“Some people are bound to want a smartwatch — why not? People want all kinds of stuff. Smartwatches will be nice for the fitness crowd and the curious,” Dave Thier writes for Forbes. “Most people I know have replaced traditional watches with their phones, but some still wear them as throwback fashion accessories (somehow I doubt Apple’s wrist computer will have much old world charm). There’s no reason why smartwatches can’t exist as niche electronics — after all, they already do. But are these going to become essential gadgets? It seems doubtful.”
“I think I know 100 people that own an iPhone, but I’m not sure I know anybody that would buy an iWatch,” Thier writes. “Apple is probably going to make a smart watch, for better or for worse, and so is Samsung. They will probably be really neat, and do a few cool things. Either could achieve comfortable profitability. But neither will become the next iPhone.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It takes a special kind of fool to scale the heights of egotism where delving into critiques of the unknown seems even remotely rational.
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All I know is that every time I wear my “iNano” watch, people ask me what it is and are really into it when I demo it. I’ve ever had that happen with any other watch.
Meanwhile, certain types around here insist that your iNano watch isn’t really a watch. Right.
Bravo to Apple for already having proven the market.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for ANY sign of the recent ‘Smart Watch’ rumors to come true. Soooo boring, all the blahblah about nothingnothing.
I agree. people don’t want to wear watches anymore.
People are also enamored with David Blaine but that don’t mean that they want to become street magicians.
If it has phone and FaceTime capability, it will be huge! No doubt in my mind! Humans want a simpler, accessible means to communicate that doesn’t require fumbling around in your pocket! Bring it, Apple!!
Very good points. It’s amazing how some here constantly complain about something that hasn’t come to fruition yet. If Apple builds it they will come. And many,many people wear watches. It’s not some ancient practice. And your point about fumbling around for a device in your pocket is spot on. How difficult is it to simply glance at your wrist? And it’s hardly blah blah blah about nothing!
Naysayers are funny, usually. Likely frustrated because of what they don’t know or can’t visualize, they rant so that others might reply with added insight, perhaps.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=naysayer
Apple, due to competition, can’t tell their story prematurely, therefore frustrations are bound to be commonplace. People everywhere want to hear the story, nonetheless.
Apple, standing on the corner of technology and liberal arts, must be recognized for its ability to tell stories well given its standing within its marketplace. So, we might pay attention to the storytelling going on all about us.
History has shown that the requisite means of communications is storytelling. Biblical parables remain well known after centuries, for example. Today, professionals analyze literature to understand the literary devices used, for sound reasons. There are a number of such devices known to be useful but they represent only a part of a story.
http://literary-devices.com
An iWatch is just one more device regardless of its technical capabilities, and in terms of Apple’s likely story, an iWatch is only a part of the story, perhaps a trivial part. Trivial can be nice since most of us are far too busy doing something that matters more. Why worry about some outrageous complexity strapped to a wrist?
The Apple story is explosive, disruptive, beyond all expectations, likely. Apple’s technology follows that story and it can be dangerous with regard to the lifetime of its own products now being marketed.
For example, today, with technical devices shrinking in size and expanding in capabilities, we can have a Mac Pro computer inside a device smaller than an iPhone, less a screen of some large size, of course. Such a device less its screen might be called a server. Servers can connect to screens which are a form of a device, one of any number of devices that may also connect to the server by various means. Should Apple suddenly produce such a personal server, the Mac Pro, iMac, iPad, and iPhone markets might get drastically altered. And Apple just might do so but they must have the story developed to support such capabilities.
A personal server would support an iWatch, for sure, be it simple or compounded with features. There are many more devices to be developed to flush out the story, however. Among the devices begging to be developed pertain to the medical community. Now there’s a story.
We are slowly coming to realize that we must become our own medical doctors. Just going to see a medical doctor these days creates legal liabilities for the doctor such that he cannot afford the insurance costs of doing business. Hospitals are taking over the medical professions for this reason, likely, and we are learning too quickly that going to a hospital may be the last thing we’ll do. This medical market is standing ready to be utterly disrupted and, suspiciously, Apple just might be the change agent to enable such a drastic shift.
Although, it could be that Apple might be more interested in disrupting the financial market first. There’s yet another story.
All these stories require devices, lots of devices which Apple must necessarily develop according to its excellent design standards.
Naysayers just want to understand the story which, unfortunately, can’t be easily told prematurely. The story has to be grasped in parts and pieces, usually through usage. Eventually, there could be some parables to be followed, a matter that has become evident with so many other firms simply copying whatever Apple chooses to do.
No, Apple’s iWatch will *not* be the next iPhone. It will, however, be a peripheral to the iPhone and enhance Siri. You’ll be able to bring up passbook cards, show walking routes, talk to someone on the phone using it’s microphone, and control your music. FaceTime on this wouldn’t be practical seeing as holding your arm up to your face would make it quite tired.
Would love to see how all the laws and legislation would respond to phones in watches, where the law states that you are not allowed to hold a phone, make a phone call or other versions while you are driving.
“No officer, I was not looking at my phone, I was just checking the time.”
