Surely if the release is this fall then the launch plans/details must be already in place? Seems a bit late to hire an expert unless the release date is further away than expected?
I be willing to bet that the watch idea has been floating around Cupertino for awhile and has likely gone through many redesigns over the years. The metallurgy aspect of the remarks is intriguing.
It's a sales director and thus doesn't have anything to do with mechanical watches perse. Sales directors are number/prediction people. The guy just has experience in managing the sales of watches and that is what counts for this job. Such a hire has nothing to do with whether or not the former employer made mechanical watches or Apple's iWatch is a smart mechanical hybrid.
@shewu19: insider sources tell me that the iWatch design will be a collaboration between Jony Ive and Panerai...stay tuned
Well could just be case design, doesn't necessarily mean mechanical movement design. Btw how thick will a smartwatch/mechanical hybrid be? Mechanical movements take up a lot of room, room that is already scarce in smartwatches. Anyway even if it turns out to be a hybrid, please don't let it be Panerai. The movements are 'meh' and the fit and finish just isn't quite up to scratch (certainly for the price). Panerai is more a fashion accessory than anything else. Now a Jaeger-LeCoultre Apple collaboration for a hybrid that would be awesome.
What about Liquid Metal? It's not an apple invention/product, apple only licenses it. LM has been used for years in the watch industry, by the Swiss of course.
Unless this lapsed, using LM in watches may still be exclusive to Swatch...
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said."
This guy is incredibly unimaginitive and knows very little about technology!
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said."
This guy is incredibly unimaginitive and knows very little about technology!
Can't use it one handed, unless you're double jointed, and have extraordinarily long fingers. Voice recognition does need a lot of power which is why the iPhone 4 did not get Siri support. Where is he wrong?
Expert watch makers were said to be skeptical of partnering with Apple because they have little faith in the potential of smartwatches. In particular, Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek suggested that technical constraints would doom the nascent product category.
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said.
Yet, others are doing it, and we have confidence Apple will do it better.
Why is it, even after Apple reinvents the wheel over and over again, do people keep saying they can't. Wouldn't you be better aligned with history to say 'What an impossible task, but I'm sure Apple will bring their magic and create something stunning'.
This is how it should be done. Video below the fold. UPDATE: sadly, AI won't allow links to 9to5 so just sneak it in there yourself...
Apple would never promote its products as Swiss made. Swiss products envoke quality and tradition, while California's products are high-tech, cool and revolutionary.
iWatch will be yet another Designed in California revolutionary product changing the watch landscape and making many of the Swatch watches (not the luxury range which has primarily a status symbol function) feel like Kodak cameras of yesteryear. A big wake-up call in the watch industry is about to happen.
I wouldn't be surprise if the iWatch looks more like a fashion statement than a piece of technology -- more Rolex than Swatch. I don't think the world is waiting for a "Dick Tracy" watch and I'll be surprised if Apple releases one. That's what everyone expects and it's already been knocked off by Apple's competitors! I expect iWatch will veer toward a traditional timepiece appearance-wise concealing its IOS capabilities.
The iPhone was destined to bomb as well. The prestige watch heads better be careful. Might find their predictions falling flat a few years from now. The Swiss made watch was future tech at one time. Life and technology thankfully moves on. I'm all down for an Apple made smart watch. Nothing worth doing doesn't come without a few naysayers.
Now a Jaeger-LeCoultre Apple collaboration for a hybrid that would be awesome.
Doesn't Ive wear a Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch?
At any rate, while I'm excited for Apple to release a wearable, I intend to wait for the second generation model. First generation Apple products always have some sort of crippling limitation, be it EFI 32, 256MB of RAM, or a weak CPU.
I wouldn't be surprise if the iWatch looks more like a fashion statement than a piece of technology -- more Rolex than Swatch. I don't think the world is waiting for a "Dick Tracy" watch and I'll be surprised if Apple releases one. That's what everyone expects and it's already been knocked off by Apple's competitors! I expect iWatch will veer toward a traditional timepiece appearance-wise concealing its IOS capabilities.
I'm sure Apple's design will be nice but I think it will defiantly look more like a gadget then a luxury watch. Which is why I'm going to wait a year or so to see what companies like TAG, Vertu and Kairos release. If I'm going to wear a watch I don't want something that was designed for the masses but a watch that is truly beautiful, unique and with enough functionality to be useful.
As long as they sort the battery life issue!!!??? I will buy it, whatever. The batteries on my current watches usually last for several years.
That is why I would prefer a hybrid watch like the Kairos, 5 to 7 days. Unlike a completely color digital display that will only get a quarter of that time.
At any rate, while I'm excited for Apple to release a wearable, I intend to wait for the second generation model. First generation Apple products always have some sort of crippling limitation, be it EFI 32, 256MB of RAM, or a weak CPU.
