You may have not noticed anything wrong with that sentence, and to be honest it’s hard to fault you if you didn’t. Apple’s smartwatch is actually called the Apple Watch, but hey – it should’ve been the iWatch, right?
Anyway, the iWatch doesn’t exist. But Apple is still facing legal action over it.
Probendi, an Irish software firm has filed legal documents against Apple claiming its use of the term iWatch in Google ads is a violation of trademark.
“Apple has systematically used iWatch wording on Google search engine in order to direct customers to its own website, advertising Apple Watch,” says Probendi.
In other words, Probendi is miffed that Google searches for “iWatch’ return results for the Apple Watch. Of course, companies buying ads that direct customers to their products when related queries are entered is nothing new.
The recent public announcement of “Apple Watch”, the new wrist wearable device/smart watch by Apple Inc., has been preceded and followed by persistent rumors identifying said product with the name “iWatch”.
Probendi Limited hereby informs to be the exclusive holder of the Community trademark “iWatch” No. EU007125347, registered for computers and software effective as of August 3, 2008.
Consequently, Probendi Limited is the sole entity lawfully entitled to use the name “iWatch” for products such as “Apple Watch” within the European Union, and will promptly take all appropriate legal actions to oppose any unauthorized use of “iWatch” by whomever for that kind of products.
According to Bloomberg, Probendi is currently working on a product called the iWatch, but it doesn’t exist yet. The company has held the iWatch trademark since 2008, and according to an audit commissioned by Probendi that trademark is worth nearly $100 million.
Back in September, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch at a big event, which also saw the introduction of the latest iPhone models. Six months later, the company just held another event talking about it more, and mostly telling us things we already knew about it.
This time, however, we got the prices and the release date. Let’s get those out of the way. All models will be available for pre-order and for trying on beginning on April 10 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US. You’ll need an appointment to try one on. The devices will be available online or by reservation in Apple’s retail stores and authorized re-sellers in China and Japan on April 24.
As you’re probably aware from the first event, there are three collections. Each is available in 38 mm and 42 mm.
Prices are as follows:
Apple Watch Sport: $349 and $399
Apple Watch: from $549 to $1,099
Apple Watch Edition: from $10,000 to who knows?
Yes, the cheap end of the high-end watches is $10K. CEO Tim Cook really prefers the Mickey Mouse graphic on his own Apple Watch, according to his presentation. This would definitely look killer on a ten thousand dollar watch.
As you also know from the original event, all models are highly customizable. Each has various models, band options, and you can always tailor the display to your liking. Feel free to browse around the company’s website for a look at all of your options.
But let’s face it, it’s not how these watches look that will make or break them. It’s what they can do, and how much consumers value that. I can tell you right now, they’re not going to be for everyone. Many will be perfectly content with their phones and/or other existing devices.
What will make Apple Watch stand out is really only limited to what developers are able to get out of it, and according to Apple, there are already thousands of apps ready to go for the device’s release. How many of them are specifically enhanced by the watch form factor is a question that remains unanswered. How many of these apps will be better on a watch than on a phone or a tablet?
Well, the health category is an obvious area where it can make a real difference, so it’s no surprise that Apple (and other smart watch makers) play this up. In fact, health was a major theme of today’s event even before the watch was mentioned. Apple also announced ResearchKit, a new open source software framework for medical and health research, aimed at providing doctors and scientists with more data. Utilizing this are some new apps aiding research on asthma, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.
Many health apps will take advantage of the watch, but the device itself even goes out of its way to get you more active. It even sends you notifications (which you can opt out of) telling you if you’ve been sitting for too long.
“Apple Watch encourages you to sit less, move more and get some exercise every day,” the company says, “The Activity app provides a simple visual snapshot of your daily activity with three rings that measure active calories burned, brisk activity and how often you’ve stood up to take a break from sitting during the day. Apple Watch provides the detailed metrics you need during dedicated workout sessions for the most popular activities, such as walking, running and cycling through the Workout app. With an accelerometer, a built-in heart rate sensor, GPS and Wi-Fi from your iPhone, Apple Watch smartly uses the best sensors for different types of motion and provides a comprehensive picture of your all-day activity and workouts. The Activity app on iPhone collects your activity and workout data from Apple Watch so you can see your history in greater detail. Apple Watch uses this history to suggest personalized activity goals, reward fitness milestones and keep you motivated.”
