What should Apple do with the iWatch? | Hacker News Reader

What should Apple do with the iWatch?

1 pointPatrickAdiaheno4 comments

Current smartwatches focus on a phone companion. SonyEricsson (now Sony), has been making that mistake for about ten years now, and Samsung is no better. What apple should do: Some companies like Nike or Jawbone focus on tracking activities. In my opinion, Apple should make a bolder move.  

a) Medical industry revolution. The iWatch would monitor people vital signs, and let them know if they are getting sick. It would be like your personal general doctor. People will know what to do before getting sick, and only go to the doctor if necessary. It would save million of lives, reduce the cost related to medicine, and solve the insurance high cost problem in the process. Doctors will have access to more accurate patient diagnostic, patient history, and provide better cares. Young ones who can’t explain their symptoms won’t have to. We would be able to gather more data, and learn more from the human body. We would also be able to see disease progression, so researchers could come up with breakthrough treatments… etc  

b) Ability to wirelessly control physical devices by tracking muscular movements (they should immediately buy startups like Myo and Nymi).  

C) iWatch integration with the Apple TV. Using what mention in (b), the user could control the apple TV with accurate motions (an app has to be activated before to avoid unwanted actions). I can’t tell you how many time I have been looking for my remotes. Apple would have a device far more accurate than motion sensor used on Samsung TVs, Microsoft Kinect, or Playstastion move (yes free pass to the gaming industry once again).

What do you guys think?

Based on your points:

a: Agreed with the medical uses, but I personally, don't wear my watch that tight. Maybe I would if it had value, but my watch is closer around my wrist bone and loose. Then again, it's a metal band and not leather / plastic, so it's usually either too tight or loose.

b: I have no interest at all in controlling my TV by flailing my arms. Thats just not me.

c: yes - but not by movement. Volume buttons that can double as up down arrows or something like that (but then, why wouldn't you just swipe the screen of the watch) to navigate would be cool. I don't see an iWatch having a lot of buttons, if any.

I've had many discussions about this with many people; from salesmen to doctors.

My personal hopes for the watch: Be good at what it should do: notifications. Show me what music is playing; what the caller id of the incoming calls is; who the text message is from; upcoming appointments, etc... And just like the iPhone, it's top priority is to show... the time! A watch is still a watch and if its gonna replace my Tagg Heuer, it better tell the damn time.

I also think though that a problem with these devices (including Google Glass) is people that wear expensive sunglasses, expensive watches, etc... do so, mostly because of style. I think Google should partner with a Ray-Ban, an Oakley or whoever to make the frames for them. I highly doubt Apple would, but it would make sense to hire a Tagg, a Movado, a Tissot, etc... to make the bands / face casings. I've joked that if Apple made a watch, I'd wear the Apple watch on my right arm and continue to wear my Tagg on my left. A watch still very much has value to me, even though my phone is always on me.

More than anything, I want an iWatch to stop me from looking at my phone every 5 minutes. The action has become obsessive and I can't help but think it's rude. Looking at your watch constantly says to people your in a hurry or in a rush. Looking at your phone all the time tells people your a socio path or don't care whats happening. Neither are good, but the prior is less of an evil then that latter, haha.

Good answer. I agree with notifications.

For the design, it is a harder one. They are two major segments, Tissot & co on one side (more fashion), and Casio & co (more practical). Apple would have to pick one segment instead of going after both like samsung or sony did. If it works, they can later attack the other segment.

Their big challenge would be the battery life. No one wants to have to charge a watch every night. They will have to work hard on hardware and software to solve that problem.

Like you said, Telling time should be the number 1 feature! haha

How many people wear watches anymore, to even make a wearable device marketable? Quick unscientific poll in my office is VERY low - on the order of 20% or so. I don't see why Apple would even consider a watch device given that small percentage of people who even wear one to begin with, and the subset of that small percentage who would wear a device like this.

edit: found more people with watches

Less people wear watches (number still important) because they can get time through their phone. As lsiunsuex mentioned above, a watch could be useful for notification, taking away the need to look at your phone. In this case, some people owning a smartphone (and not a watch anymore) would be interested in going back to a watch.

If a watch gives you important information regarding your health, would you not be interested in wearing one?

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