“Yesterday’s event provided a few key details about the Apple Watch. We learned how much it will cost, and when we’ll be able to buy it. But there’s still a very big hole in the center of the Apple Watch picture,” Kyle Vanhemert writes for Wired. “Tim Cook and associates showed off a grab bag of features, but they once again failed to give any overarching sense of why this thing exists. What is the Apple Watch? How will we use it? Where does it fit in our lives? In what ways does it replace our phones? In what ways does it complement them?”
“What is the Apple Watch’s reason for being?” Vanhemert wonders. “What are the things it’s better at than a smartphone?”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Watch better at timekeeping because it’s much faster to glance at your wrist than to fish out your iPhone. It’s better at notifications because it taps your wrist, you can glance, and it’s done, whereas notifications tend to pile up on iPhones.
It’s better at fitness because it’s on your wrist, it’s smaller and lighter, and it’s tracking your heartbeat, among other things, live, while you run, without stopping. It’s better at Siri because lifting your wrist and saying “Hey, Siri” is natural vs. fishing out your iPhone to invoke Siri. It’s better because it’s faster to quickly respond to quick questions with the intelligent answers Apple Watch suggests via a tap on the wrist than it is to hear a sound or feel a vibration (or miss both) and, again, fish out the iPhone and dictate or type out a response. It’s better because you can get the score of the game right there. It’s better because you can use Apple Pay with a simple wave of the hand. Like magic. We could go on and on.
Suffice to say, Apple Watch is better at many things than your iPhone because it’s faster. It’s always at hand (literally). Apple Watch is a both timekeeper and a timesaver. Apple Watch offers users bunches of seconds saved throughout the day that add up to real, significant time savings by the time you recharge it at night. That’s Apple Watch’s raison d’être.
Maybe Apple should have called it iPhoneX… as it really is a multifunctional eXtension of an iPhone. With that said, is it even usable as a watch stand alone without an iPhone??
Yes. It works as a time piece wo an iPhone. Nice take MDN.
I think this question makes no sense. It seems to me that the Apple Watch exists because Jony Ive and Tim Cook decided that they wanted to make a watch. Why does any fashionable piece of jewelry exist? To adorn the wearer? In this case, to keep time? But because it’s Apple, the device integrates with the iPhone and furthers Apple’s goals of making products that delight consumers. You may well find that you don’t want an Apple Watch, but that shouldnt call into question the reasons it was created. I and a whole bunch of other like-minded individuals see the need for such a device. Tired of unimaginative people trying to sell clicks on their site by questioning the validity of Apple products. Bunch of nonsense.
It exists because watches will eventually replace phones, and Apple needs to get out there before the app ecosystem coalesces around the Android platform.
Absolutely so. Fact is people will realise why it exists when sometime in the future you get instant access to transport be it trains, buses cars and bikes, plus when they are due and be reminded and how and where to find them or allows you to enter any private or restricted entry area for which you need to give evidence you have the right to do so, or you can hold a wide range of memorised preferences from take away orders to places you may need to visit for whatever reason. The potential is endless as services and technology develops. And I also remember when upon launch how many deemed the iPad was superfluous to any real or useful needs.
With all its wonder, magic, and claims of changing the world why is AAPL losing value? I suspect that Wall Street, that has never expressed any confidence in the company’s unproven leader, is unconvinced. I hope they are wrong but early indications seem to confirm that Tim continues to fail their test.
Silly it goes down when all other much bigger Pistons are firing just fine. Even if it was a flop which it won’t the company is still doing better than ever.
ENTIRE Market is down today almost 1.5% on news/economic conditions totally unrelated to AAPL or Apple Watch.
“early indications seem to confirm that Tim continues to fail their test”
What utter nonsense. And who cares what Wall Street analysts think? They have demonstrated, repeatedly, that they are a bunch of hypocritical, manipulative fools. Apple is BY FAR the most valuable company on the planet… and has increased its value enormously under Tim Cook.
Please just stop your over and over and over posting of variations on this empty theme.
These people make me want to puke. What exactly is the measure of a good company if Apple isn’t it? Apple has to be at least a good company by any normal standards. Sure, they keep talking about Apple being the iPhone company, but before that it was known as the iPod company. Where would Boeing be without the 747 or Google without a search engine or Microsoft without Windows? How many companies have divisions where all their businesses contribute evenly to their revenue. There’s no point in me hoping Apple is going to come out with some product that’s equal to the iPhone in revenue making. But these fools who say that AppleWatch making only $10 billion plus more a year is nothing are being ridiculous. When did $10 billion lose its value.