Beyond health, Apple wants the watch to be “integral to your life.” In other words, how did you ever get by without this thing. So, of course, you can communicate with people using various apps. You can check your email. You can browse Instagram. You can use Apple Pay at stores, and pull up your boarding pass at the aiport. You can even receive and make calls. You can do a lot of things…you can already do with your smartphone.
And that’s probably the biggest problem with Apple Watch. Most of what you can do with it, you can already do with a smartphone, and worse yet, to do most of it, you still have to have your iPhone with you.
It would be one thing if it replaced your phone. If you had your phone’s capabilities at your wrist, and no longer needed to carry your phone around, I could see this being a hot item. Many would still prefer the phone, but some subset of people would be happy to “upgrade” to a more light-weight experience. With this, it’s just another thing you’re carrying around, even if it’s actually wrapped around you. It’s also another thing to charge.
As others have pointed out, as an everyday device, the Apple Watch isn’t filling much of a need like past Apple devices like the iPod or iPhone have. It’s just another thing. And a pricey one at that. At its least expensive, you’re essentially paying $350 to look at your wrist instead of your phone, while still carrying your phone around. For the high rollers, you’re paying upwards of ten grand. And just so we’re clear here, here’s an example of one of these high-end models:
Also, just to keep things in perspective, you can get about 4 of Apple’s 27-inch 3.5GHz with Retina 5K display iMacs for $10,000.
Here’s an AutoTrader article about 10 good used cars you can get for under $10,000. Money has a nice list of 24 things to do with $10,000. Somehow “buy a watch” didn’t make the list.
Update: Apple didn’t reveal this in its announcements, but the Apple website shows the high-end watches going as high as $17,000. That includes this model:
Here’s a list of brand new cars you can get for that much.
Apple is very proud of the fashion elements of its collections, but I have a hard time buying that those looking to wear a watch for the fashion aren’t going to opt for a more traditional time piece.
Vox put it well: “Viewed as a gadget, the device is just too expensive given its limited functionality. Yet it’s going to be an uphill battle to sell a square, bulky touchscreen device as a fashion statement. In trying to be both a gadget and a luxury item, it’s at high risk of falling in the no-man’s land between the two.”
And I believe that was written before the $10K price tag was announced.
Certainly Apple’s device has more potential in that regard, but still. How often are tech and fashion really complementary?
Maybe I’ll be proven wrong. When the iPad was unveiled, I felt like it was pretty much an over-sized iPhone that didn’t make calls. I actually kind of still feel that way about it (and competing tablets), but I’ll happily acknowledge that I underestimated how much people would want such a device. Maybe I’m underestimating that for the watch too.
Mobile ad exchange TapSense announced the launch of what it says is the industry’s first programmatic ad platform for the Apple Watch, even before the device itself is released. The platform utilizes hyper-local targeting, Apple Pay, and some ad formats specifically tailored to the watch’s display.
The platform includes a suite of developer and brand solutions, including an SDK and programmatic APIs.
“Wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) are the next frontiers in the mobile revolution. We are excited to announce industry’s first programmatic ad platform for Apple Watch developers and brands. ” said Ash Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of TapSense. “While most of our competitors are focused on banner ads and legacy platforms, we are focused on innovation and next generation platforms. Apple Watch has the potential to be a category disruptor similar to iPod or iPhone and we believe that it provides great opportunities for brands and developers to deliver engaging experiences to consumers.”
“For an iOS developer, Apple WatchKit provides familiar tools and APIs as well as exciting new user interactions such as Glances and Force Push. Developing an app for the watch is the same as writing any iOS extension,” said Amit Manjhi, Co-Founder & CTO of TapSense. “We can’t wait to see all the cool apps that developers build and how they leverage the TapSense platform for Apple Watch. ”
According to Apple, the Apple Watch is coming in “early 2015”.
