“Apple’s got a shot at blowing us away with its take on the smartwatch,” Roger Cheng reports for CNET.
“At this point, it’s really not a matter of if Apple releases its long rumored iWatch, but when. The latest rumor now calls for Apple’s eventual device to incorporate a plastic OLED screen that can bend, as well as for models to arrive in three different sizes: 1.3-inch, 1.4-inch, and 1.5-inch,” Cheng reports. “A prototype of the 1.5-inch version has already been made, according to Korean publication Chosun, citing unnamed industry sources.”
Cheng reports, “Given the tepid reception for Samsung’s Galaxy Gear and the modest adoption of other smartwatch projects such as Pebble Watch, the door is wide open for Apple to revolutionize this area. These companies demonstrate that there is indeed interest in this kind of “wearable” technology. If Apple employs its usual polish and finish on a smartwatch, that timepiece could be its next hit product… Given the muted reaction to the existing world of smartwatches, the road is paved for the iWatch. Apple just needs to wow us one more time.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: All systems go, Cupertino!
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I like wearing a watch. I sure whatever Apple debuts will be stylish and useful. Can’t wait to see what they have in store. If it’s as good as I think k it will be, I’ll be in line day one.
iWant
Biggest thing for me would be charging if it only lasts a day or so before charging that would be a drag… Would be great if it could have a small gyro built in that powered the watch so no need to charge whooo bring back the seventies, those watches were all the rage then !
I just hope Apple has patented the heck out of it enough that Scamstung can’t just copy it the moment it comes out, the slimy slavish bastards.
Meh. I’m sure there are those who absolutely HAVE to be up to date with their emails, phone-calls, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, WhatEver, but honestly, unless you’re a business type needing to be up-to-date with your communications, nobody needs something like this; it’s just another irritating toy to bleep at you at all hours of the day. Pointless, quite frankly, it’s the media that seems to be driving the demand, consumers really don’t appear to give a shit.
You probably said the same thing about the iPod.
I think you need to think laterally with it being a device that gives you see less access to all sorts of things that at the moment we have to fiddle in pockets for
Agree on the media type… Hey they need to write articles …. Bloomberg West show needs to fill up the airwaves. But if history proves me right, Apple will WOW us. Hopefully Steve had talked with Mr. Ive on this sometime back …..
I’m a consumer. And I can’t wait.
I haven’t worn a watch for YEARS, but I’ll get one of these. Being able to glance while out biking or boarding, driving to a meeting and more. Being able to do some basics without fishing out the phone. I think all those little bits of ease and time saved will be well worth the price.
Uhhh–why don’t you buy a watch?
Uhhh-because a watch only tells time and date?
You need to change the “Uhhh” to a big “Duhhh” as befitting the intelligence of the comment and knowing the differences between a regular watch and a smart watch.
Certainly seems that it will be an integrated band rather than a souped up traditional watch like the Samsung pile of shite. Needs to be a Serious advance on existing designs or at least Tesla type application of sophisticated accumulation of existing tech to be a wow any time soon mind.
Yeah, I’m not sure how besides while you’re jogging or biking that you would need this in addition to an iPhone 5S which already has a new chip for movement.
Cook needs to start more rumors in any event. I can’t wait to see their iHeadband, iBelt, iShoe when they come out early next year…
I have a Kickstarter Pebble and I like it but will get an iWatch which I suspect will be better .The problem with the Pebble is the limited production and marketing .I hope these young guys survive .
For me the most useful function is caller ID on the watch so I can keep my phone silent and see who is calling and decide whether I will answer or let it go to voicemail
I can see a use for this watch, mainly for business but consumer as well. Seeing notifications would be cool and useful instead of pulling out the phone. For exercise would be good too to be able to visually see the songs and change them. It can be done now but many just buy a nano for jogging, now they can sport a watch that has more use and keep all the gigs of music on their current iPhone while they run
As a health maintenance device, this could be the “next big thing.” Given the direction institutionalized healthcare is going, we’ll need all the help we can get to manage our own fitness and general health.
The key will be sensor technology. Wrist-borne chemical assay of secretions to look for cancer markers and disease signatures.
Bingo.