These idiots say that Tim Cook failed their test but who are they to set standards for the CEO of Apple when Google has two CEOs and they not doing half the job Tim Cook is. These pundits really need to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror before they start judging others failures and successes. They say they’re not happy with Apple being a one product company, but when Apple tries something else and it doesn’t suit them, they’re whining about Apple not doing a good enough job. If it were that easy for companies to make money, I guess Apple wouldn’t be up there alone on the mountain top.
Zzzzzzz
ENTIRE Market is down today almost 1.5% on news/economic conditions totally unrelated to AAPL or Apple Watch. ESAD, Jay.
Jay, you are back, and you said you wouldn’t be. Ah lurking trying to desperately toss in some whining. Let’s shed some light on this.
“With all its wonder, magic, and claims of changing the world why is AAPL losing value?”
The last time I recollect you whining here was around Oct 3 2014. The stock value back then was $99.62. Today it’s $125.19. That’s a gain of value Jay, try to use facts to back up your whining, makes for better entertainment. Please don’t try to go on how it’s dropped on a particular day, every stock moves up and down over that short time period. Over the long haul, Apple stock is gaining value. It’s a fact live with it.
“I suspect that Wall Street, that has never expressed any confidence in the company’s unproven leader, is unconvinced.”
As happy as I am seeing you come out of your rock Mr. Morrison you should know that Apple is now part of the Dow Jones. The managing director and chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices said: “As the largest corporation in the world and a leader in technology, Apple is the clear choice for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the most recognized stock market measure,” I think that’s a pretty good indication of the confidence that Wall Street has of Apple, not that Wall Street’s confidence really matter to Apple, it’s the Apple users and supporters that are the ones that are important.
“I hope they are wrong but early indications seem to confirm that Tim continues to fail their test.”
Actually Jay the one that is wrong here, the one that has been consistently wrong, for years here is you. Nonetheless I am glad that you are here to see that Tim Cook is being a fantastic leader and releasing his first product, the watch, which will sell very well. I highly doubt you will recognize it, but hey, that’s the beauty of free will.
Enjoy.
re
“Jay, you are back, and you said you wouldn’t be.”
Yes, Jay. Please keep your solemn promise. No-one wants to read your regurgitated, nothing-to-do-with-reality nonsense.
For the record of course, from Sept 21 2014:
“You will be pleased to know that I’m about done with saying what I say on this board – it’s clearly been therapy for me and I’m very close to not needing it any more – I’ve reached the realm of apathy.”
Jay Morrison
Sorry how much has Apple increased in value in recent times, most Companies would love a leader with a fraction of Tims success at the helm. Some however will always deny realities and go off on their own deluded tangent because they can’t accept defeat. If nothing else they are amusing.
I’m most excited about the silent form of communication it contains. I can send taps to my wife and she can send taps to me… Depending on what the taps mean, we could have our our hidden secret conversations.
“I’m tired, can we leave now” when at a party…
“Did you want another drink, I’m heading to the bar”..
“This a-hole I’m talking too is driving me crazy, come rescue me PLEASE”…
Its easy to do it without taking your phone out & there’s no noise to distract others to what you’re discussing in private.
Truly the best feature of the Apple watch in my opinion!
My wife is the early-adopter in the family. I was all set to wait for Watch v2, until I read your post. Now I’m considering a pre-order.
Hadn’t thought of that. You may have broken the code (so to speak) on the real reason for the Apple Watch Edition. Item 3 on your list seems especially relevant.
You just hit the nail square on the head. It’s not about the watch. It’s about the things that can happen because you are wearing it.
AppleWatch is the latest salvo in the effort to make the Apple ecosystem totally ubiquitous. HomeKit, CarPlay, iPhone, iPad, AppleWatch, AppleTV, Mac, all working together seamlessly, and we’ll be communicating, getting things done, finding our way, etc. and we’ll wonder in a few years time how we ever got along without all of this.
The Apple watch makes the iPhone a better iPhone. The Apple iPhone makes the Apple watch a better watch. There is a synergistic relationship between the two. The sum of the two together is greater than either individually, ie, 1+1>2 ! 😀
I wonder if we’ll be seeing iPhone/Watch bundles soon.
