Will you buy the iwatch first generation?

OU812

I'm actually quite excited about it as I use a lot of fitness/health apps anyway so being able to feed into them or health book from one device would be a bonus. However, I was burned on the iPad 1 which had major changes between v1 & v2, so I'm a little wary...

Depending on price, I'll probably pick it up.

donegal.

no

Zcott

Apple's first generation of products are usually pretty good but nowhere near as good as the second generation (think iPhone 1 vs iPhone 3G, iPad vs iPad 2)...but I'll probably get one anyway.

PADRAIC.M

It can only be better than the pebble steel and I LOVE the pebble!

Blazer

absolutely...I use a lot of the fitness apps and I'm can't wait for the one that binds them all

copacetic

Possibly. This will have to be quite a mature product as there are 10 or so good mature fitness companies doing fitness trackers and a couple doing combined watches and fitness trackers as well as samsung , sony etc putting an oar in with first efforts.

Withings for example have pulse O2 and hrm in a tiny tracker, as well as mature weight and blood pressure tracking products that work with an app ecosystem. garmin have a new gps watch/activity tracker, again with app etc.

Apple have had a number of years to copy features from all these apps and devices and try to combine them into one unit. So I'd expect they will make a good first stab.

Of course it will need to be $200 or less to be at all competitive which will be an easy buy for a lot of people.

Tom Dunne

Depends on what it does.

I have no use for the health/fitness apps, so if it just displays my texts and e-mails, I will probably not.

I hope to get a loan of the Samsung Gear 2 for a few weeks, so I can write an app or two for it and also to give a taste of what these things can do. Maybe after that I will have changed my mind.

OU812

I was very taken with the samsung gear. it's the first time (along with the 5 phone), samsung made me consider switching brands...

godtabh

How can you answer that question? I have a fitbit. Does what I want but would like more intergration with other apps. The iWatch may or may not offer that. So I'll wait and see

Dades

Not in the least interested (in buying) unless somehow wearing one activates an FM radio on my iPhone.

seamus

September 2060: Dades refuses to buy an Apple iCar because the stereo system has no FM radio.

The only answer I have here is that I don't know. I have a Garmin watch for running and experience tells me that a multi-functional device will not be good enough to replace it.
There are limits to laziness and being able to read texts or alerts from my arm has some appeal, but then you have to take your phone out anyway if you want to react to it. It's more discreet, sure, that's nice, "Oh look a text from my wife. 'Takeaway when we get home', awesome". It's theoretically more social - rather than people checking their phones every 30 seconds, they can glance at their watch.

Some reports suggesting that it'll integrate with Apple only, which I think is a mistake, I doubt they'd do it. It would certainly be "loads more functionality with an iPhone", but they'll probably offer an open development model that allows the core functionality from other devices. If it was iPhone-only, then you will get killed when other manufacturers release products that work with Android, IOS and Windows.

copacetic

I have a few garmins too and I know apple won't possibly compete with their gps and sport specific stuff. I have some withings stuff too though, and if apple can integrate an activity tracker, sleep tracker, glucose monitor, BP and heart rate monitor, along with nice notifications and even simple responses to txts etc on the phone, as well as audio control and track selection, remote control of camera with thumbnail of shot and price it at 200 or so then it would be a no brainer for a lot of people I'd think. Even if just to try it out.

If they keep it neat and not flashy, hopefully with a way of wearing it on inside wrist then that would be good also. I wouldn't be at all keen on an obvious wrist mount apple device. It would be a reason not to buy for me.

DubDJ

I don't see myself liking this at all, but usually Apple have something up their sleeve to bring that wow factor to the crowd. Other than maybe the Pebble steel there's nothing on the market at the moment that would really interest me.

Something that would concern me with this would be battery life, Apple has never really focused on it as a major incentive to buy their mobile devices. Battery is good on them, but it's not great. I'd want to be charging a watch once a week or so, so I hope they can crack that and put in a decent battery.

FourFourRED

DubDJ wrote: »

I don't see myself liking this at all, but usually Apple have something up their sleeve to bring that wow factor to the crowd. Other than maybe the Pebble steel there's nothing on the market at the moment that would really interest me.

Something that would concern me with this would be battery life, Apple has never really focused on it as a major incentive to buy their mobile devices. Battery is good on them, but it's not great. I'd want to be charging a watch once a week or so, so I hope they can crack that and put in a decent battery.

Well they have excellent records with the battery life on the iPad's so maybe they can carry that over to the iWatch.

PartnerSeeds

Dades wrote: »

Not in the least interested (in buying) unless somehow wearing one activates an FM radio on my iPhone.

That would be useful

Cantremember

copacetic wrote: »

I have a few garmins too and I know apple won't possibly compete with their gps and sport specific stuff. I have some withings stuff too though, and if apple can integrate an activity tracker, sleep tracker, glucose monitor, BP and heart rate monitor, along with nice notifications and even simple responses to txts etc on the phone, as well as audio control and track selection, remote control of camera with thumbnail of shot and price it at 200 or so then it would be a no brainer for a lot of people I'd think. Even if just to try it out.

