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.
I expect there to be an Apple Watch launch event in April of course, as there is a lot more information to present, new demos expected, other "secrets" revealed. Whether they take the approach of sales available "this coming Friday", or make it a week or two out for more media attention, we shall have to see.
I don't expect any announcement of sales dates for separate/before the presentation event.
Perhaps users can charge the watch before they go to bed? Hence my questions around how long it takes to charge.
A fine line of questioning, sir. But I was merely pointing out that the previous poster (who had not responded to you, so I didn't make the connection) was not implying he never sleeps.
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?
The Android watches take 1-2 hours to charge up. If Apple's one has a smaller battery then it will charge quicker.
waterproof would be much cooler than just water-resistant.
It would be, the difficulty is sealing up the buttons. It would have been easier if they'd gotten rid of buttons entirely and used the fact that you can touch both sides of the watch. Having the entire right-side touch-enabled would replace the crown dial as you just slide up/down the side. Press-holding each side would be the home button. Double-tap both sides could be contacts or press-hold with the right side higher/lower.
The crown dial will ultimately place an unnecessary restriction on how thin they can make the watch:
A touch strip is less restrictive (as well as allowing it to be waterproof):
Retaining the crown at the same size limits it to 18% thinner, the strip would allow over 40%. The way the design is now suggests they didn't plan to make it much thinner and upgrades will mainly just feature better battery life. The upgrade rates on these won't be very high without design improvements in successive models.
Apple will change the way people tell time in the shower.
If it can play videos, I have a feeling they might be not looking at the time. There's photos at least. Sure Tim will say he's reading emails in the shower, that's not what he's doing. I don't like that image that's in my head now of Tim wearing nothing in the shower but his watch. I'll imagine that Candice Swanepoel wears her Apple watch in the shower. Yeah that's much better.
From what Cook was supposedly overheard to say about wearing his watch in the shower, I would not conclude that one can swim with it. Splatters of water are not the same as complete immersion.
When Cook said about shower, he also meant it's water resistant for outdoor sports during the small rain/shower. I guess heavy rain will kill the watch just like in the bathtub.
Still, even with one-day battery life, I believe Apple Watch will be the mother of all smart watches out there. I'll just wait for the second generation with at least 3 day battery life.
...which would suggest that the water resistance of the wrist-worn device has changed since it was first announced last year.
That's a major leap since a lack of info is not the same as a statement saying you can't get it wet (or feed it after midnight).
I'd say washing dishes, which can actually submerge a watch, is likely to cause more to an issue than the spray from a shower, unless you're really careful washing dishes. You even mention Pogue's comment about washing dishes.
So why didn't Apple state anything before? For starters, they may not have had any IP rating assigned to it (and still might not). Another is Apple needs to cover their ass so if they say you can wear it in a shower who knows what people will do to push it to its limit and then claim Apple are lying. Just look at the asshats purposely bending the iPhone 6 last year. Apple's mindshare is a great place to be for a company but it does bring out the nut jobs.
All this talk of the Apple Watch's water resistance. I always thought that was a given!
I thought so, too, but remember that water resistance isn't quantifiable. We know the device has few ingress points and that the SIP is sealed with resin, so we can probably assume that it will be able to resist the steam of a hot shower if you put down on the counter whilst showering, but we don't know how well it will take more direct hit from rain, a shower, washing dishes, etc. There is a microphone that could be a weak spot.
What I'm hoping for is an IP67 rating, but even if Apple is awarded that rating they may not even want to advertise it because of the aforementioned asshats pushing those limits.
Tim Cook can get his watch replaced for free. I can't, so I'm not going to wear that watch or any expensive and showy watch in the shower.
That said, I did wear watches that were dive-rated when I did sailing and I would wear one of Casio's G-Shock watches swimming%u2014but if-and-only-if there was a reason to do so. Not all of us have the luxury of an Apple executive's income.
