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Why did apple preview the watch now?

D

dazed

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 23, 2007
911
211
It's not shipping till next year and so they have seldom announced a product so far ahead of release.

I know they previewed the Mac Pro but that came across as more of a panic move since everyone was saying Apple can't innovate so that was to shut those people up.

Was this more the same? Seems like this will get ripped off and put to market before apple ever ships the first one. As we all have witnessed, patents mean nothing these days.
 
Apple announced the iPhone and the iPad months before putting them on sale. They would do this because it tends to stifle the incumbent competition while customers hold off purchases until they can see the new Apple device for themselves. Smart watches are going to take a pretty decent hit until the Apple Watch goes on sale.

But as you said, it can lead to copycats and clones being made but generally, the market that buys those products aren't the same market that goes for Apple gear.
 
The preview bought them time against the competition. Now that customers know the Apple Watch is coming they'll most likely hold off on purchasing anyone else's product between now and 2015. They killed a lot of holiday sales for Pebble, Samsung, LG, Moto, etc.

Edit: Sorry Sammich, I didn't read your reply first. My post is redundant with yours.
 
I think they had to release something this year.

If there was no Apple Watch announced people would go crazy.

-Apple Watch delayed
-iPad Pro delayed
-Apple TV delayed

They had to show something for customers, investors, and the competition.
 
To add,

They also wanted to have the element of surprise. Since manufacturing has not yet started in full scale, they were able to conceal the watch's info and design prior to the announcement.
 
sammich said:
Apple announced the iPhone and the iPad months before putting them on sale. They would do this because it tends to stifle the incumbent competition while customers hold off purchases until they can see the new Apple device for themselves. Smart watches are going to take a pretty decent hit until the Apple Watch goes on sale.

But as you said, it can lead to copycats and clones being made but generally, the market that buys those products aren't the same market that goes for Apple gear.
Click to expand...

This is more similar to when steve jobs shoved off iTv. http://youtu.be/ualWxQSAN3c?t=48m9s
 
It allows them to introduce a product, without there being and leaks before hand.
 
I think mostly because it got delayed and they've been promising great innovative products for 2 years now, but have yet to roll out any of those products. They needed to show their customers and shareholders they have some great things in the pipeline.
 
Apple hasn't been promising innovative products for two years. The media has. Tim Cook said earlier that this would be a big year with great products. Why does everyone this that every single piece of hardware Apple has to release should be "innovative"? Nobody even knows what that means anymore.

Putting a hydrogen engine in a car is innovative.
 
ditzy said:
It allows them to introduce a product, without there being and leaks before hand.
Click to expand...
100% spot on.;)

maflynn said:
I think mostly because it got delayed....
Click to expand...

....But in order for a product to be delayed it must have a release date. While these product may not be coming to market as fast as we or Apple would like, it's a media headline term to say they are delayed.
 
maflynn said:
I think mostly because it got delayed and they've been promising great innovative products for 2 years now, but have yet to roll out any of those products. They needed to show their customers and shareholders they have some great things in the pipeline.
Click to expand...

Plus they they still have to go through FCC approval and didn't want any of the parts to leak. This is one of the few products that Apple announced that we knew hardly anything about. No design leaks (other than that one schematic drawing), no leaks that it was going to run its own OS with its own SDK. No screen shots of the UI. People make jokes about Cook doubling down on security but in this case they really did.

----------
sk1wbw said:
Apple hasn't been promising innovative products for two years. The media has. Tim Cook said earlier that this would be a big year with great products. Why does everyone this that every single piece of hardware Apple has to release should be "innovative"? Nobody even knows what that means anymore.

Putting a hydrogen engine in a car is innovative.
Click to expand...

Because the media is obsessed with that word. I do think there's some amazing hardware technology in :apple:Watch. I think Apple's A-series chips with the secure element and secure enclave are amazingly innovative. But everyone seems to have a different idea of what innovation means and for some unless something is radically new and different it's not innovative.
 
dazed said:
It's not shipping till next year and so they have seldom announced a product so far ahead of release.

I know they previewed the Mac Pro but that came across as more of a panic move since everyone was saying Apple can't innovate so that was to shut those people up.

Was this more the same? Seems like this will get ripped off and put to market before apple ever ships the first one. As we all have witnessed, patents mean nothing these days.
Click to expand...

So they could put the WatchKit API in devs hands, and they could get started innovating...
 
- Present on their terms, not through leaks
- Create buzz and anticipation
- Closely related to iPhone/Apple Pay
- Let developers know what to expect
- Ruin holiday season for Android wear
- Big FU to Samsung: good luck copying this
 
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