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

Agreed. In fact, look at all the interest being generated about watches again. That can only help the regular watchmakers.

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.

Exactly. As long as the Apple Watch works with iPhone only, it'll be a repeat of the smartphone market.

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.

+1
 
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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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.

You're going to need a source for that billions. Billions. As opposed to millions.

Have you added up their annual R&D budget since 2007 to arrive at a number. Or just throwing out hyperbole?
 
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.

It's still sick to see it in action. I know I wouldn't be able to afford these watches but I'm really impressed with the level of design and technological know-how they pulled off with this one. If I had the money, THIS would be the watch of choice. I know Kairos offers the T-Band product as well besides this one.

For those who think it's vaporware, they're in denial that there is such a watch as Kairos that is far more well thought out.

The touchscreen or should I say digital screen almost comes off as a holographic effect ( which of course it isn't ) over the actual mechanical face. The T-band models, on the other hand, I think use motion or gesture controls.

As you can see it here: http://kairostband.com

And the best part about these watches? They're CROSS-PLATFORM. No need to lock down on iOS or Android. Everybody wins.

Hats off to these guys for doing what they can.

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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.

Swiss made watches got their beginnings in the 16th Century and will always be king. Swatch, however, got its start in the early 1980s. Definitely NOT a hipster market. These guys are old school and know what they're doing with plenty of money to hire today's new generation of engineers on digital technology to move forward.
 
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:

That part on the keynote about the heartbeats rubbed me off the wrong way when Tim unveiled it. It disturbs me for it has no use because, after all, I'm a guy. People are entitled to their own opinion and that's fine.

But, this type of feature needs to left out. Who in the hell is Apple trying to market this feature to in order to make money off of? What about people who have no family and have no reason to use that stupid feature? Didn't Apple THINK of that? It's no wonder Cook once considered selling this watch near V-Day of this month which I believe has to do with this.

Personally, it should be optional and be an available download for those who want it. Taptic technology is not new since it's just a reference to haptic tech as they're trying to be cute with the naming.

But you know what's really disturbing? I've noticed that Apple usually have shortages when they sell new iPhones each year due to demand. Now if they're going to try and bait new customers who buy the Apple Watch to buy the iPhone, then what happens if the latter has a product shortage?

For those who have existing iPhones, it wouldn't be an issue to get the watch, but for the new customers to come in the picture, that can be a problem. I can see a person walking into the Apple store, looking at the watch and then be told they must buy an iPhone to use it. And that person happens to have an outdated iPhone, Android or any other smartphone besides iOS which would make the transition quite awkward.

And consider the rumors that Apple's watch is supposedly modular that if one wants to upgrade, they would go to the store and get a chip or modular upgrade to stay ahead software-wise or hardware spec increase. If that becomes a reality, sooner or later, someone is going to wise up and say, " Hey wait a second! If you guys can make a watch that's modular and upgradable, why didn't you do this with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod? ".

See the scheme here? Apple is notorious for locking people in to buy devices without having to provide a memory card slot like other manufacturers do.

If they had provided a stand alone NFC or GPS in the watch and left out that 'heartbeat' feature, then the $350 might've been a bit more justifiable along with better battery length.

The only good thing about it is the vibration/haptic feature for deaf or hard of hearing people, as I'm part of that demographic, to be notified. I like the idea of going into an arcade bar, for example, to drink and play games without having to pull my phone out every time but use my watch to alert me of any incoming text, especially when driving. Or using GPS to guide me where the hell my friends are at, say, at a dark nightclub or shopping area. Or vibrate to wake me up from a nap at a certain programmed time.

EDIT: I don't mind the health-related sensors and find it important for those who love to exercise or are into sports. Like me, I'm a fencer (yes, with swords) and I would love to keep track of my heart rate and cholesterol, or even certain milestones.
 
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You're going to need a source for that billions. Billions. As opposed to millions.

Have you added up their annual R&D budget since 2007 to arrive at a number. Or just throwing out hyperbole?

Some people are just bad at maths. They think a million wasn't enough to develop the Apple Watch. And the next bigger number after a million is a billion :)
 
Sincere question: amid all of the concern about battery life for the Apple Watch, has it ever been suggested that the basic timekeeping function might continue to operate after the battery is depleted for the other features? In other words, when the battery "dies" you would lose all of the bells and whistles, but the device might still function as a watch, which presumably requires very little power (perhaps the screen would shift to some low power using state?). I'm not technical enough to know if such a thing is possible(multiple batteries? partitioned battery?), but it would seem to make the device much more useful for daily wear. So your battery eventually runs out, you're still wearing a functioning watch. Just a thought.
 