Still, this is a good sign. It may hint that Apple is thinking about create a sport model of its iPhones that's ruggedized and waterproof. That'd be good. I've ruggedized my iPhone 5 so much with an Otter case that I tell friends it looks like a Marine Corps sniper computer.
All this talk of the Apple Watch's water resistance. I always thought that was a given! As even a cheapo Casio is water resistant! About the nightly charging though, that could be a problem, unless it can charge really quickly, which seems a possibility as its such a small device with a small battery, as mentioned elsewhere here.
I'd like to try one out. To replace my current cheapo Casio! I like the Space-black stainless steel version with that chainmail like strap. But would probably have to go with a Space-grey aluminium Sport version due to budgetary constraints.
"About the nightly charging though, that could be a problem, unless it can charge really quickly,"
Why? Once it's off and charging and you're asleep the charge interval becomes invisible. And with any device that requires being off the wrist for recharging 24/7 activity monitoring just isn't the right usage.
And with any device that requires being off the wrist for recharging 24/7 activity monitoring just isn't the right usage.
If the battery life is several days to a week, you can charge during your daily shower every few days and still keep the device charged and useful for activity monitoring, which would include sleep.
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.
I like your thinking.
And my guess is people would buy multiple gold watches and keep them. That's what happens in the high end watch space.
Having a 1st Generation Gold Watch would be pretty impressive even 10 years from now.
Using that money to buy Apple stock would probably be a better investment.
Comments
OK, Doc. I'm sure I can manage that when I want to. Shouldn't have to do it every single time I want a quick cool down after a jog.
You don't know what you're missing. /s
Apple will change the way people tell time in the shower. All those manufacturers of clock radios for showers have just been put on notice¡
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.
I expect there to be an Apple Watch launch event in April of course, as there is a lot more information to present, new demos expected, other "secrets" revealed. Whether they take the approach of sales available "this coming Friday", or make it a week or two out for more media attention, we shall have to see.
I don't expect any announcement of sales dates for separate/before the presentation event.
Perhaps users can charge the watch before they go to bed? Hence my questions around how long it takes to charge.
A fine line of questioning, sir. But I was merely pointing out that the previous poster (who had not responded to you, so I didn't make the connection) was not implying he never sleeps.
Actually it is the complainers pointing out Apples faults that lead to improvements in Apple technology, so you're welcome.
If the yes men had their way Macs would still be running OS 9 on G5 chips.
So now trolls can't use the excuse that they can't swim with the Watch so its a failure. LOL.
Was this ever used as an excuse? There are plenty others already anyway.
The Android watches take 1-2 hours to charge up. If Apple's one has a smaller battery then it will charge quicker.
It would be, the difficulty is sealing up the buttons. It would have been easier if they'd gotten rid of buttons entirely and used the fact that you can touch both sides of the watch. Having the entire right-side touch-enabled would replace the crown dial as you just slide up/down the side. Press-holding each side would be the home button. Double-tap both sides could be contacts or press-hold with the right side higher/lower.
The crown dial will ultimately place an unnecessary restriction on how thin they can make the watch:
A touch strip is less restrictive (as well as allowing it to be waterproof):
Retaining the crown at the same size limits it to 18% thinner, the strip would allow over 40%. The way the design is now suggests they didn't plan to make it much thinner and upgrades will mainly just feature better battery life. The upgrade rates on these won't be very high without design improvements in successive models.
If it can play videos, I have a feeling they might be not looking at the time. There's photos at least. Sure Tim will say he's reading emails in the shower, that's not what he's doing. I don't like that image that's in my head now of Tim wearing nothing in the shower but his watch. I'll imagine that Candice Swanepoel wears her Apple watch in the shower. Yeah that's much better.
I like your thinking.
And my guess is people would buy multiple gold watches and keep them. That's what happens in the high end watch space.
Having a 1st Generation Gold Watch would be pretty impressive even 10 years from now.
