I wonder how the lefties are going to be able to reach the crown without obscuring the display (which was the stated reason for not using pinch to zoom).
Why would you not just simply turn the watch around? I'm sure it must orientate properly.
Why would you not just simply turn the watch around? I'm sure it must orientate properly.
There will probably be a left/right wrist setting. Using sensors would be problematic with all the positions in which you can use a watch (reclined, inclined, laying down, laying on your side, etc.)
Also, has the possibility of a right-wrist hardware version been ruled out yet?
What can the watch do without having an iPhone nearby? I didn't see the presentation. I did visit the Apple web site and read many pages about the bands and face but nothing about what it can do on its own. I don't have Safari on my GNU/Linux machine so I can't see the Quicktime videos. That certainly seems to be a way to block interest from people who don't own Apple devices.
How does Samsung manage to put out a new smartwatch or two every month and yet it takes Apple over a year to do two variants of the same AppleWatch. I'm not complaining. I simply don't understand why there's such a huge difference in manufacturing time. Maybe it's not the hardware but all the software and partnerships that's behind it.
I think it's simply that Samsung and others have a much lower threshold for quality of design. "Good enough" is definitely in their vocabulary. Apple on the other hand has two anal British designers who specialize in splitting extremely fine hairs. I'm betting that Apple really doesn't design by committee in any real way, where Samsung designers are probably only trying to please a committee with their designs. Apple releases products when they are satisfied they have it right, Samsung and others release products on a schedule.
What can the watch do without having an iPhone nearby? I didn't see the presentation. I did visit the Apple web site and read many pages about the bands and face but nothing about what it can do on its own. I don't have Safari on my GNU/Linux machine so I can't see the Quicktime videos. That certainly seems to be a way to block interest from people who don't own Apple devices.
I presume it would act as a nice watch, minus anything having to do with connectivity or the web without an iPhone 5 or 6.
From the first impressions I've read from a quality of design, materials, machining, etc. this device is getting high praise. I think it will be one of these devices that on first look doesn't look much different than the competition. But then when you actually hold it in your hand and put it on your wrist the difference in quality level becomes quite apparent. I still think Apple has work to do on making this a must have device but it's obviously a lot of time went into this. They didn't just throw something together on a whim. And with all the different models/bands it's amazing that NOTHING leaked. And it's amazing that they were able to offer all these variations on day 1. One question I have is will you be able to buy the bands separately? I would have to believe yes but I never heard Apple say for sure.
Just to add another perspective to this: I've been in the market for a watch for a few months now. Just a regular ol' watch. Current "smart watch" designs haven't really done anything for me; in fact, I've been looking at some of the simpler, brighter Swatch models.
Previously I'd had a couple of mid-range watches (a silver JAG, and then a silver and black Rip Curl with an ultra-minimal face), but I haven't worn watches in a couple of years now. So I was eager to see how I'd react to Apple's interpretation.
So far? Well, I'm mixed, leaning on the positive side.
The biggest minus for me at the moment is that I have a slight sense that Apple doesn't yet have a clear direction for this product in terms of functionality. In some respects, Android Wear is the more consistently-focused platform. However, Apple have chosen to focus on some concepts that make absolute sense - for instance, some have knocked Apple for putting focus on "silly" things like the ability to hand-draw little messages and stuff, but I think those critics are missing the point that the device is intended to feel personal. I like this personal touch, and I think Apple understand this point well. But more broadly, we can see that there are a ton of app icons on the home screen and I just wonder how all of these things will work on a watch face - i.e. mail and that sort of thing. I hope Apple will do more than just shoehorn iOS down onto a phone (again, so far, their initial demo does look promising - time will tell).
What impresses me - more than I expected - are the watch and strap designs themselves. I really thought that a fairly standard square-ish watch face would be boring. But honestly, I'm impressed, and I think I'm impressed because (as some here have pointed out), there does seem to be a really strong focus on detail, fit and finish, in true Apple style. It's this aspect that I think a lot of people miss, or don't place high value on.
