Before a Mac and iPhone I saw no need for these in my life. Until, I got to use one and suddenly it all changed. Especially iPhone (as it was my first Apple product)!
When I swapped to iPhone I must admit I felt a little limited in what it did etc, but it WORKED. The more updates and iOSs they release the more pleased I am. I now have iPhone 4s and saving for 5s. But 6 seems to be the magic number! Should I wait?
I still can't see the form factor of iWatch in front of me. It will really have to be a gamechanger of a product to succeed. Like Strix said, I am prepared to be convinced.
There are only a few million people who buy luxury watches in the world. But they also are the wealthiest.
The LUXURY watch market ALONE - lead by Rolex and Omega - is a $16 BILLION market.
This is larger than the movie industry. And this is close to the size of the video game market.
As a NICHE market, it is substantial. The leaders only have to sell a few thousand watches. And the buyers are those Apple is interested in - the affluent consumers.
And if Apple were able to generalize the sales to a larger set of consumers - to include sport watches, Timex watches, etc., particularly with a higher price point similar to the iPod - then it stands to make a substantial amount of money.
Certainly it is a potentially LARGER amount of profit than Apple would gain from AppleTV.
This is the motivation behind the iWatch.
The business model for iWatch would be Swatch sent at least two notches up market. Not as many people wear watches anymore, but of those who do, a lot of them own more than one watch. It is first and foremost a fashion item and people wear watches that match their whole outfit. So figure a person (I'd like to say woman, but that's sexist :-) ) owns about as many watches as she has shoes. Or shoe categories: formal, sporty, casual, elegant, rugged, etc.
And before we just resign ourselves to accepting that not that many people wear watches anymore, just remember this is Apple, and they have the uncanny ability to make something that you never thought you'd need, indispensable.
Apple isn't going to release two different screen sizes segmented by sex. Silliness. iApparel will be Apple's second biggest business in due time, however. A combination of Fashion + Tech + biometrics will be the next big thing.
I'm still convinced the whole "iWatch" rumor is a ruse by Apple designed to get Samsung et al to waste resources developing something nobody really wants.
That, and also to trace and pin down the leak sources.
I truly wish -- if the watch happens -- that Apple will de-genderize the categories to say "Large Wrist" and "Small Wrist." They can sell more watches, to large-wristed women and small-wrested men.
I could not agree with you more. It's baseless speculation -- and a little insulting -- that it'll be separated for genders. That's simply not helpful at all.
It's hard for me to see the "value added" of an Apple entry into the wearable tech fad. At best it offers a limited subset of what a phone offers with the only upside being closer at hand (literally). Not sure what Apple can add that's not already out there other than tight integration. Apple having been sandbagged, what they offer will be deemed a failure unless it takes the world by storm. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
Duh! Different sizes for men and women? That's just sensible marketing. Men's watches are usually larger than those for women, and it's men who like those huge G-Shock watches.
I wonder if gadget fatigue will soon set in. I recently consolidated the two iPhones I was carrying into one and found it delightful. One less device to worry about. This iWatch will mean yet another thing to remember when we go out. Some may say, "Why bother?"
Apple has to get a younger generation, many of who use their cell phone as a watch, to begin to wear watches again. And that's not dealing the fact that young adults soon be hit with outlandish (for their age) Obamacare payments on top of paying back those college loans and getting stuck in dead-end jobs for years after graduation.
Apple may need to change its marketing target from Young Actives at Play to Old Geezers with Money. Show them glancing at that iWatch as they board their private jets.
I think one of the main problems with the watch is it takes both hands to use it. One to roll it over and in one to press a button. I've gotten used to my iPhone where I carry in one pocket with one hand and can do what I need to do … with one hand
I wonder if gadget fatigue will soon set in. I recently consolidated the two iPhones I was carrying into one and found it delightful. One less device to worry about. This iWatch will mean yet another thing to remember when we go out. Some may say, "Why bother?"
Apple has to get a younger generation, many of who use their cell phone as a watch, to begin to wear watches again. And that's not dealing the fact that young adults soon be hit with outlandish (for their age) Obamacare payments on top of paying back those college loans and getting stuck in dead-end jobs for years after graduation.
Apple may need to change its marketing target from Young Actives at Play to Old Geezers with Money. Show them glancing at that iWatch as they board their private jets.
The iwatch modality will be the '.5' device... really the 'iphone shuffle' sort of device. Works in concert with your other devices, does a very specific set of ancillary jobs (my guess... think shuffle that can do M7 sort of data gathering, display imessage/calendar/notifications, and gather biotelemetry (HR, BP, ideally some blood electrolytes). And talks to another iDevice via some lowpower BT or other network method when in range to sync up/xfer telemetry data and the next set of iRadio tunes for your workout.
It will be less 'another device' than 'an idevice enhancement unit'
DisplaySearch knows their stuff and I would tend to believe them.
However, the quote The "iWatch" is rumored to carry a wide array of biometric sensors, and many believe it will function as a stand-alone product, rather than be dependent upon another Apple device in the way Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch is." doesn't appear to be attributed to anyone.
