Tim Cook: Our Objective With Apple Watch Is to Change the Way People Live Their Lives

[robbyx]

Agreed. Tim is very good for Apple in it's current state of maturity. The shareholder benefits the most. Innovation is adequate, but nothing "magical." A very steadfast conservative approach to maximize investors profits. I have no problem with that.

People like Elon Musk will be the next big challenge. Not Google, Amazon, or Microsoft. Will Tim take the Big Risks and push the limits like his predecessor? I doubt it. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see anything truly amazing other than Swift.

The Cool Aid Drinkers will surely accost this post again. Let's just pray iOS 9 actually brings back what an Apple OS should be.

Give the guy a break. What sort of innovation do you expect? It seems like everyone expects miracles these days. How long did it take to go from punch cards to command line? Command line to GUI? GUI to touch? True innovation (not the "add a feature and call it innovation" that most companies do today) takes decades. No one is innovating these days. They are iterating. A reliable, voice-driven UI is the next big innovation, but we are years away. Today's assistants like Siri are just the beginning. I don't think we'll see any major paradigm shift for at least another decade.

I also think you're totally wrong about Google too. Now with Ray Kurzweil serving as their spiritual guru, I think Google is going to attempt some pretty crazy ambitious things in the future. They're already investing heavily in AI and robotics, two areas of great interest to Kurzweil. Singularity here we come...

 

[ToroidalZeus]

The point is, people still bought it regardless.

Even now, if you told someone pre-2007 that it has become common that people pay $600-$800 for a phone it would sound ridiculous. But pre-2007 we couldn't imagine the how the device would change our lives.

Apple is betting the Watch will be the same for wearables.

Common is debatable.

A large percentage of people are using cheaper android phones.

Most people--at least in America--aren't paying $650(+tax) straight cash for an iPhone. Lots of people are still using subsidies/2-yr contracts and an increasingly large amount are using financing (Verizon Edge, AT&T Next, Sprint iPhone 4 Life)

Without good financing I don't see most people willing to spend 350 semi-annually for a new watch.

 

[rowspaxe]

Wow. You've got it all figured out for us, don't you? Fact is people pay a lot more for watches that do a lot less.

True--but they other value: design, implied status, whatever.

I dont need to know more than I saw at the apple watch rollout to deduce I have--and few others will have--any use for this product. You might construct a use case like did for your other smart watch--but thats not how most consumers judge their purchases. And its not really about "needs" anyway. Its about brand excitement. And there is nothing about the watch that excites.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

Tim has sold a gazillion phones...but they are Steve's phone, running Steve's mobile os. Maybe he sees wearables as his chance to step out from the Steve's shadow.

With respect to the watch, it will likely be a modest success in its first
iteration--10 or so million units in 2015. But its possible to sell a lot of
units and still provide a poor user experience. And thats what I see happening with the apple watch. And I think that will degrade the apple brand--popular media focusing on what bad product it is

Yep, I think so too. The Apple watch is the first major project Apple has undertaken since Steve Jobs died. Hence why there is a lot of pressure on Cook to make it happen. I just wish he had the balls of SJ. Steve once famously said that a large part of his job was determine what NOT to do.

At this point Tim probably feels pressure to at least break-even on development costs. But like you said, and I believe so too, the product even if it sells a good amount will end up disappointing the general public--especially after the hype Cook is bringing like this article--and that'll hurt the brand--along with Cooks reputation--long term.

 

[rowspaxe]

Even now, if you told someone pre-2007 that it has become common that people pay $600-$800 for a phone it would sound ridiculous. But pre-2007 we couldn't imagine the how the device would change our lives.

Apple is betting the Watch will be the same for wearables.

This is so bogus. What percent of smartphones buyers pay full price for their phones? If you have told me in 2005 i could have a phone that played music and video, took dictaton and played games for $200 i would have been all in. I think my last "not smart" phone was $100.

Now if someone told you in 2015 that for $350 you could have an ugly clunky watch with 12-19 hrs battery life that could tell you your pulse and whether you had gotten any phone calls--i mean--who's jumping at that??

 

[Rogifan]

Mark Gurman says Apple is planning on setting up stores that only sell Watch. They could be smaller stores and/or store within a store in other retailers or jewelry stores. So I'll make a prediction that if Watch is sold in store like Best Buy it will have its own space and won't be in a row along with all the Android Wear devices and fitness bands.

http://9to5mac.com/2015/02/11/happy-hour-podcast-001/

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Yep, I think so too. The Apple watch is the first major project Apple has undertaken since Steve Jobs died. Hence why there is a lot of pressure on Cook to make it happen. I just wish he had the balls of SJ. Steve once famously said that a large part of his job was determine what NOT to do.