That is to say, if you place high value on functionality itself and you aren't as interested in the interface or the fit and finish - then sure, Apple Watch may not be for you. But I think Apple are really catering to those who care about such things, and who appreciate subtlety. I know they've always done this, but in some ways, Apple Watch is a very strong statement of this idea in practice.
So, does this bring me any closer to moving to a smart watch versus a regular watch?
Well, possibly. Like many people, I'll need to know more - one of my biggest concerns is battery life. If battery life is solid, then I could justify this a little more. I don't like the idea of having to regularly charge a watch, and I'm sure many others don't either.
In any case, the next year or so will be fascinating. I think Samsung and others have tried to rush themselves out in front, because they knew that Apple was coming. Well, now Apple's here. It'll be really interesting to see which approach succeeds in the market.
Interestingly, I'm starting to feel that the smart watch market could become broad enough to fit multiple levels of product. That is, I can see Samsung going for the cheaper models and Apple going for the mid-to-high end of town, with each being successful in their relative spheres.
More than anything, now that Apple is engaged in this space, I'm really interested to see how this product category as a whole evolves over coming years. It's now moving from being a fad to something far more serious, and Apple's involvement lends enormous weight to the category. So, game on. :-)
I'm left handed and you have to be a complete idiot if you'd think Apple would forget how many people wear watches on their right hand. Ironically, my Swiss Army that runs $700 doesn't have the date/time dial towards the hand on my right hand, yet I've never hear of anyone suing them over it.
I'm betting when they actually offer these watches their will be a select option for which hand you wear the watch on, and thus a BTO watch.
Ah. It was obviously a HUGELY successful product intro and keynote, judging by how much the lowlifes are out in force all over the internetz. Even on AI.
What can the watch do without having an iPhone nearby? I didn't see the presentation. I did visit the Apple web site and read many pages about the bands and face but nothing about what it can do on its own. I don't have Safari on my GNU/Linux machine so I can't see the Quicktime videos. That certainly seems to be a way to block interest from people who don't own Apple devices.
All 1% blocked. I run Debian Linux side-by-side OS X and my Macs. GNU Folks want you to pay them to use your stuff. They are synonymous with cheap.
It blows my mind how many SKU's Apple has for a gen 1 product. Three different models. Light and dark stainless steel and aluminum. Yellow gold and rose gold. Stainless steel, leather and colored rubberized bands. Tons of combinations. All the fanboys on the tech sites are hating on the design but Apple blew everyone else away in terns of combinations/customization out of the gate.
The only thing about the product that I'm not sold on is FOCUS. It seems to me that it does too much, almost like a smartphone on your wrist. Almost like Apple went that route because of the price they wanted to charge. Hard to charge $349 for something that only does one or two things well. Can't wait to get hands on reviews though.
It's just amazing what it can do. Get used to lots of watches and watch styles. Apple may well use it's "internals" in other peoples watches.
I think it's the best design out of all the smart watches out there including moto 360. Some people may prefer the round design, but not me. It is definitely the best looking rectangular watch without a doubt.
Yeah the Moto 360 looks nice at a distance. But a circle can't work on a device. Text will be continuously clipped.
I wonder if the magnets on the clasps on the wristbands will help with motion sickness. That's all those motion sickness bands have anyways.. just magnets.
Having just been talking with a diabetic friend earlier, I'm curious whether there was any word on whether blood glucose is included in the sensors? I imagine probably not. If they can add that to a later version, they'll make a killing selling to every diabetic in the world.
The watch itself is nice looking. A shame they didn't go for a more futuristic band design but eh, personal preference. Also would have been nice if they had square and circular variants if they couldn't do a futuristic band, so everyone gets what they want, but I can see the difficulty in ensuring programs work properly across both screen styles. Again, personal preference.
The UI is trash. That screen they keep showing with all the dots looks like the watch has measles, it's cluttered and inelegant.
Why couldn't they have wireless charging for everything already? I mean, at least the mag safe thing isn't a microUSB or Lightning plug, but still, it looks dumb and isn't as elegant looking as just putting the watch on a charging pedestal like the Moto. Also, wireless on the watch and phone would have allowed tricks like having both charging constantly while you were in your chair or bed with a special charging pad.
