Michal Ždanský At CES 2014, we were able to see quite a bit a fair number of smartwatches, whether they were brand new entries into this market or iterations of previous models. Despite all this, smartwatches are still in their infancy, and neither the Samsung Gear nor the Pebble Steel has changed that. It's still a product category that's more for geeks and techies than the masses.
Not surprisingly, these devices tend to be difficult to control, offer limited functionality, and look more like a small computer strapped to your wrist than a sleek watch, much like the 6th generation iPod nano looked with a wrist strap. Anyone who wants to succeed with smartwatches on a large scale, not just among a handful of tech fans, needs to come to market with something that isn't just a demonstration of miniaturized technology with few useful features.
That's not the only reason why everyone is looking to Apple, which should present its watch concept in the near future, at least according to speculation from the last year. As a rule, Apple is not the first to be able to bring a product from a given category to the market - smartphones were there before the iPhone, tablets before the iPad and MP3 players before the iPod. However, it can present the given product in such a form that surpasses everything to date thanks to its simplicity, intuitiveness and design.
For a careful observer, it is not so difficult to guess in what general ways the smartwatch should surpass everything that has been presented so far. It is more complicated with specific aspects. I definitely don't dare to claim that I know a proven recipe for how a smart watch should look or work, but in the following lines I will try to explain what and why we should expect from the "iWatch".
Design
When we look at smartwatches to date, we find one common element. All of them are ugly, at least compared to the fashion watches available in the market. And this fact will not change even the new Pebble Steel, which are indeed a step forward in terms of design (even though John Gruber disagree too much), but it's still not something that top executives and fashion icons would want to wear on their hands.
[do action=”citation”]As a 'mere' watch, no one would buy it.[/do]
It would be like to say that the appearance of current smart watches is a tribute to technology. A design that we tolerate in order to use similar devices. As a "mere" watch, no one would buy it. At the same time, it should be the exact opposite, especially for watches. It should be an object that we want to carry on our hands just for the way it looks, not for what it can do. Anyone who knows Apple knows that design comes first and is willing to sacrifice functionality for it, an example being the iPhone 4 and the related Antennagate.
That is why the watch or "smart bracelet" from Apple should be completely different from anything we could see so far. It will be a technology hidden in a fashion accessory rather than a technology accessory hiding its ugly appearance.
Mobile independence
Although current smartwatches can display useful information when paired with a phone, once the Bluetooth connection is lost, these devices are useless outside of displaying the time, as all activity stems from the smartphone connection. A truly smart watch should be able to do enough things on its own, without depending on another device.
A lot of functions are offered, from the classic stopwatch and countdown to displaying the weather based on previously downloaded data and, for example, an integrated barometer to fitness functions.
[do action=”citation”]Several generations of iPod have been able to perform similar functions as current fitness trackers.[/do]
Fitness
Health and fitness-related features would be another element that would differentiate the iWatch from competing devices. Several generations of iPod have been able to perform similar functions to current fitness trackers, only deeper software integration is missing. Thanks to the M7 co-processor, the watch could constantly monitor movement activity through the gyroscope without wasting energy. iWatch would thus replace all Fitbits, FuelBands, etc.
It can be expected that Apple will cooperate with Nike on the fitness application in the same way as with iPods, in terms of software tracking should not be lacking and would provide comprehensive information about our movement, burned calories, daily goals and the like. In terms of fitness, a smart wake-up function would also come in handy, where the watch would monitor the stages of our sleep and wake us up during light sleep, for example by vibrating.
In addition to the pedometer and related matters, biometric tracking is also offered. Sensors are experiencing a big boom right now, and we are likely to find a few of them on Apple watches, either hidden in the body of the device or in the strap. We could easily find out, for example, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar or body fat. Of course, such a measurement would not be as accurate as with professional devices, but we would at least get a rough picture of the biometric functions of our body.
Application
In addition to the time-related apps mentioned above, Apple could offer other useful software. For example, a calendar is offered that would display a list of upcoming events, and even if we could not directly enter new appointments, it would at least function as an overview. The Reminders application could work similarly, where we could at least tick off tasks as completed.
The map application could, in turn, show us navigation instructions to a previously set destination on the iPhone. Apple could also introduce an SDK for third-party developers, but it's possible that it will handle app development itself and only partner on exclusive apps like Apple TV.
Intuitive operation
There's little doubt that the main interaction will be through the touch screen, which could be square in shape with a diagonal of around 1,5 inches, that is, if Apple decides to go with the traditional approach. The company already has experience with touch control on a small screen, the 6th generation iPod nano being a great example. I would therefore expect a similar user interface.