More importantly 14 nm technology would have a huge impact on such a device. I'd suggest that an iWatch released this year would be proof of concept, much like the original iPad. That is unless they run 14 nm production of pilot lines this year.
The iPhone was destined to bomb as well. The prestige watch heads better be careful. Might find their predictions falling flat a few years from now. The Swiss made watch was future tech at one time. Life and technology thankfully moves on. I'm all down for an Apple made smart watch. Nothing worth doing doesn't come without a few naysayers.
The mobile phone industry had nothing to worry about from the iPhone.
Microsoft, Nokia, Palm, RIM. They predicted its doom right from the get go.
This was the mindset of the time, seven years ago:
I'm sure Apple's design will be nice but I think it will defiantly look more like a gadget then a luxury watch. Which is why I'm going to wait a year or so to see what companies like TAG, Vertu and Kairos release. If I'm going to wear a watch I don't want something that was designed for the masses but a watch that is truly beautiful, unique and with enough functionality to be useful.
In your shadow could any watch be seen as being beautiful? Metal and plastic can not compete with grace and elegance.
This is what I'm looking for in a SmartWatch;
The flick was interesting but is that an actual shipping product? Until such a product actually ships and Apple's product ships, it will be hard to compare the two. Given that I suspect Apple iWatch will lean more towards the concepts alluded to in that video then some of the mock ups we have seen so far. I see no point in slapping an iPhone like screen on ones wrist. What such a watch needs is a transparent display panel that resides above the hands of the watch.
That is if we support the idea that a mechanical watch is needed at all. I'm still of the opinion that people who wear these mechanical watches are the types of people I'd rather avoid in life. Spending huge amounts of money on a watch that can't keep time any better than a $2.00 refrigerator magnet, just for the snob appeal, is just a huge turn off for me. So while Apple may lean towards the mechanical solutions I don't really see any serious value in such an offering.
One possibility though that just came to mind. What if Apple came up with a wind up generator that solves or supplements it's battery problems? Instead of a hairspring driving a watch mechanism it instead drives a tiny electrical generator. I'm sitting here wondering if that would even work and what sort of energy storage you could achieve with such a mechanism.
At any rate, while I'm excited for Apple to release a wearable, I intend to wait for the second generation model. First generation Apple products always have some sort of crippling limitation, be it EFI 32, 256MB of RAM, or a weak CPU.
I think the iWatch will have plenty of power. Just for giggles I wanted to see if I could find one of these watches with decent specs and came across this Kickstarter funded beast called the Omate TrueSmart. It's Ugly, bulky and thick as all hell but the techspecs are friggen amazing. Why would anyone want this thing, don't know but it shows just how close we are to actually having a true Dick Tracy watch. Anyway, not trying to promote this thing just thought it interesting and fun to look at.
Comments
Surely if the release is this fall then the launch plans/details must be already in place? Seems a bit late to hire an expert unless the release date is further away than expected?
I be willing to bet that the watch idea has been floating around Cupertino for awhile and has likely gone through many redesigns over the years. The metallurgy aspect of the remarks is intriguing.
<...>
Liquid Metal anyone? Liquid Metal?
What about Liquid Metal? It's not an apple invention/product, apple only licenses it. LM has been used for years in the watch industry, by the Swiss of course.
Unless this lapsed, using LM in watches may still be exclusive to Swatch...
http://www.swatchgroup.com/en/services/archive/2011/swatch_group_signs_exclusive_license_agreement_with_liquidmetal_technologies
...but no doubt apple could strike a deal if it needs it.
This guy is incredibly unimaginitive and knows very little about technology!
Can't use it one handed, unless you're double jointed, and have extraordinarily long fingers. Voice recognition does need a lot of power which is why the iPhone 4 did not get Siri support. Where is he wrong?
Not necessarily. I wear a Tag on my left wrist and intend to wear the Apple device on the other one. I don't see it as an either / or situation.
"To make a smartwatch work you need two hands or voice recognition, which again needs a lot of power, which is difficult in a very limited space, Hayek said.
Yet, others are doing it, and we have confidence Apple will do it better.
Why is it, even after Apple reinvents the wheel over and over again, do people keep saying they can't. Wouldn't you be better aligned with history to say 'What an impossible task, but I'm sure Apple will bring their magic and create something stunning'.
This is how it should be done. Video below the fold. UPDATE: sadly, AI won't allow links to 9to5 so just sneak it in there yourself...
[disallowed URL] /2014/07/04/iwatch-an-opportunity-for-high-end-watch-brands-says-analyst-as-apple-hires-tag-heuer-exec/
Hmmm...I saw this last week on Twitter. The tweet came from someone who studied at MIT and was an intern at Apple in 2011.
@shewu19: insider sources tell me that the iWatch design will be a collaboration between Jony Ive and Panerai...stay tuned
Link does not work.
