Apple Special Event - 9.9.14 - "Wish we could say more"
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Ninja Kn1ght
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I'm 99% sure that it won't be. Round smartwatches only make sense because the shape is familiar from traditional watches. Square displays make much more sense in a digital device and that's what Apple will pursue.
This is exactly why Apple would do it, IMO. They want it to look good, a square block on your wrist doesn't look good. They want this thing to look classy so that people who usually wear nice wristwatches will consider buying it. One of the drawbacks of a smartwatch is that it has to be something that replaces your current watch. iPhones just replace other phones, but (for the most part) people aren't going to want to wear a smartwatch if it doesn't look good as the watches they wear normally.
the withings activite is the only smart watch i've seen that looks good
i hesitate to call it a smart watch though because it is more a fitness band hidden behind a traditional watch, but i think that's the best compromise for a smart watch so far.
i hesitate to call it a smart watch though because it is more a fitness band hidden behind a traditional watch, but i think that's the best compromise for a smart watch so far.
I probably wouldn't buy one now, but I'd be interested in seeing what's possible. 20 years down the line I imagine most people will have one.
Yeah, that one barely does anything.
It's basically a pedometer and keeps time.
No. I don't wear watches now. I'm not going to wear one just because it can do things my phone already does.
Victory Red
Member
Yes, if I could get a full day of battery no questions asked, and it was lightweight and stylish.
Try two years.
I just need to highlight this comment on the bottom of the page of that article. "Your time's running out"
Final Boss
Banned
I just read that comment on that website haha
SuperPac
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Except Apple doesn't *only* do things to look good (well, sometimes, but...). With a round screen you start to run into problems where useful text information can only really display in the center, otherwise it gets cut-off. The Moto 360 is running into this already.
I agree that it has to look good - good enough to want to wear it on your wrist. I don't agree that means it has to be a circle. But I currently don't wear a watch, period. Phones replaced my watch in the early 2000s.
I'll meet you halfway and go to 7-10 years. I don't think the technology is quite there for it to become that commonplace so soon, in 10 years they'll be ubiquitous and probably unlike what we've seen (and will see) this year due to the hardware getting smaller, better software/batteries and more time to figure out what people want from them.
MarkMclovin
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This litetrally looks like something that Samsung have made.
Ninja Kn1ght
Member
Yeah, definitely they will want it to look great, especially considering the high-level execs they've hired from the fashion industry, but chasing existing watches isn't the only way to do that. If the rumors of a flexible OLED display are true it could look pretty futuristic and very cool and still have a more functional square display.
I don't think they'll position this device as a watch, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't say the word "watch" once in reference to this device. This isn't a watch, it's a wearable, a wallet, a fitness tracker. Telling the time will be the least of its functions, that's why I think iWatch would be a poor name for it and I don't expect them to go for such an obvious route, but I could be wrong on that.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
I doubt it'll have Siri in the same sense as the iPhone or iPad. It'll more likely be tethered via Bluetooth and you can ask Siri questions through it, with the phone doing most of the heavy lifting. This would be the same as say using the Bluetooth connection in my car to talk to Siri as well.
As a person who wears a watch every day, my answer is ... possibly. I want to see what it can do first. Although I will admit that there are times when I really like the idea of having alerts, calendar updates, and notifications right on my wrist.
isn't the issue with a watch the essential subjectivity of what it looks like? To hit a broad market you need variety. So hopefully there will be multiple designs, or possibly a licensing thing going on - otherwise you're left with Apple as the only producer. Even with android wear being a bit crappy so far, at least you have several producers so someone might get it right quicker.
Sapiens
Member
Crying shame about those bands. They haven't look good in any of the leaks.
My hope that Apple shows something different tomorrow is diminishing.
So ready to get rid of my 4S, so I'm probably going to go for it either way. I'm probably going to slap some ugly-assed case or bumper around it...
My hope that Apple shows something different tomorrow is diminishing.
So ready to get rid of my 4S, so I'm probably going to go for it either way. I'm probably going to slap some ugly-assed case or bumper around it...
It's just going to be a wearable. I hope it's just a wearable. I don't want them to focus on making a watch because it's just not going to look great or be really usable. It should just be a tracking device and yeah it can tell u the time and other misc things but most of it u should be looking at ur phone.
Forever going commando. Not even the Apple cases.
Final Boss
Banned
Do you buy the apple protection?
I have Applecare, yes.
I have had every even-calendar-year iPhone since the 3G released.
I have never used a case. I have never had AppleCare.
I have never broken one of my phones.
