How interested would you be in buying an iWatch?

[lothar]

There has been lots of news regarding Apple's iWatch leaking the past few weeks, but yet there's no topic or post here about it.

What's your position on this issue?
And also, do you wear a watch mostly as a time piece or a fashion statement(Meaning you only wear it to special events or you have one of those Gold, Silver, Chrome, or some sort of metal looking watch that everyone immediately notices or think its high quality, etc...)?

Personally, I haven't worn watches since Middle school because there are clocks everywhere and even without clocks, I can usually guess what time it is within a 15-30 minute window. I used to wear cheap $10-20 Timex junk then in middle school.
I didn't have a cellphone until grad school, and when I got one, wearing a watch for me was even more useless than it already was for me in high school.

 

[pm]

I have started to doubt my gut reaction to Apple's ideas because I thought the iPhone was a dumb idea before they intro'd it ("you mean a phone with no buttons? why would anyone want one of those?"), or the iPad ("you mean a bigger version of the iPhone that can't make phone calls? why would anyone want one of those?). So on the basis that my imagination is not sufficiently imaginative to figure out how useful these things would be before I've seen them, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...

But I'm in with the "I don't do watches" answer in the poll... it's going to have to be way more cool that I think it will be before I'm interested.

 

[RampantAndroid]

I wear a Citizen Eco Drive daily. It keeps time, is waterproof and is the only jewelry I wear. I'd LOVE a Citizen atomic watch, but I see no need for a gizmo that needs constant charging and updating. I'll keep my mobile phone experience to just that - a phone I keep in my pocket. My watch's strength is in never needing a charge.

 

[Zaap]

If it was just another iPod strapped to your wrist- then definitely not.

However a pedometer/GPS/heart-rate monitor/sports watch that doesn't look goofy as hell would actually be very interesting.

Just the other day I was looking for something with all those features and was shocked at how truly awful looking most of them are- literally like a timewarp back to around 1988 or so. About the only one I saw that looked like something from maybe 2006 or so was the Nike SportsWatch- but even that thing is just so bulky.

The motoactiv comes closest to doing everything I'd expect from a 2013 device- but again it's a bit bulky.

So IMO, the state of 'smart watches' is pretty close to the state where cellphones were before the iPhone- a vast improvement and consolidation of redundant devices could be done, and Apple is certainly a company that could do it.

If Apple actually came up with something that defines the FUTURE of a device worn on the wrist (sleek, looks good, has a logical layout/screen for logical wrist-based tasks, not trying to be a bulky micro-entertainment center on your arm) and not just another last-gen device with an Apple logo on it that fits in with the relics available already- then I personally think they'd really be on to something. I'd expect no less from the Apple that USED to keep surprising me with next-gen designs.

 

[lothar]

If it was just another iPod strapped to your wrist- then definitely not.

However a pedometer/GPS/heart-rate monitor/sports watch that doesn't look goofy as hell would actually be very interesting.

Just the other day I was looking for something with all those features and was shocked at how truly awful looking most of them are- literally like a timewarp back to around 1988 or so. About the only one I saw that looked like something from maybe 2006 or so was the Nike SportsWatch- but even that thing is just so bulky.

The motoactiv comes closest to doing everything I'd expect from a 2013 device- but again it's a bit bulky.

So IMO, the state of 'smart watches' is pretty close to the state where cellphones were before the iPhone- a vast improvement and consolidation of redundant devices could be done, and Apple is certainly a company that could do it.

If Apple actually came up with something that defines the FUTURE of a device worn on the wrist (sleek, looks good, has a logical layout/screen for logical wrist-based tasks, not trying to be a bulky micro-entertainment center on your arm) and not just another last-gen device with an Apple logo on it that fits in with the relics available already- then I personally think they'd really be on to something. I'd expect no less from the Apple that USED to keep surprising me with next-gen designs.

Nike+ Fuel Band, Nike+ SportWatch GPS.
http://nikeplus.nike.com/plus/products/

 

[gorcorps]

Any watch with a screen is too big for my tastes.

 

[boomhower]

It would really depend on what it is. If it had the abilities of something like the motoactv without looking retarded I'd be somewhat interested. I don't need notifications on my watch, that's not something important in the least to me.

 

[bearxor]

I'm with pm. I was 'wtf' during MW2007. Telling everyone how it was basically a fancy feature phone and how Windows Mobile was really revolutionizing the smart phone market. In 2010 I laughed along with everyone else at the iPad in 2010, even tweeting "when I woke up this morning, the last thing I wanted was a larger iPod Touch!"

But now these are two devices I use every day that have totally changed my computing usage habits.

I don't wear a watch, but I'm not opposed to the idea. I just can't find one I'd like to wear on my wrist every day. The "smart watch" market seems to be in much the same place smart phones were in 2007. The big boy has even tried it (Microsoft) and failed. No one has done it elegantly.

If Apple does it like they did the iPhone, I'll probably skip the first generation. It will really depend on just how useful it is.

