I don't think any of these analysts let that pesky thing call facts get in the way:). When you make stuff up from your dreams who can dispute you lol:D .
It's a really interesting idea that it could be a premium/designer product, I think the assumption up until now is that it would be cheaper than the iPhone. If it really is going to compete with traditional watches, they must have achieved a level of miniaturisation that others haven't, as others don't really look like traditional watches.
Apple bring out the killer product if half of the rumours are true and then, approximately year later every technology company will Copy apples direction
Way, back in 2008, Apple co-founder and renegade Steve Wozniak "let slip" to the Telegraph that "Apple's future could lie in an 'iWatch'." And, in April 2013, an Apple board member mentioned the word "watch."
Apple CEO Tim Cook told attendees at All Things D that "the wrist is interesting" in May, thus kindling thousands of iWatch rumors across the web.
Exactly. I used to respect the guy but he got played on this. 1.3" - 1.5" display can never work. This brings a crucial problem called baby software. Tiny fonts, limited room for apps and contextual data, bad usability and overall poor and limited user experince. Exactly same as with the first smartphones with little screens and buttons. Apple would never ever launch a brand new product category as a traditional concept, design and with poor experience. The only solution to this is an all-band flexible display wrapped around your wrist, only this can fix baby software and be desruptive and futuristic at the same time.
1.3" - 1.5" display is smoke and mirrors by Apple to confuse competition and analysts like Kuo. Apple knows these things leak and when it comes to a new product category, they do double down on secrecy and deal with multiple suppliers for components which will never make it into the final product.
As I got upset with the display size claim which is contrary to the most elementary Apple beliefs on software usability, experience, disruption and passion for paradigm shifts to bring products from the future, I totally overlooked this:
"Battery life is expected to hit at least one day"
Kinetic charging and/or a solar-panel in the face could happen but I would doubt that. Perhaps they can use that flexible battery tech to make an ergonomic wrist band that looks decent and can extend the life of the device without having to be a huge battery in the main part of the device. (Note: the battery tech is flexible but I doubt they'd make the whole band highly flexible as this could pose certain safety and longevity hazards, but it could still be formed easier with this tech.)
But how much "energy" could possibly be gained for a really small solar panel behind other components or a small kinetic motor? I wouldn't think much but I have no way of knowing this. What if one or both of those items added an average of 10% more life to the device? Would that be worth the cost, complexity and space needed for such options over a larger battery? I'd bet against any of that but I do believe that if any company can solve the riddle and make a usability-balanced, wrist-worn computer I think it's Apple.
They could also leverage their M and A-series chip expertise to be more power efficient. I would expect them to use the M-series but an A-series as it stands now isn't practical. In fact, when we first heard about the M7 I thought about the wearables market and iFixit discovering it was a discreet chip, not built onto the A7 SoC helped back that up for me.
Actually, Tag Heuer is about to release the first smartphone in the world with a solar cells film between the saphire glass and the display. It's called Meridiist Infinite. This makes use of the technology in the iWatch more real than ever before. As to the battery life, we will have to wait for the first tests.
"the most expensive model in the lineup will carry a price tag of several thousand dollars"
Another nonsense. Apple is positioned as the BMW of electronics, not a Ferrari. Reaching this premium positioning in consumers' minds takes many years, products and marketing dollars. Introducing a luxury product would only confuse customers as to what Apple is and stands for. That's why premium and luxury brands are always separated - see eg. Toyota and Lexus. This is marketing 101.
Now when even Kuo turned out to be fake, what Apple analyst is left to be believed now? Sad.
Number of watches sold annually worldwide - 1,200,000,000
Number of Swiss Watches sold annually - 29,200,000
Number of watches produced by China annually - 663,000,000
Number of watches produced by Hong Kong annually - 354,000.000
Average cost of a Swiss watch - $739
Average cost of a China watch - $3
Switzerland watch market share in terms of value - 54 %
Mechanical Watch market share - 77 %
Electronic Watch market share - 23 %
Swatch / Omega annual sales - $8,880,000,000
Rolex annual sales - $4,500,000,000
Swiss watches command 54% of the revenue with under 3% of the marketshare.
Jony Ive wears a custom-made Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox watch, check eBay for used prices on that style of watch.
It's not clear how they'd combine quality Swiss craftsmanship with what they do though. Out of all the smartwatches so far, the Moto 360 looks like the best design and there was a circular concept of an Apple one here:
That's not the right way to go and that reflects very badly on Sony IMO. The Galaxy Gear isn't selling well enough to attract counterfeits and is in the same league as the Sony:
If the Moto 360 isn't too bulky and it performs well, I'd say it could sustain $300 and fits into the premium digital watch category. It looks a little bulky in the video here:
If Apple does tackle the high price bracket, which would seem more likely after seeing Sony's and Samsung's efforts, it won't be high volume. But would they make a single model to appeal to the high-end consumer or a single model to compete with luxury watchmakers? If they partnered with Swiss watchmakers, I don't see how they can do both mechanical and digital without compromising either. I wouldn't see them doing something as bulky as the Moto 360.
