Tim Cook Discusses Steve Jobs, Apple's Rivals, and Calls Apple Watch 'The First Modern Smartwatch'

[jrswizzle]

Is it me or the Apple culture has become more like "walk away" from stuff?

I still believe the iPad is not a mandatory tool. At least not for what I am using it.

Do I have it?
Yes.
Do I regret buying it?
Yep....

I have the feeling the Watch is on the same page. I will be really waiting before jumping on the Watch train.

But this is where I stand.
I still love Apple's iPhone, iMac and MBP lines. They suck when it comes to reliability (I buried 2 MBPs and almost had a dead iMac due to GPU issues).

Apple - stop walking away from stuff, start walking towards new, real innovative things.

That's the company I love.

My iPad is my most indispensable piece of technology I own. So which is it?

Just because it isn't ground breaking and necessary for 100% of the population, doesn't mean it isn't ground breaking overall.

Look at how many companies flocked to the tablet market. The smartphone market. How many more will adjust with new wrist wearables after the Apple Watch is released to the wild.

These days people get stuck on spec sheets. What "features" does something have - check the boxes on the list. From this view, the Apple Watch is just another wearable. It doesn't offer any NEW box to check.

But see, that's the mistake of those who are looking at it that way - not Apple suddenly not being Apple. Heck, it seems to me like the Apple Watch is one of the most Apple products they've ever made. Because the entire focus - the entire reason the product is great (will be great, could be great etc) is the experience. The apps, ecosystem, design, how you interact, how it feels, how it looks etc.

These are the things Apple has always (modern Apple) been concerned with. These are what make Apple, Apple. Not some checklist of features.

And the reason why these things are so important and so "innovative" is not because they haven't been done before on their own, but because the combination and culmination of all those things into one device makes people love and use them constantly. And that in turn creates more demand for the entire industry.

(Damn....I should write Jony Ive's video speeches....)

 

[newagemac]

I agree with him on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

But the Watch--it's just like any other smartwatches out today from LG, Samsung, Lenovorolla, Sony. They were late this time but did not provide any significant differentiating feature either.

I'm a developer and I've seen the Watch APIs as well as the ones for Android Wear. Let me just say you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I remember the iPad being panned....it was not a device people thought would be needed and here we are 5 years later and everyone has a tablet.

People may have been in on MP3 players, but the iPod itself wasn't accepted right off the bat. Cook is right in that there were many critics of each of these products at the onset and look at them now.

There are plenty of people who are greatly anticipating the Apple Watch. There are also those who think it'll be DOA. History tells us that, when it comes to Apple, go with the former rather than the latter.

I would say it goes both ways for Apple. Remember PING, Newton and some of the other Apple flops. Hell the MB only sells 5 million a quarter so that could be considered a flop when compared to other hardware companies.

 

[RockSpider]

I think most with an understanding of the market have realized the loss in iPad sales is due to their longevity as a product.

My dad currently uses the iPad 1 that I bought. My friend uses my iPad 3. While I use the iPad Air 2. There are 2 people in that equation that Apple will never know bought an iPad and it also shows that the product's life lasts a good deal of time. It isn't like phones which people buy predictably every 2 years, less. It's a product that serves its purpose years after purchase.

There isn't anything wrong with him talking about it being the only thing worth buying. When have you ever seen a company that makes product X tell people to go buy product X from their competitor?

Regarding iPhone sales, I don't see that happening any time soon. If this does happen, it will be due to the amount of competition they have, not necessarily the quality. Although, I do admit that some of their competitors are putting out some nice products.

You see, you're just a novice in the Apple world, I've had every iPad except one, and also had a Mini. But hey, I also own other products and admire other people's products. I don't buy stuff because it's got an Apple sticker on it, I buy it on its merits just like I buy computers and phones.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who just buy Apple because of the name and yet in a lot of cases the product is inferior to others.
It's these people who get upset when I say something they don't like about Apple, and call me a troll.
I also have other more expensive Apple products, but I don't want to sound like I'm in love with Apple so I'll just keep them secret.

 

[AppleScruff1]

What - no one has integrated a heart rate monitor on a watch / or a health band?

Basis, Nike ( using Basis technology? ), Mio - they've all done it - and yes, the HRM is reliable unlike the gimmicky Fitbit effort.

But you can't send a real time heartbeat on those. Plus you can draw on the Apple watch.

 

[Smith288]

But you can't send a real time heartbeat on those. Plus you can draw on the Apple watch.

Drawing on a watch to another person who has an apple watch will likely be the least used feature of this device. I can't believe they pimped that so hard during the spring forward.

 

[RockSpider]

My iPad is my most indispensable piece of technology I own. So which is it?

Just because it isn't ground breaking and necessary for 100% of the population, doesn't mean it isn't ground breaking overall.