My man
The Abominable Snowman
Member
Right now it seems like there are 10 or so big smartwatches, and each one has great features that the others don't have.
I really feel as though it will take Apple to combine all of the great features each smartwatch has and create the first good smartwatch.
With NFC, Wireless charging, and biometric reading already rumored, they may be on the right track already. I could make a wishlist of smartwatch features but I'm realistic - The first round of decent smartwatches is at least 2 years away.
True, round displays don't work great for text, but I expect Apple won't care about that. Apple has a history of pushing people to adapt to their design choices. Like no Flash on smartphones, for example. Apple won't want to give you a small iPhone on your wrist, I think they'll position the iWatch (or whatever it is) as an easy control and quick display. The screen will be for pertinent data only, you'll use Siri for text input and it'll wirelessly link to your iPhone for expanded text/data on that screen. They'll want to make sure the interface and software is going to be easy to use when exercising to tie into their Heath app and to appeal to people who already use fitness bands/watches. The iWatch will be a second screen for small alerts, changing tracks, etc. I think they'll keep the round face to win over watch lovers, people who don't have watches probably won't mind what shape the face is so long as it functions well.
Yeah, I agree with the second paragraph there. I don't think that they'd be "chasing existing watches" there, that implies that a smartwatch wouldn't look as good as a regular watch. They're going to want to make this look like a high-end watch and position it as replacing existing watches, as that's what they're going to be trying to get people to do. And Apple's going to be preparing this for the mainstream, they're going to want to go with the most desirable shape for a wrist-based fitness tracker/watch/smart device - a circle. Circular dials just look nicer, there's few high-end square watches and Apple wants something that looks high-end.
All just my guesses at where they're going to want to position themselves, obviously. I could be entirely wrong. There were those iPod Nano watch straps after all...
jimbobsmells
Member
No, but If I had one I would use it for walking directions pretty often.
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
If it doesn't play the James Bond theme on the hour... I'm out.
haZethew0rld
Member
Good.
Depends how inconspicuous it looks.
Probably huge, but I doubt it'd happen. iPhones already have wireless communications with the Nike+ sensors, plus bluetooth, I doubt there's any hardware limitations on why they wouldn't be able to communicate, and it makes sense for Apple to have as many iWatches sold as possible to ensure the hardware takes off, they'll want people to think "I have an iPhone, I should get an iWatch" and not have to wait a year or two until they get a new phone to do so.
Yeah, of course. That's what I assumed.
jimbobsmells
Member
Can't see that happening, the cut off may be iPhone 4s and newer. ios 8 at least for sure though.
If they did make it iphone 6 only it would be a great way to kill the product before it's even launched.
Ninja Kn1ght
Member
Yeah, it'll probably use Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi Direct to communicate with iPhones/ OS X (like AirDrop) so I'd imagine it'll be compatible with iPhone 5+.
I'd take NFC in my smartwatch that would work on the tube as an oyster card. I know they are working to get that into phones but that is one area where having your ticket on your wrist would be helpful.
Also agree about the big data comments. Tracking steps taken and pulse for example is much more powerful if you do it all the time, rather than just when you remember to take your pedometer etc with you. That is something that will take time to filter through but will definitely be valuable longer term.
Also agree about the big data comments. Tracking steps taken and pulse for example is much more powerful if you do it all the time, rather than just when you remember to take your pedometer etc with you. That is something that will take time to filter through but will definitely be valuable longer term.
Yeah it's my line of thought as well, I was just wondering if it possible had something to do with NFC and maybe that might be a limiting factor or something. I would imagine it would hurt the watch greatly if it was only compatible with the iPhone 6, but I imagine it will probably only be iPhone 5 and above.
Oyster in my watch would be great, although hopefully it works without me having to mash the face of the watch into the reader, ha. Somewhere near the edge of the strap would be best!
Good for you, but I'm a clumsy cunt and drop things all the time. If a cheap, simple case will protect my 1000 device, I'm using a case.
I love all this discussion, by the way. Good to know we don't have to wait long for it all to be revealed too. It'll be really interesting to see what gets announced tomorrow. I'll almost definitely be picking up a 6 at some point soon as my 4 is getting painfully slow, so I'm ready to Apple to sell me on it and get the hype levels up. Hopefully we'll see something new on top of what we already know.
I was thinking the same. Though apparently TfL are really against things like that. Could work with contactless payment being used alongside Oyster starting next year though.
Yup my 4s is practically begging to be replaced. It's just chugging at this point, can't wait for the 6 to be announced.
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