Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#31

Post by dandellion » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 3:51 PM UTC

nmcfarl wrote: post #23

hfsktr wrote: post #17

I agree with most of the people that commented already. I have though about getting a watch (novelty/binary). Then I realize that my phone is always on me and the time is right there. The only watches I've seen appear to be to signal status. Smart phones do that just as well too. There are probably special occasions that a watch would be better than a phone but I can't even think of any decent ones. Best I can do is…

On just the subject of a watches and status/fashion. If I’m going to a formal event I’m going to be be wearing a watch with my suit. It’s a status symbol perhaps, but I’d put it closer to a fashion. And it’s an old fashion - this is not something I see changing in my lifetime. I would tend to think that a 'smart watch' and a suit is a misstep, more frequently than a winning style. Of course we are talking about produ…

From wikipedia:

In the early 1900s, the wristwatch, originally called a Wristlet, was reserved for women and considered more of a passing fad than a serious timepiece. Men, who carried pocket watches, were quoted as saying they would "sooner wear a skirt as wear a wristwatch"

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#32

Post by wklauss » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 3:59 PM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #15

jfb wrote: post #7

I'm deeply skeptical of the whole Apple iWatch thing.

I would LOVE to find out this whole iWatch thing is a huge fakeout from Apple to get the competition distracted.

It would be even funnier if competitions tart working on it and suddenly create a market for the device, even if it's small.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#33

Post by unavoidable » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:00 PM UTC

iTrollFreely wrote: post #11

though i'd love to wear a smartwatch, my primary concern is battery life. having to plug it into a charger every other night would be a huge dealbreaker. it would have to use sort of inductive charging (still not optimal since you need a mat everywhere you go). Mechanical watches for decades have used hand winding, kinetic self winding, solar recharging technologies, but would these be sufficient to charge a full -on…

Once you get used to charging it, it's no longer a problem. People were annoyed when smartphones came out and they had to charge them every night instead of once a week or so.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#34

Post by wklauss » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:06 PM UTC

xmpir wrote: post #2

if one has google glasses i don't really see a use case for the watch...

Like you say: IF

Google glasses seems to me like an ill fitted concept. It's expensive and you need to wear it constantly. A watch is more discreet and doesn't create that feeling of "I'm being filmed by that person" on those around you.

I'm not sure the watch is a great device for everyone but I think it's a more realistic wearable companion for the phone than Google glasses.

Don't take me wrong. I think technically Google glasses are an interesting engineering endeavor. It's just that I see limited appeal to them.

A watch seems like a good logical step from the Nike Fuelband concept. Track my activity, sense what I'm doing and also display my texts or emails and incoming calls, maybe small maps or very targeted info.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#35

Post by xoail » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:07 PM UTC

jws wrote: post #28

The name "Watch" misleads. No one¹ needs a dedicated device to tell time anymore. What may work in the market is one more tier of information interface. cloud > desktop > tablet > phone > ???. I keep my phone in a front trouser pocket. I find that the overwhelming majority of the "dig out the phone"² events during the day are to observe a bit of recently arrived information, or, less frequently, to issue a temporally…

Also slap in a pedometer and sleep monitor and that itself creates a whole new market opportunity. I cant wait for these watches.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#36

Post by joezydeco » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:09 PM UTC

wklauss wrote: post #32

joezydeco wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would LOVE to find out this whole iWatch thing is a huge fakeout from Apple to get the competition distracted.

It would be even funnier if competitions tart working on it and suddenly create a market for the device, even if it's small.

Well there's no doubt that people want some kind of wearable extension of their phones. The Pebble kickstarter showed that.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#37

Post by unavoidable » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:11 PM UTC

ignostic wrote: post #30

> Google Glass takes wearable computing a step beyond the basic wrist watch. However, the rate of adoption will almost certainly be lower... Nonsense. Everyone I've talked to about Glass has suggested a new use that I haven't thought of yet, and I've only met one person who wasn't excited about the project. Everyone I've talked to about smartwatches, on the other hand, doesn't understand. "Why? What can it do that my…

Smart watches can succeed because they have different use cases than phones. Do people look at their phones because there is a clock on it, or for some other reason?

I am using a Pebble now and since I have gotten it I no longer look at my phone on a regular basis. In fact I often lose track of my phone because I so rarely take it out.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#38

Post by goldfeld » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:13 PM UTC

jws wrote: post #28

The name "Watch" misleads. No one¹ needs a dedicated device to tell time anymore. What may work in the market is one more tier of information interface. cloud > desktop > tablet > phone > ???. I keep my phone in a front trouser pocket. I find that the overwhelming majority of the "dig out the phone"² events during the day are to observe a bit of recently arrived information, or, less frequently, to issue a temporally…

No one needs an iPhone as a dedicated cellphone either (surely you can get any other low end device, and Androids sync to Google out of the box.)

Moreover, the name 'watch' isn't misleading in that it's kept highly relevant to all you described. You have a little device "on watch" for all the info you need, at a glance's notice. By itself, "watch" doesn't imply time, so I don't see your point in as much as usage of words evolve organically and don't need to perfectly describe their job.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#39

Post by VLM » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:14 PM UTC

jws wrote: post #28

The name "Watch" misleads. No one¹ needs a dedicated device to tell time anymore. What may work in the market is one more tier of information interface. cloud > desktop > tablet > phone > ???. I keep my phone in a front trouser pocket. I find that the overwhelming majority of the "dig out the phone"² events during the day are to observe a bit of recently arrived information, or, less frequently, to issue a temporally…

"I might prefer it clipped to my sleeve or in a shirt pocket."

COTS "Sony Ericsson liveview bluetooth phone remote". $25 from amazon, eligible for free prime shipping too. Comes with a clip holder and a watch holder.

UI is a fail, also charging. Oh and its buggy and the battery life is supposedly dismal. Aside from the 99 other things it can do when its actually working, which is why the UI fails, it can act as a music player remote (hit pause, etc). I wanted one for in my car as a simple remote when I'm listening to music. The UI doesn't do "simple" and is worse than just fumbling around with the phone. Also charging issues in the car. Oh well.

The biggest problem with bluetooth watches and phones is all the marketing is front loaded on R+D, everyone hears about "might be sold next year". No marketing at or beyond launch, no one knows there's a zillion already available. It doesn't help that whats delivered is usually an epic fail if GOOG shipped something that merely met its advertised specs, unfortunately that in itself would be revolutionary in the bluetooth watch field. GOOG is good at that, look a the nexus line, its basically an honest device without the shovelware and thats all you need to beat the competition who have dishonest claims and chock full of shovelware.

Re: Google Rumored To Be Making A Smartwatch, Too

#40

Post by Newky » Wed, Mar 27, 2013, 4:16 PM UTC

ignostic wrote: post #30

> Google Glass takes wearable computing a step beyond the basic wrist watch. However, the rate of adoption will almost certainly be lower... Nonsense. Everyone I've talked to about Glass has suggested a new use that I haven't thought of yet, and I've only met one person who wasn't excited about the project. Everyone I've talked to about smartwatches, on the other hand, doesn't understand. "Why? What can it do that my…

Although in theory I agree with your idea, the relevant price points of the two products would probably be an important factor in their popularity.

Even if the glass was to be reduced to a $1000 product, I still feel that a lot of people would find that sort of luxury product a little over their price point.

We know so little about the watch (down to its very existence) however you would expect the price point to be similar to other smart watches which are in and around $100. If this was the case, the smaller amount of uses of a $100 device out trumps the virtues of a $1000 device for the vast majority of budget users.