Look at how many companies flocked to the tablet market. The smartphone market. How many more will adjust with new wrist wearables after the Apple Watch is released to the wild.

These days people get stuck on spec sheets. What "features" does something have - check the boxes on the list. From this view, the Apple Watch is just another wearable. It doesn't offer any NEW box to check.

But see, that's the mistake of those who are looking at it that way - not Apple suddenly not being Apple. Heck, it seems to me like the Apple Watch is one of the most Apple products they've ever made. Because the entire focus - the entire reason the product is great (will be great, could be great etc) is the experience. The apps, ecosystem, design, how you interact, how it feels, how it looks etc.

These are the things Apple has always (modern Apple) been concerned with. These are what make Apple, Apple. Not some checklist of features.

And the reason why these things are so important and so "innovative" is not because they haven't been done before on their own, but because the combination and culmination of all those things into one device makes people love and use them constantly. And that in turn creates more demand for the entire industry.

(Damn....I should write Jony Ive's video speeches....)

I'll have what you're drinking.

 

[manu chao]

+1

I totally agree.
The last time we seen all the apple products in a unified form was in 2011 right before Steve jobs died. It seems apple hasn't been on that page since.
I don't really understand why apple can't get their products unified like before?
Now we have a $1300 "macbook" that cost as much as the "MacBook Pro"?
We have a "MacBook Pro" that hasn't be updated in 3 years, and a "MacBook Air" that is thicker than the "new macbook"?? I don't get it.

You mean having the MBA, the MB and the MBP throughout 2008, 2009, 2010 until July 2011 was a more unified laptop line?

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So mystical how Jobs' aura only seems to expand and shine ever more with time - how people are still so infatuated and fascinated by him.

Yeah, it's really hard to understand why people are fascinated by a man who created the most profitable company on Earth.

 

[jrswizzle]

I'll have what you're drinking.

Is anything I've stated wrong? From the Apple point of view?

My comments were directed at someone who said "Apple isn't being Apple anymore".

My comments were merely intended to state that I believe Apple is the same Apple, perhaps it's simply the poster has become disenchanted with Apple and is seeking to place the blame of change on Apple rather than him/herself.

 

[RockSpider]

Because Jobs was a VERY influential, respected person - who STILL is associated with the Apple brand.

Does the CEO of Jim Henson's Creature Shop still talk about Jim Henson? Does the CEO of Disney still talk about Walt Disney? Yes and yes. And this is NORMAL for influential CEOs. It's not like the CEO of Foot Locker is talking up the former CEO of Foot Locker. You show your bias (regardless of owning Apple products) by not understanding this.

I understand alright, I can see exactly what he's doing, he knows exactly how to work a crowd.

 

[randymac09]

You see, you're just a novice in the Apple world, I've had every iPad except one, and also had a Mini. But hey, I also own other products and admire other people's products. I don't buy stuff because it's got an Apple sticker on it, I buy it on its merits just like I buy computers and phones.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who just buy Apple because of the name and yet in a lot of cases the product is inferior to others.
It's these people who get upset when I say something they don't like about Apple, and call me a troll.
I also have other more expensive Apple products, but I don't want to sound like I'm in love with Apple so I'll just keep them secret.

I'm confused by which part of my statement 1. indicates that I am a "novice in the Apple World" and 2. merits a statement like that?

You literally did not respond to one thing in my previous statement. I have no intentions of calling anyone a troll or bashing them for buying other products. Myself, I own other technology products (that Apple also sells) that don't have an "Apple sticker" on them and I love those products. And I plan to continue buying products with an open mind to competition.

That being said, if you would to respond to my previous statement, I would be glad to continue this conversation. But I don't think much will be gained by comparing the ratio of Apple products to non-Apple Products and how that indicates ones experience in the world of Apple.

 

[jrswizzle]

I would say it goes both ways for Apple. Remember PING, Newton and some of the other Apple flops. Hell the MB only sells 5 million a quarter so that could be considered a flop when compared to other hardware companies.

True - but it would seem to me we're talking two different eras here.

And while the MB itself may be a "flop" the growth of the Mac overall far outpaces the industry. Heck, the PC is dying. I'd say that's less a "flop" more an indicator of the times.

 

[heimo]

I'm a developer and I've seen the Watch APIs as well as the ones for Android Wear. Let me just say you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

It'd be very interesting to read about comparison of Watch APIs.

MR: Topic for a Macrumors article perhaps?

 

[MasterRyu2011]

oh yeah? so youve used the watch? sending taps isnt a differentiating feature? heart beats? a design that doesnt look like a hockey puck?

Hockey Puck? There are many smart watches out today with different designs. Which one are you referring to?