This week, Apple introduced the world to the Apple Watch. Opinions are mixed as you’d expect. Some think the device marks the turning point for the company as the true beginning of the Tim Cook era, and that the device will be largely successful. Others think it’s a big disappointment or an otherwise unnecessary product destined to fail.
What do you think? Will the Apple Watch follow in the footsteps of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad as a groundbreaking success story or will it fail to gain significant traction? Somewhere in between? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Apple calls the device its “most personal device ever”.
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” says Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design. “We’ve created an entire range of products that enable unparalleled personalization.”
It features an iOS-based user interface, which has been tailored for a smaller device. It has a “Digital Crown,” which lets you scroll, zoom, and navigate without having to get your fingers in the way of the display. This also serves as a home button and a way to access Siri. The display does feature a touchscreen with a “Force Touch” feature, which senses the difference between a tap and a press. This lets you access controls within apps.
The device also comes with the “Taptic Engine,” and a built-in speaker. Together, these enable alerts and notifications (both audio and vibrations). It features features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair with your iPhone. And yes, you must have an iPhone, which is one of the biggest criticisms of the device. Why create a device that requires you to have another expensive device to use in the first place?
Apple is playing up the health and fitness applications of the device more than anything else. Unfortunately, it uses the Wi-Fi and GPS in your iPhone to track how far you’ve moved, so you still have to have your iPhone with you, which isn’t the most convenient thing in the world if you’re jogging or biking.
To be fair, some Apple Watch competitors also require phones, but Apple was starting from scratch here. It’s unlikely that they wouldn’t have been able to come up with a way to make the device usable on a standalone basis.
Speaking of competitors, TechHive has a good comparison of features between the Apple Watch and Android Wear – Google’s wearable platform, which is extended to a variety of device-makers. Apple appears to have Google beat on some fronts, but just like with iPhone vs. Android, a lot of it is going to come down to different devices for Google’s platform. Some will be better than others. There’s also the fact that Apple’s device doesn’t come out until next Spring, and Google could launch all kinds of updates in that time.
Other competitors have spoken out about Apple’s device. Fitbit, for example, notes that it already has a 70% market share in the connected health and fitness space, and that it offers the “widest range of all-day trackers” and price points”.
Ben Thompson at Stratechery wrote an interesting post this week comparing the introduction of the Apple Watch to those of Apple’s other big product unveilings: the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. He points out that in those three cases, Apple spent some time explaining the markets that made those devices must-haves, and that such an explanation was lacking from the Apple Watch intro (which you can watch below).
Thompson writes, “Now it’s very fair to note that the biggest difference between the introduction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad as compared to the Apple Watch is that Steve Jobs is no longer with us. Perhaps the long introduction was simply his personal style. But the problem is that the Smart Watch needs that explanation: what exactly is the point?”
He goes on to criticize some of the demos for the watch, pointing out that they were bad because they’re activities “better done on your phone.” The good ones he says were for activities that “extend your phone” in ways that wasn’t possible before, but that even these activities “make the Watch seem less capable as a self-contained unit.”
The fact that they took the time to show off a feature that lets users draw doodles and send them to each other is questionable. This seems like such a dumb and insignificant feature that it makes you wonder how little the device has going for it if that made it into the presentation – especially given Thompson’s point about leaving out the “why”.
Ditto for the feature that lets you record and sent your heartbeat to someone. Here’s how Apple describes it: “When you press two fingers on the screen, the built-in heart rate sensor records and sends your heartbeat. It’s a simple and intimate way to tell someone how you feel.”
I’d argue that it’s more weird than simple and intimate. It’s also kind of one of those things, where it’s like: Okay, it can do that, but is it really one of the most significant features that it should be part of the demo?
Battery life is said to be about a day, though the company aims to improve it ahead of launch. As it stands, users would have to charge yet another device each night, in addition to their phones, unlike most traditional watches, whose batteries tend to last a really long time.
Apparently the device is water resistant to the extent that rain, hand-washing, and cooking are okay, but swimming or showering with it aren’t a good idea. I guess that doesn’t bode well for all kinds of exercise or cleaning up at the gym.
