“CES 2015 brought the promise of a new and improved slate of wearables and smart tech. Many also hoped the conference would lend clarity to the conversation around the future of smart watches,” Tayven James writes for Wired. “Instead, the rather paltry offering of new wearables was characterized by some critics as ‘a complete lack of high profile launches.'”
“The Apple Watch, announced in September and expected to launch at the start of spring 2015, may still be the gold standard of wearable technology,” James writes. “Though its price point is noticeably higher than its Android competitors, the Apple Watch is sure to get a serious look from any iPhone user looking to adopt a wearable device in the immediate future.”
James writes, “The Apple Watch looks poised for big success in 2015.”
Four of the best wearables form CES 2015 (that’s not saying much) profiled in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We want our Apple Watches NOW!!!
Nice to be a gold standard before you even have the product in the market. 😀
No MDN
We want it YESTERDAY !!!!!!
😋
The aluminum and stainless steel standards as well. Everyone is waiting for Apple to show them how it’s done.
Did you misread it as, “Gold Apple Watch remains the standard of wearables after disappointing CES 2015”?
No, you missed his humor.
Apple has already shown “how it’s done.” The problem (for the competition) is that no one else can replicate the same type of DEEP interaction between smartphone and smartwatch, because no one else has iPhone or iOS. You can’t do it in the fragmented world of the Android collective. Microsoft and BlackBerry could technically do it, but their respective platforms are now mostly irrelevant.
The result is that competing “wearables” need to be separate products, sold on stand-alone features. There’s a technical limit to how much “smartness” they can cram into a device that is a “watch.” And that limited device is what you get forever.
Apple Watch’s “smartness” comes from its integral connection to iPhone. iPhone is the brains (and brawn); Apple Watch is iPhone’s interface on your wrist. There is practically no limit to how “smart” (useful) an Apple Watch can become, as third-party developers get rolling to take advantage of the Apple Watch “iPhone enhancement.”
How has Apple shown others how it is done? One, it is not even out yet and we only know what sort of things it might do.
Two, of these there is nothing different that has already been done.
Three, there are features on existing smart watches that Apple are not promising on the Apple Watch.
Four, a watch that can work with any watch has advantages over one that can work only with only one.
Lastly, the real move forward in this tech, will be a watch that operates without needing a smartphone, yet has as much of the functionality of a phone as is possible in a small form factor and has independent access to information that the phone also has.
One – Maybe you missed it, but there was a “keynote” where Apple clearly explained “how it’s done” functionally. And after the presentation, Apple let the invited media guests to try the late-prototype Apple Watch. AND, Apple has already released the “WatchKit” SDK to developers, along with a “seed” of the next iOS release (that incorporates iPhone interaction with Apple Watch), to show “how it’s done” technically.
Two – Of course Apple Watch is different. And the differences will only grow over time, as developers take advantage of how Apple Watch enhances the iPhone user experience in their EXISTING apps, as well as create new (and unexpected) apps that use Apple Watch functionality.
Three – Of course there are features on other products that are not in Apple Watch. Apple is VERY smart about what to include and what to discard, to make the customer experience BETTER. Cramming in every possible feature does not make a better product, just a more confusing one.
Four – I assume you mean “work with any PHONE.” The only advantage there is that it can work with any phone (in very limited ways). Otherwise, the level and complexity of interaction that Apple (and its developer community) can achieve with a particular smartphone (iPhone 5 and later) and platform (iOS) that Apple controls completely is FAR better than in the fragmented world of Android. In fact, the only way to replicate it with Android is for one company to design and sell the smartphone and smartwatch as a “matched set.” And that smartwatch ONLY works with that particular smartphone, which negate the “any phone” advantage.
Lastly – You are wrong, at least for the foreseeable future (next ten years or so). What you see as Apple Watch’s limitation is its key advantage. Progress for Apple Watch is to become lighter and sleeker, while maintaining its integral connection with ever more powerful iPhones. Cramming more “smartness” into the watch keeps the product bulky and still very limited, compared to the advancing integrated system of iPhone and Apple Watch (and other connected future “wearables”). iPhone is the HUB of wearable computing, while the competition tries to create separate “not so smart” products that interact in limited ways.
What ken1w said.
Colon: “Lastly, the real move forward in this tech, will be a watch that operates without needing a smartphone, yet has as much of the functionality of a phone as is possible in a small form factor and has independent access to information that the phone also has.”
You just described the forthcoming Watch! Something that no other has been able to do or at least plan to do as evidenced at the CES 2015.