At this point Tim probably feels pressure to at least break-even on development costs. But like you said, and I believe so too, the product even if it sells a good amount will end up disappointing the general public--especially after the hype Cook is bringing like this article--and that'll hurt the brand--along with Cooks reputation--long term.

And what if it's a success? Nobody knows at this point. All I know is an awful lot of people who haven't spent one minute with the device sure seem to think they know better than Apple how the device will fare in the marketplace.

 

[rowspaxe]

I have plenty of money, have bought Apple products for 32 years, and I will NOT buy one of these watches. $350 is too expensive. It's not unaffordable, but even people with plenty of money still think about blowing a few hundred bucks on something. Yes, Apple has a duty to its shareholders to make the most money possible. But that doesn't happen if a product is priced too high.

I make a decent living--but I am by no means rich. $350 for a tech product does not seem that high. If I kept it a year its a dollar a day. That said, I never spend on impulse and there is not much that attracts me about the apple watch.

 

[rowspaxe]

And what if it's a success? Nobody knows at this point. All I know is an awful lot of people who haven't spent one minute with the device sure seem to think they know better than Apple how the device will fare in the marketplace.

Yes, that is the point of a speculative thread. Apple had a stunning string of product introductions under Jobs. That was then, this is now. For the record--I thought I knew better than Microsoft about Windows 8.
And i did. And i didn't have have to spend any time with it. It was clear from the product introduction.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

And what if it's a success? Nobody knows at this point. All I know is an awful lot of people who haven't spent one minute with the device sure seem to think they know better than Apple how the device will fare in the marketplace.

The Apple watch is fundamentally the something as every other smartphone: the pebble, the galaxy, the moto 360, etc. Adding one gimmick--the crown--does not make it a breakthrough revolutionary device.

 

[robbyx]

I make a decent living--but I am by no means rich. $350 for a tech product does not seem that high. If I kept it a year its a dollar a day. That said, I never spend on impulse and there is not much that attracts me about the apple watch.

I agree that it doesn't seem high. But I think it's high enough to NOT be an impulse purchase for anyone. At $199, I think more people would take a chance on it. At $350, you have to really want it.

 

[kdarling]

As I understand it, the Apple watch has a hardware mechanism that taps your wrist. Not sure if other manufacturers will be able to replicate it without violating whatever patents Apple has on it, but will be interesting to see them try.

According to Apple, it's using a linear actuator, which is basically a spring loaded horizontal version of the more familiar eccentric rotating vibrator motor.

As noted in another thread, such actuators have been installed as haptic engines in millions of smartphones for years now.

Linear actuators are useful for haptics because, even though they're larger and only oscillate at one frequency, they have finer control over intensity.

I'm sure Apple will be able to get some neat effects, but as far as tapping goes, I think that even older eccentric motors would do just fine.

 

[lowendlinux]

I make a decent living--but I am by no means rich. $350 for a tech product does not seem that high. If I kept it a year its a dollar a day. That said, I never spend on impulse and there is not much that attracts me about the apple watch.

My last watch was ~$4000 it'll need a cleaning about every decade that will cost ~400. Calculating my age to current expected life span I'll pay ~.34 a day for my watch. I don't think the problem is so much the price it's the price attached to disposable tech, tech that will need security updates and the like that it's not likely to get. This really applies to all smart wearables not just Apple wearables.

 

[Aniseedvan]

Oh man, are you ever happy? First point, don't think so man. Second, it is going to be a huge success, third, integral part of health, you meaning going to bed early? Lolz, forth, Tim doesn't owe us anything at this stage, the hype is still building.

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Yeah but odds on your fitness band sucks compared to Apple watch

I don't think both are particularly pretty, but my fitness band gets notifications, lasts a over a week and is waterproof to 5ATM. The only thing I'd like it to do is be able to dismiss notifications from the notification centre as a pebble does. It has a setting to display when the arm is raised and it drains the battery quicker. I'd like an Apple watch but the not always on display and no GPS will sit me out this time around based on the experiences I've already had.
That's not to say it won't be a success, it will be; for my use case, I think the hardware needs a few tweaks.

 

[Trapezoid]

Still don't get the smart watch trend. The apple watch will be the best selling smartwatch ever but don't see myself getting one

 

[shenan1982]

So if others are doing it too (but not as well) it's no longer cutting edge?

On a visit to my local Walmart I was fascinated to discover a rather large display (probably 24 feet long) with nothing but wearable technology on it. Walmart clearly thinks this product category is about to explode, I think the Apple watch is going to just fine.

Correct, if others are already doing it, it's not cutting edge. When iPhone came out, others were doing it. It wasn't cutting-edge, but it was better, and it was a product people found very useful.

