Offhand comment stirs hope that Apple could announce 'iWatch' in Sept. [u]

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited October 2014
In a short blog post about Motorola's upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch, the well-connected John Gruber caused a stir by seemingly saying Apple will launch "their wrist wearable thing" in September, though he later clarified that his comments were a "joke" and not based on any inside information.

iWatchiWatch concept by Todd Hamilton


While he didn't go so far as to name drop "iWatch," Gruber's post on Daring Fireball leaves little room for interpretation.
It looks like Motorola's designers tried to draw as much attention as they could to the 360's stupid flat-tire display shape.

The only way this could get funnier would be if it doesn't even ship until after Apple announces their wrist wearable thing next month.
The comment was in response to a story from The Verge highlighting the Moto 360's wireless charging capabilities, as well as other miscellaneous information about the upcoming smartwatch. Gruber has a decent track record in telegraphing Apple's launch schedule, as evidenced by last year's prediction that the company would debut two iPhones, which ended up being the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Update: Gruber later took to Twitter to clarify that he was "just making a joke." He said that he has "no idea whether Apple is planning a wrist thing for September or October."

Apple is widely expected to reveal a wearable device, dubbed "iWatch" by media outlets, later this year, though recent rumors say the device has hit production issues. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iWatch was originally slated to start mass manufacture in September, but Apple pushed the timeline back one month to November, leaving a debut for December at the earliest.

Despite the purported production issues, and a report from Re/code claiming an October debut, some still anticipate Apple to announce its smartwatch next month when the company will reportedly hold a special event to unveil the next-generation iPhone.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 156
    I think I like this analyst!
  • Reply 2 of 156
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Wait for Jim Dalrymple's "yep" or "nope".

  • Reply 3 of 156
    Okay, this article is incredibly dumb. I don't think Gruber knows anything about it, it was just an idle comment about something that would be funny with regard to the Moto360. He's hardly making hard predictions. And here it gets picked up by AI with the random thirdparty mockup image that Gruber and friends made fun of just a couple episodes ago on The Talk Show.
  • Reply 4 of 156
    Or you could wait for my 'oink' or squeal.
  • Reply 5 of 156
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Ah, blogging. Sound like something people do right after they had their coffee in the morning.

    Really great story there Gruber. I can't wrap my head around it but I think I'm doing it wrong.
  • Reply 6 of 156
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gregnacu View Post



    Okay, this article is incredibly dumb. I don't think Gruber knows anything about it, it was just an idle comment about something that would be funny with regard to the Moto360. He's hardly making hard predictions. And here it gets picked up by AI with the random thirdparty mockup image that Gruber and friends made fun of just a couple episodes ago on The Talk Show.

     

    Gruber has fairly accurate sources. Jim Dalrymple's sources are never wrong (as far as I can remember).

  • Reply 7 of 156
    kent909kent909 Posts: 731member
    There will never be a watch.
  • Reply 8 of 156
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Wait for Jim Dalrymple's "yep" or "nope".
    Was Gruber intentionally letting something slip or was that comment based on many people's assumption Apple will announce something next month? I still have a sneaky feeling Apple won't be announcing just one thing. 9to5Mac reported that Apple hired another YSL executive and the team they're part of is focused on retail strategies for wearables. I don't think Apple would need a team for that if all they're announcing is one device that's either like an Android Wear device or a Nike FuelBand.
  • Reply 9 of 156
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Was Gruber intentionally letting something slip or was that comment based on many people's assumption Apple will announce something next month? I still have a sneaky feeling Apple won't be announcing just one thing. 9to5Mac reported that Apple hired another YSL executive and the team they're part of is focused on retail strategies for wearables. I don't think Apple would need a team for that if all they're announcing is one device that's either like an Android Wear device or a Nike FuelBand.

     

    I still like the idea that Apple supplies a "core" that would be common to all watches and then the fashion companies provide variations on the iWatch for different styles, in the same way iPhone case companies provide thousands of varieties of cases and covers.

  • Reply 10 of 156
    I still like the idea that Apple supplies a "core" that would be common to all watches and then the fashion companies provide variations on the iWatch for different styles, in the same way iPhone case companies provide thousands of varieties of cases and covers.
    I'd rather the greatest designer of our age take a shot at combining design,software,services, and technology to deliver another magical user experience.
  • Reply 11 of 156
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Was Gruber intentionally letting something slip....

    If memory serves he's done just that thing before on a few occasions.

  • Reply 12 of 156

    John Gruber is very careful about everything he posts. I heard him say a few years ago he likes to control every pixel on his site. He wouldn't post this comment without knowing something. 

  • Reply 13 of 156
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    They can't possibly call it iWatch. That's an ugly name. The word 'watch' itself comes off the tongue like a stripper out the back door; bumbling, slurring, and smelling of a gas station latrine. Like George Constanza in "The Seven," saying that the name "Blanche" must've sounded horrible at some point.
  • Reply 14 of 156
    They won't call it that.

    No such thing as an iWatch or iTime.

    It's a 2014 iPod with wrist form factor and biosensors.
  • Reply 15 of 156
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I still like the idea that Apple supplies a "core" that would be common to all watches and then the fashion companies provide variations on the iWatch for different styles, in the same way iPhone case companies provide thousands of varieties of cases and covers.

    That's not a bad idea though I'm not sure how much Apple will want to cede design to 3rd parties. Perhaps Apple will do something like that themselves? I've heard that Jony Ive hates iPhone cases. I'll bet the only reason Apple sells their own is because they don't want to cede all those accessory $$$ to third parties. Probably another reason they bought Beats too.

    I just hope whatever Apple does they keep women, especially women with tiny wrists in mind. I would never wear a Moto Almost 360 because it would look so bulky and huge on my wrist. I still don't understand why tech sites have such a hard on for that device. Just because the watch face is round? I think it's ugly. Especially the black bar at the bottom where the circuitry is.
  • Reply 16 of 156
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    iWatch.

    As long as it has a physical keyboard and can run Office Excel, I'm getting one.
  • Reply 17 of 156
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GTR View Post



    iWatch.



    As long as it has a physical keyboard and can run Office Excel, I'm getting one.



    Please tell me that is sarcasm. People already complain about word processing or spreadsheets on the iPhone, a 2" square (and that is being very liberal with the dimensions) would be impossible!

  • Reply 18 of 156



    Please tell me you did not just ask that question. :)

  • Reply 19 of 156
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    They won't call it that.

    No such thing as an iWatch or iTime.

    It's a 2014 iPod with wrist form factor and biosensors.

    Not sure why AI put that in the title. It reads like a quote, but the actual post said nothing about an iWatch.
  • Reply 20 of 156
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    iTime leaked!!

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9JQsXPd41U&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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