“Apple will launch its long-awaited iWatch on September 9, Re/code reported on Wednesday,” Dan Diamond writes for Forbes. “And a real, actual iWatch can’t come soon enough: The iWatch hype cycle is out-of-control.”
“Sure — if the iWatch follows previous Apple rollouts, it will be phenomenally successful for the company. It’ll establish a new product line for consumers. And there’s good reason to be excited about the iWatch’s broad promise as a device and specific potential to affect health care,” Diamond writes. “But let’s let some air out of the iWatch bubble. Many tech firms have pledged to change health care, only to end up defeated by the industry’s intricacies. And with less than two weeks to go, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Apple’s newest product. ‘The Apple ‘iWatch’ has been built up to mythical proportions,’ Lauren Goode writes for Re/code. ‘We don’t know if it exists in the form factors some have envisioned. We’re not even certain it will be called ‘iWatch.””
“Don’t get me wrong: I’ll watch the iWatch debut with great interest … but with lowered expectations,” Diamond writes. “In recent years, several prominent Silicon Valley firms have stormed into health care with grand plans, only to slink away when their ambitions failed.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we just wrote:
Soon, as with iPhone, we will look back and see two very distinct eras: pre-iWatch and post-iWatch.
Related articles:
With iWatch looming, Apple boosts HealthKit’s capabilities – August 28, 2014
Apple’s iWatch will be a game changer – August 28, 2014
Report of Apple’s imminent iWatch triggers chaos at copycat Samsung – August 28, 2014
Apple to unveil wearable device at September 9th special event – August 27, 2014
Caution, paradigm smashing ahead: Apple may be primed to give ‘smartwatches’ the iPhone treatment – August 14, 2014
Woz on Samsung Galaxy Gear stupidwatch: I threw out the worthless thing after half a day – July 2, 2014
Clueless companies race to debut stupidwatches before Apple defines the smartwatch – January 3, 2014
Jim Cramer: ‘The curtain has closed’ on Samsung’s stupidwatch – October 3, 2013
The Verge reviews Samsung’s Galaxy Gear stupidwatch: Orwellian, unintuitive, oversized, and overpriced – October 2, 2013
Jean-Louis Gassée: I hope Tim Cook had fun goading Samsung to make their Galaxy stupidwatch – September 9, 2013
Stupidwatch: Why Samsung’s Galaxy Gear is a flop – September 5, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Gear watch looks rushed, misses the mark – September 4, 2013
The Galaxy Gear stupidwatch: Without Apple to copy, Samsung is clueless – September 4, 2013
Samsung announces ‘Galaxy Gear’ watch accessory for Galaxy Android devices – September 4, 2013
Its unannounced, no mention of it by Apple. The only hype being done is by people like you Danny, reporting on a product you know nothing about
Actually, I think he is speculating about the product. Reporting implies some connection to verifiable facts.
Lots of people report things that never have had, and never will have, any verifiable facts.
Doesn’t stop them reporting them though; it’s called ‘attention-getting’.
I truly hope that Apple makes no mention of it at all, or announces a ‘Fitbit’-type monitor, rather than a watch.
That would be righteous indeed.
Honest journalists don’t invent their own facts.
Me thinks Mr. Diamond sounds more like Mr. Cubic zirconia
I am trying hard to imagine why I would want to go back to wearing a watch. Unless it projects a holographic UI and replaces my iPhone this will be the first Apple hardware I have zero interest in.
If it even exists – which is very doubtful.
Try to imagine yourself with diabetes, heart disease, etc. The world is not all about YOU!
I think the entire smart watch category is overhyped. I still say there’s just no pent up demand for them. They aren’t a product we don’t know we need. Before the iPhone came out, I can’t tell you how many times random people would say, “I wish Apple would make a phone.” I never hear that about smart watches. I never hear them spoken about except in forums like this.
The public will take some convincing. I hear people on the street salivating for the iPhone 6. I get continuous questions there. I’m constantly assisting with new Macs. People are asking when the new iPads are coming, but the idea of a smart watch hasn’t captured anyone’s imagination.
Geeks like them.
General consumers though, they’re going to say “So my phone, right here in my pocket is already giving me notifications and whatnot, and you want me to offload those functions, from a device in my pocket, to a device on my wrist? Meh. I got all the notifications I need right here on my phone.”
Some people will be thrilled. Serious health enthusiasts, busy people who are CONSTANTLY and I mean CONSTANTLY checking their phones as they work, but overall, not the broad reaching market of smartphones. Yeah, health is the largest sector I bet.
Some of us will buy them out of curiosity.
If someone thinks of a killer app, that could change everything.
Killer app. Or life saving. Yeah, I know, that puts it back in the “serious health enthusiasts” category. Maybe. Diabetes is a HUGE industry, though, so that alone could be just that life saving (killer) app. It is the reason for approximately 99% of my excitement for the thing. We’ll see how that number moves when it is actually announced. 🙂
Yeah, diabetes will be big.
I’m a bit concerned about too much health data finding its way into government hands and in particular insurance hands. “Your insurance was raised because we noticed that your heart rate increases in the evening often, not because you’re exercising but because you’re eating Chinese food full of MSG. We got that from your credit card records.”
If my heart rate goes up regularly and my exercise bike is in use (IOT) I want an insurance discount!
There was no pent up demand for airplanes before the Wright Brothers invented them.
You’re right. And even computers in general. Most people thought, why would I want a computer? To hold my recipes? The killer app that started selling computers was the spreadsheet. Visacalc. Someone will nail it for smart watches.