None of us have used the watch, but we're just speculating on the importance of features and their usability. That's what we do around here.

I still don't know why I would want to send my heart beat to another person. If I wanted to tell someone I care about them, I'll just send them a text saying that, which is more meaningful. Taps? Again why? Do I need to learn Morse code to appreciate this feature? Even then, it's not a gap that a simple App can't cover. In fact, the Play Store already has an app to do that called Gentle Tap.

 

[RockSpider]

Is anything I've stated wrong? From the Apple point of view?

My comments were directed at someone who said "Apple isn't being Apple anymore".

No, you're right, it's just that you're already in love with a product that hasn't even hit the market yet, I can't understand how you get that feeling about something that isn't even out yet, what if the thing falls to bits, or the coating peels off, or bends or can't receive a wireless signal like some of the products Apple has produced.

 

[filmantopia]

Cook is simply rewriting history. There was a big demand for MP3 players at the time apple released its ipod

Oh really? What were the sales numbers like for the top iPod competitor-- the Nomad.

 

[doelcm82]

Cook is simply rewriting history. There was a big demand for MP3 players at the time apple released its ipod, it only took apple several generations to get it right and sell any significant amount(mainly due to bad design decisions)

Same for iphone & ipad but those were instant successes .

Apple watch is quite something different, apple seems to find the need to stress "you need it" but at the same time try and market it as a fashion item you got to have .

This pretty much sums up the reaction to the iPad just before its release:
Pee Wee gets an iPad

 

[DudeDad]

Yes, the iPad was panned. So were talking movies. The head of WB studio, at the time, asked who wanted to hear actors talk? Think Different.

 

[RockSpider]

I'm confused by which part of my statement 1. indicates that I am a "novice in the Apple World" and 2. merits a statement like that?

You literally did not respond to one thing in my previous statement. I have no intentions of calling anyone a troll or bashing them for buying other products. Myself, I own other technology products (that Apple also sells) that don't have an "Apple sticker" on them and I love those products. And I plan to continue buying products with an open mind to competition.

That being said, if you would to respond to my previous statement, I would be glad to continue this conversation. But I don't think much will be gained by comparing the ratio of Apple products to non-Apple Products and how that indicates ones experience in the world of Apple.

I don't think iPads are going down because they last a long time, it's just that the competition is surpassing Apple, look at the Surface Pro 3 at the high end and HP Stream 8 at the low end and Lenovo and Asus products not to mention Android tabs. The iPhone will end up the same, there are some unbelievable phones from the opposition.

 

[manu chao]

Adding GPS is going to be a problem.. not exactly battery friendly and the Watch isn't that great to begin with.

Though some Garmin watches that have GPSes can alter the accuracy of the GPS in order to reduce power consumption.

Some GPS watches claim up to 50 hours by limiting things to one GPS fix every 60 seconds. But we should remember that they don't have full colour retina LCDs and there usually aren't small exactly either. They trade display and computer power for GPS functionality, nothing wrong with that, but this is what you have to do with current battery and GPS technology.

 

[Tech198]

My iPad is my most indispensable piece of technology I own. So which is it?

its may be indispensable, but its still the one of the least repairable, probably second to the Surface Pro 3.

Tim had to say "But we were arguably the first modern smartphone, and we will be the first modern smartwatch—the first one that matters. "

It will only matter if people buy one, and they already are in the Apple eco-system, otherwise they won't...

Good too see Tim overshadowing the competition because he reckons its not important.

It may also be the first 'modern', its definitely not the only one people will buy... maybe in Tim's eyes.

By the way China is already putting there's out, and it does much more stuff, evn has GPS built in and only $70.

You may pay for quality, but when it really comes down to it.. these china ones do allot more than the legit ones... (I can't believe i just said that)... oh man, that hurt me :/

 

[jrswizzle]

No, you're right, it's just that you're already in love with a product that hasn't even hit the market yet, I can't understand how you get that feeling about something that isn't even out yet, what if the thing falls to bits, or the coating peels off, or bends or can't receive a wireless signal like some of the products Apple has produced.

I'm not in love with anything. I'm excited for it, but I have a specific use case that I'll be using it for. I'm also already a fan of watches - own several, though nothing expensive.

Merely, I've watched each of these Apple products released and go on to be huge successes despite having "inferior specs" and I've watched enough Apple keynotes to realize what Apple is trying to do. And obviously there are quite a lot of people out there who buy in to it. I do - I've used (and still do on the side) a large number of competing devices. There's something about my Apple devices that goes unmatched.

I feel, again based on history and experience, the Apple Watch will be no different. And to be honest, the Apple Watch isn't directly competing against Android Wear devices (at least yet....rumors have Google working on pairing Android Wear devices with iPhones). Simply the Apple Watch gives Apple another bullet in the chamber to sell iPhones. Same with Apple Pay.

