back to article Apple's iWatch? They cannae do it ... they don't have the POWER

Tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a decent track record on Apple production issues, has risked breaking the hearts of fanbois everywhere with the prediction that the iWatch might not be released until next year. In a brutal swipe at Apple's production skills, Kuo said Cupertino just doesn't have the technical grunt to produce …

  1. Anomalous Cowshed

    its production line isn't

    This clue tells us that it is mere propaganda. Apple doesn't have a production line.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: its production line isn't

      If you'd bothered to read the linked article, you'd know that it doesn't say that it's an "Apple production line" - that's just shorthand used in the Reg article.

    2. frank ly

      Re: its production line isn't

      If Apple doesn't have a production line, how do they make iPhones and Macs? This is so confusing.

      1. Steve Todd

        Re: its production line isn't

        They contract out production to companies like Foxconn, who have enormous factory towns in China. This is exactly like the rest of the industry, and chances are they are already making smart watches for Samsung, Motorola etc., so it's unlikely to be a production issue. Software or components I could accept as a reason for delay, but production capacity? They can buy as much of that as they want.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

    But I'm still not convinced there's a real market for these things. I've yet to meet anyone who owns a smart watch, or is even considering one.

    That said, I'm very interested to see if the Moto 360 takes off - it's the first half decent looking specimen.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

      Hello. Fancy meeting up?

    2. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

      My current watch:

      Small, looks good in a plain way, tough, waterproof, years on batteries. Days, hours, minutes.

      So, what 'smart watch' features would I find useful? And what comprises would I be willing to incur in order to have them?

      Some features could be implemented without drastically affecting the appearance of the watch. I wouldn't want a Galaxy Gear, but a conventional watch that had a RGB notification LED or two, plus some simple media playback controls could be good. For that I might trade a 3-year battery life for a 6-month battery life, perhaps.

      Citizen and Casio already make simple connected watches, but the implementations appear to be in the 'close but no cigar' territory.

      Indeed, Citizen's effort is solar-powered:

      http://www.amazon.co.uk/Citizen-Proximity-Bluetooth-Chronograph-AT7035-01E/dp/B009LDL7TU

      1. Brangdon

        Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

        For me the killer feature would be payment by NFC, supposing the nation's infrastructure is up to it. For example, it should save me having to carry a pre-paid bus card. (Having NFC in a phone isn't enough for convenience, because getting a phone out isn't any harder than getting a wallet out; but my watch is already out.)

        Other people want vibrate notifications for incoming messages and the like. Having the watch alert if it gets too far away from the phone would be useful for people who leave their phones behind, and having the phone lock/unlock depending on its proximity to the watch would useful for people who are concerned about their phones getting stolen.

        Whether any of these features is included in any given smart watch product is another matter.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Coat

          Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

          I'll wait for the model with the autowinding...

    3. Alpha Tony

      Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

      " I'm still not convinced there's a real market for these things. "

      We all said the same about the i-pad and now everyone and their cat seems to have a tablet.

      We even have one in the house (in a drawer, still boxed, as the girlfriend got it as a freebie and we still can't see the point!), so I'm going to reserve judgement here... Apple seem to be masters at generating markets where none seems to exist.

      1. Steve Todd

        Re: If Samsung can do it then surely Apple can...

        If all they are trying to do is replace your watch and add a bit of basic connectivity to your mobile then you're probably right. The devil is in the detail. We don't yet know what else it will do, and if that will make it worth purchasing by a significant number of users.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The sooner they do it the better

      ... so we can more easily spot d*ckheads when out and about

  3. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

    Ming-Chi Kuo's is assuming that Apple have only recently started work on the iWatch. It could be (and has been rumoured for years) that Apple have been working on an iWatch for a while. In which case, one problem they could have been working on is how to produce it.

  4. D@v3

    Breaking News!

    Unconfirmed product, that wasn't released last year, might not be released this year either (or possibly ever). Full story at 11.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Watches and battery life

    Brings back memories of my first digital watch in 1975 or so, which proved that teenage enthusiasm + LEDs was not a great mix; about a month per set for the first few months was about as good as it got. Fast forward to 1981, and the 10 dollar Casio LCD I bought on a trip to the states was still going on the same batteries till 12 years later, a longevity no watch I've owned since has ever bettered.

    Smart watches to date seem to offer little of great merit for my needs, and I wonder how many people would really be prepared to add another (doubtless pricey 'daily charge' item to their list of battery management tasks - even if Apple manage to squeeze in functions no-one else has come up with or managed to get working. Short of a mighty improvement in battery life, the only rabbit you can pull is a novel and relatively pain free method of charging, because if it isn't on your wrist, its not much use as a watch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I found this...

      )

      I think you might have dropped it

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I found this...

