“Tim Cook in April said Apple is ‘closer than it’s ever been’ to introducing a new product category, but there’s no telling what that actually is or when it’s coming,” Michael Comeau writes for MarketWatch. “Heck, it could be the television set that many people (including me) expected two years ago.”
“But let’s assume for the sake of argument that the iWatch actually exists and is destined for release soon. After all, Apple did just hire Patrick Pruniaux, vice president of global sales & retail of LVMH’s Tag Heuer watch unit,” Comeau writes. “Can Apple improve on existing smartwatches? It’s a tricky situation.”
“If Apple is indeed launching a smartphone this year, or any new product category for that matter, then it will have been in the works for years — possibly back to the Steve Jobs days,” Comeau writes. “The sales potential of a big-screen iPhone 6 is huge, but I’d consider the iWatch a wait-and-see situation. If it exists, of course.”
Read more in the full article here.
I watch is a no-brainer as a band with sensors. With Continuity it will be able to do all the iPhone stuff without iPhone innards (answer phone on watch, like osx let’s you answer phone, neither with innate cell chips or concomitant power draw). It will work as an identifier too for things like osx login and payments. The question people need to answer isn’t Why? But Why not? The biosensor revolution is coming and personalization is clearly the next wave (even an extension of the current wave) in computing. Both mean that anyone interested in the future of consumer electronics needs to have their ante in.
Assuming this is all true… This will only sustain them for about 3 to 6 months. Remember that this game is based on what have you done for me lately. Sony, and several others figured this out a long time ago. Your time on the top of the heap is borrowed time.
Yeh? So? Coca-Cola is no longer the top of the heap, but it is still a huge and successful company.
Yeah, just like the iPhone 5s only bought them 3-6 months. Oh wait, no, here we are almost a year later and it’s still the top smartphone on the planet unrivaled in quality, software intuitiveness and design sophistication by any of the Droid thieves.
Actually, Sony is just now figuring out what has happened to them.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303851804579557404078774822
The iWatch will get many of us to leave Bluetooth on enabling iBeacon to take off. For all these “great” aspects of iBeacon and I’m not pulling out my phone for every text I get let alone notifications. Glancing at my wrist and discovering some “irresistible” opportunity may get even those of us that cling to our privacy to accept some greater intrusion into our lives. It will have to be exceptionally well executed and not too burdensome.
The rest of the rumors about the impending wearable Apple marvel have me budgeting for more Apple expenses. Sure glad I have these ever increasing AAPL dividend checks.
30-60 million units in the first year? I doubt it. It really can’t replace a phone except for maybe a quick trip to the store (assuming it contains a phone). So you still need a phone. The watch becomes a nice-to-have, not a necessity that the phone is.
Way too much discussion about watches on Wall St. Can’t see where it’ll ever be anything but small potatoes because of the tiny screen. When it can produce a 10″ diagonal hologram on top of it, it’ll be a winner
Was that April of 2013??? Timber Cakes is slower than a Tucson highway project.
It is very curios that there are zero leaks of iwatch.. But so many leaks of iPhone …
Wonder how and why?
In production for years, maybe even back to Steve Jobs day but there still running into production issues and making last minute adjustments because of how thin they want the device? Yeah ok… Call me when they finally figured out how to offer me a phone that will last longer than 4 or 5 hours of heavy use… other OEM’s put larger batteries with the added space that larger screen sizes affords… Apple? Nah, will just skim that extra space to make the device super super thin… because we all know that iOS users would rather a thinner phone than a phone that lasts an entire day and then some consistently even with heavy use. This is evidenced by threads upon threads on Apple support forums from customers complaining on how thick the iPhone 5S is, and that they want it to be thinner rather than threads concerning iPhone 5S battery life… meh
If you don’t mind a fat phone with more battery life is that important to you, and you still want an iPhone, get a Mophie.
http://www.mophie.com/shop/iphone-5?gclid=CLPiw7eCzb8CFcI-MgodPTwAjQ
Michael – please realize that if you got just one hundred people, there is no configuration of the iPhone that will please them all.
Then realize we are talking about, what… a hundred million?
And the Mophie sure looks like a good solution to me.
So ey know nothing then but won’t let that little fact stop them writing a Story with no content. Zzzzzzzzzz
“reset expectations” !?
Forget it, nothing will ever satisfy the pundits. Apple will never innovate enough without Steve Jobs. Heck it didn’t innovate enough WITH Steve onboard. Having reasonable expectations of Apple does not serve market manipulation strategies so don’t expect it to happen any time soon.