A 2×2 icon matrix seems to be the ideal solution. As the main screen, the watch should have a variation on the "lock screen" showing mainly the time, date and possible notifications. Pushing it would take us to the apps page, just like on the iPhone.
As for input devices, I believe that the watch will also include physical buttons for controlling functions that do not require looking at the display. A button is offered Dismiss, which would disturb, for example, the alarm clock, incoming calls or notifications. By double-tapping, we could stop playing the music again. I would also expect two buttons with the function Up/Down or +/- for various functions, for example skipping tracks when playing on a connected device. Finally, even Siri could play a role in the sense of creating tasks and events in the calendar or writing off incoming messages.
The question is how the watch will be activated, as the shutdown button would be another obstacle on the way to information, and the constantly active display would consume unnecessary energy. However, there are technologies available that can detect whether you are looking at the display and combined with a gyroscope that records the movement of the wrist, the problem could be solved very effectively. Users would thus not have to think about anything, they would simply look at their wrist in a natural way, just as they look at a watch, and the display would activate.
Integration with iOS
Although the watch is supposed to be a standalone device, its true power is only revealed when paired with an iPhone. I would expect deep integration with iOS. Via Bluetooth, the phone will likely feed the watch data—location, weather from the Internet, events from the calendar, just about any data that the watch can't get on its own since it probably won't have a cellular connection or GPS.
The main integration will of course be notifications, on which Pebble largely relies. E-mails, iMessage, SMS, incoming calls, notifications from the calendar and Reminders, but also from third-party applications, we would be able to set all this on the phone to be received on our watch. iOS 7 can already synchronize notifications, so if we read them on the watch, they disappear on the phone and tablet.
[do action=”citation”]There is still a kind of WOW effect missing here, which will convince even doubters that a smart watch is simply a must have.[/do]
Controlling music apps is another obvious feature that the Pebble also supports, but the iWatch could go much further, such as remotely browsing your entire library, similar to an iPod, except that the songs will be stored on the iPhone. The watch would work just for control, but going far beyond just stopping playback and skipping songs. It could also be possible to control iTunes Radio from the watch display.
záver
The dream description above is only part of what the final product should actually contain. A beautiful design, notifications, a few apps and fitness are not enough to convince users who have never worn a watch or have given it up in favor of phones to start regularly burdening their hand with another piece of technology.
So far, there is no WOW effect that will convince even doubters that a smart watch is a must-have. Such an element does not yet exist in any wrist devices to date, but if Apple shows it with a watch, we will shake our heads that such an obvious thing did not occur to us earlier, just as it did with the first iPhone.
All dreaming thus ends with what we have known so far in various forms, but Apple usually goes much further beyond this boundary, that is the magic of the whole company. To introduce a product that not only looks good, but is also excellent and intuitive to use and can be understood by the average user, not just technology enthusiasts.
For me personally, the iWatch and iOS 8 will be an indicator of how Apple has changed since Steve's death. However, I hope they maintain some of the ideals that Steve set.
So I would sign your opinion! Even though I really don't believe in it - what Mr. Ždánský does - that APPLE will come out with a revolutionary product again...
Steve is simply missing and without people capable of "Thinking diferent" the revolution cannot be done!! America is full of dozens of "average people" (I would cite colleagues at XEROX as an example :-) ) and APPLE after the death of Jobs is no different....
In my opinion, we will only remember the golden era of APPLE, but I will gladly apologize if I am wrong!!
Fortunately, the golden era of Apple passed through the most powerful thing, which is inspiration and feeling for us. The legacy of Steve Jobs and his team does not live only in the bowels of Apple and their manufacturers, but influences and passes through the hands of us users every day. It gradually becomes a part of our DNA :) And we, infected with that "taste" and the question "Why?", become the right of those golden times of the production company.
This is the golden era of any artist. To influence with a work. Not the work itself, but its soul. Resonance..
I agree with you that it is best if we ourselves - the customers - demand quality at the highest level. But I'm afraid that people will buy Apple products, even if they no longer meet high standards, because it will (perhaps) still be a little better than the competition (or just a little worse). I'm in this situation right now. I forgave Apple for the somewhat unfinished iOS 7, because it's just a big change that they didn't even have a full year to make (I'm assuming that much of the work on iOS7 came after Scott Forstall left). But if iOS 8 should also be like that, then I will see that it was not a lack of time, but rather a lack of consequence.