This kind of device really needs to wait for a boost in battery, kinetic and/or solar charging technology.
There will be two sizes, one for males and one for females. Women have smaller wrists, that's why you need a smaller, narrower device. And that's why the current smartwatches fail to find a massmarket succes. See eg Moto 360 - all the marketing materials I have seen so far picture only men. No wonder for such a bulky device. And it is bulky because you cannot squeeze 21st technology into a legacy design made for just measuring time. And you end up missing a huge female, teen, kids and seniors market.
Apple has patented a solution to make the device smaller and thinner, appealing to all ages and sexes and one which is truly revolutionary - an all-band flexible display with flexible components. This requires braveness to shift the current paradigm of what a watch is, use of cutting-edge technology and huge engineering and investment efforts. Why only Apple can do this and others fail taking the easy route? Let me quote the Designed in California ad: "If everyone is busy making everything, how can anyone perfect anything?".
This is for idiots who have money to burn.A waste of time and money period. any decent watch is just as good without all the bells and whistles attached to it.
Apple has patented a solution to make the device smaller and thinner, appealing to all ages and sexes and one which is truly revolutionary - an all-band flexible display with flexible components. This requires braveness to shift the current paradigm of what a watch is, use of cutting-edge technology and huge engineering and investment efforts. Why only Apple can do this and others fail taking the easy route? Let me quote the Designed in California ad: "If everyone is busy making everything, how can anyone perfect anything?".
If anyone can do it they can. We are talking about the company who has spent years shaving millimetres off their products. Maybe that's the reason for the recent baseband hiring also, they want to make an LTE chip so small it can go in to an iWatch (a future generation, not the 1st one).
I won't pay more than $300-$400 for one. I don't care how good it is or what it can do. If it's anything more than that, I'll start looking at a Pebble or some other "smart" watch, anything that isn't Android-powered (or Tarzan, or whatever the hell Scamdung calls it).
Good point - thanks for pointing that out. I do actually remember one of they payment related patents mentioning BT *and* NFC. What's the max distance on NFC? I vaguely remember it being just a few inches - if so, swiping one's wrist above a sensor doesn't seem so convenient - BT LE seems a lot more convenient. But who knows.
It could be a lot more convenient than taking out your phone and swiping it for payment - just put your arm up next to the sensor like your getting the plastic pen and you've paid.
Comments
Just because most X are bad does not make all Xs bad.
£700 - £250 that's my guess
The iWatch will face stiff competition
It's a really interesting idea that it could be a premium/designer product, I think the assumption up until now is that it would be cheaper than the iPhone. If it really is going to compete with traditional watches, they must have achieved a level of miniaturisation that others haven't, as others don't really look like traditional watches.
Way, back in 2008, Apple co-founder and renegade Steve Wozniak "let slip" to the Telegraph that "Apple's future could lie in an 'iWatch'." And, in April 2013, an Apple board member mentioned the word "watch."
Apple CEO Tim Cook told attendees at All Things D that "the wrist is interesting" in May, thus kindling thousands of iWatch rumors across the web.
Exactly. I used to respect the guy but he got played on this. 1.3" - 1.5" display can never work. This brings a crucial problem called baby software. Tiny fonts, limited room for apps and contextual data, bad usability and overall poor and limited user experince. Exactly same as with the first smartphones with little screens and buttons. Apple would never ever launch a brand new product category as a traditional concept, design and with poor experience. The only solution to this is an all-band flexible display wrapped around your wrist, only this can fix baby software and be desruptive and futuristic at the same time.
1.3" - 1.5" display is smoke and mirrors by Apple to confuse competition and analysts like Kuo. Apple knows these things leak and when it comes to a new product category, they do double down on secrecy and deal with multiple suppliers for components which will never make it into the final product.
Nothing as of yet AFAIK, so we'll just have to wait for some hard evidence.
"Battery life is expected to hit at least one day"
Kuo has officially lost it.
Actually, Tag Heuer is about to release the first smartphone in the world with a solar cells film between the saphire glass and the display. It's called Meridiist Infinite. This makes use of the technology in the iWatch more real than ever before. As to the battery life, we will have to wait for the first tests.