I bet as we truly begin to ID and purchase by device instead of money or credit card, the convenience of not having to reach into a pocket or purse might become appealing. Then again, a watch is easy to lose or steal. But, if you could just press a finger on the screen for ID that’d be cool.
Thelonious, you have captured my feelings exactly. We already have mobile computers wherever we go, so for a watch computer to become mainstream it needs to add something most people want but that a phone does not do well.
What is that? I have been unable to come up with much.
A watch could make a great digital wallet, but phones will too so no need for two devices. Healthcare applications will matter to some people, but not to the majority.
The only feature I am hoping for (until Apple gives me more reasons) is as a gesture/touch controller for souped up Apple TV applications and games. It would be nice to have fine control over applications on a large TV screen from a distance and a watch could provide very natural motion and touch control without having to hold a phone.
In any case, this is a fun moment! Apple may announce something in two weeks and nobody knows what it will look like or how it will be used!
There was also no pent up demand for an iPhone before it existed. Or an iPad.
My, my, but how things changed once Apple showed the world what it didn’t even know it lusted to have!!
All the speculation is ridiculous and only serves to disappoint. I would not be surprised in the least if there was no iWatch come Sept 9. Although, I will not be disappointed if there’s no iWatch. I do not need any additional things to keep charged, updated and listen to beep and vibrate. Isn’t a phone enough? Jeez!
What is wrong with and old-school style “dumb watch”? Samsung already blew it, so they tainted smart watches for me anyway. I am fine with my Sonic the Hedgehog watch from 1994 thank you very much!
If you love watches, and I do, and you can afford the nice stuff, and I can’t, you’re not going to give up an Omega Speedmaster for an iWatch. Old fashioned watch lovers will still love old fashioned watches. Mickey, Mini, and Sonic included.
What about Motorcyclists?
In a way, I hope there is no iWatch announcement next week. I would enjoy all the blubbering and hissy fits that the media would go into for weeks to follow.
I’m sure Tim Cook promised some new product category by the end of this year, so the most thing that could be would be a wearable device of some type. It may not be introduced next week, but something new should be introduced by the end of the year or Tim Cook would be called a liar. I don’t care whether it comes this year or next because things don’t always turn out as planned. As far as I’m concerned Tim Cook is doing a fine job so I’m not going to sweat it in terms of new products at a certain time.
I think it’s terrible the way the news media has taken liberty to constantly build stories out of nothing surrounding a product that Apple has never announced or acknowledged. That certainly has to be over-hype. It’s just stupid. They might as well be talking about an imminent time machine.
I love the hypocrisy when the media reports that something has been ‘built up to mythic proportions’ without one hint of irony considering it’s they who’ve done the building up.
I have a Pebble smartwatch and now hate going without it. I hadn’t worn a watch for years but love having the Pebble. I was getting so sick of pulling my phone out of my pocket (especially while driving) just to see who is calling or who texted me. I never miss a call because I don’t feel my phone vibrate…I always feel the watch vibrate. I also love it displaying my running information from an app on my iPhone. I love it but I see soooo much room for Apple to improve on it, including color.
No offense, but you bought from a company that pre-copied from Apple. That Pebble watch has a similar design language to the one Apple uses. So they took the design language Apple used and applied it to their iWatch knockoff. Either get a classic watch, or get an iWatch.(if you are into that kinda thing)
“Wish we could say more…” What about a watch that offers truly hands-free experience? There are tons of situations where pulling out a phone isn’t convenient: at home, in the car, exercising. Voice replies to text messages and email, lights and doors that automatically respond when you approach, and of course iPads, iPhones, and Macs that know you are there and what message you were just reading. If Apple does this right, it will be magical. It will make the iphone better, which is why they are releasing the two at the same time.
Biggest mystery to me is having zero leaks of any new device !
If apple is capable if total secrecy then why all the other leaks?
If not .. Then how come zero leaks about this new device.. Iwatch or whatever?
…”how come zero leaks”…
Built in the US at the Arizona manufacturing plant, and not part of the China supply chain, perhaps?
One thing I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned is the possibly overwhelming motivation on people at apple to help maintain health in people they care about. If Steve Jobs had been monitored by an advanced iWatch medical sensor suite, would his health problems have been discovered sooner? Would he possibly still be alive today if so?
My hesitation on believing the iWatch is real is that we have not seen any leaked parts. That leads to two options 1) it is not real or 2) it is not in production.
If #2 then it will not be in stores until near xmas. The downside of this scenario is that the copiers will have two months to adjust their products to match and they will all hit the market at the same time.
Imagine a wrist device relaying a hand held device your vital sign when you are burried under piles of rubble. That’s just one.
Imagine a wrist device that never runs out of juice, that can relay short messages when you are in wilderness.
Imagine a wrist device giving you tactile ping when you are crossing an intersection with a blind spot with other vehicle approaching your way…..
Imagine a wrist device waking you up in the airport without an audio alarm when your flight is ready to board.
Imagine a wrist device helping a blind man cross the street and walk without the help of a stick.
imagine a wrist device helping a blind man/woman cross the street, helping him walk without a walking stick.
Imagine a wrist device that can direct you to he coldest beer in town.
Oh, I can do that with my iPhone and my iPad.
Imagine a wrist device that looks stylish, tells time, has multiple sensors embedded, including but not limited to Bluetooth, M8 coprocessor, does face time, functions as an iPod, wifi calling, BT earbuds, fitbit, Nike functions, sleep management, wireless charging, voice recorder, TV remote, Hey Siri…driven. Comes in multiple colors and band options accessories. Put it out there in the sub $400 to $600 range based on options and functions and I think ENOUGH people will be interested to help Apple make BOOKOO $$$ for the next several years….Much like iPod has done for the past 13 years!!