Just for iOS7 - 1 year is not such a short time again - let's not forget how many resources APPLE has/can have...
The result corresponds to 3 months of work and the time it takes them to debug bugs.
And let's not forget how long the very first iOS was in preparation = no more than 2 years ……
I'm also waiting for iOS 8 as a signal whether APPLE is really in the ass or not... :-).
"The result is more like 3 months of work"
"And let's not forget how long the very early iOS was in preparation = no more than 2 years ..."
:D
May I ask which company do you develop the software at? I would like to use your services. (If you could write iOS in 3 months). And also, if you don't lend me your excellent contacts at Apple (if you know how long the original iOS was developed).
Or are you just paying absolutely without knowing how long it takes to write a piece of OS or such an OS update? I hope it's the first.
So we'll see :) For example, a quality wine opener is still far more usable, even if it lacks a thermometer. Than an ill-conceived concoction that he doesn't even hold in his hand.
And I also wonder if we will ever actually be satisfied. And also why? If we bought the ideal now, what else would we dream of? :)
Where did you look for those designer watches? there was nothing worse anywhere?
So show me what you would put there. I will gladly add them to the article.
For example: Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex (although I don't need them), IWC, Hamilton, Zenith, Breitling, Audemars Piguet, Piaget... I think these are the brands that set trends in watch design.
Personally, I'd like it to look like a watch from Minority Report. This was exactly the combination of traditional watches and fashion technology.
If someone puts the inscription "water resistant", "sapphire" or "titanium" on the dial of a watch for 1000 EUR and more, then they deserve just two powerful blows from the right hand to solar and not to determine trends in watch design. Giggles, really. Probably the saddest thing is to write "automatic" on the dial of a nice watch with a very decent movement. Of the listed manufacturers, almost all of them do it, perhaps only RADO can claim that it does design and does not spoil the appearance of the dial with stupid useless texts.
It is obvious that smartwatch dials are overpriced and completely tasteless, so there is no question of design. For now, smartwatches are still unwearable for some people. And I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel...
I totally agree, the only reason I wouldn't want a smartwatch at the moment is because it's totally tacky. And as Paddy Jay wrote, I doubt that Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex or Tag Heuer will determine the smart watch trend. I quite understand that such watches are still in bad taste. Manufacturers prioritize technical specifications over looks, which is the biggest shame.
I have 10 different watches from different brands. (patek philippe, breitling, maurice lacroix, royal london tourbillon, 2x armani, bvlgari, gvmw, d&g and one QaQ). the only watch that has something written on the dial is my very first QaQ watch that my girlfriend gave me for my birthday about 8 years ago.
exactly half of my watches are automatics. I don't have automatic written on the dial on either of them. they are all water resistant 5-10 ATM, none of them have that written on the dial.
all manufacturers try to write it on the bottom of the watch where it cannot be seen (of course, if there is no open bezel), then they write it either on the side or on the bezel from below around the glass bezel. Feel free to send photos of the watch as proof.
so you see 8 different watch manufacturers, 3 types of movement, all watches over 1000 EUR and the only inscription on the dial is the manufacturer's name and possibly a logo, and two of them have swiss made. nothing more
I was just about to write something similar, Mr. Lévay overshot. On the one hand, the brands that the discusser wrote about him are not about 1000E, but basically they start at 5000E (with the exception of Hamilton) and, with total exceptions, none of those companies puts any nonsense on the dial. Definitely not automatic, or water resistant and sapphire. If anything, there is usually a "chronometer" or a type of movement. The texts are written on the watches from the mentioned group from the bottom so that they are not visible. Rado is a ready-made watch, and it is incomparable to the brands that my colleague wrote above. In addition, RADO has the inscription automatic on the dial on all automatics...
well, patek philippe, I wouldn't involve it at all. just patek philippe is completely outside of everything. you are the king of the king. such an omega can slide against them. rolexes are just terribly worn out and quite ordinary in design.
to tell the truth, I can't imagine a watch similar to the one in the picture. to have the classic look of a watch with advanced technology, but I don't see, I don't see. a classic watch must simply have a movement (at least for me). but with so many features such as a battery, bluetooth, and everything else, the machine simply wouldn't fit in there.
on the other hand, I wouldn't even buy a watch like those from Samsung. they are just hummus.