Some are questioning the brand strategy Apple is employing. The device was largely expected to be called the iWatch, which would obviously fall in line with Apple’s other iDevices. Even Tim Cook referred to it as an iWatch at one point. Yet they’ve elected to call it Apple Watch. They also called their new payments product Apple Pay. Why are they moving away from the enormously successful “i” brand?
Apple Pay may actually be the biggest thing the Apple Watch has going for it, and that has more to do with adoption by retailers than any technological aspect. Apple revealed that 220,000 retail locations are going to let users pay with Apple Pay (which also works on the new iPhones). With the Watch, users should be able to pay for things at a lot of common locations by bumping their wrist, and not even having to get anything out of their pockets. But if not, they can still take the phone out their pocket and do so, which doesn’t seem all that complicated. For that matter, swiping a card the old fashioned way doesn’t either.
Apple Pay could be an added convenience for those who have the Watch, but I’m not sure it’s a good enough reason to get one in the first place. The offering is also missing some key retailers like Walmart and Best Buy, which have refused to support it.
A lot of people wear watches more for fashion than for functionality. Most people carry around phones with them that tell time. Watches are basically jewelry, and though the Apple Watch comes with a large variety of styles and customizations, the fashion characteristics are debatable. In fact, the fashion world is apparently divided. Apple Watch comes in three main varieties: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition. Prices have yet to be revealed for the Sport and Edition editions.
The Apple Watch Edition collection comes in six designs, each made from 18-karat gold. These will likely be at the high-end of Apple’s pricing scale, and will arguably be the most fashionable. We’ll see how much they end up charging for them, and how much the type of people willing to shell out good money for watches prefer them to more traditional watches.
The low-end Apple Watches start at $349. And remember, that’s on top of the price of the required iPhone.
Other than hundreds of people giving a man a standing ovation for putting a watch on his wrist, the most shocking thing you possibly witnessed during Tuesday’s big Apple event was the death of the “i”.
Death may be a little harsh – there’s still the iPhone and the iPad. But Apple clearly moved away from the i-everything path that it’s been on for years with the release of Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.
Yep, the Apple Watch. Not the iWatch, like people had been calling it for months. Surprised by what Apple ultimately decided to call its new wearable?
You’re not alone.
That’s Apple CEO Tim Cook slipping up and saying “iWatch” in a backstage interview with ABC News. Even Tim Cook knows, deep down, that it probably should’ve been called an iWatch.
After unveiling two new iPhone models – the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus – and a new payment solution called Apple Pay, Apple finally unveiled its long-rumored smartwatch. No, it’s not called the iWatch. It’s called the Apple Watch, and there are two sizes for that too.
I bet you didn’t see that curveball coming.
The devices look vaguely like iPod Nanos on wristbands, but not that’s not quite an accurate description.
For one, you don’t have to have an iPhone to use an iPod Nano. You do, however, have to have one to use an Apple Watch.
The devices come in various band styles and designs. The bands appear to be interchangeable. CEO Tim Cook called the iWatch “the most personal device” the company has ever created. Jony Ive said there are “millions” of unique designs that can be put together.
Millions?
The interface, not unlike many existing watches, is controlled by the crown, which lets you do things like scroll and zoom. The back of the watch has sensors presumably for health and fitness-related apps. It reads your heart rate, and uses GPS from your phone.
It has a touchscreen (which responds to force), and lets you access Siri with your voice, and use it to respond to messages, get the weather, etc.
It has a wireless charger.
When you get notifications, it vibrates. You can add various widgets to the interface to personalize it for your needs. There’s a messaging feature that presents you with options for answering questions, apparently understanding the questions being asked.
It lets you use various apps you would expect – messaging, apps, photos, etc. If you’re too lazy to pull the phone out of your pocket, you should love this. You can also send drawings to your friends, in case that’s something you feel like doing.
Apple really played up the health angle. The watches come with apps called Fitness and Workout.
They also work with Apple Pay, of course.
Developers get to use “WatchKit” to develop their apps.