The claim that it will function as a stand-alone device seems a bit far-fetched, unless it can't operate as a phone when in 'stand-alone' mode. Anyone know who is making these claims and their validity?
Comments
That's what they said about the ipad. Don't underestimate.
At present, can't think why I would want one
But
As usual I am prepared to be convinced.
I know EXACTLY what you mean!
Before a Mac and iPhone I saw no need for these in my life. Until, I got to use one and suddenly it all changed. Especially iPhone (as it was my first Apple product)!
When I swapped to iPhone I must admit I felt a little limited in what it did etc, but it WORKED. The more updates and iOSs they release the more pleased I am. I now have iPhone 4s and saving for 5s. But 6 seems to be the magic number! Should I wait?
I still can't see the form factor of iWatch in front of me. It will really have to be a gamechanger of a product to succeed. Like Strix said, I am prepared to be convinced.
I want one
Those are impressive figures! 1.6 million $10,000 watches every year (or 16 million $1,000 watches)? The mind boggles.
I thought the movie industry was larger?
http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/global/global-movie-production-distribution.html
http://www.census.gov/econ/
There are only a few million people who buy luxury watches in the world. But they also are the wealthiest.
The LUXURY watch market ALONE - lead by Rolex and Omega - is a $16 BILLION market.
This is larger than the movie industry. And this is close to the size of the video game market.
As a NICHE market, it is substantial. The leaders only have to sell a few thousand watches. And the buyers are those Apple is interested in - the affluent consumers.
And if Apple were able to generalize the sales to a larger set of consumers - to include sport watches, Timex watches, etc., particularly with a higher price point similar to the iPod - then it stands to make a substantial amount of money.
Certainly it is a potentially LARGER amount of profit than Apple would gain from AppleTV.
This is the motivation behind the iWatch.
The business model for iWatch would be Swatch sent at least two notches up market. Not as many people wear watches anymore, but of those who do, a lot of them own more than one watch. It is first and foremost a fashion item and people wear watches that match their whole outfit. So figure a person (I'd like to say woman, but that's sexist :-) ) owns about as many watches as she has shoes. Or shoe categories: formal, sporty, casual, elegant, rugged, etc.
And before we just resign ourselves to accepting that not that many people wear watches anymore, just remember this is Apple, and they have the uncanny ability to make something that you never thought you'd need, indispensable.
[/quote]
Ditto here!
That, and also to trace and pin down the leak sources.
I don't see it either. I think this is a niche market and too small to have any effect.
So were tablets.
I truly wish -- if the watch happens -- that Apple will de-genderize the categories to say "Large Wrist" and "Small Wrist." They can sell more watches, to large-wristed women and small-wrested men.
I could not agree with you more. It's baseless speculation -- and a little insulting -- that it'll be separated for genders. That's simply not helpful at all.
Emphasis on were, as in "before iPad."
I wonder if gadget fatigue will soon set in. I recently consolidated the two iPhones I was carrying into one and found it delightful. One less device to worry about. This iWatch will mean yet another thing to remember when we go out. Some may say, "Why bother?"
Apple has to get a younger generation, many of who use their cell phone as a watch, to begin to wear watches again. And that's not dealing the fact that young adults soon be hit with outlandish (for their age) Obamacare payments on top of paying back those college loans and getting stuck in dead-end jobs for years after graduation.
Apple may need to change its marketing target from Young Actives at Play to Old Geezers with Money. Show them glancing at that iWatch as they board their private jets.
Interesting! And straight from the mouth of a mountain goat in Switzerland: Rolex have decided to licence the iWatch from Apple.
I wonder if gadget fatigue will soon set in. I recently consolidated the two iPhones I was carrying into one and found it delightful. One less device to worry about. This iWatch will mean yet another thing to remember when we go out. Some may say, "Why bother?"
Apple has to get a younger generation, many of who use their cell phone as a watch, to begin to wear watches again. And that's not dealing the fact that young adults soon be hit with outlandish (for their age) Obamacare payments on top of paying back those college loans and getting stuck in dead-end jobs for years after graduation.
Apple may need to change its marketing target from Young Actives at Play to Old Geezers with Money. Show them glancing at that iWatch as they board their private jets.
The iwatch modality will be the '.5' device... really the 'iphone shuffle' sort of device. Works in concert with your other devices, does a very specific set of ancillary jobs (my guess... think shuffle that can do M7 sort of data gathering, display imessage/calendar/notifications, and gather biotelemetry (HR, BP, ideally some blood electrolytes). And talks to another iDevice via some lowpower BT or other network method when in range to sync up/xfer telemetry data and the next set of iRadio tunes for your workout.
It will be less 'another device' than 'an idevice enhancement unit'
DisplaySearch knows their stuff and I would tend to believe them.
However, the quote The "iWatch" is rumored to carry a wide array of biometric sensors, and many believe it will function as a stand-alone product, rather than be dependent upon another Apple device in the way Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch is." doesn't appear to be attributed to anyone.
The claim that it will function as a stand-alone device seems a bit far-fetched, unless it can't operate as a phone when in 'stand-alone' mode. Anyone know who is making these claims and their validity?