I'll be surprised by what Apple will come up with, if at all. I'll save the last place in the cartridge for that watch, so I hope Apple won't let me down.
don't be fooled, this is not the watch that Mr. Žďánský chose. It is a watch from the original article, which Mr. Žďánský just copied without thinking. :)
I am so far satisfied with garmin fenix – smart functions as an addition to a super outdoor watch with sports functions and GPS. It can only use the notification center in iOS 7, but as one of the first swallows, it's great!
Can you tell me what it can do with iOS 7?
the watch will show anything from the notification center. Emails, SMS, calls, information about app updates, messages from Twitter, Facebook... However, the call cannot be accepted or rejected. I am personally curious if Garmin will expand these functions in the future.
Some photos are here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.684848518212387.1073741833.123570047673573&type=1
Thanks. I already have an I'm Watch, they are not bad, but the battery lasts a maximum of 12 hours. I guess I'll try the Fenix one.
in that case, I recommend waiting a while - although we can't even hint, but there will be a new model around February :-)
It would be appropriate to mention the author of the original article, because it is not inspired but translated. ;)
Please show me where you think I have only translated. The fact that I put some of the author's thoughts into my own thinking is not a translation, but an inspiration.
Can you please say exactly what you think is translated? The fact that I inserted a few of the author's thoughts into my own already long-planned reflection is not a translation, but an inspiration.
Personally, I would like a classic self-winding automatic that could produce enough energy to not need to charge such a watch at all... The watch would look like skeletons all the time, and only when setting the hand to the "watch reading angle" and after realizing that if you look at them, the sapphire glass cover would become opaque and display data from the IOS. Then I'm going to do it :-D
This also surprised me that no one used it afterwards. If it couldn't power it all the time, it could significantly extend the battery life on a single charge.
I think someone thought of it, but do you have an idea how tall the watch would have to be? automatic machines are already around 8-10 mm in height. the machine is simply too big.
in addition, the machine does not produce energy, but stretches the spring, which, by contracting, turns the movement. so if someone doesn't figure out how to convert kinetic energy into electricity, such a watch is quite a utopia.
Energy is energy, the result of the movement's function is the rotational movement of the hands and the chronograph (and we can convert the rotational movement into electrical energy), so I wouldn't see this as a problem. Perhaps the main problem is precisely the combination of (relatively) very malfunctioning and (very) degrading electronics over time and a perfectly functioning mechanical movement. I doubt that Omega or Ulysse Nardin would sign a flimsy electronic product along with Apple. That's nothing against Apple, I don't think it's bad compared to the products, but it's a fact that mechanical watches are eternal, unlike electronics, which we change every two years. I wrote only a subjective view of the matter and a "wish" that would force me to replace a mechanical watch with a smart one. As long as it looks like a digi with a calculator from the 80s, it just won't sell...
I agree that energy is energy, but only in the result. it is divided whether the machine produces mechanical (kinetic) or electrical energy. since we carry the machines on our hands, the kinetic energy swings the "weight" that stretches the spring. here, someone would have to come up with how to transform this kinetic energy in real time into electrical energy that would drive functions such as display(?) BT, wifi, and many other things. I think there will be quite a problem because fitting something like that into a relatively small space and especially at a low weight will require a lot of cleverness and intelligence. Who among us would want to wear a watch with a dial with a diameter of 8 cm and weighing 350 g? (maybe it's my subjective opinion, but watches with a diameter of more than 50 mm without a crown are monsters in my opinion, and a weight of more than 200 g is already really fat)
The dynamo is the mysterious device that converts rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy in real time. So I don't see a problem with this, I just don't know if the performance would be enough...
question: if it goes via Bluetooth, how long will the battery last if it lasts me one working day today?
Bluetooth 4.0 is very economical compared to previous versions, so the connection itself will use the battery minimally. What will be a problem is rather the data downloaded from the Internet (which will be sent to the watch, e.g. weather, traffic, etc.) on our famous 3G network, where the antenna is heated to - with a bit of irony - 200%, because the coverage is on the old side .
BT 4 is not so economical. Smart functions were added to my watch only recently with a firmware update, and its battery life with BT 4 on is approx. 21 hours. Without BT, the watch lasts approx. 7 days with compass, barometer and ANT+ on. If I turn on the GPS (huge energy consumption) then about 16 hours. Somehow I made peace with it and I charge it every evening. It suits me very well that I don't have to pull my mobile phone out of my pocket or run to it every time I get an email, text or to see who's calling me - I can read everything comfortably on the watch display :-)
I thought that Adam was asking if the battery life of the mobile phone would decrease, not the watch.
