Astral/H3X
Member
Holy shit I would love this actually.
I've noticed that MS tends to be late to the party, but brings the best drinks. Which, ultimately, is what matters to me. I don't care about the bleeding edge as much as what it brings.
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Exclusive: A Microsoft Smartwatch Is Coming Within Weeks
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Holy shit I would love this actually.
I've noticed that MS tends to be late to the party, but brings the best drinks. Which, ultimately, is what matters to me. I don't care about the bleeding edge as much as what it brings.
Huh? Pebble is multiplatform and has an SDK. Pebble even supports swimming tracking which the AppleWatch won't be able to do. Functionality depends a lot on the device features not just the partner OS
It's a new form factor, what do you expect? No one thought phablets would be convenient and useful, but look how successful they are today. It's just about catching the interest with a combination of solid hardware and software.
Microsoft needs to get ahead of the game and think of another consumer product that it could make "smart." For instance, why not add a compartment to shoes where you can store pieces of meat? "The heat from your feet cooks the meat."
Not to derail here, but what happens if Sonic wears these shoes?
Mike Works
Member
Gotta spoil fast.
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
fast food
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
First of all, I can't even count how many times I take phone out of my pocket just to see notification. If I have any text, missed call, email or anything. I can't even keep my phone on vibrate, because I then I forget to turn the vibrate off and when I am in a meeting and I feel embarrassed when it vibrates. Anyways, so having a smartwatch just for the notification, would be SOOO much convenient. Just raise your wrist and you are good to go.
Then when you listening to music, radio, you want to forward a track, change album. Its just there. You don't have to take out your phone.
If you want to record something just launch it from smartwatch and recorded file is saved in your phone.
Apps: Weather apps, location service (tells you exactly where you are), turn by turn navigation when you are on foot.
This is just fraction of things that can be achieved with such device. Honestly if you think about it, its a game changer in many ways if done right. They really have to approach this as a companion device and not a stand alone device. I feel like Apple is on a right track, Galaxy not so much.
Astral/H3X
Member
I would like to add if my watch could vibrate with a notification any time that my phone got one, I would absolutely buy a watch for my Windows phone. Too many times I miss that someone has texted me, because I wasn't paying attention to my phone. Can't miss my wrist vibrating lol.
EDIT: My PERFECT smartwatch would be monochromatic LCD based (Like the Pebble) so it lasts FOREVER and not a day, don't want to have to recharge my watch, vibrate and display notifications, do some fitness tracking, and finally if I'm dreaming, have the ability to cache my Google Music playlists and play them to headphones (Physical Play/Next Track buttons?
). Doesn't need internet, doesn't need some bright huge colorful screen, doesn't need voice. It needs to firmly be an enhanced watch, rather than another daily charging smart device. Dual bluetooth capability would be nice though, one to phone, and one to headphones. (I'd actually buy some bluetooth headphones if that was the case)Poodlestrike
Banned
Thruthality.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Couldn't have said any better.
True, different types of vibration as well. To distinguish between notifications. On wrist, it would be easier to notice the intensity.
can you really even qualify this as a party though
6 smartwatches in a little over a year? Typical Samsung just farting out products that nobody wants.
They aren't late, the others were too early.
Also Apple are aiming for 2015 while the article says Microsoft are aiming for this holiday.
How much of Pebble's API's integrate with iOS?
Those are all interesting uses, but they don't significantly upgrade the convenience factor of just pulling out your phone. They just take something that's already super convenient (lets not pretend that smartphones are now some cumbersome machines when 5 years ago they barely existed on the market) and make it "super convenient +1".
That's why it's going to come down to price, in my mind. The convenience of a smartwatch just isn't obvious enough to command a premium. Any smartwatch priced over $150 is DOA.
EatinOlives
Member
Did people bang this drum with Apple "being late to the phabelt party" with the 6+? Or "late to the smart watch party" with the Apple Watch? I mean, if this is true, the Apple Watch is actually releasing after the MS Smartwatch.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
I agree with you on the price factor. If its more than 300$ than I can convince myself its not worth it for comfort factor alone. It needs to be under 250$-200$ as a companion device with solid battery life.
GuitarAtomik
Member
I'm really enjoying my smart watch. Pretty damn useful for my needs.
I'm excited to see what MS comes up with.
I'm excited to see what MS comes up with.
Sir Abacus
Member
No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.
Apple is like the guy that comes late to the party but brings pizza or liquor with him for the rest of the group and thus gains popularity.