No Android Wear device would make sense for me because I use an iPhone. So for me, there isn't an option that has better "specs". Now perhaps that changes and Google allows Android Wear devices to work with iPhones. I can say, having experience with Android devices and the fact that I'm particular about the cohesiveness of my device ecosystem, I'd likely not be swayed anyhow. For starters, I don't think any current Android Wear device comes close to the Apple Watch in terms of design and looks.

But these are all personal preferences.

 

[manu chao]

Well these guys seem to do it find with a much longer battery life even when running GPS.

http://www.handtec.co.uk/satnav-gps...VWxyKtgjkkXAFWOktvYlBkdlvqqDnNZ1SsxoCc_Xw_wcB

And now take a guess how much power their essentially colourless, low resolution, low refresh rate screen requires and what the Apple Watch's screen needs (not to speak of the main processor which very likely is also much more powerful in the Apple Watch). You can spend your power budget only once, and spending it on GPS is the right solution for sport watches and spending it on a nice screen and general computing power is the right solution for a general-population smartwatch.

 

[Stella]

But you can't send a real time heartbeat on those. Plus you can draw on the Apple watch.

What do you mean, you cannot in send real time? You can certainly see real time HR on some Mio and Basis devices.

Sure - you can't graph heart beat on these devices, like you could on the Apple Watch, but given the screen size would you get much of out it? Review data later on a computer / iPad.

Really, Apple are not the first to integrate HR monitor on to a "watch", as you claimed.

 

[jrswizzle]

its may be indispensable, but its still the one of the least repairable, probably second to the Surface Pro 3.

I haven't needed an iPad repaired since I got my first one in 2010....so....

Tim had to say "But we were arguably the first modern smartphone, and we will be the first modern smartwatch—the first one that matters. "

He was right though wasn't he? What smartphone really drove any growth in the industry before the iPhone? Where is the wearables market right now? How about mobile payments before and now after Apple Pay?

It will only matter if people buy one, and they already are in the Apple eco-system, otherwise they won't...

Good too see Tim overshadowing the competition because he reckons its not important.

It may also be the first 'modern', its definitely not the only one people will buy... maybe in Tim's eyes.

He's not a moron - he obviously knows there are others out there and that people will buy them. But you really fault him for thinking his is the best? Really? You don't build the most valuable company in the world without conviction....it's a bit absurd you'd fault him for that.

By the way China is already putting there's out, and it does much more stuff, evn has GPS built in and only $70.

You may pay for quality, but when it really comes down to it.. these china ones do allot more than the legit ones... (I can't believe i just said that)... oh man, that hurt me :/

Ha, wow. Ok bro - you go buy that $70 Chinese knock off....I'm sure it'll be different than every other Chinese knock off that breaks down and suck.

*Sorry - the below was typed before I realized you are not the poster I quoted in my original post. Still relevant to the discussion though so I kept it here.*

My point is made then. Apple hasn't changed - you have. You no longer buy into what makes Apple, Apple: the experience. You're more concerned with spec sheet, feature boxes.

Hey - there's really nothing wrong with that in all seriousness. But it's certainly not Apple's fault. It's no one's "fault". Tastes change. Try something new.

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I don't think iPads are going down because they last a long time, it's just that the competition is surpassing Apple, look at the Surface Pro 3 at the high end and HP Stream 8 at the low end and Lenovo and Asus products not to mention Android tabs. The iPhone will end up the same, there are some unbelievable phones from the opposition.

If that were the case, Microsoft would be selling more Surface Pro 3s.

Instead, the whole industry is in decline, not just the iPad.

We're also on our 6th gen iPad - Surface is on its 3rd gen. Face it, the iPad has matured.

I'm the perfect example. I upgrade everything as quickly as possible. I love being at the forefront of tech. But going into my iPad Air 2 purchase I had already decided it would be my last iPad purchase for the forseeable future because:

(1) I knew it would last me a long time (for tech that's 2-4 years)

(2) It had everything I needed/wanted in an iPad (outside of continued software enhancements).

At this point, unless Apple (or someone) comes up with something I never knew I needed in a tablet, I'm sticking with my iPad Air 2 for the next few years. And this is coming from someone who finds any and every reason to upgrade. It's just that good of a product to me. Think how many more average users are simply content with their iPads and don't feel the need to upgrade.

It's actually Android tablets that are leading the charge - but consider this. Many fall in that cheaper kid tablet range ($99-$299). It takes up to 5 of these to equal 1 iPad - and given the use case and fact that you generally get what you pay for, someone is far more likely to replace a $99 tablet than a $499 iPad.

Even if they outsell the iPad 5 to 1, the iPad is still fine when it comes to Apple.