Funny didn’t they actually say that about the iPhone.
Talk about fanboyitis/bullcrap.
The only thing dumber than critiquing a product that doesn’t exist is deriding the person/criticism as though it did.
The product doesn’t exist MDN!!
You utterly missed the point. 😛
I guess the iWatch can be anything you want and do anything you need since it only exists in fantasy.
Actually, it probably does. We just haven’t seen it yet.
That’s one huge problem with pundits. Because they can’t think of any reason to have a new product, they think that no one else will, either. At least let the product be introduced before panning it. I clearly remember many pundits saying that no one needs 1,000 songs in their pocket and if you think about it, maybe no one did, but that did not stop them from purchasing an iPod. We now take that 1,000 song limit for granted and maybe even constricting. Consumers don’t just buy only the things they need. Wants are just as important. I certainly know that in Japan they used their feature phones for practically anything monetary and certainly Apple will design a watch that can purchase all sort of items which I consider a plus. Do I need it? No. But if a person just opens their mind a bit, there are going to be all sorts of things the watch may be capable of. If it can log one’s vital signs, that would be terrific for those who have health risks.
With all the loyal customers Apple has, if the iWatch is even halfway decent or useful, they’ll sell a mess of them and a new market will be born. These narrow-minded pundits just never see the possibilities. It’s always about how Apple will fail, which I find somewhat weird considering Apple has started a few successful markets that really did cause industry disruption. I always see the future as being unclear, so why are these people able to see it so clearly.
The iWatch might not be a huge revenue cow like the iPhone is, but it still could be the start of a very successful product line. I’m not sure what Apple is going to do with its iPod line, but maybe they’ll complement one another. Believe it or not, I still use my iPods. I have three of them and use them for different things.
Perfect take MDN. The fricking ‘Smart Watch’ doesn’t exist. It remains only yet-another vacuous rumor.
WTF is wrong with idiotic analcysts speculating about what doesn’t even qualify as vaporware?! That’s desperation.
“Consumers don’t just buy only the things they need. Wants are just as important.”
I’d actually take that a bit further and state the marketing/sales cliché, “People don’t buy what they need; they buy what they want.”
I’d buy an Apple iWatch in a heartbeat. There are all kinds of times when I don’t want to take my phone out to see the time – or see if that email or text is something I want to respond to right now – or…..
iWatch (if that is the name which I doubt) may become the wrist or lapel based Apple “Jawbone”, so our iPhones can stay in our pocket or laptop case.
I would love to have mi SIM Card in my iWatch and connect all my iDevices to it with only one data bill, as long as battery life wouldn’t be an issue…
It would also be great if Apple re-invents some cool bluetooth earphones to work seamlessly and efficiently with the iWatch, so you could make phone calls, hear music, etc… while woking out without needing to reach for an iPhone/ipod
Come on MDN, let us vote on your takes. You’d be the winner. On this one.
I think that apple got wrong idea to create next market. it is pity that there is no Steve anymore to bring innovation again. I already knew that Tim Cook has a limitation on it. iWatch? it will be a big fiasco. I promise. as a matter of fact, Samsung also jumped into it which is silly as well. before all apple, samsung, sony already made smartwatch year ago. but is it successful? NO. most people even don’t know it is existed. apple has been sinking into dark age slowly. the company should replace CEO otherwise people won’t know the company exist.
you’re stupid…
@ mike aware
Take it easy, mike. edward obviously has EXTENSIVE experience running immense transnational corporations and charting their strategic course many years into the future.
The same was said for iPhone and iTune. PALM CEO did not think iPhones could do better than Treos. Foresters Research predicted Apple would not sell more than 1 million iPads in the 1st calendar year. We all know what happened.
What I find hilarious is that we’re talking about no one buying a rumor. The iWatch is vapor ware made up by some pundit desperately seeking some validation for his job. Apple does have patents for a watch like item but what it actually is and does only apple knows. To say that no one will buy it without seeing it is just like what ballmer t. Clown said about the iPhone.
A personal server one third the size of an iPhone might be hidden somewhere on or near the body.
All sorts of devices might be linked to it, some video/watch-like. The antenna device might be integrated with a sound device that radiates via bones (no ear plugs).
The personal server might connect with any monitor in proximity for large screen displays, the screens being so thin as to be the back cover of any menu (which might sit in or on a charging dock when not otherwise being used.
Your personal data goes with you everywhere you go. EMT people might have special keys for limited access to your medically-related data on your server in the event of you become unconscious.
A watch is just a device. Could it be the server?
iWatch…what a turd of an idea. Can’t wait to see how that is all polished up.
When does the iBow-tie come out, anyone?
Bowties are cool.
killin’ me man! Freaking hillarious.
After all the failed predictions that preceded the 2nd Coming of Jobs to Apple, the launches of the ipod, iTunes, iphones, ipads, etc, you would think people would have learnt never to bet against Apple again! Guess you are right that:
It takes a special kind of fool to scale the heights of egotism where delving into critiques of the unknown seems even remotely rational.
iWant