Apple positioning iWatch as a home automation companion, report claims

Shawn Knight

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Samsung beat Apple to market with their Galaxy Gear smartwatch a few weeks ago. Unfortunately for the Korean tech giant, the device was met with a ton of criticism from tech experts. Described by some as fat, ugly, expensive and relentlessly inessential, it would seem that Samsung missed the mark entirely with their debut smartwatch offering.

According to analyst Brian White from Cantor Fitzgerald, Apple isn’t going to make that same mistake. Instead of the rumored iWatch being an arguably pointless smartphone companion, he believes – based on discussions with Taiwanese and mainland China suppliers – it will instead be a device used to control all sorts things inside the home.

His contacts suggested iWatch will be a multi-purpose gateway allowing wearers to control things like music, the temperature in your home, a home security system, lighting, energy use, entertainment and perhaps much more.

Given the recent push in home automation with products like the Nest Learning Thermostat and Protect smoke detector as well as the Kwikset Kevo deadbolt, the market is certainly ripe for the picking. What’s more, tasking a smartwatch to control the Internet of Things sounds much more appealing and practical than having it simply be an extension of your smartphone.

We suspect things like personal fitness will also be baked into Apple’s wristwatch. Even the long-rumored iTV could easily be controlled by such a device. Could this be the next market that Apple dives into with a truly game-changing idea?

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If so they have a while to make it into mainstream, consider the lack of supported device that's out there. I can't see it becoming mainstream until there're at least a handful of devices already at home that are net/iphone compatible. you wouldn't buy a watch so just so can control the thermalstat and appleTV.
 
I get it, "personal fitness", right. You don't have to get off the couch, because you can control the thermostat from your watch. Brian White has always been a supporter of Apple, and that is why his articles are sooooooo biased.
 
Wow...that is pretty cool. You know, this could be the thing that puts them back in the game...if they execute it right...if they perfect it...I will label this as a "watch and see."
 
Wow, I wish I had money to spend buying all these new smart controls to justify buying an iWatch.

Is the sum total going to cost less than a PS4?
 
Sounds to me this is also going to be "relentlessly inessential" as well. What's wrong with society nowadays? Don't people want to get off their fat asses anymore? Well I hope it can also control their wheelchairs as well seeing that they're too lazy to get up off the sofa to turn on the lights. iWatch with interest.
 
This will be cool if its an easy setup and not too expensive for the component to wire up the house like this. Otherwise, it would just be another thing that noone can afford.

Ill wait to see a functionality list and how people like it.
 
Nest smoke detector is $250 a pop. Thermo is probably similar? And then not to mention Apple will have to spend the majority of their liquid assets to bribe the majority of the manufacturers making the devices in the above picture? Why? To make a universal but closed standard again, that only works with Apple stuff.

Good luck.
 
Seems from the illustration it can't control the TV/surround sound. Maybe it's a Samsung model.
 
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