And what the hell does, “…a watch that can work with any watch has advantages over one that can work only with only one,” mean?
Tough to wait, but I have no intention of getting AW Version 1. Had many of us not waited for the iPad 2, we would have had a device that has long ago been left behind. Many know what I’m talking about. There are some real basics missing from the announced Apple Watch which I have little doubt will be introduced in AW2. I’m awaitin’.
Same was true of the Version 1 2007 iPhone and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Phone are much more capable now but why miss all the fun along the way? It’s like saying “I’ll wait for the construction of the second or third version of The Nina, Santa Maria & Pinta before sailing to the New World thank you.”
I think the thing is, do I want to update on one year intervals? I don’t. So I either enjoy the first two, three, or more years with a Version 1…or I enjoy that time with a Version 2. If one gets Version 1, it’s a long time to wait to get a new one…unless you’re independently wealthy. I’d rather wait that time with Version 2. I’m anticipating improving battery life, camera, and more. From my perspective, I’ll take Version 2.
At the moment, I’m also languishing with a non-iPhone 6. I’m fully able to get one but the currently rumored 6s is one I won’t want to envy, but to have. So I’m “suffering” with an earlier model until the 6s is out.
These are just choices. Delayed gratification choices. But once I’ve got them, I’ll be very happy I waited. But relax. I don’t think AAPL stock will suffer because I delay these purchase an extra 12 months or so.
I think you should wait for version 10, it’s sure to be better than version 9. 😉
It really depends on whether version 1 has the features you want. For me the first version has biometric readings for exercise and Apple Pay which is sufficient for me to plonk down $350 for the Sports version.
Now with the iPhone I actually waited for the 3GS before I dove in. The primary reason was that I wanted the bulk of my music on the phone, ability to use a navigation app etc. That only became reasonable with the 3GS.
I’m sure that the Apple Watch will become better with different versions but the first version will provide for my immediate needs.
Since 2007 when iPhone sucked all the oxygen out, when is a CES not disappointing?
Ever notice how all these replies to articles are just arguments back and forth from the Apple worshippers who think Apple can do nothing wrong, EVER, to people that live in the real world and comment on whats wrong with Apple products and what needs to be done to improve on where Apple has failed in for example, major sortware glitches that Apple refuses to fix and just leaves broken. Just saying! Being a faithful Apple product user since iphone 4S from phones, iPads, apps, and an AirPort Extreme, while refusing to buy a Mack book (guess I’m not a loyal Apple product user now!), it’s gotten to the point with Apples lack of supporting their own products and making them “just work” as they advertise, that I’m now kinda waiting for the day fanboys finally open their moronic eyes and stop pretending Apple can do no wrong and EVERYTHING Apple does is so awesome and the market saturation for people with open eyes is the same as market saturation for Apple products that just don’t work as advertised that Apple has to finally do something and make their products “just work” as they advertise. Keep ruining it for us all blind, idiotic fan boys. Duuuuh! From an open eyed multiple Apple product buyer/user for years. Duh, Apple, Dah Hell Yeah, Duh!
http://www.midol.com
Your ginormous paragraph unbroken by line breaks aside, your point is that you think that Apple fans don’t think Apple can do anything wrong. Not so.
However you miss the fact that Android fans think that Apple is just a “shiny logo” and somehow Android is a source of innovation and fresh new ideas, which Apple lags behind. Also not so.
Android fans are often obnoxious and worse than Apple fans, and are a large reason why Apple dismisses a lot of the criticism. Not because Apple is perfect but because we are tired of the constant Apple-bashing from Apple-haters.
You can buy a Mack truck but you can’t buy a Mack book unless it is a manual for your Mack truck.
Thank heaven for those who buy version 1’s. Otherwise there wouldn’t be version 2.
I for one, never hesitate to take the opportunity to be line line for the first of virtually everything (hardware and software) that Apple has introduced since 1984. Sure there were instances that were imperfect, but I understood and learned enough to work around them. More important, I got ahead start that made a good future for me. As well, my family and employees who couldn’t wait for the next hand-me-down, which in the scheme of things amortized the initial venture to virtually peanuts.
Last year my son cut his daily Tim Horton’s coffee down to the point that he will pay cash for HIS own Watch rather than wait for me to pass mine on when the second iteration comes along. Hmm, maybe now I should wait.
Have two kids planning on the watch as well. One of them requested Apple gift card for Christmas to help toward his watch purchase. Thinking of getting one myself.