I don't turn off BT on the iPhone 5, and if I don't make a lot of calls, it exceptionally lasts even two days. The wife has an ip 4s without BT on and the endurance is similar.
The article seems to me to have little of its own information and ideas compared to the original article, but that is beside the point.
I ordered Pebble Steel Black Matte and will receive them in mid-February. I'm already looking forward to them. :-)
Before Apple wakes up from dreaming about watches and TVs, there will be no need to publish it :) I hope that it was just a joke from Apple that others caught on to and that it is working on something much more interesting. But that's just a dream too.
Smart watches from COOKOO are quite cheap, the desimg is nice and the functions are so normal. Maybe I'll wait for the iWatch, how much it will cost, but if it's a lot, I'll buy a COOKOO.
Earlier, people liked to distinguish themselves by the appearance of mobile phones. There were clamshells, drawers, different surfaces, etc. Today, they have gotten used to the fact that they all look the same. Watches, then perceived as a matter of individual style, do not get used so quickly. I think that sports monsters of fitness or diving or yachting style will appeal to few people. Elegant (like the one in the photo in the article) and customizable watches can be applied en masse. It should start with a concept that allows for the gradual introduction of more basic shapes (small/large, round/square, different materials), a proper flashlight (in a strap?), an API for basic apps, and then leave it up to the developer community to decide what display design to offer to users. DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE ABOUT DESIGN AND NOT FUNCTIONS! Just the same as a normal watch – there are a few movements, but lots of dials, cases and straps!
We have a lot of "smart" shops around us. I would ask for more smart people…
If Apple chose the company RADO to cooperate in the production of watches, then a super piece could be created. But how many people could pay 2-3 euros for them?
so would he give the bride a mistake in history? did you really write RADO? ready-made dozen for such a rucksack? For the money that RADO costs, you can get much better watches.
I don't know how to compare it to you. let's try cars. you have 3 euros and a choice between "let's say" felicia (RADO) and a superb (Royal London Tourbillon). only a fool would marry Felicia.
Certainly better, but I don't know more modern. But mainly I don't know how the design with tourbillon would fit the functions that the iWatch should have. On the other hand, in my opinion, some RADO models are designed specifically for iWatch due to their material and design.
I'm not saying there has to be a tourbillon.
I don't even know how it should look with a tourbillon. just comparing 2 watch manufacturers. RADO with automatic movement on one side and Royal London with tourbillon on the other. Two watches in the same price range, which one would you take? Ordinary automatics or tourbillon?
It doesn't matter because if there will ever be a watch, it's almost certain that it won't be automatic or tourbillons, but it will be with an ordinary quartz movement or a digital one with a crystal.
I agree with that, but I did not mean the type of watch movement, but mainly the material of the watch - ceramic and its design. I have a ceramic version in silver, which has two displays on the dial (date, second time, stopwatch, etc.). According to them, if someone could make a similar iWatch for a reasonable price, they would fulfill my idea.
I also have ceramic ones. white ceramic by Emporio Armani. It is true that they are really nice and unusual, but the dirt settles on the ceramic much faster than on the metal watch.
Otherwise, I like the classic watch design. certainly not digital ones. and I don't really care if they are square or round. if someone creates a watch with a simple hand dial and there will be some glass over it on which notifications will be projected, then it will be an ideal watch. and then I don't care if they are ceramic, silver or stainless steel.
Michael, I am really confused, is this sentence true? Could you break it up? "iOS 7 can already synchronize notifications, so if we read them on the watch, they disappear on the phone and tablet."
Yes, iOS 7 can, among other things, synchronize read notifications, see Keynote or perhaps here http://www.cultofmac.com/231320/10-awesome-ios-7-features-that-apple-didnt-mention-at-wwdc/
Well, in reality, this feature never made it to the final version of iOS 7. They said in the Keynote that it would (and the article is dated from the day of the keynote), but it is not currently in iOS. That's why I'm asking, because I remember that this is one of the things that they didn't fix and currently it's just not in iOS 7.
Nevis, how I would like it to work already. But currently, notifications on one device will wait on the other until you unlock the phone/iPad. In addition, this is quite a complex problem, since Push notifications are sent to a specific device, not an Apple ID. So, pairing the "same" Push notification sent to iPhone and iPad under the same Apple ID (but each has its own unique identifier) is quite a problem - it can only be solved by extending the API, which was not done at the time.
So, as far as I know, this feature is not available in iOS 7.
And I ask the debaters to let Steve rest in peace and not drag him into matters with which he has had nothing to do with for a long time. Ugh.