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Apple and Intel are rumored to be working on a smartwatch that could be ready for production sometime in the first half of 2013. Some elements of this rumor do make sense from a business standpoint but others seem a bit too far-fetched to fall into the plausible category.
According to German blog Mobile Geeks by way of a Chinese site, the two companies are building a watch with a 1.5-inch PMOLED display created by RiTDisplays. The watch face will feature ITO-coated glass while the watch itself will connect to other devices using low-power Bluetooth 4.0.
If you recall, Apple’s old iPod nano gained a significant following due to the fact that it could be used as a watch when paired with one of many compatible watch bands and lest we forget the Pebble customizable watch from Kickstarter. The fact that Apple recently redesigned the nano could be a clue that an iWatch may be in the pipeline.
The confusing part of this rumor, however, is Intel’s involvement. Apple has been keen on decreasing dependence on outside help as of late, especially with regards to processor development. An iWatch wouldn’t need a powerful processor as CPU-intensive tasks could be remotely performed on the paired device instead.
Smartwatches have gained a tiny bit of traction as of late but they’re by no means mainstream at this point. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, a smartwatch can connect to your smartphone, laptop or tablet and allow you to do things like read a text message or control music directly from your wrist without having to pull out your device.
Do you think smartwatches will eventually catch on with mainstream consumers or are they simply a passing fad that nobody will think twice about in a year or two?
User Comments: 41
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Intel + apple developing iWatch..
Hmm, I wonder what OS will be used? iOS or WP8?
Considering that neither Apple nor Intel are owned by MS, so there is no reason for WP8, I would say they will use iOS.
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Sony had that for like a year now. Lawsuit incoming.
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Questions:
Will this iWatch have a touch screen?
And do the watches have touch screen, that everyone says have been around for years?
What about Bluetooth 4.0, does the watches that have been around for years have Bluetooth?
Personally I have a watch that I have been wearing for nearly 30 years. I honestly can't imagine why I would want to upgrade to a watch that would clearly have a shorter life span. Anyone that knows anything about technology, know that features will become obsolete and dis-functional as technology evolves. This evolution will render this watch useless within less than ten years, even if the watch itself has managed to last. If this iWatch comes with a touch screen, I don't see the watch physically lasting over 3 years before the screen is completely wore out. I promise a device strapped to your wrist will take on more damage than a device in your pocket.
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Case closed! (pun intended).
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Case closed! (pun intended).Wasn't that an iCompass? lol
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Wasn't that an iCompass? lolI fear that question will likely be fielded by Apple's patent lawyers and left for the U.S.District courts to decide....
Could I interest you in something a bit more "outdoorsy"? This will probably become the, "iWoodsman" model.
These type of watches would really give Apple's faulty product apologists something to sink their teeth into. If you get the wrong time reading with one of these babies, you really are, "holding it wrong"....:p
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"Long battery life,
Wifi/3g,
Siri enabled/Voice controled."
--> then the iWatch will be at the same size (at least) as iPod touch, if that so, just buy iPod with wristband..
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"Long battery life,Sir, I fear you've missed the entire "iThing" purchasing arc, and are completely ignoring the consumer's (perceived), needs.
Wifi/3g,
Siri enabled/Voice controled."
--> then the iWatch will be at the same size (at least) as iPod touch, if that so, just buy iPod with wristband..
First, you buy a MacBook.
Then, you buy an iPad to track the MacBook, should it get lost or fall into enemy hands.
Then, you buy an iPad Mini, in case, the iPad gets taken from you in a skuffle over the MacBook.
If you lose the fight, and your iPad Mini, you use your iPhone track the foregoing Apple products back to the enemy lair.
Should you get captured trying to recover you iProperty, your iWatch will be your last hope of rescue. You call Siri to alert the rest of your team. She calls you, "rock god", and gives you a map that is off by 50 miles or so, and tells you she'll be waiting to give you the weather report when you get home.
So all this time you're thinking, "what happens if I lose my wallet in all the intrigue and adventure"?
Not a problem, it's empty! Apple cleaned that out for you quite a while ago....!
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It's very simple. If you watch the TV show Star trek you will understand where they get their ideas from. If I was Android I would tell my RD department to watch the show and come up with ideas on how to match those gadgets.Right dude, that's exactly what we need, an army of iZombies armed with iPhasers.
Don't breathe a word about "Star Trek", to either Samsung or Apple.
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Could I interest you in something a bit more "outdoorsy"?Here I was thinking we were going with more cloud based devices. That would be difficult to read on a cloudy day. lol
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Another revolutionary product by Apple!
No more old-fashioned mechanical watches made from the third world country like Switzerland, where workers have to make watches individually by hand and sell the product at an overpriced rate.
Apple stock should go over $700/share easily like it did with iPhone 5 for the awesome product design...
Switzerland by no stretch of the imagination is a 3rd world country
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Littleczr said:
Right dude, that's exactly what we need, an army of iZombies armed with iPhasers.Don't breathe a word about "Star Trek", to either Samsung or Apple.
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St1ckM4n said:
Well, the iPod nano as a watch is a decent idea. The things missing from it are battery life and bluetooth.
This has bluetooth, but I highly doubt we have any battery that can keep the screen on for even a day.
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Well, the iPod nano as a watch is a decent idea. The things missing from it are battery life and bluetooth.
This has bluetooth, but I highly doubt we have any battery that can keep the screen on for even a day.
So Apple will just have to sue somebody over the patent to the standard black and white LCD twisted nematic display. AFAIK, those will stay on all day without killing even tiny watch batteries. And you can buy watches with that technology for less than ten bucks at K-Mart.
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St1ckM4n said:So Apple will just have to sue somebody over the patent to the standard black and white LCD twisted nematic display. AFAIK, those will stay on all day without killing even tiny watch batteries. And you can buy watches with that technology for less than ten bucks at K-Mart.
Speaking of that technology, have there been any advancements in it? I'm thinking of a ~150-200ppi watch-sized display made up of the LCD crystals. Even though it's black and white, it would be pretty amazing (not to mention the battery life!).
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Speaking of that technology, have there been any advancements in it? I'm thinking of a ~150-200ppi watch-sized display made up of the LCD crystals. Even though it's black and white, it would be pretty amazing (not to mention the battery life!).I think that the eReaders are using the latest and greatest in that field. But thats all it is, is a thought.
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