Verge: Apple iWatch models to hit 400 USD

[s44]

There are three cool things about the watch: the bubble launcher thing, a women's size, and NFC. All will appear for Android Wear posthaste (actually, Sony's latest already had NFC). No one really wants a freakin' knob.

 

[Mopetar]

Why do you need to know the time on a camping trip? Its not like you will miss a meeting.

You might miss supper though.

I'm stunned that Apple showed its hand so many months before launch.

Perhaps it's a bit like the initial iPhone announcement where the details would have come out anyhow due to government-mandated evaluations.

Also, it's not as though Apple has a watch out now so announcing early doesn't hurt any existing sales. It might also keep potential customers away from competing devices.

We've already seen how fast LG and Samsung iterate. Even Moto, I bet, will have a 720 by the time Apple gets the watch released.

That seems rather doubtful as it would mean that the 360 would only have been relevant for ~4 months. I don't think many customers would be happy if it were replaced so quickly. A lot of people were pissed at Apple when they released a new iPad so quickly after the 3rd generation one.

The interesting part will be to see what those companies come out with in response to Apple's watch. However, I don't expect them to have any next generation devices until at least next summer. Trying to throw something together in a few months is only going to result in a sub-par product.

 

[Red Storm]

There are three cool things about the watch: the bubble launcher thing, a women's size, and NFC. All will appear for Android Wear posthaste (actually, Sony's latest already had NFC). No one really wants a freakin' knob.

A smartwatch does not need an app launcher. The NFC I agree with, Android Wear needs that ASAP.

Also, it's not as though Apple has a watch out now so announcing early doesn't hurt any existing sales. It might also keep potential customers away from competing devices.

What competing devices? This isn't going to be like the smartphone "wars". Trying to decide which smartwatch to get is already decided for you if have an iPhone.

 

[s44]

That seems rather doubtful as it would mean that the 360 would only have been relevant for ~4 months. I don't think many customers would be happy if it were replaced so quickly.

No, seriously, watches aren't phones. LG and Samsung iterated in that span already!

Plus, Moto will need a new product soon, lest stuff like this define its watch brand:

So I've had the Moto 360 for a day now, and my personal experience with it has been awful. It's easily the buggiest and most power hungry Android Wear device to date.

A smartwatch does not need an app launcher.

Agree, but someone will whip up an APK anyway because why not?

 

[Red Storm]

No, seriously, watches aren't phones. LG and Samsung iterated in that span already!

Plus, Moto will need a new product soon, lest stuff like this define its watch brand:

The guy's wife says the Gear Live looks better than the 360, that goes against every single person I've talked to about this.

I had the 360, it's the best looking smartwatch out there IMHO. It lasted me the whole day, I didn't notice any major cutoffs with the round display, I didn't have BT sync issues. Sounds like the guy had a lemon, and instead he assumed that everyone must have these issues.

Edit: Yep, look at the comments under his post, people saying the same thing.

Agree, but someone will whip up an APK anyway because why not?

lol, "because why not?" is a good Android phone/tablet moto, where we all like to see just how far we can push the hardware and software, but I'm telling you on a watch you do not want that.

I'm actually worried Google will find out that using an Android Wear device decreases how much time you spend using your phone/staring at the screen. Considering they make money off of people using their services and ads, the smartwatch works against that goal.

 

[Crono]

There are three cool things about the watch: the bubble launcher thing, a women's size, and NFC. All will appear for Android Wear posthaste (actually, Sony's latest already had NFC). No one really wants a freakin' knob.

They are trying too hard to recreate the click-wheel magic. Most of a smartwatch's features should be passive or based on sensors (rotate and lift wrist = display time, for instance), or otherwise be set from the phone. Single-touch should make up the rest of the gestures or interactions with the device. Anything else is way too much for such a small and low resolution device.

 

[WelshBloke]

Is there a picture of the Apple watch with a light coloured home screen out there?

 

[Mopetar]

They are trying too hard to recreate the click-wheel magic. Most of a smartwatch's features should be passive or based on sensors (rotate and lift wrist = display time, for instance), or otherwise be set from the phone. Single-touch should make up the rest of the gestures or interactions with the device. Anything else is way too much for such a small and low resolution device.

The problem is that once you try to use gestures on a small display like that, your fingers basically obstruct your vision, almost completely. I don't know if Apple's solution is any good and without using it I can't say how well implemented it is and if there's enough feedback to make it feel usable.

Is there a picture of the Apple watch with a light coloured home screen out there?

I would imagine that they don't want to have such a thing because it would drain the battery even faster. They either have an incredibly efficient SoC or their watch is going to be dangerously low on power by the end of the day.

 

[WelshBloke]

I would imagine that they don't want to have such a thing because it would drain the battery even faster. They either have an incredibly efficient SoC or their watch is going to be dangerously low on power by the end of the day.

Is it confirmed to be using OLED then? One of the sports models looked distinctly LCD.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

The problem is that once you try to use gestures on a small display like that, your fingers basically obstruct your vision, almost completely. I don't know if Apple's solution is any good and without using it I can't say how well implemented it is and if there's enough feedback to make it feel usable.

I don't think the obstructing view is the real reason anyway. That's just what they claim.

However it seems most of the functions on the watch CAN be achieved without the crown minus going home. The crown adds additional features like zoom on a map, etc.

It seems you can use it as notification cards just like an Android Wear without the crown, so shouldn't that please most Android fans who think this watch is trying to do too much anyway?

Is it confirmed to be using OLED then? One of the sports models looked distinctly LCD.

Did they mention in the Keynote? I thought they did. But either way, it makes sense given they have the whole screen black. Its the exact opposite of the white and clean iOS 7/8 look.

TBH OLED just makes sense. Samsung got that right with the Galaxy Gear watches. If you want an always on display, its gotta be OLED.

My Moto 360 would look a lot sexier with the blacks as OLED.

 

[WelshBloke]

Did they mention in the Keynote? I thought they did.

No idea, I find those extended marketing shows really tedious (no matter who's giving them) so I don't watch them.

But either way, it makes sense given they have the whole screen black. Its the exact opposite of the white and clean iOS 7/8 look.

TBH OLED just makes sense. Samsung got that right with the Galaxy Gear watches. If you want an always on display, its gotta be OLED.

I know that it would make sense but that doesn't mean that they are going to do it. Do they use OLED in any of their products?