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Wearables fight back as Apple Watch raises bar

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"New kids on the block at Taiwan’s Computex tech fair insisted that style and simplicity were more important than myriad features, in the face of Apple’s intimidating offering."

Nope nope and nope. The only things that will give any watch an edge over Apple are battery time, and cost. Nothing else will put another brand in the competition in any way.

"Taiwanese smart watch “Noodoe” also trades off its simplicity—with its founder boasting it has “zero features”."

Ummm... yeah... that'll work as well as Docomo boasting about it's 'new' Gara-kei that has smartphone-like functions. Heard about that in the news for about all of one day.

Anyway, I applaud any and all competition if it helps people who want certain functions the Apple watch doesn't and/or can't afford it, especially if it will help improve the Apple watch for later releases.

For now, though, Apple continues to not only set the bar, but dominate. And I forget who it was that said "This (Apple watch) will be another flop, like the iPod"... was it gogogo?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

It's been a long time since Apple "raised the bar" with any of their products.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

It's been a long time since Apple "raised the bar" with any of their products. lol yeah lets see them raise the bar by selling them at a lower price, but that adds to the whole mystique of the purchase, must be excellent quality if its a high price!?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

From the cnet review of the Apple watch: "Battery barely lasts a day and recharge time is slow; most models and configurations cost more than they should; requires an iPhone 5 or later to work; interface can be confusing; sometimes slow to communicate with a paired iPhone......first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool."

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@Smith. No doubt Apple eclipses Noodoe and Docomo's new galapagos.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

“The Apple Watch has very much defined the category and set the benchmark for other vendors to follow.”

This is not surprising as Apple has very much defined the smartphone category.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"Apple has very much defined the smartphone category."

Relax people! These things are simply empty boxes made in China to process code and a lot of religion (for those who choose to live and die with Apple no matter what). If you want to enjoy the Apple prestige while - in most cases - be a Softbank slave by paying all that religious offering that touches Mr. Jobs' soul then go with Apple. If you want a good deal with a simple or no contract then you can get very cheap SIM contracts and something other than Apple, generally Android that is unlocked and much more affordable with no strings attached:

http://kakaku.com/mobile_data/sim/?lid=md_in_kkc_cttopsm_sim

...and discover freedom!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

nishikat: You can get different sims with Apple now, according to Japanese law. So there. And who the heck wants some crappy piece of machinery with a faulty and virus-full OS like Android? A far higher number of people have switched from Android to Apple OS than vice-versa, and for very good reason.

zootmoney: "It's been a long time since Apple "raised the bar" with any of their products."

Yeah... only invented the smartphone, gave meaning to tablets, and revolutionized the mp4 music device field. You still using your old mini-disc player or something and upset? And lest we forget professionals in most fields use Apple, unless they are data-processing.

In any case, the other smartwatches -- even the one Samsung literally rushed out when they heard news of the Apple watch being under development -- don't hold a candle. Overpriced, 100% yes, and yet the sales show what the people prefer.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I have seen that the battery life is a non-issue. In the 3 weeks i've had it it died completely just once. It takes about 2 hours to recharge 100%, so it's not "slow to recharge."

I do know that EVERYBODY who spots it seems to ooh and ahh over it, and clearly would like one. So I am pretty D confident this won't be a flop for Apple.

Anyway, your choice is your choice, mine is mine, and the only bling I've had in 30 years -- no EVER, actually -- is a really nice watch that does pretty much everything.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

OK, fine Mr. Smith, you are saying that without Apple we would be stuck using flip phones forever. That's fine if you want to think that. But people I talk to say they wish they had never gotten involved with Apple because they are "stuck" in their technology. They want out but don't know how to. They want to use something other than Apple. But use what you choose. I've never had any virus in my Android machine and I don't know anyone who has. But it's fine if you want to think that Android products are shipped with viruses pre-installed.

And I said "generally Android" which means I'm fine if it's cheap and works. I use Android. But I'm fine using something else in the future if it comes along. It won't be Apple. All their stuff is too expensive. What do you think if there is something Linux based? Would you hate that "faulty and virus-full OS" too?