There are three basic models for Apple Watch: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition. The devices are compatible with the new iPhone models as well as the 5, 5C and 5S. They’ll be available early next year with prices starting at $349.
Update: Apple has updated its website. You can get the official feature rundown here.
Today was Apple’s big iPhone 6 announcement day, and for the most part it’s gone according to what many rumors predicted.
Apple did in fact unveil two new iPhones today – a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Both sport the new Apple A8 processors, improved display capabilities, new cameras, and more. For more on the specs, check out our wrap-up.
Apple has announced that both of these new iPhones will be available in the US on September 19th – and will be available for preorder this Friday, September 12th.
By the end of this year, Apple says the new iPhone 6 models will hit 115 countries.
Now, for pricing.
With a new two-year contract, the iPhone 6 begins at $199 for the 16GB version. The bigger versions, the 64GB and 128GB will run your $299 and $399, respectively.
For the iPhone 6 Plus, add $100 to each size – $299, $399, and $499 for the 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB versions, respectively.
“These are not only the best phones in the world, they really are a great value in the world,” said Apple’s Phil Schiller.
With the unveiling of the new iPhones, Apple’s previous phone models have seen a price reduction. You can snag a new iPhone 5s for $99 and a new iPhone 5c for free (with the ever-present two-year contract).
The tech world turns to Cupertino today, as Apple is holding yet another September press event expected to showcase new hardware.
The event is scheduled to kick off at 1 pm EST (10 am PST) and Apple has chosen to put a stream online.
That’s the good news. The baddish news is that you can’t stream the event on Chrome or Firefox.
Instead, you’ll have to use Safari. Live streaming of today’s big event requires Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later, or Safari on iOS 6.0 or later.
You can also stream the event using the second or third generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later.
What can you expect? Well, new iPhones for one. Apple is expected to unveil multiple sizes of the new iPhone 6, possibly in 4.7 and 5.5 inches. There’s also a lot of speculation surrounding Apple’s much-discussed wearable device (you may have heard it called the ‘iWatch’).
All will be revealed in a few hours, so you don’t have to sit there and speculate.
Ah, who am I kidding – it’s an Apple launch. Speculate away!
Despite never mentioning or really even offhandedly referring to a ‘smartwatch’ in public discourse, Apple is totally coming out with a smartwatch, right? Right. It’s the iWatch and it’s going to launch this fall, before the mad dash of holiday shopping hits. Duh. Everyone else is.
But that’s all in the future – Apple has yet to unveil its version of a smartwatch. Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel, that doesn’t matter. He slapped an Apple logo on the back of a $20 Casio watch and hit the streets, gauging people’s reactions to the “new Apple iTime!” It’s great fun. Really and truly.
I just like that it has an Apple insignia on the back…
I mean, if it’s Apple it’s good, right?
Really because it’s Apple. Apple is a brand name I love, and I have computer, and I have the phone, and I have the iPad – so, because it’s Apple, that would be what would impress me. I would pretty much buy anything from Apple.
That’s it right there. Can you think of a modern company that has or has ever had the brand power that Apple does? I can’t. People are going to buy the f*ck out of Apple’s forthcoming smartwatch, even though nobody really wants a smartwatch. Damn you Steve Jobs.
Over one year ago rumors surfaced that Apple was working on its own wrist-based computing device. Dubbed the “iWatch” by industry watchers, the device was expected to launch before the end of 2013.
We know now that this did not happen. Apple’s big iPhone 5S announcement contained plenty of product reveals, but none of them were smart watches of any sort.
In the meantime other technology manufacturers have released their own smart watches. Despite lukewarm reviews some of the devices, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, have proved to be moderately successful. This, combined with analyst predictions that smart watch software will significantly improve in the coming months, means that Apple will, for once, be entering into a crowded market rather than pioneering it.
It seems, though, that Apple may still enter the field. Reports from Taiwan in January indicated that the device’s delay could be due to manufacturing yield difficulties. Now a new report is predicting that the iWatch could arrive before the end of summer.
A DigiTimes report today quotes a story in China’s Economic Daily News as stating that the iWatch will arrive sometime during the third quarter of 2014. The report also attributes an ambitions sales goal to Apple, which is expected to ship 65 million of the smart watches before the end of the year. To meet these lofty expectations, Apple is reportedly pressuring manufacturers to deliver components by August.