There must be a reason Apple hired a sales exec from a luxury Swiss watch maker.
Could it be to lead the 'sales'/marketing team?
Apple would never promote its products as Swiss made. Swiss products envoke quality and tradition, while California's products are high-tech, cool and revolutionary.
iWatch will be yet another Designed in California revolutionary product changing the watch landscape and making many of the Swatch watches (not the luxury range which has primarily a status symbol function) feel like Kodak cameras of yesteryear. A big wake-up call in the watch industry is about to happen.
I wouldn't be surprise if the iWatch looks more like a fashion statement than a piece of technology -- more Rolex than Swatch. I don't think the world is waiting for a "Dick Tracy" watch and I'll be surprised if Apple releases one. That's what everyone expects and it's already been knocked off by Apple's competitors! I expect iWatch will veer toward a traditional timepiece appearance-wise concealing its IOS capabilities.
Now a Jaeger-LeCoultre Apple collaboration for a hybrid that would be awesome.
Doesn't Ive wear a Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch?
At any rate, while I'm excited for Apple to release a wearable, I intend to wait for the second generation model. First generation Apple products always have some sort of crippling limitation, be it EFI 32, 256MB of RAM, or a weak CPU.
I wouldn't be surprise if the iWatch looks more like a fashion statement than a piece of technology -- more Rolex than Swatch. I don't think the world is waiting for a "Dick Tracy" watch and I'll be surprised if Apple releases one. That's what everyone expects and it's already been knocked off by Apple's competitors! I expect iWatch will veer toward a traditional timepiece appearance-wise concealing its IOS capabilities.
I'm sure Apple's design will be nice but I think it will defiantly look more like a gadget then a luxury watch. Which is why I'm going to wait a year or so to see what companies like TAG, Vertu and Kairos release. If I'm going to wear a watch I don't want something that was designed for the masses but a watch that is truly beautiful, unique and with enough functionality to be useful.
This is what I'm looking for in a SmartWatch;
As long as they sort the battery life issue!!!??? I will buy it, whatever. The batteries on my current watches usually last for several years.
That is why I would prefer a hybrid watch like the Kairos, 5 to 7 days. Unlike a completely color digital display that will only get a quarter of that time.
More importantly 14 nm technology would have a huge impact on such a device. I'd suggest that an iWatch released this year would be proof of concept, much like the original iPad. That is unless they run 14 nm production of pilot lines this year.
The iPhone was destined to bomb as well. The prestige watch heads better be careful. Might find their predictions falling flat a few years from now. The Swiss made watch was future tech at one time. Life and technology thankfully moves on. I'm all down for an Apple made smart watch. Nothing worth doing doesn't come without a few naysayers.
The mobile phone industry had nothing to worry about from the iPhone.
Microsoft, Nokia, Palm, RIM. They predicted its doom right from the get go.
This was the mindset of the time, seven years ago:
As long as they sort the battery life issue!!!??? I will buy it, whatever. The batteries on my current watches usually last for several years.
Hasn't Apple patented putting solar cells into an LCD? Solar watches are pretty common and it'd be a good application to put it in a smartwatch.
The flick was interesting but is that an actual shipping product? Until such a product actually ships and Apple's product ships, it will be hard to compare the two. Given that I suspect Apple iWatch will lean more towards the concepts alluded to in that video then some of the mock ups we have seen so far. I see no point in slapping an iPhone like screen on ones wrist. What such a watch needs is a transparent display panel that resides above the hands of the watch.
That is if we support the idea that a mechanical watch is needed at all. I'm still of the opinion that people who wear these mechanical watches are the types of people I'd rather avoid in life. Spending huge amounts of money on a watch that can't keep time any better than a $2.00 refrigerator magnet, just for the snob appeal, is just a huge turn off for me. So while Apple may lean towards the mechanical solutions I don't really see any serious value in such an offering.
One possibility though that just came to mind. What if Apple came up with a wind up generator that solves or supplements it's battery problems? Instead of a hairspring driving a watch mechanism it instead drives a tiny electrical generator. I'm sitting here wondering if that would even work and what sort of energy storage you could achieve with such a mechanism.
Doesn't Ive wear a Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch?
At any rate, while I'm excited for Apple to release a wearable, I intend to wait for the second generation model. First generation Apple products always have some sort of crippling limitation, be it EFI 32, 256MB of RAM, or a weak CPU.
I think the iWatch will have plenty of power. Just for giggles I wanted to see if I could find one of these watches with decent specs and came across this Kickstarter funded beast called the Omate TrueSmart. It's Ugly, bulky and thick as all hell but the techspecs are friggen amazing. Why would anyone want this thing, don't know but it shows just how close we are to actually having a true Dick Tracy watch. Anyway, not trying to promote this thing just thought it interesting and fun to look at.