If they keep it neat and not flashy, hopefully with a way of wearing it on inside wrist then that would be good also. I wouldn't be at all keen on an obvious wrist mount apple device. It would be a reason not to buy for me.

I agree with the inside wrist wear. I think that they will limit it to iOS device linkage but that mightn't be a problem if they have finally buried Jobs and realise that range of products is necessary to maximise penetration of the consumer market. Which brings me to the last point: flashy. Watches are flashy, a status symbol, a personal statement. I've been holding off buying a watch that suits me for ages to see the iWatch. I have a budget of around 1500 set aside for something that will last for my lifetime and maybe beyond for others. Will Apple seek to create something that will do the tech stuff brilliantly and have the extra to be worth that? Only if they understand the need to bury the old "one size fits all" mantra.

Zcott

Having watched a few videos of the Moto 360, I would really love an iWatch with a round face.

Blazer

Zcott wrote: »

Having watched a few videos of the Moto 360, I would really love an iWatch with a round face.

oh christ no...I think the moto is horrific looking and miles too big...
if anything I reckon Apple are looking at flexible or curved screen

I'd love something like the below.
Ideally I'd like the screen to go the whole way around with custom wallpapers so that everyone's iwatch is different.

FourFourRED

Blazer wrote: »

oh christ no...I think the moto is horrific looking and miles too big...
if anything I reckon Apple are looking at flexible or curved screen

I'd love something like the below.
Ideally I'd like the screen to go the whole way around with custom wallpapers so that everyone's iwatch is different.

I think they look ridiculous. Definitely something along the Moto 360 line if I was to be tempted.

Creamy Goodness

All smart watches up until now - I include the current android wear watches in this too - have completely missed the point. They are all trying to be a smart phone on your wrist.

I want something that tracks my vitals and syncs it to my main device / icloud based storage and wakes me up with a vibration (as I get up earlier than my girlfriend) but I'd like to check notifications as a last resort because constantly swiping on a 1" sq device is just the wrong ux for me no matter how streamlined you can make the experience.

DubDJ

At the moment I think the best wearable on the market is the Moto 360, even if it hasn't officially been released yet. Seeing the videos of it and actual hands on it looks like it's fake, that's how unreal it looks. However I've never been the biggest fan of Android, even if the latest update fixes a lot of problems I've had with the OS.

The thing I'm concerned about is if Apple will actually be able to match it with an amazing watch. Even the mockup above looks ugly IMO, just not something I'd like to wear or buy. The other problem is the price of Apples device will probably be double that of any other on the market at the moment. Which will make it difficult to justify the price over the actual need for it.

I hope Apple can release something great, otherwise I'll probably be waiting until they do change it. I don't see myself switching from iOS anytime soon, I still think it's the best mobile OS, as well as the fact I also use OS X. I doubt the Moto will work or be available for use with an iOS device so I'll probably stuck with no option.

Snake

I would but I don't wear watches so it'd be an ornament if nothing else

Deep Thought

The above pictures are ridiculous, that looks like a bangle, not a watch.

On on the fence about an iWatch, all it will do will reduce the amount of times I take the phone out of my pocket

Zcott

You can bet that Apple will have engineered several prototypes with round faces, square faces, rectangular faces, bands...and they'll have an answer as to which is best. As cool as a band looks, I don't know how much functionality you'd get out of it. Also, it looks likely that any watch will be tethered to an iPhone for most functionality.

Blazer

as long as it's not massive...the moto is pretty big and looks ridiculous overall...I admit the screen looks well but I definitely wouldn't buy it if it was that size...how the hell would you run/exercise with that yoke?
I reckon it will be a curved screen for a smaller and more comfortable footprint and that it doesn't interfere with your sport etc. I wonder will it be waterproof? I imagine it would have to be?

Zcott

Do you really think it's too big? Sure, it's quite big but I don't think it's any bigger than a large-ish watch. I don't see how it'd get in the way of exercise.

I also heard a suggestion that Apple might make a male and female version...

Dades

Cantremember wrote: »

Which brings me to the last point: flashy. Watches are flashy, a status symbol, a personal statement. I've been holding off buying a watch that suits me for ages to see the iWatch. I have a budget of around 1500 set aside for something that will last for my lifetime and maybe beyond for others. Will Apple seek to create something that will do the tech stuff brilliantly and have the extra to be worth that? Only if they understand the need to bury the old "one size fits all" mantra.

Any iWatch is going to be disposable tech, so a million miles removed from a Patek Philippe or whatever. Surely you'd be looking at both, given the different purposes they serve?

Creamy Goodness

If you've 1500 to spend on a watch get an Omega or a B&R they are timeless timepieces. The iWatch - if it exists - will be selling for sub $300 and will have a shelf life of about 5 years due to battery.

DubDJ

I really don't see the device being under €300 to be honest. Ever year people have the problem where they expect Apple to release the iPhone and iPad to be a lot cheaper then they actually do. The prices seem to be going up lately with the current iPhone being €679. I remember buying the iPhone 4 32GB for €699 in 2010. And that was the highest memory tier at the time.