Lots of people clueless here about watches, smartwatches, Swatch, the Swiss tech industry, and Swiss supermarkets.
 
Sincere question: amid all of the concern about battery life for the Apple Watch, has it ever been suggested that the basic timekeeping function might continue to operate after the battery is depleted for the other features? In other words, when the battery "dies" you would lose all of the bells and whistles, but the device might still function as a watch, which presumably requires very little power (perhaps the screen would shift to some low power using state?). I'm not technical enough to know if such a thing is possible(multiple batteries? partitioned battery?), but it would seem to make the device much more useful for daily wear. So your battery eventually runs out, your still wearing a functioning watch. Just a thought.

Doesn't seem likely since you would need the screen to function in order to see the time. Since the screen is one of the components of the watch which uses the most power, it would not be possible to activate it to see the time if the battery dies.

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But, this type of feature needs to left out.

I not sure it should be left out...but it definitely should not be one of the watches main selling points. In the video they released they make it sound like it is some kind of revolutionary technology which was discovered by a team of MIT scientist.


It is really sad that most of the other smart watches out there are more compelling. Samsung's watch can function as as stand-alone unit...the Pebble has great battery time...the Kairos is beautiful (and also has great battery time)...some can work with both Android and the iPhone...etc, etc. The only thing the Apple Watch can do that the others cant is send taps and heartbeats.
 
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But, this type of feature needs to left out. Who in the hell is Apple trying to market this feature to in order to make money off of? What about people who have no family and have no reason to use that stupid feature? Didn't Apple THINK of that? It's no wonder Cook once considered selling this watch near V-Day of this month which I believe has to do with this.

I never edit video on an iOS device, why the hell did they develop iMovie? Oh yeah, I can just not use a feature I'm not interested in.
 
I never edit video on an iOS device, why the hell did they develop iMovie? Oh yeah, I can just not use a feature I'm not interested in.


I don't have iMovie for iOS so I can't comment on the use of it. But it's on my desktop so it's there in case I use it but it's almost never. It's my understanding that iMovie was stripped down compared to the desktop's. I just can't see a professional editing videos on an iPhone. Maybe the iPad but one would need an external hard drive for that much footage to hold onto. On a laptop, I can see that working out. I've known people who do Indie filmmaking go with that approach.

That's why I'm used to seeing external drives in the creative field as a common tool.

But if its for casual short videos, then that would be a different story. Most of the work I do is on the desktop with a Wacom digitizer tablet and time to time use the iPad to visualize images with sketchbook pro or similar apps ( still using the 1g iPad ). Otherwise, I rely on my trusty moleskine sketchbook to physically draw or write things down as a record and brainstorming process. It works well for me.
 
How do you know?

They may even sell a few but Apple will be the only one making a profit.

How do you know only apple will be making a profit? Many may not have the potential volume as Apple, but just like with Apple there is brand loyalty and might appeal to a certain market.

Not disagreeing just sayin'
 
I never edit video on an iOS device, why the hell did they develop iMovie? Oh yeah, I can just not use a feature I'm not interested in.

I concur. On the surface the little heartbeat feature seems gimmicky but it doesn't mean many won't find it to be valuable. Not to mention it may lead to further development in areas none of us have considered.

I remember when cameras first began to appear on phones. Granted, the quality of photos was no where close to what we have now but a number of people were irritated by its mere presence on phones.
 
I remember when cameras first began to appear on phones. Granted, the quality of photos was no where close to what we have now but a number of people were irritated by its mere presence on phones.

Indeed.

I have said, since iPad1 Launch day I wanted to see a very good (at least as good as whatever the current iPhone is) quality camera, with a flash unit on the back of iPads.

Virtually everyone disagreed with me, and has done over the past few years whenever I have repeated this wish.

Now that Apple seems to finally be coming round to my way of thinking, and it's taking time!
I am seeing attitudes to my view are very gradually starting to soften.

Though to be fair, I think that's more to do with the fact many are unwilling to say Apple are wrong, than people agreeing just with my long standing view :)
 
I think Hayek is on to something...

- Yes, smart-watches do make you look smart..... It's technology.
- The Smart-watch will not be even come close to being a "next revolution"

Apple should hire this guy...
 
I think Hayek is on to something...

- Yes, smart-watches do make you look smart..... It's technology.
- The Smart-watch will not be even come close to being a "next revolution"

Apple should hire this guy...

The revolution of the smart watch is in opening the door for the next revolution Getting used to smart watches and their convenience makes people receptive to things that they wouldn't otherwise want/need to wear right now.