        Ahhh... ta guv'nor... (shuffles off in some embarassment)

  6. RainForestGuppy

    Does it matter??

    Put a dog turd on a strap, slap an Apple logo on it and the fanbois will still buy it, claiming that it's world changing technology.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does it matter??

      Get your iTurd now! With Rectuma display!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does it matter??

      Well that's what Samsung did? ;)

    3. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Does it matter??

      >Put a dog turd on a strap, slap an Apple logo on it and the fanbois will still buy it, claiming that it's world changing technology.

      If that were true, Apple would have just bunged some Bluetooth chip in the iPod Nano, and enjoyed some sales for the last few years.

  7. Velv
    Mushroom

    Why don't they just buy Pebble?

    Probably a better product already, so just stick it in an Ive's case

  8. Dave 126 Silver badge

    Quick Reader Poll:

    Genuine question. What kind of charging interval would you consider acceptable for a 'smart-watch'?

    Weekly, monthly, biannually?

    Let us know!

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      I'd probably consider a monthly charging interval to be acceptable, though of course this depends on the usefulness of any 'smartwatch' features. This would allow people to travel without packing extra charging gubbins.

    2. Benno

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      Weekly - via Qi, would be acceptable in my book.

    3. You have not yet created a handle
      Gimp

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      Daily wouldn't bother me. If i can simply throw it on a wireless charging pad on the bedside table when I take it off.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      minimum monthly. preferably biannually or annually

    5. Eddy Ito

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      I ditched my previous watch because the battery only lasted a year, switched to an Eco-drive and haven't looked back. That said, if it was wireless and I could just drop it on a recharging pad at the end of the day then daily would probably be fine but I'd prefer a week or more for traveling.

      The thing with a watch is that it shouldn't ever stop and people are creatures of habit so if it fits the daily routine it has a spot, likewise if it fits a weekly or monthly routine it is easy to work with. The real pain in the arse is when it lasts 3 or 4 days or less than a day and doesn't fit nicely into the routine. Whatever it does it has to work on a convenient and consistent schedule because battery gauges suck sewage through a straw because the use and power draw profiles are so varied.

      1. wdmot

        Re: Quick Reader Poll:

        @Eddy Ito: "likewise if it fits a weekly or monthly routine it is easy to work with"

        Weekly, I'd understand somewhat, but monthly? Do you have a monthly routine? I definitely agree that lasting 3 or 4 days would be a right pain.

        For me, if I were to actually wear a watch (haven't for over 15 years), I'd probably charge it daily to keep it topped up, but I'd expect it to last a minimum of 2 weeks on a charge -- nice for camping holidays etc.

        1. Oninoshiko

          Re: Quick Reader Poll:

          I would say weekly, but they have to cram a Qi charger in it. I'm tired if fiddling with wires.

          I still have no idea what I'd use it for though. I don't even wear a real watch much.

    6. Thecowking

      Re: Quick Reader Poll:

      My pebble lasts a week or so quite easily, and I use it to control my music on my commute and netflix on the Chromecast at home. It also controls my heating (via nest, so I suspect a lot of commenters will loathe me on sight for such blasphemy as enjoying a connected house)

      So weekly's good for me, only takes a couple of hours to charge too.

      Though sometimes I do miss the reassuringly solid feel of my old Citizen ecodrive.

  9. Khaptain Silver badge

    LTMFTFY

    They cannae dae it, they dinnae hae the power.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So what are the fruity hordes going to do until then?

    > How will they manage to tell the time without a why-oh-why watch strapped to their feeble wrists?

    I guess most (the ones with real lives) will just keep using whatever they have now.

    On the other hand, some rabid closet fanbois care more about the rumour than about the product. Those will obsessively parrot away any unsubstantiated rumour in order to garner attention and attempt to pass the gossip as "journalism".

    "Hey guys, here's another rumour. What to you think? Huh? Huh? Comment on this!"

    -- Rej Llama Phis

  11. This post has been deleted by its author

  12. envmod

    wearables

    personally i'm waiting for the iHat. built-in headphones, flip-down display, vibration alterts and availble in a range of styles from top to flat-cap. also availble in hard-iHat variety for construction workers and/or The Village People.

  13. a53

    Delay

    I really, really don't care. My MBP I love, my iPhone I love. Just don't have a need for an iWatch.

  14. Ian Joyner Bronze badge

    Your articles on Apple would read a lot better if you knocked off the anti-Apple hubris in using terms like 'fanbois', etc.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only in analyst fairy tale land

    Can it be said to be a "delay" due to "production issues" when an unannounced/rumored product rumored to be released in 2014 is claimed (i.e. starting a new rumor) to be released in 2015.

  16. Dieter Haussmann

    I'll wait until they are 'smart' enough to be usefull and thin/elegant enough to wear.

    They will have to invent something better that LiPo batteries.

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