 

[deathBOB]

Where's the box for kind-of interested?

Even if I want one, it's much more of a luxury item than a smartphone. I don't really see myself buying one.

Food for thought: big phones can be hard to pull out of a pocket in certain situations. Could this be targeted as an accessory for a larger iPhone?

 

[ponyo]

The only time I wear a watch is when I'm at the beach or the pool. I can't take my cellphone in the water so I wear my Seiko Black Monster diver's watch to keep track of time. If iWatch is waterproof, I might consider one. Wearable Apple product and fashion statement? Guaranteed success.

 

[lothar]

Where's the box for kind-of interested?

Even if I want one, it's much more of a luxury item than a smartphone. I don't really see myself buying one.

Food for thought: big phones can be hard to pull out of a pocket in certain situations. Could this be targeted as an accessory for a larger iPhone?

Consider "very interested" and "somewhat interested" to be the same thing.
"Very interested" doesn't mean that you'll end up buying the product.

I basically wanted it to be an easy poll choice without a million complex options that mean almost the same thing.
a) Yes, I will buy it regardless.
b.) Very interested. AKA...Would consider buying it depending on it's features and function.
c.) Not interested, because I already have a watch that serves my needs(whether those needs are either to function as a time piece, swimming, fitness, or as a fashion statement is irrelevant) and I don't need a replacement.
d.) Not interested, because I don't wear watches, period.

If I created an extra "somewhat interested" category, that might create unnecessary confusion.
I suppose a mod can edit the "Very interested" option to say "Very interested or somewhat interested"

 

[lothar]

It would really depend on what it is. If it had the abilities of something like the motoactv without looking retarded I'd be somewhat interested. I don't need notifications on my watch, that's not something important in the least to me.

Which one these fan depicted drawings don't look retarded in your opinion?

 

[Throckmorton]

It would be cool if it was a phone, and not some stupid addon that "alerts" you to things. But how do you type a phone number on a touchscreen that tiny? Maybe we need to bring back this form factor:

 

[WelshBloke]

I think Apple could make a moderate success of it.

I guess the trick will be making use of a very limited screen space.

I'm not sure of a massive gap in the market for this product.

 

[lothar]

The only time I wear a watch is when I'm at the beach or the pool. I can't take my cellphone in the water so I wear my Seiko Black Monster diver's watch to keep track of time. If iWatch is waterproof, I might consider one. Wearable Apple product and fashion statement? Guaranteed success.

I imagine if one wears it to a social gathering event, they certainly would get noticed and would be the talk at the parties.

There are quite a few people I know that bring up the argument that they only wear watches to weddings, parties, church, or some other social event gathering meaning they only use it to match their shoes and clothes, to get noticed in the crowd or whatever reason but they certainly don't use the watch to serve as a function of time, fitness, or swimming reasons.

Lots of people wear only watches as a fashion statement(consider it another accessory such as wearing a tie, or belt). I don't have any problems with that.
Apple and many companies out there can fulfill the needs.

 

[Red Storm]

I don't really see the appeal. It's too small to comfortably interact with and so that limits it to viewing information only and even then it's still really small, you'd have to squint just to read the subject of an email.

 

[WelshBloke]

It would be cool if it was a phone, and not some stupid addon that "alerts" you to things...

Yeah, problem is that your going to look like a 6 year old playing 'secret agents' when you answer a call on one.

 

[lothar]

It would be cool if it was a phone, and not some stupid addon that "alerts" you to things. But how do you type a phone number on a touchscreen that tiny? Maybe we need to bring back this form factor:

Oh hell...
I forgot about those Timex/Casio calculator watches. Those were all the rage when I was middle school like Beats headphones are for teenagers in school today.
My parents couldn't afford(or more likely, they probably didn't see the point of them) those calculator watches, so I never got one.

 

[lothar]

Yeah, problem is that your going to look like a 6 year old playing 'secret agents' when you answer a call on one.

Bond...James Bond.

James Bond doesn't look like a 6 year old. :awe:
Use the watch to answer calls and blow up things.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I loved my old calculator watch. I was the only kid in class that got a 100 on his long division test in 7th grade.

 

[lothar]

I loved my old calculator watch. I was the only kid in class that got a 100 on his long division test in 7th grade.

Lol...You cheater!!! :twisted:

 

[WelshBloke]

Bond...James Bond.

James Bond doesn't look like a 6 year old. :awe:
Use the watch to answer calls and blow up things.

Even James Bond looks pretty sheepish talking in one of those. If even he can't pull it off there's no hope for the rest of us.

Edit: Wait. It comes with a blowing shit up function? Count me in!

 

[poofyhairguy]

Lol...You cheater!!! :twisted:

I know and look where that behavior got me. I am now a hardened DMCA criminal ripping my own disks and unlocking my own phones.

 

[KeithP]

Depending on prices, features and size, I would say "maybe".

-KeithP

 

[Bateluer]

The only watches I wear are GPS running watches. And Apple hasn't made a product yet that can stand up to that kind of punishment.