A few new details about the manufacturing of the iWatch were also contained in the report. Apple is reportedly using Quanta Computer to manufacture its new smart watch and collaborating with Richtek to design the chip for the device. The touch display for the iWatch is also rumored to be coming from TPK while Samsung will reportedly be used to manufacture the device’s processor.
With the iWatch now all but confirmed, Apple fans can rest easy knowing that the company’s design philosophy will soon put pressure on the bland smart watch category. As for the other heavily-rumored new Apple product, it seems that “iTV” has been pushed back yet again due to difficulties dealing with content providers.
The long-rumored “iWatch” from Apple failed to make its debut last year, despite reports early in the year that Apple was working hard to get it out by the end of 2013. Samsung, on the other hand, managed to release its Galaxy Gear smart watch, which turned out to be a mild success despite its lack of features.
Now a new report could shed light on why so few smart wearable devices launched in time for the 2013 holiday quarter.
According to a DigiTimes report, manufacturers are currently struggling with yield rates as low as 50% for their wearable devices. More specifically, the report’s unnamed “sources from the upstream supply chain” say that manufacturers are reportedly having trouble with surface treatments applied to metal injection molded components.
The brands affected by these yield issues reportedly include Apple and Qualcomm, which released its Toq smart watch one month ago. DigiTimes’ sources believe that quality concerns combined with the large supply needed for product launches has resulted in the yield issues causing delays.
Though these issues seem to have delayed a number of product launches, consumers can still expect a wide variety of smart watches and other wearable devices to launch this year. Both tech device manufacturers and apparel companies (such as Nike and Adidas) are diving into what they see as the next big device segment.
There’s been a lot of talk this year about the potential impact of smart watches on the consumer electronics market. Analysts think it will be the next big thing, and that has one struggling smartphone maker reportedly trying to cash in on the craze before it explodes.
Bloomberg reports that HTC is the latest smartphone manufacturer to be interested in making a smart watch. A source close to the company says that HTC’s smart watch will run on Android and be released in the second half of 2014. Beyond that, there were no other details shared.
Despite not knowing much about it, HTC entering the smart watch market makes perfect sense. After all, the company is struggling to make an impact in the smartphone market as it competes against behemoths like Samsung and Apple. With a smart watch, it only has to beat Apple to market while simultaneously making something that doesn’t look as silly as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear.
Speaking of Apple, a report from back in March said that the company would be launching its “iWatch” sometime later this year. It skipped the iPhone event back in September, but Apple has an event schedule for today in which it will reportedly unveil its next iPad and iPad Mini. The company said it had “a lot to cover” in its invitation, however, and that could mean an iWatch unveiling could happen.
If an iWatch were to be unveiled today, it would put enormous pressure not just on HTC but every potential smart watch manufacturer. Even if Apple doesn’t do anything extraordinary with its smart watch, the branding alone would push HTC, Microsoft and others to bring their A game to the smart watch market next year. It would also solidify recent rumors that Samsung is already planning to replace the Galaxy Gear within a year.
With all that’s happening in the smart watch world, it’s pretty obvious that HTC would want a piece of the pie. Should it really try for it though? After all, it built what was arguably the best smartphone of the year with the HTC One and it still failed to capture any marketshare away from Samsung. Even if Samsung’s Galaxy Gear doesn’t do remarkably well, can HTC offer anything in a smart watch that would convince consumers to wear what amounts to a mini-smartphone on their wrist?
So, Apple’s big fall iPhone event is over. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were everything that the leaks and rumors held they would be. The only surprises of the presentation seemed to be the gaudy iPhone 5C cases and the Elvis Costello set.
Though there were not surprises, the event was also missing a few things fans who kept up with rumors might have been hoping for. The long-rumored Apple HDTV, of course, was absent. New iPad announcements aren’t expected until later on this fall. The rumored Apple smart watch also failed to make an appearance. With Sony now on a new generation of its smart watches, and Samsung now selling the Galaxy Gear (pictured), Apple fans have to be wondering where their wearable Apple tech is.
