Maybe Apple's "iWatch" is just an elaborate fake plan.
I'm buying the talk that it is their 'TV'. Apple won't risk iTV broadcasting suing and they might want to get folks off the notion of a TV so it's really a collection of services for viewing video material be it off a computer, iPad or with the Apple TV.
But everyone is all wrapped up with their iTV naming they assume watch means a thing on the wrist
If those pictures of the Galaxy Gear are indicative of the brightness of the so-called "Super AMOLED screen", I certainly wouldn't want one of them. Definitely not bright enough. Notice they aren't in direct sunlight, and there's certainly no flash reflection causing them to appear so dim. And just my opinion, but the camera lens in the wrist strap (not shown in the pics here) looks like a sizable wart at first glance.
I certainly hope (and do have faith) that Apple is paying attention to the mostly negative consumer comments I'm reading on sites like this, CNN, Engadget, etc. If Apple puts out something with similar functionality it will flop regardless of how smooth it might look. In any event, odds are smart watches will be a niche market no matter who makes 'em.
Know what I don't get? Watch bands wear out. If I gotta take this damn thing off every night to charge in its cradle the watch band is gonna wear out mighty quick. Is this watch band even replaceable?! It sure doesn't seem like it and most definitely not affordably if there's a fricking camera and speaker and other crap built into the watch band!
Many people are suggesting the next big thing is wearables that help you track your health. For many people that means working out. Athletics (sweat, friction, impacts) are also gonna take a toll on the watch band.
Unless I'm really missing something I'm so completely underwhelmed. Blah.
Wearing screen based technology will never become mainstream at least within my life time, it is far too dorky. Unless it's a genuine retro 2 way wrist video
Looks like for 1/10 of the price, you get a smarter, faster and more useable device like this one:
Apart from obviously being too painfully slow to actually be used, the Gear also looks like a really cheap Chinese watch that you'd pull out of a bubblegum dispenser. They may be up there in terms of technology, but boy do they need a designer who can tell his arse from a hole in the ground...
There's a few vids on utube that show it off pretty thoroughly.
The time is the home screen, and it will support prev samsung phones (S3&4) with software update.
Camera in strap though? Hmmm, I like the idea of a camera being ready quicker for some pics, but a 1.9 megapixel photo? I see it's got autofocus which makes a big difference in it being worth ever using, but 1.9 has never really been a useable size for much, and after the novelty wears off is it likely to be used again?
And a view finder screen that small? After using iPhone most cameras are painful to use with viewfinders as small as the watch.
I imagined something with a smoother and sleeker design too, and not quite so square.
Although maybe not big enough screen, this one is the more realistic concepts I've seen so far:
I'm probably the target market for a smart watch - after not wearing one for years I got a watch for work a few years ago, and wear it 24/7 now. I run a lot and want something to link to the nike + app and show me stats and control the app on the phone.
I don't think the samsung one looks like something I'd want yet.
My toss up at the moment is to get a nike GPS watch that will upload runs and sync w the iphone through their website, vs waiting for a iWatch (or similar).
I like the idea of quick look notifications etc, but not sure if there's much else that is necessary.
On another related note - from what i can find, the nike GPS watch hasn't been updated for a year and a half, and Tom Tom who they partnered with for it now have their own separate product.
For a reasonably successful product it seems odd they haven't updated it, unless they're partnering with a much bigger company (eg. Apple) for something yet to be announced?
The camera unit is perhaps a bit too small as a sensor has to fit behind that somewhere but a good enough concept. It needs a charging port too or some inductive charging solution.
Yeah, battery one of biggest issues, maybe if it was indispensable I'd remember to put it back on after charging, but my current one I tend to forget if I take it off.
Plus I'm pretty sure I'm on my original battery from 7 years ago for my g-shock.
Video calling looks out if the question too w samsung camera placement
Ah, and the answering a call on the watch trick with the samsung by holding your hand up like holding a phone... Would take a bit if getting used to, but using the included headset from iPhones and looking like talking to yourself isn't too unusual.
Biggest problem that came to mind for me is that I always hold my phone to talk with my dominant hand, and wear my watch in the other. That's a lot of long term muscle memory to change...
One thing Samsung got right on the Note 3 and the GS4 is increasing the display size while keeping the actual phone about the same size. The forehead and the chin areas of the iPhone takes up a lot of space. The iconic home button will likely remain circular instead of oblong so not much they can do to reduce the footprint of the chin area but surely they could reduce the forehead area. Right now I am debating whether to get the Note 3 or iPhone 5S. I really want the larger display that will be easier on my eyes but also prefer iOS and would have problems not being able to transfer certain apps over. I will decide once both have been released and I can compare in person. I am just so tired of this tiny screen even though I love everything else.
