Rumor: Tim Cook reveals waterproofing on Apple Watch has improved since unveiling, can be worn in sh

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited March 2015
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was reportedly overheard telling a retail employee in Germany that he wears his Apple Watch in the shower, which would suggest that the water resistance of the wrist-worn device has changed since it was first announced last year.




Apparently speaking to employees at an Apple Store in Berlin, Cook is rumored to have said that he wears his Apple Watch everywhere, "even in the shower," according to iGen.fr. If true, that would be a change from last year, when the water resistance of the Apple Watch was not rated high enough for use in the shower.

After the unveiling of the device last year, representatives from Apple told tech journalist David Pogue that the Apple Watch would be fine for wearing in the rain, washing hands, or getting sweat on it during a workout. But at the time, it was not rated for being worn in the shower or while swimming.

Apple has never officially stated or written the water resistance rating for the forthcoming Watch, so it is possible that the specifications have changed before the device's launch. Of course, it's also possible that Cook was simply misheard while on his trip to Berlin.




The Apple CEO is also alleged to have told fans that he charges his Apple Watch nightly, which remains on par with what the company said last September.

Cook was also reportedly asked about accessibility with the Apple Watch, and is said to have told an employee that more features for users who are disabled will be added over time. At launch, the Apple Watch will allow all users to handle calls, texts and invoke Siri from the convenience of their wrist.

Finally, Cook is also alleged to have told employees that Apple Pay will arrive in Europe "before the end of the year." Apple Pay at retail is currently only available in the U.S., and is limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, though the Apple Watch will also support point-of-sale transactions.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 80
    Nice.
  • Reply 2 of 80
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    OK so regarding ?Watch charging, any ideas on how long it takes to charge the device? Cook says he charges it nightly but I dobut it takes an entire night to charge. Could it be under 2 hours? Or even way less than that?
  • Reply 3 of 80

    How many people are not going to buy, because the watch will be constantly updated every year? But plenty will buy. Suppose they will sell used for a good resale value.

  • Reply 4 of 80
    I am going to have to buy TWO then, one for day and one for night.
  • Reply 5 of 80
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    darendino wrote: »
    I am going to have to buy TWO then, one for day and one for night.

    You never sleep?
  • Reply 6 of 80
    going to buy 2 for my two wrists!
  • Reply 7 of 80
    rogifan wrote: »
    OK so regarding ?Watch charging, any ideas on how long it takes to charge the device? Cook says he charges it nightly but I dobut it takes an entire night to charge. Could it be under 2 hours? Or even way less than that?

    My iPhone 5 only takes less than an hour to charge. Surely the watch, with a much smaller battery will take less time.

    Also, waterproof would be much cooler than just water-resistant. ????
  • Reply 8 of 80
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    OK so regarding ?Watch charging, any ideas on how long it takes to charge the device? Cook says he charges it nightly but I dobut it takes an entire night to charge. Could it be under 2 hours? Or even way less than that?

     

    Considering the size of the battery, it is certainly much less than that. How much less is left to the big reveal :-).

  • Reply 9 of 80
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by superjunaid View Post



    going to buy 2 for my two wrists!

     

    Wonder if I can use it as as a nose ring, or use it as a pendant. Saves on bands :-).

  • Reply 10 of 80
    It's also possible that David Pogue was speculating about the water resistance and that nothing in the specs has changed at all.
  • Reply 11 of 80
    Announcement of a beginning sales date should come within the next week or so if Apple is consistent with the lead time on other new products.
  • Reply 12 of 80
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,134member

    Quote:

     

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    OK so regarding ?Watch charging, any ideas on how long it takes to charge the device? Cook says he charges it nightly but I dobut it takes an entire night to charge. Could it be under 2 hours? Or even way less than that?

    This is actually pretty important, I think. A spec that had a full charge from single digit percent remaining in 20m or so would be optimal; and I think very possible.

     

    I don't get why someone would wear a watch in the shower.

  • Reply 13 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post





    My iPhone 5 only takes less than an hour to charge. Surely the watch, with a much smaller battery will take less time.



    Also, waterproof would be much cooler than just water-resistant. ????



    Really no such thing as a water proof watch. Watches in general are water resistant at a rated depth. Watches or devices rated at a minimum of say 30 meters are good for showering and maybe a quick dip in a pool. Watches that you can really take swimming or diving usually have a rated water resistance starting at about 150m >. It's good that they are at least providing basic water resistance in the AppleWatch, but I'm sure it won't be rated to the degree that you can operate the crown while wet or submerged. That would require better sealing.

  • Reply 14 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    Also, waterproof would be much cooler than just water-resistant. ????

    Perhaps a third party case for waterproofing will become available for those that wish to use it while swimming to track activity. That mechanism for the band attachment would seem to lend itself to some creative engineering. 

  • Reply 15 of 80
    foggyhill wrote: »
    Considering the size of the battery, it is certainly much less than that. How much less is left to the big reveal :-).
    The power of the charger is key. I use the charger that came with my iPad Air to charge my phone because it's power makes the process MUCH faster. A beefy charger combined with that tiny battery could get the job done in minutes. Any battery experts out there that can discuss a diminishing returns curve on this phenomenon?
  • Reply 16 of 80

    Considering the size of the battery, it wouldn't surprise me to hear of a sub 30 minute full charge time.

  • Reply 17 of 80
    Dream on to all those who think a super fast charge. It's induction charging don't forget..

    As for the water resistance I don't think it's changed at all. This is a non article imho
  • Reply 18 of 80
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post





    My iPhone 5 only takes less than an hour to charge. Surely the watch, with a much smaller battery will take less time.



    Also, waterproof would be much cooler than just water-resistant. ????



    If it charges inductively, it will likely take longer than you would think.  I had a waterproof razor that charged via induction and it took a long time compared to one with a direct electrical connection.

  • Reply 19 of 80
    In thinking about charging I think if it uses a standard connector it could be recharged during the day from either another iDevice (iPhone/iPad/MacBook) or a small rechargeable battery (I have a battery case for my iPhone for example and I also carry a small pen sized flashlight 3000 ma battery in my bag for emergencies). So I don't see that as a big issue.

    Regarding the lifespan, I would be surprised if Apple hadn't thought long and hard about this. In the end I hope they would offer updates for the high end models (gold cases) with a simple display/motherboard/battery (DMB) replacement module. The guts would be replaceable (and we already know we can use multiple watch bands for different modes and uses). This could extend the life of the watch for 10 years or more. Eventually thinner, lighter cases would be developed, but the DMB module would still fit the larger cases.

    After 10 years they become "classics", and because they were the first generation (and of limited production quantity) their value might actually go up. Porsche recognized this with their early models and now support a very vibrant refurbishing business for their classic cars.
  • Reply 20 of 80
    evilution wrote: »
    Considering the size of the battery, it wouldn't surprise me to hear of a sub 30 minute full charge time.

    Maybe an hour. My Jawbone takes a little under an hour, but that's with a 500ma USB charger over a headphone jack connection. Apple can push more power to the Watch to compensate for power loss. My Palm Pre 2 didnt take all that long to charge up with the Touchstone charger.


    Now the trolls can find something else to complain about though. They'll claim they want a 40mm size option because 38 and 42 are just unfair. :no:
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