Another nonsense. Apple is positioned as the BMW of electronics, not a Ferrari. Reaching this premium positioning in consumers' minds takes many years, products and marketing dollars. Introducing a luxury product would only confuse customers as to what Apple is and stands for. That's why premium and luxury brands are always separated - see eg. Toyota and Lexus. This is marketing 101.
Now when even Kuo turned out to be fake, what Apple analyst is left to be believed now? Sad.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/03/28/apple-reaching-out-to-swiss-watchmakers-for-partnerships-tries-to-poach-horology-experts
http://www.statisticbrain.com/wrist-watch-industry-statistics/
Number of watches sold annually worldwide - 1,200,000,000
Number of Swiss Watches sold annually - 29,200,000
Number of watches produced by China annually - 663,000,000
Number of watches produced by Hong Kong annually - 354,000.000
Average cost of a Swiss watch - $739
Average cost of a China watch - $3
Switzerland watch market share in terms of value - 54 %
Mechanical Watch market share - 77 %
Electronic Watch market share - 23 %
Swatch / Omega annual sales - $8,880,000,000
Rolex annual sales - $4,500,000,000
Swiss watches command 54% of the revenue with under 3% of the marketshare.
Jony Ive wears a custom-made Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox watch, check eBay for used prices on that style of watch.
It's not clear how they'd combine quality Swiss craftsmanship with what they do though. Out of all the smartwatches so far, the Moto 360 looks like the best design and there was a circular concept of an Apple one here:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/15/4623566/iwatch-concept
I don't think a digital watch like that would sell at a ~$1000+ mark.
Sony sells their smartwatch for $99. At first, this looked like a good enough contender but look at the images on the following site:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/26/5147676/sony-smartwatch-2-review
That's not the right way to go and that reflects very badly on Sony IMO. The Galaxy Gear isn't selling well enough to attract counterfeits and is in the same league as the Sony:
http://www.ibtimes.com/wearable-technology-flop-chinese-counterfeiters-say-galaxy-gear-doesnt-sell-well-mass-market-1543006
http://blog.gsmarena.com/samsung-galaxy-gear-discounted-to-160/
If the Moto 360 isn't too bulky and it performs well, I'd say it could sustain $300 and fits into the premium digital watch category. It looks a little bulky in the video here:
If Apple does tackle the high price bracket, which would seem more likely after seeing Sony's and Samsung's efforts, it won't be high volume. But would they make a single model to appeal to the high-end consumer or a single model to compete with luxury watchmakers? If they partnered with Swiss watchmakers, I don't see how they can do both mechanical and digital without compromising either. I wouldn't see them doing something as bulky as the Moto 360.
This kind of device really needs to wait for a boost in battery, kinetic and/or solar charging technology.
FAIL
THIS is why people spend thousands of dollars on watches:
Try tens, hundreds or thousands of thousands of dollars for a watch.
Platinum would be nice.
There will be two sizes, one for males and one for females. Women have smaller wrists, that's why you need a smaller, narrower device. And that's why the current smartwatches fail to find a massmarket succes. See eg Moto 360 - all the marketing materials I have seen so far picture only men. No wonder for such a bulky device. And it is bulky because you cannot squeeze 21st technology into a legacy design made for just measuring time. And you end up missing a huge female, teen, kids and seniors market.
Apple has patented a solution to make the device smaller and thinner, appealing to all ages and sexes and one which is truly revolutionary - an all-band flexible display with flexible components. This requires braveness to shift the current paradigm of what a watch is, use of cutting-edge technology and huge engineering and investment efforts. Why only Apple can do this and others fail taking the easy route? Let me quote the Designed in California ad: "If everyone is busy making everything, how can anyone perfect anything?".
This is for idiots who have money to burn.A waste of time and money period. any decent watch is just as good without all the bells and whistles attached to it.
Apple has patented a solution to make the device smaller and thinner, appealing to all ages and sexes and one which is truly revolutionary - an all-band flexible display with flexible components. This requires braveness to shift the current paradigm of what a watch is, use of cutting-edge technology and huge engineering and investment efforts. Why only Apple can do this and others fail taking the easy route? Let me quote the Designed in California ad: "If everyone is busy making everything, how can anyone perfect anything?".
If anyone can do it they can. We are talking about the company who has spent years shaving millimetres off their products. Maybe that's the reason for the recent baseband hiring also, they want to make an LTE chip so small it can go in to an iWatch (a future generation, not the 1st one).
I won't pay more than $300-$400 for one. I don't care how good it is or what it can do. If it's anything more than that, I'll start looking at a Pebble or some other "smart" watch, anything that isn't Android-powered (or Tarzan, or whatever the hell Scamdung calls it).
It could be a lot more convenient than taking out your phone and swiping it for payment - just put your arm up next to the sensor like your getting the plastic pen and you've paid.