Here is a 4.5" rendering of an iPhone that would be not much larger than the current iPhone 5. Just a tad wider.
Wow. I'm curious to see what the second generation of that watch looks like once they have a chance to copy* Apple since this first gen product is pretty hideous.
* Sorry, I mean that whatever Apple ends up doing will be the new "obvious" thing, so then it isn't copying as far as Android/Samsung fanboys are concerned.
Comments
I'm buying the talk that it is their 'TV'. Apple won't risk iTV broadcasting suing and they might want to get folks off the notion of a TV so it's really a collection of services for viewing video material be it off a computer, iPad or with the Apple TV.
But everyone is all wrapped up with their iTV naming they assume watch means a thing on the wrist
Many people are suggesting the next big thing is wearables that help you track your health. For many people that means working out. Athletics (sweat, friction, impacts) are also gonna take a toll on the watch band.
Unless I'm really missing something I'm so completely underwhelmed. Blah.
There doesn't seem to be a clock in any of these screen shots. Surely the home screen would display the time!
The watch can be tacked on with a widget
Looks like for 1/10 of the price, you get a smarter, faster and more useable device like this one:
Apart from obviously being too painfully slow to actually be used, the Gear also looks like a really cheap Chinese watch that you'd pull out of a bubblegum dispenser. They may be up there in terms of technology, but boy do they need a designer who can tell his arse from a hole in the ground...
One doesn't win that, one earns it.
The time is the home screen, and it will support prev samsung phones (S3&4) with software update.
Camera in strap though? Hmmm, I like the idea of a camera being ready quicker for some pics, but a 1.9 megapixel photo? I see it's got autofocus which makes a big difference in it being worth ever using, but 1.9 has never really been a useable size for much, and after the novelty wears off is it likely to be used again?
And a view finder screen that small? After using iPhone most cameras are painful to use with viewfinders as small as the watch.
I imagined something with a smoother and sleeker design too, and not quite so square.
Although maybe not big enough screen, this one is the more realistic concepts I've seen so far:
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/30897/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
[URL]http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/08/15/iwatch-concept-photos/[/URL]
I'm probably the target market for a smart watch - after not wearing one for years I got a watch for work a few years ago, and wear it 24/7 now. I run a lot and want something to link to the nike + app and show me stats and control the app on the phone.
I don't think the samsung one looks like something I'd want yet.
My toss up at the moment is to get a nike GPS watch that will upload runs and sync w the iphone through their website, vs waiting for a iWatch (or similar).
I like the idea of quick look notifications etc, but not sure if there's much else that is necessary.
On another related note - from what i can find, the nike GPS watch hasn't been updated for a year and a half, and Tom Tom who they partnered with for it now have their own separate product.
For a reasonably successful product it seems odd they haven't updated it, unless they're partnering with a much bigger company (eg. Apple) for something yet to be announced?
Having a circular display would definitely set it apart. It would come with some difficulty mapping software to it but unique:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/15/lcd_circular_display/
The camera unit is perhaps a bit too small as a sensor has to fit behind that somewhere but a good enough concept. It needs a charging port too or some inductive charging solution.
Plus I'm pretty sure I'm on my original battery from 7 years ago for my g-shock.
Video calling looks out if the question too w samsung camera placement
Biggest problem that came to mind for me is that I always hold my phone to talk with my dominant hand, and wear my watch in the other. That's a lot of long term muscle memory to change...
The Note 3 looks great.
One thing Samsung got right on the Note 3 and the GS4 is increasing the display size while keeping the actual phone about the same size. The forehead and the chin areas of the iPhone takes up a lot of space. The iconic home button will likely remain circular instead of oblong so not much they can do to reduce the footprint of the chin area but surely they could reduce the forehead area. Right now I am debating whether to get the Note 3 or iPhone 5S. I really want the larger display that will be easier on my eyes but also prefer iOS and would have problems not being able to transfer certain apps over. I will decide once both have been released and I can compare in person. I am just so tired of this tiny screen even though I love everything else.
Here is a 4.5" rendering of an iPhone that would be not much larger than the current iPhone 5. Just a tad wider.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Wow. I'm curious to see what the second generation of that watch looks like once they have a chance to copy* Apple since this first gen product is pretty hideous.
* Sorry, I mean that whatever Apple ends up doing will be the new "obvious" thing, so then it isn't copying as far as Android/Samsung fanboys are concerned.