some ridiculously awful trash? With who exactly was Apple competing when it released the first gen iPad?

I am waiting for your answer. And better not be these tried and failed ones ;)

Btw, I agree with the rest, and also agree that competition is good for us consumers.
 
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Connect to the internet without having to be charged. What does that mean? This device is going to have wifi and cellular and not require charging? How is that possible.

It means not paying for the wireless/3G connection, like the Kindle ereaders.
 
You do realize that the :apple: Watch inherits a LOT of technology from Apple's other mobile devices like iOS, system on a chip, touch screens, etc. Apple has in fact spent billions of dollars developing the components and software that is going into the :apple: Watch. No other non-tech company has invested billions of dollars into the technology being used in their smart watches.
So? Some of the best products I have used come from small companies who (unlike apple now) actually inovate and think outside what is already done.

Thrwoing money at something doesnt automaticly make it good .

Here's all the info you need... iPhone, iPad, iOS. Those took billions of dollars & years of R&D to develop. I'm gonna go out a limb and say Apple leveraged the software and components used in those devices to build the :apple: Watch.
Newsflash a watch is not phone, or a tablet . And I doubt you will need ios running on it. If apple is trying to build a mini iphone on its current hard and software it in for a world of hurt .


Oh it will sell enough crazy people out there to convince its actually everything they ever dreamed of but unlike iphone and certainly ipad I dont really see the advantages of what apple made here.

Wel perhaps apple wil suprise me, I sure hope it , cant really imagin this is what (if it really costs billions and years it absolute BS).
 
I think you missed the fine print beneath the video where they say the images are purely concept. The size, shape, and functionality are all subject to change. The concept does look cool, but it's 100% vaporware at this point. Unlike the :apple: Watch which is 100% real hardware and shipping in 2 months.

http://blog.kairoswatches.com/mechanical-smart-watch-hybrid-is-finally-alive/

Strange vaporware .

And yes it looks cool and it even works for telling time when you run out of battery in the "smart" part.
 
Now, building on the decades of experience Swatch has accumulated over the years, Hayek voices determination in the face of going practically head-to-head with Apple on the smart wearables front.

Their decades of experience is in traditional watches. The so called smart watch is only superficially similar, it look like a watch and can tell time.
 
And how long does the battery last when you're connecting to the internet?

Probably not all that long if they're standard Swatch batteries. But that's ok: since they're small, you can easily keep a few spares in your pocket!
 
The primary reason people carry iPhones these days is no longer to make actual cellular voice phone calls. The primary reason vast numbers of people buy (a multi-Billion dollar market) and wear wristwatches has little to do with them needing something to tell them the time.
Fair enough - that's a good point. I just wonder what dinky nonsense people will be doing on their watches that they aren't doing on their phone. Maybe people will just tweet on their arm all day, or something. Maybe the answer is in the 'or something'.
Should be an interesting few years ahead as this product either blossoms, or not. And when I say 'blossoms', I mean go full-on viral - ala iPhone, iPad
 
Is it possible to make an antenna that's so power efficient you could just have a square inch solar panel generate enough power for it? If so, I would say that's a set up that allows you to connect to the Internet without a charge.

My bet is on shoulder mounted windmills.
 
It has been a couple of centuries that the swiss watchmakers have been training to use technology to improve and make amazing mechanisms for billions of watches. Swatch group has been able to reinvent itself at a time when there were many challenges on the market with the invention of the swatch. I would not undermine what they are capable.

I seriously would prefer a watch from Switzerland than a blocky Apple watch made in Shenzhen. Will the Apple be "scratch-resistant" to daily usage like their laptops… or will we need to remove the watch before washing your hand? since in 2015 iPhones are still not waterproof?

Because I always wash my hands while holding my phone.

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Maybe the no need to recharge feature comes from mating the automatic winding mechanism of a speedmaster with a tiny generator and small storage battery. Let's call it a Hybrid Watch.

Even if so, and if (like Watch uses BTLE connectivity) this will be a bulky design leaving little room or power supply for sensors, etc.
 
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