I'd say the new wearable will be over €300 and probably be anywhere between €300-€500. I'd love the price to be lower but I just don't see it happening.

Dades

€300 to €500? As an accessory for a €700 device? That would be ludicrous.

An iPod Touch is only €259 and is basically everything an iPhone is without a phone.

Snake

Aodhagan wrote: »

Well they have excellent records with the battery life on the iPad's so maybe they can carry that over to the iWatch.

The iPad battery is the full size of the iPad..

FourFourRED

GrayFox208 wrote: »

The iPad battery is the full size of the iPad..

Great observation.

Snake

Aodhagan wrote: »

Great observation.

That's why the iPad has a better battery than everything else. I don't think an iPad sized watch would sell well

adamski8

This will be perfect for people who never see that someone is calling or texting them.... ie women

seamus

Dades wrote: »

€300 to €500? As an accessory for a €700 device? That would be ludicrous.

An iPod Touch is only €259 and is basically everything an iPhone is without a phone.

I'd say the pricing will be closer to an iPod nano - it'll have an equivalent level of functionality, smaller battery, much smaller memory. But it'll have a hipster wristband and you'll pay hipster premium pricing for it. I'm going to shoot for €199.
You could even fit an FM radio in at no extra cost :pac:

Blazer

agree ^^ they'll want a fast win with the iwatch to reassure the Cook doubters on Wall Street that Apple has nothing new up their sleeve.
I'm wondering about the Apple TV..sooner or later they are going to release their own tv as well.

Snake

Blazer wrote: »

agree ^^ they'll want a fast win with the iwatch to reassure the Cook doubters on Wall Street that Apple has nothing new up their sleeve.
I'm wondering about the Apple TV..sooner or later they are going to release their own tv as well.

Yeah 22inch will be 1,000 quid.

Creamy Goodness

Going off topic but the solution to TV isn't apple selling tv's. People don't upgrade their tv's every 4-5 years let alone the bracket apple want you in 1-2 years.

If apple is to continue with TV it will be in the form of a set top box.

Triangla

Also a bit off topic but could influence the decision to purchase.

Will these be legal to wear while driving, if they are basically a phone (text, email, calls) on your wrist.

Zcott

I don't see why they wouldn't be legal. I haven't seen any legality questions with the Pebble, and because you can't text back or call someone from the watch it's legal.

_Redzer_

I'm interested in getting a fuelband and am keeping my mind open to this. Will not be buying it for years because it'll be expensive and I'm purely interested in the health/fitness side of them, not the extended phone capability. But Apple do have a habit of making things desirable, so who knows, they could sell it to me yet.

I hope it looks like the mockups that resemble a classier fuelband than the android watch-like designs.

Zcott

The fuel band should still work with all the health kit stuff in iOS 8, so it might be worth picking up.

OU812

The fuelband is being discontinued, isn't it?

Sad Professor

Triangla wrote: »

Also a bit off topic but could influence the decision to purchase.

Will these be legal to wear while driving, if they are basically a phone (text, email, calls) on your wrist.

Its functionality and usefulness will be mostly tied to your phone. It might make use of Continuity to let you know you have an incoming call or text message, but nobody's going to be using it to actually make phone calls or type out texts.

Frank Lee Midere

I can see them having a version of the iwatch which is €1-2k along with cheaper more disposable models. It will have great design and expensive components, liquid metal, sapphire etc. It probably will have some lifelong guarantee and have an over specced CPU for what it can do.

Zcott

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

I can see them having a version of the iwatch which is €1-2k along with cheaper more disposable models. It will have great design and expensive components, liquid metal, sapphire etc. It probably will have some lifelong guarantee and have an over specced CPU for what it can do.

I don't see this happening. I doubt they'd even consider making a €1k watch for all a watch could do. I'd say max €300.

Frank Lee Midere

Zcott wrote: »

I don't see this happening. I doubt they'd even consider making a €1k watch for all a watch could do. I'd say max €300.

Apple have a great design team and are spending billions on materials which are just too expensive and slow to mass produce iPhones. They also love high margins. I wouldn't rule it out.

Dades

A grand for a digital watch? You must be mad!

squonk

Dades wrote: »

A grand for a digital watch? You must be mad!

Alright then... 2 grand!

seamus

Sad Professor wrote: »

Its functionality and usefulness will be mostly tied to your phone. It might make use of Continuity to let you know you have an incoming call or text message, but nobody's going to be using it to actually make phone calls or type out texts.

The law is interesting in this regard, I can see there being some questions of it.

Basically any device which allows you to communicate with other people (except a two-way radio) is considered a "mobile phone" for the purposes of the legislation.

However, I suspect challenging the particular law will hinge on the fact that the watch itself does not allow you to communicate with other people, only with your phone - the phone is doing the communicating with others.

Could be an interesting one though.

Frank Lee Midere

Dades wrote: »

A grand for a digital watch? You must be mad!

No. Why would a grand for a digital watch be any crazier than a grand for the old technology in a spring based watch.

Watches cost money because they are status symbols.