Useless and batteryless, but impressive nonetheless - I will give you that.
Actually it is the complainers pointing out Apples faults that lead to improvements in Apple technology, so you're welcome.
If the yes men had their way Macs would still be running OS 9 on G5 chips.
Fun fact: OS 9 doesn't run natively on any G5 Mac.
Fun fact: OS 9 doesn't run natively on any G5 Mac.
Something about defecation and Dr. Watson's partner could be said here.
From what Cook was supposedly overheard to say about wearing his watch in the shower, I would not conclude that one can swim with it. Splatters of water are not the same as complete immersion.
When Cook said about shower, he also meant it's water resistant for outdoor sports during the small rain/shower. I guess heavy rain will kill the watch just like in the bathtub.
Still, even with one-day battery life, I believe Apple Watch will be the mother of all smart watches out there. I'll just wait for the second generation with at least 3 day battery life.
That's a major leap since a lack of info is not the same as a statement saying you can't get it wet (or feed it after midnight).
I'd say washing dishes, which can actually submerge a watch, is likely to cause more to an issue than the spray from a shower, unless you're really careful washing dishes. You even mention Pogue's comment about washing dishes.
So why didn't Apple state anything before? For starters, they may not have had any IP rating assigned to it (and still might not). Another is Apple needs to cover their ass so if they say you can wear it in a shower who knows what people will do to push it to its limit and then claim Apple are lying. Just look at the asshats purposely bending the iPhone 6 last year. Apple's mindshare is a great place to be for a company but it does bring out the nut jobs.
I thought so, too, but remember that water resistance isn't quantifiable. We know the device has few ingress points and that the SIP is sealed with resin, so we can probably assume that it will be able to resist the steam of a hot shower if you put down on the counter whilst showering, but we don't know how well it will take more direct hit from rain, a shower, washing dishes, etc. There is a microphone that could be a weak spot.
What I'm hoping for is an IP67 rating, but even if Apple is awarded that rating they may not even want to advertise it because of the aforementioned asshats pushing those limits.
That said, I did wear watches that were dive-rated when I did sailing and I would wear one of Casio's G-Shock watches swimming%u2014but if-and-only-if there was a reason to do so. Not all of us have the luxury of an Apple executive's income.
Still, this is a good sign. It may hint that Apple is thinking about create a sport model of its iPhones that's ruggedized and waterproof. That'd be good. I've ruggedized my iPhone 5 so much with an Otter case that I tell friends it looks like a Marine Corps sniper computer.
All this talk of the Apple Watch's water resistance. I always thought that was a given! As even a cheapo Casio is water resistant! About the nightly charging though, that could be a problem, unless it can charge really quickly, which seems a possibility as its such a small device with a small battery, as mentioned elsewhere here.
I'd like to try one out. To replace my current cheapo Casio! I like the Space-black stainless steel version with that chainmail like strap. But would probably have to go with a Space-grey aluminium Sport version due to budgetary constraints.
"About the nightly charging though, that could be a problem, unless it can charge really quickly,"
Why? Once it's off and charging and you're asleep the charge interval becomes invisible. And with any device that requires being off the wrist for recharging 24/7 activity monitoring just isn't the right usage.
Useless and batteryless, but impressive nonetheless - I will give you that.
Placed right next to the NIB Zunes!
If the battery life is several days to a week, you can charge during your daily shower every few days and still keep the device charged and useful for activity monitoring, which would include sleep.
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.
I like your thinking.
And my guess is people would buy multiple gold watches and keep them. That's what happens in the high end watch space.
Having a 1st Generation Gold Watch would be pretty impressive even 10 years from now.
Using that money to buy Apple stock would probably be a better investment.
Placed right next to the NIB Zunes!
AWatch, iPod Hi-Fi and Zune - now that's a trifecta.
AWatch, iPod Hi-Fi and Zune - now that's a trifecta.
The GOLD AppleWatch at any rate.