Wearable tech is huge.. as a market because there is so much variety... it's a new category. Not sure "Walmart thinks it's about to explode" is the best way to make a point though... Walmart also has a 50 foot long display of Dorito Chips.

My whole point is I don't think it'll live up to the hype that many expected. I think it's going to be along the adoption rate of Apple TV (a product I love, but realize most consumers don't care to own)... The Apple Watch is just that to me... a product I can see others owning, but one that I have no interest in.

For a technology product to be successful, it has to replace something you do, but do it better. The smartphone replaced the flip phone, and did it much better, and everyone had a flip phone. The MP3 player replaced the walkman\discman, and did it better, and everyone had a cassette or portable CD player. For a product to launch with mass appeal, it has to replace a product everyone has, and\or do something better. The Apple Watch will come with Apple hype and fanfare, but in the end, it's just an accessory.

Sometimes I wonder just how many Apple employees there are in this forum. Wish they'd head over and check out the bug\issues threads and focus energy on those instead of trying to defend junk products that are soon to launch. Google's Glass team focused on the marketing instead of the issues, and look where that got them.

 

[maflynn]

Still don't get the smart watch trend. The apple watch will be the best selling smartwatch ever but don't see myself getting one

For me, its more about a tool that solves a need. For instance, do I want to run with my ginormous iPhone 6, or with a fitbit? Its a no brainer something small on my wrist that is water proof, or the large iPhone where I need to make sure I get a waterproof case.

I'm not sold on how the apple watch will benefit people, i.e., how will apps work on a tiny display.

 

[nebo1ss]

My last watch was ~$4000 it'll need a cleaning about every decade that will cost ~400. Calculating my age to current expected life span I'll pay ~.34 a day for my watch. I don't think the problem is so much the price it's the price attached to disposable tech, tech that will need security updates and the like that it's not likely to get. This really applies to all smart wearables not just Apple wearables.

I assume you have a self winder. My watch which cost the same as yours needs a new battery every 2 years, since it is waterproof to dive levels, it goes back to the factory to be resealed and is serviced at the same time. Cost $150

 

[lowendlinux]

I assume you have a self winder. My watch which cost the same as yours needs a new battery every 2 years, since it is waterproof to dive levels, it goes back to the factory to be resealed and is serviced at the same time. Cost $150

My dive watch is a Timex Depth Gauge w/ Isofrane nice and inexpensive so if it gets lost I'm not out much money.

 

[6r4ff3r]

Sorry, Timothy Cuisineur, but my smartphone still be an iPod touch, and a watch still be my personal item, not a piece of 0's and 1's. Go catch another sheep....

 

[bobob]

Funny thing is, if you look at this thread almost 14 years ago

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

It's almost the same with todays comment for the apple watch.

Excellent analogy - - the important thing will be to revisit this thread in a year or two or five and call out those who were unmistakably wrong in their predictions - - set a reminder on your Apple Watch!

 

[CB1234]

Yes, that is the point of a speculative thread. Apple had a stunning string of product introductions under Jobs. That was then, this is now. For the record--I thought I knew better than Microsoft about Windows 8.
And i did. And i didn't have have to spend any time with it. It was clear from the product introduction.

Do you read Tarot cards as well ?

 

[samcraig]

Excellent analogy - - the important thing will be to revisit this thread in a year or two or five and call out those who were unmistakably wrong in their predictions - - set a reminder on your Apple Watch!

Because predictions can't be wrong or feelings change? Ok.

 

[bobob]

Funny thing is, if you look at this thread almost 14 years ago

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

It's almost the same with todays comment for the apple watch.

Excellent analogy - - the important thing will be to revisit this thread in a year or two or five and call out those who were unmistakably wrong in their predictions - - set a reminder on your Apple Watch!

Because predictions can't be wrong or feelings change? Ok.

Perhaps you have more faith than I do, and believe that people like this will change...

Go catch another sheep....

However, I predict they will just move on to hating on Apple's next big thing.

 

[OllyW]

Excellent analogy - - the important thing will be to revisit this thread in a year or two or five and call out those who were unmistakably wrong in their predictions - - set a reminder on your Apple Watch!

If you had returned to that thread after two years there wouldn't have been so much gloating because at that time the iPod was only a moderate success. They had sold around 1.4 million iPods in the first two years and sales were only just beginning to take off after Windows and USB support were added. Of course it only took another two years before sales had rocketed and launched the platform for Apple's current domination.

Just think, if the Watch only sells 1.4 million in the first month it will probably be branded a failure.

 

[lowendlinux]

It's just generally a bad idea to bet against Apple.