Watch is finally here! We can finally put the rumors and speculation behind us, and start reading article after article from the usual suspects about how great it is, what a huge failure it is, and how Samsung had the smart watch first. Good grief.
As I watched the keynote video, my initial thought was that it was ugly. But then they showed the various bands that will be available, and the smaller size watch that will also be available. I found at least three that fit my personal style. I think this will be key to the Watch’s success. My only concern with regard to the bands are with the ones that use magnetic closure. How strong are those magnets? Will they hold tight with vigorous exercise? Time will tell.
The next question I had about bands is “will I be able to buy different bands?” I suspect Apple won’t sell bands separately, but I’m betting 3rd party vendors will make bands that fit the Watch almost immediately. And I predict it will be a huge market.
Some initial questions immediately came up on Twitter and Facebook as the keynote went on. In reading follow-up articles yesterday, at least some of those questions were apparently answered by Apple reps in the demo hall. Here are just a few:
- Is the Watch water-resistant or waterproof? According to one report, it is water-resistant. Of course people complained about that initially, but I don’t find it to be that big of a deal. Would you wear a Tag Heuer or Rolex in the pool or swimming in the ocean? I certainly wouldn’t.
- Can left-handed users wear and operate the Watch comfortably? Again, initial reports indicate that you can turn the watch around so the crown is on the left side of the watch an the screen will flip around just as it would on the iPhone when you flip it upside down. Because you use the crown for more than simply winding the watch and setting the time, this is also a key to success.
- Can you make phone calls with the Watch? Though they didn’t specifically mention it in the keynote, apparently you can. While this is a nice option, I don’t see it as being one of the most used features when the watch is released next year.
- What is the battery life like? Nobody seems to know for sure, I’ve heard “all day battery life” thrown around quite a bit. Given how many times per day one would raise their wrist to check the time, email & text notifications, or just to show it off, Apple would almost certainly have to know that anything short of a full 20+ hours of battery life is almost a bare minimum. Anything less will likely hinder sales greatly.
The selection of watch faces is another area that will be key in decision making for consumers. Are the faces that Apple provides the only options, or will 3rd party developers be able to offer “face collections” to users? The ability to customize the face of the watch is really nice, but I suspect people will want the option to do more than what Apple offers. Again, time will tell.
When I look at the app icons on the promo images, I can see that the Watch can act as a remote for taking photos with your iPhone. But I also see the Remote app icon. Will that mean we can control iTunes on our Macs, as well as navigate the AppleTV? Could the Watch be the voice-activated remote for the mythical AppleTV we’ve been hearing about for years? I also read somewhere (or maybe it was mentioned in the keynote?) that the Watch can be used as a walkie-talkie. What the future holds for the Watch is amazing to think about.
With a starting price tag of $350, the Watch is clearly not playing in the Pebble or Android wearables sandbox. Instead, Apple is creating their own market just as they did with the iPhone and iPad. I suspect the cost for the 18K gold Edition model will approach $800, but with Apple you just never know. This is a high-end smart watch, not your sub-$200 Walmart special. If I were betting, I would say Apple is going to sell millions-upon-millions of these things in short order. You can probably expect to see them on the wrists of celebrities and athletes within a month of going on sale. Once that happens, they’ll take their place next to the iPad as the “standard” for smart watches.
This would be the only watch I would buy if I wore watches. Just not a watch guy. But, the innovation and design that has gone into the Apple Watch hardware and software is exquisite. Even though I’m not considering buying one, I agree they will sell many millions. One reason this was a rumored product for so long is Apple took their time and really got this one right.
Certainly the era of the wearable is here. If not this thing, or the google glasses, then maybe the molar implant. What ever it is or will be, we will be there. This thing is pretty well thought out, but it is very thick, and clunky, so I think I’ll wait until they get to the 2nd or 3rd gen, when it’s as thick (thin) as a nice watch. Additionally, I do wear my TAG in the ocean: it’s a DIVE watch. And, there are plenty of TAGs to choose from for well under $2,000.00. The Apple Watch must create it’s own niche to sell, as it is not going to win over the fine-watch guy. And then there is the oft-mentioned charging issue. What’s the charger look like? Will it connect to an iPhone cable? Wouldn’t that be nice?
Good stuff. Left handed had me but it looks to be swappable, the crown button just sits lower. Us left handers have dealt with worse.
It all comes down to the battery. It would be great if it last three days (if you weren’t futzing too much with it). Or at least make the 20 hour mark after two years. Apple may want you to buy a new one every two years to get the new amazing features and that tactic worked on the iPods but at least you felt the old one was useable and you gave it to your kids.
The usable by Android will be interesting. I’m sure Apple made it so it works much better with the iPhone. They want to own the digital hub.
The hidden cool thing might be auto-pay. Go out to dinner and leave your phone and wallet at home? Seems inconceivable now but so did not standing in line at the bank 30 years ago. It is time for credit cards to vanish.
Can you get a Tag for under $2,000? I dunno.
But I get your point, and that’s my main reservation. I don’t want to be spending $400-$500 every three years when the thing stops holding a charge for more than 4 hours.
Not only the charge fact, but the fact that the technology will be outdated in a couple of years. I do not want to spend that kind of money either every couple of years. I have a very nice collections of watches that I own as a jewelry collector, which I could never see happening with a collection of Apple watches. Once outdated, they have very little retained value. Not even worth handing down to the kids.
I understand a phone being replaced every couple of years, but a watch being replaced, just goes against my nature when I have owned some of mine for over 25 years and they still work and look perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against them and think they are brilliant, just not for me.
I like you suspect they will sell millions as well, just because they are Apple. But for me it is a NO. I would rather spend that kind of money on a watch that will retain its value down the road such as a good Tag, Bulova and so on. I have an iPhone for doing what the Apple Watch will do. Why spend the extra $350? Does not make sense to me, and have seen this same comment made on many forums. From what I also understand, it will leave the android user out as it works in combination with the iPhone, unless Apple is trying to pull them over to the iPhone side. Just my thoughts. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of my points.
On another point. As for the magnetic bands, if they use earth magnets, there would be no issue of them coming apart. Earth magnets are extreme powerful magnets.