For a while you could not get an iPhone with a big screen and the iPad mini does not have screen dimensions for movie viewing. Also, I heard you cannot load stuff in your Apple product by USB and have to go through iTunes. Still true? Can you order an iPhone in the mail without a contract?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The only folks foolish enough to fall in the Apple trap are...die hard Apple fans, charging double/triple for a product and then claiming it to be the new "benchmark" is a foolishness most people with common sense laugh about. Apple had time to sit back and learn from the pioneers of the smart watch. They had the time because they knew that by just announcing the future release of it would make every i-sheep jump up and down in anticipation. Now they released a half baked product for a full baked price. Now the android makers a starting to release their second generation watches, overtaking the I watch on most fronts. I got to admire Apple though, their marketing is second to none, first give away free phones and once people are sucked into their eco system, sell them an inferior first generation watch for too much. I'm perfectly happy with my pebble, I can use it with my android and I case I become old (think 80+) maybe an iPhone 16....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I don't have a phone so these watches are useless.

Sure wish Apple would make it easier to get a broken headphone jack out of the female end of their devices. I am at wits end with frustration. Darn thing is stuck in there.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

OMG, this sort of irrelevant discussion never ends. Apple haters keep philosophying about "if Apple hadn't...". But Apple did. And it's here, it's successful. And what Apple haters have to do with somebody else's money? Do you guys pay Apple fan's bills? Do you feed them? If we want the Apple Watch and this hurts you, then walk away from the room. I know for sure that everybody I know DO want one. It is their money, their problem. Alright?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The only smartwatch I'm looking forward to seeing is the one being developed by Tag Heuer, the Carrera Wearable 01 (okay, I admit, they could have thought up a better name). At least it actually looks good.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@smithincuckooland

zootmoney: "It's been a long time since Apple "raised the bar" with any of their products."

Yeah... only invented the smartphone, gave meaning to tablets, and revolutionized the mp4 music device field.

IBM invented the smartphone, next came Hewlett Packard, then Nokia, then Qualcomm, then Ericsson (the first device actually marketed as a "smartphone", then Kyocera made by Palm, then of course, Blackberry. Apple came along in 2007. Apple's copy of the tablet did indeed invigorate the tablet market, but that was in 2010. So, as I said, it's been a long time since Apple raised the bar with anything (except excellent planned-obsolescence marketing and ever-increasing profit margins).

You still using your old mini-disc player or something and upset? (sic)

No, I'm still using my ipad mini 2 and "upset".

@lost

And what Apple haters have to do with somebody else's money? (sic)

The annoying thing is many millions are influenced by the huge media hype that accompanies anything Apple puts on to the market. Those sales have swelled Apple's bank account into the billions. They just stash their indecent profits. If other companies had the same huge media coverage, it would give those companies more of a chance for some of those billions to be spent on research and increase their pace of development, instead of the pace of technical development being stymied by Apple to fit in with their planned obsolescence (the iphone 6s and iphone7 has been planned even before the iphone 6 was released, in the same way as all the previous models of this phone).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The annoying thing is many millions are influenced by the huge media hype that accompanies anything Apple puts on to the market.

The same could be said about lots of brands. You might think a Volvo is cheese on toast and the next guy consider it sex on wheels. That's diversity.

I choose a Mac because it works. It tethers quickly with my iPhone, and the Powerpoint playback feature (when attached to a screen or projector) beats the Windows version hands down. The interface is intuitive and visually satisfying. The processor makes creating documents lightning fast, and using a non-Apple mouse (although the company doesn't broadcast it) even gives me full right-click functionality.

planned obsolescence.

I choose Apple because I hate the frivolous, disposable aspect of modern electronics. My phone is several generations old, and still working perfectly on the latest, complimentary OS upgrade. And the Macbook laptop I bought in 2001 is still going strong - albeit as a spare DVD player - with great battery life.

Ultimately, zootmoney, to each his own. Me, I prefer overpriced apples to cheap lemons any day.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Each their own, pity some Apple spokesmen on this board can't grasp the meaning of this, and in trying to put their company on a pedestal, they open the door open wide for ridicule which they fully deserve. No system is perfect, but some systems are close to perfect for your needs....the moment you going to give social status to owning a device, is the day I pity you.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"beats the Windows version hands down" I don't know. My 300 dollar Lenovo laptop gets hooked up to the projector pretty quick.

"The processor makes creating documents lightning fast" Is this something exclusive for Macs? Because I think my Lenovo has a processor. I need to open it to check and make sure.

