Apple SmartWatch

Coming in October? 2.5in screen??

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101774191

Apple’s upcoming iWatch may measure in at 2.5 inches diagonally with a slightly rectangular face, reports Reuters, citing sources familiar with the product. The watch face is also expected to protrude slightly from the band to create an arch shape, and it will reportedly include a touch interface and wireless charging.

So much speculation at this point, I’ve read dozens of articles, all hypothesizing about what the iWearable will be. I’ll be honest, I’m sick of the guessing, and I’m now ready for some facts. Until Apple’s announced something concrete, I’ve vowed to ignore all the click bait articles written about this. Even the one you quoted, “may” in the first sentence, “expected” in the second. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. FACTS, MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU HAVE ANY? (not directed at you specifically)

I stopped wearing watches about ten years ago.

Yeah, it’s going to have to be awesome to get me to wear a watch again. I’ve just been rocking the high tech pocket watch (aka smartphone) for the last seven or so years.

I should mention that I’m in the prime demographic for whatever Apple does end up putting out. I could care less about the time, but I do currently have a Fitbit Flex wrist strap for step tracking, and a TomTom Runner GPS watch for my runs, which I pair with a Polar Bluetooth heart rate monitor. So, yeah, I’ll be all over something like this, especially since I always carry my phone with my on runs for music playing, and I’m fascinated by the quantified self movement.

Screw the timekeeping, tell me more about what my hydration, O2 saturation, blood glucose, and stride rate are! If Apple can sell me something packed full of cool sensors, I’ll buy one immediately and I’ll be thinking, “That Polar HR monitor’s chest strap has irritated my ribcage for the last time!”

Oh, and if it helps me from missing the notifications from my phone, all the better. I’m of the type that always keeps my phone on silent, and I rely on the buzzing to alert me. I’d say I miss about 15 - 20% of the calls / texts I wish I hadn’t in any given week.

I’ve wondered whether or not it will have a transparent face in front of a conventional watch; probably not, but i seem to imagine in my mind’s eye some kind transparent screen that presents a clock face most of the time that becomes opaque to display whatever its going to display, and then becomes translucent again. It seems like a mistake (imo) if it were going to be a phone screen slapped onto a watch band.

I also have to wonder if this isn’t some kind of AARP sort of device. By that i mean that Apple has to some extent lost the cutting edge with young people, although there hasn’t been a clear replacement brand. But getting things like monitoring blood oxygen levels or turning in your heart monitor logs to your doctor isn’t exactly a use case 20-somethings are going to be clamoring for. So it will imo be either or both a “hardcore” exercise monitor, a 50+ year old health monitor, or both. It seems clear to me that simply getting text alerts on your watch face will not be enough to make these sell.

I don’t understand these whippernsnappers and their disdain for watches.

However, I don’t want a watch with a 2.5" screen. The 1.9" diameter Garmin Fenix I’m wearing right now is enough of a hockey puck. Strapping on something of a similar size with corners added is not appealing.

Also, I’m with Ephraim. Speculation on this is no longer interesting. Until I get an actual announcement from Apple, it’s all moonfarts.

I’m with ya, gramps! I couldn’t imagine having to dig into my pocket and click a button every time I wanted to glance at the time. That would drive me nuts!

I didn’t wear a watch for years and years. Always had a phone in my pocket, right? Then a I picked up a nice Seiko and feel naked without it now when glancing to my bare wrist to check the time. Love to be able to replace it with a really nice Tag or Tissot.

I think watch wearing in general must have taken an up-turn in the last few years, what with all the Michael Voss’ you see around, though they are perhaps now a fashion accessory more than ever. Though I tend to agree, a square touchscreen on your wrist is unlikely to be a fashion accessory of choice.

glances at my 10 year old Tag on my wrist
fistbumps sharaleo

I’ve been eying a Galaxy Gear, so the idea isn’t completely appalling to me. It’s a tough sell, though, admittedly.

Google Android Wear smartwatches are available fro preorder now.

The Moto 360 is the only one with an acceptable form factor. I do not want to strap a bulky rectangle to my wrist.

However, battery life is an issue as well. I enabled notifications on my Garmin Fenix, and turned them off when it was clear I’d have to recharge the watch every night if I used them.

Just posting to say the Moto 360 is just about exactly what I imagined a smart watch should be like (see my post above). /HRose moment

They’re all way too thick and chunky, including the Moto 360, but it’s the best of the lot.

The Google I/O stuff today was all super neat.

The Motorola 360 is apparently 46mm in diameter. That is a ridiculously large watch face and unless you have quite large wrists I think it would look a little silly. That said, it is quite a nice looking watch. I’m going to pass on the first generation though and wait for the inevitable improvements and better battery life.

My Casio Pathfinder is 52mm and my present Garmin Fenix is 49mm. It’s actually quite difficult to find a digital watch with a diameter under 40mm these days.

A lot of digital watches over the years haven’t been round…I don’t know so many people are so opposed to square watched all of a sudden.

That said, that Moto 360 is HOT.

A lot of those not-round digital watches weren’t square, either. They were other shapes. The square ones were usually calculator watches, and those always looked bad.

It looks like he’s using his lips to navigate the UI.