Is the "digital crown" a TouchID sensor? Does wearing the watch authenticate your other Apple devices?
Does the watch itself have NFC, or does the Apple Pay connectivity only work with the iPhone 6 and not with the iPhone 5?
Wasn't interested in a watch before, and still not sure if I would be. I'd have to see it in person when they are finally available.
However, it's clear Apple thought about this more than the other companies out there who did just what Apple said not to - take the phone experience and shrink it down to a watch sized device. It shows Apple still pays attention to details (except for that stupid protruding camera ring on the iPhone 6).
Are you kidding? More than any other company so far, Apple has taken the phone experience and shrunk it down to a watch sized device. This has a home button that takes you to a home screen with app icons that you can scroll around before tapping one to launch an app. That's a phone experience on a watch screen.
Comments
I wonder how the lefties are going to be able to reach the crown without obscuring the display (which was the stated reason for not using pinch to zoom).
Why would you not just simply turn the watch around? I'm sure it must orientate properly.
Why would you not just simply turn the watch around? I'm sure it must orientate properly.
There will probably be a left/right wrist setting. Using sensors would be problematic with all the positions in which you can use a watch (reclined, inclined, laying down, laying on your side, etc.)
Also, has the possibility of a right-wrist hardware version been ruled out yet?
What can the watch do without having an iPhone nearby? I didn't see the presentation. I did visit the Apple web site and read many pages about the bands and face but nothing about what it can do on its own. I don't have Safari on my GNU/Linux machine so I can't see the Quicktime videos. That certainly seems to be a way to block interest from people who don't own Apple devices.
How does Samsung manage to put out a new smartwatch or two every month and yet it takes Apple over a year to do two variants of the same AppleWatch. I'm not complaining. I simply don't understand why there's such a huge difference in manufacturing time. Maybe it's not the hardware but all the software and partnerships that's behind it.
I think it's simply that Samsung and others have a much lower threshold for quality of design. "Good enough" is definitely in their vocabulary. Apple on the other hand has two anal British designers who specialize in splitting extremely fine hairs. I'm betting that Apple really doesn't design by committee in any real way, where Samsung designers are probably only trying to please a committee with their designs. Apple releases products when they are satisfied they have it right, Samsung and others release products on a schedule.
What can the watch do without having an iPhone nearby? I didn't see the presentation. I did visit the Apple web site and read many pages about the bands and face but nothing about what it can do on its own. I don't have Safari on my GNU/Linux machine so I can't see the Quicktime videos. That certainly seems to be a way to block interest from people who don't own Apple devices.
I presume it would act as a nice watch, minus anything having to do with connectivity or the web without an iPhone 5 or 6.
Just to add another perspective to this: I've been in the market for a watch for a few months now. Just a regular ol' watch. Current "smart watch" designs haven't really done anything for me; in fact, I've been looking at some of the simpler, brighter Swatch models.
Previously I'd had a couple of mid-range watches (a silver JAG, and then a silver and black Rip Curl with an ultra-minimal face), but I haven't worn watches in a couple of years now. So I was eager to see how I'd react to Apple's interpretation.
So far? Well, I'm mixed, leaning on the positive side.
The biggest minus for me at the moment is that I have a slight sense that Apple doesn't yet have a clear direction for this product in terms of functionality. In some respects, Android Wear is the more consistently-focused platform. However, Apple have chosen to focus on some concepts that make absolute sense - for instance, some have knocked Apple for putting focus on "silly" things like the ability to hand-draw little messages and stuff, but I think those critics are missing the point that the device is intended to feel personal. I like this personal touch, and I think Apple understand this point well. But more broadly, we can see that there are a ton of app icons on the home screen and I just wonder how all of these things will work on a watch face - i.e. mail and that sort of thing. I hope Apple will do more than just shoehorn iOS down onto a phone (again, so far, their initial demo does look promising - time will tell).