Can you build a MAC and make exactly what you want while saving some serious pennies?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"beats the Windows version hands down" I don't know. My 300 dollar Lenovo laptop gets hooked up to the projector pretty quick.

nishikat, I'm referring to the presenter mode on Office for Mac vs Windows. There's no contest. I have a ThinkPad too, bought for a specific project. I really tried to like, but it played hard to get. And it's deadly slow.

Can you build a MAC and make exactly what you want while saving some serious pennies?

I'd rather catch fleas than build a computer, but if you like that kind of thing, I'm sure your Lenovo affords plenty of scope. Any time I opened mine, it needed troubleshooting over some superfluous, self-serving, baka shitsukoi, time-thieving proprietary software.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Raise the bar" implies comparison of features, and that the field was found wanting. Not just 'Apple charged a lot because they can get away with it'. Are there any such comparisons?

Here is a review of a $30 Gearbest bluetooth touchscreen stylish smartwatch. The review is from July 2014.

http://androidspin.com/2014/07/21/review-l12s-oled-bluetooth-bracelet-watch-gearbest-get-30-wearable-device/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's official: Zootmoney doesn't have enough to afford Apple products, so he makes himself feel better by trashing them.

If you think Apple produces add no value to the lives of their users, you truly aren't paying attention at all.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

All modern laptops have presenter mode. It simply takes advantage of dual screen and I use that all the time. I simply use a common cheap HDMI cable and if memory serves me correct many macs don't even have HDMI ports. If you want to use your mac on a presentation and there is no video adapter for macs then you are out of business. All I need to do find a common HDMI cable. They exist at all my workplaces.

Actually I bought my Lenovo because it was cheapest at the time and I don't necessarily care about that particular brand. You can take any cheap laptop these days and put in an SDD for system drive and it will be just as fast as an Airmac or Ultrabook.

You cannot build a Lenovo Laptop- or any laptop, this is for my box desktop PC. Never busted down.

"Any time I opened mine, it needed troubleshooting over some superfluous, self-serving, baka shitsukoi, time-thieving proprietary software.." So let me get this straight. You opened your Lenovo Laptop with a screwdriver because you were having a software problem.

But you understand that all computers have processors, right? Even Macs use Intel these days.

I'm still trying to understand why Apple loyalists think that Android is pre-installed with viruses. Why do you guys think that?

What do you think of those new tubular powrermacs? Real works of art but ungodly expensive!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I've had my Apple Watch for about a month and a half now. I like it. It works really smoothly, without any problems. I find I generally only need to charge it every second night. The only real problem I see with it is the price - it was too expensive for what it is. Not a big deal to me, but I wouldn't recommend buying one to someone who will have to go through a bit of hardship to do so.

What do you think if there is something Linux based?

Both iOS and OSX are Unix based.

Regarding Apple products being overpriced - if they were overpriced, they wouldn't sell. The fact that they sell means they are not overpriced. It's as simple as that. Overpriced means that the price is at a point where people aren't willing to pay it. If people are willing to pay it, then it hasn't been overpriced.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

zootmoney:

The annoying thing is many millions are influenced by the huge media hype that accompanies anything Apple puts on to the market. Those sales have swelled Apple's bank account into the billions. They just stash their indecent profits. If other companies had the same huge media coverage, it would give those companies more of a chance for some of those billions to be spent on research and increase their pace of development, instead of the pace of technical development being stymied by Apple to fit in with their planned obsolescence (the iphone 6s and iphone7 has been planned even before the iphone 6 was released, in the same way as all the previous models of this phone).

Man, you are angry because a company is profitting, employing thousands, and helping US economy to recover? Please! It is a PRIVATE COMPANY, it's not a public service. Apple can use its money the way they want. And they have been using it in a good way. Also, totally lunatic your opinion about media coverage. It is free, Apple doesn't pay to have articles published - only the usual TV and papers commercials. Take JT: why they publish about Apple so constantly? First, because there are millions of Apple users in Japan and they want to read about Apple. Second, it creates influx of readers who Google "Apple", thus attracting more readers, hopefully. That's how the market works, did you know that? Last, what year are you living in? It's 2015! Technologies are upgraded and updated almost everyday. Laughable it would be if tech companies would start releasing their products with a promise that it would last, say, 5 years and still would be usable, have a market for them, and could be updated as much as their hardwares would allow. Wait, it's not laughable at all. Apple does that.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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