You often need a stepping stone when transitioning from one paradigm to another. Thinking you can just jump ahead right now leads to products like Google glass.
 
Lots of people clueless here about watches, smartwatches, Swatch, the Swiss tech industry, and Swiss supermarkets.

I'm not clueless about the Tag Heuer chief pissing all over :apple:Watch when it was announced yet a month or so ago doing a u-turn and calling it "a fantastic product, an incredible achievement". I don't think it's a coincidence that Swatch decides they're going to release a smartwatch around the same time as :apple:Watch.

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Thanks for the link, I didn't realize that they have functioning hardware. My two concerns are that the hardware watch face is too hard to see and that the watch is HUGE. It's about twice as thick as the Apple Watch.

The screen looks really hard to read on that watch.
 
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...

You say: "Now their execution isn't the best, but they at least took the "problem" from a different angle."

And then you say: "but [Apple] didn't shake things up as much as this company is in terms of design and execution."

That seems to be a bit of a contradiction. And shaking things up from a design standpoint doesn't matter if the execution isn't there. I'd rather have something conventional that is useful, that actually works than something new/different that isn't. :apple:Watch might not look like outside the box thinking but Jony Ive said it is the most difficult product he's ever worked on at Apple.

Of course we don't know how Apple will fare in terms of execution. Rene Ritche claims the people inside Apple using the watch are really impressed with it. John Gruber said Apple is spending A LOT of time on the raised wrist feature and trying to get that right. The watch has as short look (i.e. glances) and long look which provides more information. Apple really needs to nail the execution on that.

At this point what we've seen/heard about this Kairos product is vaporware. It reminds me of the Microsoft Courier. Everyone drooled over that concept too yet we never actually saw a working prototype.

That Montblanc watch looked nice when we first saw the render and the screen showed off perfectly crisp text as if you were looking at a printed page. But then we get a hands-on of the real thing and it doesn't look nearly as great.
 
You say: "Now their execution isn't the best, but they at least took the "problem" from a different angle."

And then you say: "but [Apple] didn't shake things up as much as this company is in terms of design and execution."

That seems to be a bit of a contradiction. And shaking things up from a design standpoint doesn't matter if the execution isn't there. I'd rather have something conventional that is useful, that actually works than something new/different that isn't. :apple:Watch might not look like outside the box thinking but Jony Ive said it is the most difficult product he's ever worked on at Apple.

Of course we don't know how Apple will fare in terms of execution. Rene Ritche claims the people inside Apple using the watch are really impressed with it. John Gruber said Apple is spending A LOT of time on the raised wrist feature and trying to get that right. The watch has as short look (i.e. glances) and long look which provides more information. Apple really needs to nail the execution on that.

At this point what we've seen/heard about this Kairos product is vaporware. It reminds me of the Microsoft Courier. Everyone drooled over that concept too yet we never actually saw a working prototype.

That Montblanc watch looked nice when we first saw the render and the screen showed off perfectly crisp text as if you were looking at a printed page. But then we get a hands-on of the real thing and it doesn't look nearly as great.

You seem to care an awful lot about something you don't intend on buying. And by that I mean constantly defending many posts that are remotely negative.

I wasn't contradicting because there are levels within my conversation. Not everything is black and white.
 
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.
If the original renders of the I'm Watch versus the launched product are any indication, I'd be highly skeptical of the Kairos renders. Smartwatch presentations are invariably sleeker during the planning/crowdfunding phase than they are when they hit the market. Expect smaller screens, thicker bezels, shallower curvatures. Ultimately the engineers have to deal with the laws of physics ignored by the designers when the products were first conceived (even Ive's genius couldn't avert Antennagate).

I'll believe the Kairos when I see it.

UPDATE. When I originally posted I hadn't reached this post yet:
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.
 
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You seem to care an awful lot about something you don't intend on buying. And by that I mean constantly defending many posts that are remotely negative.

I never said I didn't intend on buying it. I'm not 100% certain I'll get one but I might if reviews are good.

I wasn't contradicting because there are levels within my conversation. Not everything is black and white.

Ah, so nuance and shades of gray ala Barack Obama. :) Do you own the Mont Blanc watch? What execution did they nail?
 
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.
I'm with you on the heartbeat sharing. That's a geekbrag I would expect from Google, not Apple.

On the other hand, the drawing function might turn out to be surprisingly useful, as it allows users to come of with their own communication shorthand, a sort-of roll-your-own emoji. It could also allow for more rapid writing of non-Western characters, perhaps a highly marketable feature to Asian and Middle Eastern customers.
 
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