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Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

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Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#91

Post by nashashmi »

The only company that has a greater advantage at this game is Amazon's Echo. Echo is like a smartphone without a screen. It is the future of smart phones. And because it has a headstart on the voice game, an Echo watch would probably be the next best thing.

An Apple Watch with a small screen is a misfire and a watch that works standalone is somewhat missing the point. Watches were supposed to be remote control devices for our phones. Nothing else. This move feels like a cheap limited feature phone, not the future.

Edit: Maybe I am missing the point. Imagine a standalone watch that broadcasts wifi signal. Now imagine a thin ipod touch on the other hand piggybacking on the watch. That would be like reimagining the future.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#92

Post by newscracker »

I'm hoping that in 10-15 years, existing smartphones with giant screens will seem like a thing of the past, and that we'd have tiny devices that look "dumb" for a third person from 2017, but are much smarter and have AR capabilities just like we've seen in Sci-Fi movies and video games for a long time.

We don't need large screens to consume more content - we need content to look larger and more content to be seen in our eyes. I see wearables (watches, combined with earphones, and eyewear of some kind) becoming independent of a smartphone as one step forward in this evolution.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#93

Post by owenwil »

keymone wrote: post #12
MBCook wrote: post #2

I love my S2, but I have a hard time seeing why I should pay the cell phone company $120/yr to connect my watch. I don't go without my phone and I don't think this would change that. For people who want to run and listen to Spotify this may be great. But that stupid cell company fee will keep me away. Just like it keeps me off cellular iPads.

What if it could pair with air pods and function as a proper phone?

What do you mean what if? This is something you can already do for calling + streaming music direct from the watch.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#94

Post by owenwil »

keymone wrote: post #12
MBCook wrote: post #2

I love my S2, but I have a hard time seeing why I should pay the cell phone company $120/yr to connect my watch. I don't go without my phone and I don't think this would change that. For people who want to run and listen to Spotify this may be great. But that stupid cell company fee will keep me away. Just like it keeps me off cellular iPads.

What if it could pair with air pods and function as a proper phone?

What do you mean what if? This is something you can already do for calling + streaming music direct from the watch.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#95

Post by trts »

drewmol wrote: post #86
ISL wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Ting, each device is $6/mo.

Nice to see a Ting mention, parent company is TuCows, a Canadian ISP. Check em out if you've never heard of them, I really like their pricing model if you don't need much data or rural coverage areas

I switched to Ting for a couple months. Not sure if the pricing is still the same, but I still talk with people on the phone, and paying by-the-minute felt restrictive. First month my bill was <$40 -- that was great. Next month it was $80 because I'd had some long phone calls. I've been much happier with a $40/month prepaid Verizon plan. Unlimited calling and 3gb of data, and then I don't have to think about the cost of making or accepting a call.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#96

Post by TeMPOraL »

newscracker wrote: post #92

I'm hoping that in 10-15 years, existing smartphones with giant screens will seem like a thing of the past, and that we'd have tiny devices that look "dumb" for a third person from 2017, but are much smarter and have AR capabilities just like we've seen in Sci-Fi movies and video games for a long time. We don't need large screens to consume more content - we need content to look larger and more content to be seen in…

In the book Change Agent by Daniel Suarez, the society of near-future was widely using projectors that beamed images directly into your eyes in lieu of physical screens. The concept has potential issues (some explored by the book, too), but I found it a very interesting idea.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#97

Post by dingaling »

Bud wrote: post #81
dboreham wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A real game changer like the watches Samsung has been making for years that already do these things?

Samsung makes nothing, and has never made anything, remotely close to this.

The Samsung Gear S accepted a 3G Nano-SIM:

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00037221/

The Gear S2 3G has an eSIM for 3G. No phone required.

Many Chinese Android watches have offered direct cell connectivity for a couple of years now, as does the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Ed LTE ( Android Wear ).

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#98

Post by [deleted] »

newscracker wrote: post #92

I'm hoping that in 10-15 years, existing smartphones with giant screens will seem like a thing of the past, and that we'd have tiny devices that look "dumb" for a third person from 2017, but are much smarter and have AR capabilities just like we've seen in Sci-Fi movies and video games for a long time. We don't need large screens to consume more content - we need content to look larger and more content to be seen in…

[deleted]

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#99

Post by DaiPlusPlus »

Avshalom wrote: post #39
JustSomeNobody wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, a single exclusive provider. Because that tends to be the norm with tech companies who have to deal with cell companies.

Like the years of ATT exclusivity?

Apple doesn't need AT&T anymore - the original exclusivity was because Apple didn't want any carrier interference (as carriers love to add their logos to handsets, install crapware into the firmware, lock-down settings and features, etc) - none of the carriers would agree except for AT&T, who demanded an exclusivity period to compensate for the risk of loss-of-revenue from evil things like only allowing photographs to be sent by MMS.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#100

Post by msh »

newscracker wrote: post #92

I'm hoping that in 10-15 years, existing smartphones with giant screens will seem like a thing of the past, and that we'd have tiny devices that look "dumb" for a third person from 2017, but are much smarter and have AR capabilities just like we've seen in Sci-Fi movies and video games for a long time. We don't need large screens to consume more content - we need content to look larger and more content to be seen in…

Maybe like what's portrayed in the movie her minus the true AI.

A semi intelligent seeming voice interface that handles most and then a secondary backup display only for purely visual things.

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