I really don't see this Apple smart watch happening. A watch is too much of a fashion accessory to make it into a high-tech device. People like gadgets when they're computers, tablets, phones, and music players, but I think a watch crosses the line. Where wearing a gadget watch is too geekish, regulating it to a niche product. This is also why I think Google Glasses will not go beyond a very small set of tech people too.
We can't assume it is as we imagine, therefore hard to criticize in advance.
Tim Cook talked about wrist bands at the latest All Things D conf. Among the things he said was that almost all young people and most people in general don't wear watches and if Apple were to come up with a wrist based product (not a watch per se... Duh) it would have to be compelling enough to change people's minds. So lets assume that Apple gets the issue of " I don't want no stinkin watch".
I think it's fair to assume that a) if Apple has a product it might launch in 2014 it also has plans for how it might develop that product in 2015, 2016, etc. tech companies do think ahead even if the general media seems limited to buzz words and shallow simplistic ideas and analysis & b) Apple is likely exploring the whole field of wearables and not just wristbands and the hiring of additional engineers may be related to the initial product or the more general developments I just listed and c) however the field of wearables develops, even if Samsung markets 20 Galaxy S17 wrist bands before Apple gets one out the door I can't see a scenario in which Apple is not a major player in the field of wearable computing. First off the mark can be an advantage but only in media-reality is it the sole determining factor in market success.
If the iWatch actually exists its already done!!! in the can, Jon Ive has already moved on 2 or 3 years ago.
It may be true that Ive put this in the can 2 years ago... but it's going to take the engineers at least another year (on top of the 4 or 5 already spent) to figure out how to make it.
My own guess is that the basic product is already designed and probably ready for manufacturing. These additional hires may be for the continuing design and upgrading of the "wearable computer" division, which will NOT be limited to a watch... there will also be glasses, clothing, shoes, fitness products, and who knows what else at this point. Wearable computing will become a multibillion dollar industry very soon with great applications for health care, personal security, travel and tourism and many other industries....Apple is simply stocking up on talent so they can try to dominate the market in this emerging product category.
I'm guessing the 'difficult engineering issues' they're coming up against might be integration of a flexible touch-display into the actual strap of the device where the battery might also be located. But if they can overcome such issues the iWatch could end up being something very special indeed.
Comments
We can't assume it is as we imagine, therefore hard to criticize in advance.
I think it's fair to assume that a) if Apple has a product it might launch in 2014 it also has plans for how it might develop that product in 2015, 2016, etc. tech companies do think ahead even if the general media seems limited to buzz words and shallow simplistic ideas and analysis & b) Apple is likely exploring the whole field of wearables and not just wristbands and the hiring of additional engineers may be related to the initial product or the more general developments I just listed and c) however the field of wearables develops, even if Samsung markets 20 Galaxy S17 wrist bands before Apple gets one out the door I can't see a scenario in which Apple is not a major player in the field of wearable computing. First off the mark can be an advantage but only in media-reality is it the sole determining factor in market success.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danox
If the iWatch actually exists its already done!!! in the can, Jon Ive has already moved on 2 or 3 years ago.
It may be true that Ive put this in the can 2 years ago... but it's going to take the engineers at least another year (on top of the 4 or 5 already spent) to figure out how to make it.
It's the fact of the inovative product.
Which it will be.
Ml
Katie bar the door.
Ml
My own guess is that the basic product is already designed and probably ready for manufacturing. These additional hires may be for the continuing design and upgrading of the "wearable computer" division, which will NOT be limited to a watch... there will also be glasses, clothing, shoes, fitness products, and who knows what else at this point. Wearable computing will become a multibillion dollar industry very soon with great applications for health care, personal security, travel and tourism and many other industries....Apple is simply stocking up on talent so they can try to dominate the market in this emerging product category.
There was absolutely no reason for you to have posted this. It has nothing to do with the rest of the sentence, nor even the rest of the post.