From where was this narrative concocted that it’s difficult to pull out your iPhone and interact with it? This is news to me. I didn’t realize how much our smartphones had become a terrible burden on us.
R2 – Amen!
Why does the Apple Watch exist?
Because there are suckers born every minute.
And as an AAPL shareholder – thank goodness for that.
I wear a watch to work and have for years. All it does is tell time….oh and the day of the month, except it’s too stupid to know what month you are in, so you have to manually fix it.
I guess I am a sucker for wearing a watch that only tells time.
It’s clear that a lot of people have a lot of excitement about all the things the watch can do. And all those little bits of convenience can add up to a lot of convenience over the course of a busy day. Not for you or me — but for many others, it’s a big plus.
I agree. It’s quite natural to fish out my phone; it’s a pretty fluid movement and it’s not at all difficult. I think finding my phone is much easier than waking up in the morning and is on par with chewing food. What next, O great gods of tech? I need a device to help me chew my food!
They’re called ‘dentures.’ 😀
And ‘smoothies’.
4 seconds to take your phone out of you pocket and wake it up. 2 seconds to read a text. 3 seconds to lock it and put it away. That’s 9 seconds to do what a watch does in 2 seconds. 4.5 times faster for every instance in your day. Plus, pulling a phone from your pocket has a slight chance of an expensive drop. As someone who gets alerts 100 times a day I call that a breakthrough.
I’m holding off until future generations have some kind of “always on” LCD (or other very low power) display which can be used for no-hands (and no-Siri) time checks. That has to be rule #1 for a watch. Which is why the first LED digital watches in the 70s quickly disappeared.
Doesn’t the face light up when you raise your arm to get the time?
Does it? I haven’t heard that…Great if it’s so…
24january1984 is correct..
I really wish it was waterproof, that’s a showstopper for me. I’ve never owned or wanted a watch I can’t shower or swim with.
I do really want one though….wonder if I could just silicon it to make waterproof lol
Apple does say it’s safe for shower and rain use, but not for swimming…
Actually I stand corrected. It appears you can submerge it up to 1 meter in water for 30min. Good to know!
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/15/03/09/apple-watchs-ipx7-water-resistance-good-for-washing-hands-but-not-for-swimming
Driving with an Apple Watch will be a lot safer and more convenient. As will comuting on a train or bus.
Per MDNs take, then why do we need a phone? Oh thats right, the watch is no good without it. FAIL.
For those people who are satisfied with the iPhone without Watch, good for you. These people save some money.
For those Watch buyers, you look forward to smoother communnications.
By around July, many of the first paragraph will be eating their words and want the Watch.
following the writers logic…
why do you need a TV remote?
You can do everything to a TV manually, the TV is more powerful than the remote, the remote needs the TV to work…
BUT
when the TV remote gets lost (like under the couch) the family freaks out…
article writer ask yourself why?
lol.
—–
for the haters who still don’t get it, the power of the Watch is basically CONVENIENCE .
and if they still don’t get it ask why do people drive cars? You can get anywhere a car can by walking… it only takes longer.
I hope, for the sake of the future of mankind, that wearable technology never catches on. I’ll be stunned if this doesn’t wind up with the same cachet as bluetooth headsets.
Outstanding MDN Take 😘💥😱🍎🚀😜
Why were these questions not asked of the Samsung Gear? The naysaying pundits simply cannot grasp an interconnected and multifaceted device. They failed to grape the iPhone back in 2007, and time and experience has clearly not improved their ability to understand a device without defined boundaries.
The Apple Watch is not for everyone, at least not yet. Certainly you need a newer model iPhone before the Apple Watch makes any sense at all. But, once you get past that hurdle and the initial cost of the purchase, I believe that people will find uses for the Apple Watch that go far beyond Apple’s vision.
The Apple Watch will do fine. Apple will do fine. AAPL will do fine. And so will those of us who do not waste our time incessantly attempting to pop other peoples’ bubbles.
Perhaps, but IS IT WORTH $600-PLUS to get a model that won’t be embarrassing to be seen wearing?
We’ll leave embarrassing-to-wear watches to the Android crowd. 😀
people forget that it’s not a watch, it’s a miniature computer which just happens to have timekeeping capability. i will not be getting the first gen watch, since i have no problem reaching for my iPhone 6 plus.