Any legitimate technology that will help keep people out of the”health care” system will be huge.
i would like my new iWatch to resemble a gorgeous bracelet. one day ruby. second day emerald. third day blue sapphire. fourth day pearl. and an inscription on the back that says, ‘i like our plan. i like it a lot’ teeheehee
Don’t see any need for this. Still think it’s a red herring. And if it ain’t it needs to be under 30 bucks.
30 bucks??? Apple is not going to make a Swatch.
Get real, Apple is NOT building an iWatch. This is one rumor that just will not die. Mr. Cook said it was interesting, that’s all – you’re all reading far too much into this. The GEAR is the ONLY iWatch Apple will ever produce, and by their lame proxy at that.
I could be wrong, but if I was a betting man, I wouldn’t put any money on this horse.
dmz
Whatever people think the iWatch will be, it will probably be something else. Impressive, but something else.
The media already launched it. Samsung took the bait and built it. Apple sits back and laughs. What next from the all knowing pundits out there?
Those three display sizes are too close. Apple may be experimenting with those sizes to decide which one is best suited, but I doubt the final product will be available in three display sizes that only vary by a tenth of an inch.
I’m expecting something that resembles Nike’s existing FuelBand in appearance
http://www.nike.com/cdp/fuelband/us/en_us/
Apple already worked closely with Nike on recent announcements related to the M7 chip. “iWatch” will be the primary result of this collaboration.
Well, women’s watchs are usually smaller then what men wear. It makes sense that there may be several size form factors for it. Apple is damn good at keeping its developements under wrap. Can’t wait to see what they’re showing off later this month. Oh boy!
How do you charge the thing? Stick your fingers in a wall outlet?
If it’s a semi-flexible “band” type of device that comes apart (or has a break) at one spot, put a Lightning connector there.
It won’t be a watch. I predict it’ll be a bracelet much like the Nike product — something you could wear with a watch if you so chose.
After using the Pebble for a month, I know the iWatch is gonna explode when Apple takes it on. The Pebble is fantastic for me for a few reasons — 1) I can glance at a text message without having to fish out my iPhone, 2) I know who’s calling instantly and can ignore the call with a click, again without looking at my phone, 3) when I’m jogging or hiking, I can easily click to the next song on my watch without having to fumble for the phone on my arm band or double-clicking on headset wire (also much easier to replay a song), 4) I love the silent vibrating alarm – it’s the best way to wake up, and 5) I can use the FIND MY PHONE feature on my watch to make my iPhone ring if I can’t find it.
The only bummer is that the Pebble is squarish and a bit clunky looking — with Apple’s design finesse it will be an invaluable addition and will actually make us less dependent on our iPhones. Anything to prevent me living in a world of zombies staring at their phones as they walk around — that’s getting so creepy.
I’m sorry, have the good and intelligent people that frequent this site not noticed how most of the consuming public couldn’t give two craps about smart watches.
And speaking of crap: I’m positive a smart enema would generate more market wabble than any smart watch is ever going to generate.
Why don’t you head over to ZDNet where all the Droid and Microsoft Sycophants hang out? You’ll even find a bunch of other assholes who’ll agree with you. Fucking douchebag.
@Mr. Peabody
From the level of your language, it’s obvious you have applied a great deal of research and deep intellectual analysis before arriving at your conclusions.
We’ll see.
I’m just fed up with trolls who don’t have a clue. We should all be able to deduce from Apple’s history, whatever they debut, will both be stylish, useful, and easy to use. The guy basicly said only stupid people will buy an Apple iWatch and there won’t be much interest in it. By which metrics is this guy basing his assessment on? He obviously has a bias against Apple and sounds like he’d like them to fail. Did the iPod fail? How about the iPhone, iPad and the MacBook Air. Apple has a history of taking something somebody tried and didn’t do so well in, give it their design, usability, and innovation, and make it a winning product. Then you get these guys who pretend they know what they’re talking about, and spew nonsense with no logical arguments. I was telling him in a not very nice way, to go troll elseware.
A watch with a day of battery life.. I dont think Apple should try anything like that, unless they have some some kind of solar battery which will give endless battery life.
Samsung clearly did not think it through in their desire to beat Apple to the market so they can claim that they did not copy apple.