DigiTimes today reported that Apple’s upcoming “iWatch” is still in development, but that manufacturing issues may have played into its absence today. However, the report cites only “talk in the Taiwan supply chain,” making the rumor even more spurious than the average DigiTimes report. Still, the Taiwanese publication is hearing that yield rates for the device are hanging around the 30-40% range, far below the rates Apple would need for a worldwide launch.
Since the Apple smart watch is was missing at today’s presentation, rumors now put the device’s launch somewhere in late 2014. The latest speculation puts the “iWatch” price at around $150 to $230.
It’s no secret that Samsung is investing heavily in wearable computers. The company said just as much at an event in July. Now rumors are starting to escalate regarding what the world now knows as the Galaxy Gear.
Bloomberg reports Samsung will introduce the world to its smart watch – the Galaxy Gear – on September 4. According to the publication’s two sources, the Galaxy Gear will be able to make phone calls, browse the Web, send e-mails and presumably handle other low power tasks when connected to an Android device.
The report also says that Samsung will be using an unspecified version of Android on the device. It was a given that Samsung’s smart watch would use Android, but it will be interesting to see which version of the OS it will use. My guess would be Android 4.3, but a previous version of Jelly Bean isn’t out of the question.
Barring any upsets from Apple or Sony, Samsung may be the first out of the gate with the first real smart watch. Until now, smart watches have just been sophisticated bluetooth devices that piggyback off of a user’s smartphone to perform complementary functions, like replying to text messages or handling the playback of music. The Galaxy Gear would be an actual Android device that’s been pared down to the size of a wrist watch.
Speaking of which, there had been some rumors that Samsung’s new flexible display would make it into the initial batch of Galaxy Gears. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The report confirms that the initial wave of Galaxy Gears will just have a standard non-bendable display. Samsung is reportedly working on its flexible display technology to ensure that the next iteration of the Galaxy Gear will feature the technology.
Samsung may be the first out of the gate, but Apple and Sony are both expected to reveal their own take on the smart watch at some point this year. Sony has already been making a smart watch for a few years, but it doesn’t sport the Android operating system. It’s next smart watch may very well fix that. As for Apple, the rumored iWatch will presumably run a version of iOS7.
AmongTech is reporting that its sources within Microsoft have said that the company already has prototypes of the new smart watch up and running. It will reportedly be available in multiple colors and have removable wrist bands. It will also be made out of Oxynitride Aluminum – a type of aluminum that is 80 percent transparent while remaining harder than glass.
What’s more interesting than the hardware, however, is the software powering it. The sources said that the smart watch will be running a modified version of Windows 8 with an emphasis on cloud storage via SkyDrive. What this means is that Microsoft’s smart watch won’t need to be tethered to a smartphone to work. It will deliver information to its user via a built-in 4G LTE radio antenna. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Microsoft will be ditching smartphone interactivity. The report says that the smart watch can connect with phones for push notifications and other functions.
This is far more information than we’ve ever previously had, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding Microsoft’s smart watch strategy. Will it only work with other Windows devices or will Microsoft allow it to integrate with Android/iOS devices? What features of Windows 8 will make it to the smart watch? How does it fit into Microsoft’s new strategy of a single entity committed to Windows?
We’ll probably learn all of this and more in the coming months as Microsoft opens up about its smart watch plans. The hardware won’t launch until 2014, but Microsoft may want to show something this year if Apple or Samsung forces their hand.
At this year’s Mobilebeat conference, Samsung said that it was investing heavily in wearable computers. The company will start out with smartwatches, but it thinks we’ll soon have computers in our clothing.
Now, we could bore you with a bunch of conjecture over what a Samsung smartwatch might look like, but it’s more fun when NMA does it. Besides, I think they’re onto something with the computer that’s embedded into a bikini.
In all seriousness, it’s only natural for Samsung to invest in wearable computing. Google Glass is already changing how we perceive computing, and it’s pretty much a given that Apple will release its rumored iWatch this year or next. Samsung can’t afford to be late to the party if wearable computing really does take off.
