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Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

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Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#2
I'd hesitate to put a time estimate like that on their lead in anything. They've had a "decade-long" lead on a lot of things for over a decade. The rest of the market (unfortunately) acts like it's decided not to actually compete directly with them at all, and to chase other segments instead, putting out products that might look kind-of similar but aren't really serious alternatives to most people considering the Apple version of whatever-it-is.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#3
I didn't think I would like the Apple Watch as much as I do. I swear, add a camera, and I'll leave my phone at home.

I know, it's not a mobile browser, not really much as a mobile messaging device — but that's fine. One one hand, I'm not your stereotypical phone user that is always engrossed in the black mirror but furthermore, the Apple Watch means I am even less inclined.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#4
Pebble IMO was and still is the best wearable watch. I don’t think anything worked better largely due to the long battery life and generally the e-ink design. Had they added different wrist bands with smart tech in it, it would have gone even further.

I don’t really think apple has a decade lead, what they do have is minimal innovation they’re competing with. AND more importantly, a brand and ecosystem. That being said if Samsung came out with a decent watch similar to pebble and bundled it with their phones I think they’d be outselling Apple.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#5
Around 10 years ago I wrote a Linux driver for the OCZ Nia, a super cheap EMG device. The Nia was actually a $10k medical device for paralyzed people to control computers with their face and tongue repurposed as a gaming input and sold for $120.

While I'm certain the technology has advanced, what surprises me most is how basic these finger reading devices seem. They're basically some electrodes on your skin near major nerve centers and a little bit of signal processing, like barely any signal processing.

It's about time this technology entered the mainstream. I was waiting for VR with occular/vagus nerve sensing for depth of field emulation but I guess hand sensors are the next best thing.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#6

Pebble IMO was and still is the best wearable watch. I don’t think anything worked better largely due to the long battery life and generally the e-ink design. Had they added different wrist bands with smart tech in it, it would have gone even further. I don’t really think apple has a decade lead, what they do have is minimal innovation they’re competing with. AND more importantly, a brand and ecosystem. That being sa…

I don’t get why battery life is important beyond 24h. I just put the watch on its charger at night. Only downside is during traveling, one more thing to carry and possibly the watch won’t make it through excruciating international travel.

So it won’t matter to me if the watch lasts a day or a week, it’s off my wrist when I sleep and goes on it’s charger.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#7

Pebble IMO was and still is the best wearable watch. I don’t think anything worked better largely due to the long battery life and generally the e-ink design. Had they added different wrist bands with smart tech in it, it would have gone even further. I don’t really think apple has a decade lead, what they do have is minimal innovation they’re competing with. AND more importantly, a brand and ecosystem. That being sa…

I don’t get why battery life is important beyond 24h. I just put the watch on its charger at night. Only downside is during traveling, one more thing to carry and possibly the watch won’t make it through excruciating international travel. So it won’t matter to me if the watch lasts a day or a week, it’s off my wrist when I sleep and goes on it’s charger.

If you want to track your sleep that doesn't work so well

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#9
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t get why battery life is important beyond 24h. I just put the watch on its charger at night. Only downside is during traveling, one more thing to carry and possibly the watch won’t make it through excruciating international travel. So it won’t matter to me if the watch lasts a day or a week, it’s off my wrist when I sleep and goes on it’s charger.

If you want to track your sleep that doesn't work so well

I never understood the point of tracking your sleep or even steps. It’s not like knowing that I had N hours of deep sleep will somehow change my sleep the following night. Same with steps, it’s pretty easy to understand without a tracker when you were active and when you weren’t.

Re: Apple has a decade-long lead in wearables

#10
Apple needs a little competition. I expected the Watch to advance much quicker.

6 years ago I wrote this blog saying everyone would be wearing a smart watch within a decade. My reasons were “health and safety“

https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/in-the-future-everyo...

“ There has been much discussion on the need for smart watches like the Apple Watch. People have a hard time believing that a large market exists. I can’t say with certainty that you’ll be wearing an Apple Watch a decade from now but you’ll definitely be wearing a smart watch from Apple, Google, or some new kid on the block.”

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