What impresses me - more than I expected - are the watch and strap designs themselves. I really thought that a fairly standard square-ish watch face would be boring. But honestly, I'm impressed, and I think I'm impressed because (as some here have pointed out), there does seem to be a really strong focus on detail, fit and finish, in true Apple style. It's this aspect that I think a lot of people miss, or don't place high value on.
That is to say, if you place high value on functionality itself and you aren't as interested in the interface or the fit and finish - then sure, Apple Watch may not be for you. But I think Apple are really catering to those who care about such things, and who appreciate subtlety. I know they've always done this, but in some ways, Apple Watch is a very strong statement of this idea in practice.
So, does this bring me any closer to moving to a smart watch versus a regular watch?
Well, possibly. Like many people, I'll need to know more - one of my biggest concerns is battery life. If battery life is solid, then I could justify this a little more. I don't like the idea of having to regularly charge a watch, and I'm sure many others don't either.
In any case, the next year or so will be fascinating. I think Samsung and others have tried to rush themselves out in front, because they knew that Apple was coming. Well, now Apple's here. It'll be really interesting to see which approach succeeds in the market.
Interestingly, I'm starting to feel that the smart watch market could become broad enough to fit multiple levels of product. That is, I can see Samsung going for the cheaper models and Apple going for the mid-to-high end of town, with each being successful in their relative spheres.
More than anything, now that Apple is engaged in this space, I'm really interested to see how this product category as a whole evolves over coming years. It's now moving from being a fad to something far more serious, and Apple's involvement lends enormous weight to the category. So, game on. :-)
I'm betting when they actually offer these watches their will be a select option for which hand you wear the watch on, and thus a BTO watch.
Loving it! :smokey:
Huh?
All 1% blocked. I run Debian Linux side-by-side OS X and my Macs. GNU Folks want you to pay them to use your stuff. They are synonymous with cheap.
It's just amazing what it can do. Get used to lots of watches and watch styles. Apple may well use it's "internals" in other peoples watches.
Yeah the Moto 360 looks nice at a distance. But a circle can't work on a device. Text will be continuously clipped.
er, how can your phone track use your heart rate when evaluating your fitness activity level?
it can't. oh yeah.
Taste meaning I don't feature vintage Casio or vintage Seiko?
My 6th g Nano with an armband looks about the same if not better.
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apple-watch-designed-for-daily-recharge-lefties-supported
Collecting all my thoughts on this thing:
Having just been talking with a diabetic friend earlier, I'm curious whether there was any word on whether blood glucose is included in the sensors? I imagine probably not. If they can add that to a later version, they'll make a killing selling to every diabetic in the world.
The watch itself is nice looking. A shame they didn't go for a more futuristic band design but eh, personal preference. Also would have been nice if they had square and circular variants if they couldn't do a futuristic band, so everyone gets what they want, but I can see the difficulty in ensuring programs work properly across both screen styles. Again, personal preference.
The UI is trash. That screen they keep showing with all the dots looks like the watch has measles, it's cluttered and inelegant.
Why couldn't they have wireless charging for everything already? I mean, at least the mag safe thing isn't a microUSB or Lightning plug, but still, it looks dumb and isn't as elegant looking as just putting the watch on a charging pedestal like the Moto. Also, wireless on the watch and phone would have allowed tricks like having both charging constantly while you were in your chair or bed with a special charging pad.
Does the watch itself have NFC, or does the Apple Pay connectivity only work with the iPhone 6 and not with the iPhone 5?
Wasn't interested in a watch before, and still not sure if I would be. I'd have to see it in person when they are finally available.
However, it's clear Apple thought about this more than the other companies out there who did just what Apple said not to - take the phone experience and shrink it down to a watch sized device. It shows Apple still pays attention to details (except for that stupid protruding camera ring on the iPhone 6).
Are you kidding? More than any other company so far, Apple has taken the phone experience and shrunk it down to a watch sized device. This has a home button that takes you to a home screen with app icons that you can scroll around before tapping one to launch an app. That's a phone experience on a watch screen.