Wearable computers are somewhat of a fad these days. It’s hard to say if it will be a fad a year from now, but Apple is researching ways to capitalize on the trend it if happens to grow.
Reuters reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that wearable computers were on the tech giant’s shortlist of new products this week during an All Things Digital conference. He didn’t come right out and say that Apple was working on a smartwatch, but he did say that his company is working on “several more game changers.”
So, what would an Apple-made wearable computer look like? It won’t be anything like Google Glass or other wearable computers. He said “there’s nothing that’s going to convince a kid who has never worn glasses or a band or a watch to wear one.” In other words, slapping a computer onto a watch isn’t suddenly going to make somebody want to wear a watch. Cook said that “there’s lots of things to solve in this space,” so Apple is obviously researching how to make wearable computers cool.
That’s always what Apple has done best – making nerdy things cool. You could argue that Google Glass is really cool, but then a bunch of pasty white nerds make it not so cool anymore. An Apple iWatch or whatever it’s called would have to convince people that it’s cool to wear something that’s inherently nerdy on their person at all times.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Apple may just give up on its plans to release a wearable computer. It was impossible to make a calculator watch cool in the 80s, and it may be just as impossible to make smartwatches cool today.
Apple is known to launch several products throughout the year, but this year may be the first time that Apple will launch two iPhones in the same year. To compliment these devices, Apple may be launching its oft-rumored iWatch later this year as well.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning to launch its iWatch at some point later in the year. It’s unknown if the device will be shown off alongside the iPhone 5S’ rumored August reveal, or if Apple would wait to show it off at its own event. I’m more inclined to the latter as Apple likes to give completely new products, like last year’s iPad Mini, their own press event.
As for the iWatch itself, a few more details on the device have leaked out. According to a course close to Apple, the team of 100 product designers working on the iWatch are considering a number of features to be implemented into the device. Some of the features include the ability to make calls, caller ID for incoming calls, checking map coordinates and a pedometer. The latter would obviously be used in conjunction with fitness apps on the iOS.
Speaking of iOS, some speculate that the iWatch would run a slimmed down version of Apple’s mobile operating system. The smaller screen ensures that the iWatch wouldn’t be able to take on all of the duties of the iPhone, but the integration of iOS would mean that it could at least work with iPhones to provide a complimentary experience that could extend far beyond simple functions like incoming calls. For example, an iOS game could use the iWatch as a secondary input for when players can’t take their iPhone out.
With both the iWatch and Google Glass reportedly launching later this year, we may see the first wave of market fights in wearable computing. The iWatch would obviously be cheaper than the $1,499 Google Glass, but it remains to be seen if consumers would pay upwards of $200 for a watch to go along with their iPhone. It worked for Pebble (pictured above), so it’s safe to assume that Apple will at least have some success with it.
The smart watch is a good idea that has yet to hit the mainstream. It seems that consumers just don’t really see the need for a watch that syncs with their smartphones just yet. That may all change if Apple gets into the game, and a recent report suggests the company is doing just that.
Bloomberg reports that Apple has a team of over 100 product designers currently working on a smart watch. The device will reportedly handle some of the functions that are already performed by the iPhone. If it’s like other smart watches, it will also presumably sync with an iPhone or iPad to provide information such as texts, messages and other relevant information directly on the watch’s display.
Why would Apple be investing in a smart watch though? They’re not exactly taking off into the mainstream. The prohibitive cost for something that does very little, while needing to be charged every day, isn’t exactly what consumers are looking for. Would Apple be able to circumvent these problems, and emerge with another product that the masses will lap up?
Former Apple employee Bruce Tognazzini certainly thinks so. He wrote in a blog post last week that an “iWatch” would “fill a gaping hole in the Apple ecosystem.” He also said that the value of such a product would “be underestimated at launch” but then “grow to have a profound impact on our lives and Apple’s fortunes.”
This all merely rumor and speculation for now. An iWatch, as its presumably called, does sound like the natural evolution of the iOS platform. Google is already heavily invested in wearable computing, so it’s only natural to assume that Apple is investing in it as well.