Microsoft is the guy who accidentially stumbles over the power cord of the speakers while entering the room, falls on his face and needs an ambulance.
(I'm strictly only talking about their success and popularity on the market with this example) people won't care if Apple is late just because they're Apple
And yes, people did bang the "Apple is catching up/being late" drum several times this year.
What does that have to do with an SDK though? C'mon Giga, don't move the goalposts
Let's just skip all the semantics arguments, what's your main point?
Because Apple's APIs leave a lot to be desired Pebble sometimes relies on the app itself. So it can do things like change track, pause, play and get info for current playing music natively. As of iOS8 it has access to all notifications, and can clear notifications if cleared on the watch. Things like volume control or web requests need the Pebble app open (or a companion app for more complicated things) to interface with iOS or other services and if iOS background recycles the app to free RAM then it stops working.
This is exactly how I feel about wearables in general, Glass included.
I see. I guess we just use our phones differently. There is rarely anything that I NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW. At work my phone is on my desk so I look at it if I want to.
When I am not at work then I am usually in the "things can wait" mode.
My emails aren't even pushed - I pull them manually. In any case I get so many of them that if my watch or phone buzzed when I got them, I'd be wearing a vibrator
The way I can see glass being useful is if it becomes far, far smarter than it actually is.
Say, if I am in a store and looking at stuff on the shefl, it automatically displays best price of the stuff I am looking at.
Or if I am say bird watching it tells me what bird I am looking at.
People mentioned tablets, phablets - I think those are different.
Tablets are a great internet appliance - always on, superb battery life.
Phablets are great for us with so-so vision - hey, i don't have to squint any more, awesome.
In any case, we'll see what the market will say and whether wearables are the next smartphone or the next 3D TV.
Samsung, Sony and others has already released 2 iterations of their devices. ms may be marginally earlier than apple, but they are still late, and they are taking fewer risks as they already have some indication of the market's response.
Askherserenity
Member
Ugh. Why. I thought they were trying to cut down on devices and shit. Why even waste money on trying to do a smartwatch.
Ol No Bones
Banned
Oh, and how well are those devices selling? What's the mindshare like?
Nobody gives a shit about smartwatches yet. They are literally a non-factor on the market.
MS is not "late" just because they weren't first. Late is when your competitors have already been on the market for years, are selling devices hand over fist, with brands that are synonymous with the device concept itself.
Nothing was moved. I originally said that they'd be limited in what they can do with their SDK, and an SDK is a compilation of APIs that interact with the OS.What does that have to do with an SDK though? C'mon Giga, don't move the goalposts
Let's just skip all the semantics arguments, what's your main point?
The point is that vendors who control the software stack of both their phone and watch will always be able to integrate further than third parties. The easiest case in point is Continuity. How exactly would Microsoft implement something like that with Android or iOS?
That's not the extent of what they do either. They also replace most types of activity trackers and other sorts of HUD types of data displays. Basically a good smartwatch takes the aspects of a good watch, mixes in light notification/widget functionality from a smartphone and activity tracking. Pebble does all of this for $100.
Crazy to think Pebble is almost 2 years old and even with billions of dollars most companies are still not able to match it because they're too focused on the way things are done for mobile.
I'm gadget crazy and I have no interest in smart watches. Haven't worn a watch in years, they're cumbersome and always feel in the way. Now, a smartring.........
Well unlike Apple, MS is not in a position to set the trend.
C'mon giga, you're better than this. you said because it was
but even if this Microsoft watch solely supported iOS it would still run into the same problems. Crossplatform has nothing to do with it, just Apple's restrictions. So now on to your actual point...
hmm, I thought iOS8 now included a background service so the watch ios app could stay alive/reconnect better in the background. Sucks for Pebble I guess. On one hand, the main reason the Pebble kickstarter/products had so much hype imo is because it was the first to promise support for the iPhone. On the other hand, Apple's restrictions have hobbled the product's capabilities and progression a bit (certainly so when you consider the unofficial pebble features that are available for Android/jailbroken iPhones).
I think a round Microsoft watch/Moto360 that pairs with an iPhone would be extremely hyped. Yes, it true that Microsoft wouldn't be able to do Continuity on iOS (although they certainly would be able to do it with Android). It's a risky proposition because Apple forces itself as the default on iOS and can pull the rug out from under the feet of any competitor at anytime. However, that's only one way to look at it. The fact is that right now Google Now, Cortana can't be made the default on iOS. But a smartwatch made by Google or Microsoft would provide a workaround for that. Both Google Now and Cortana are on a higher level as digital assistants compared to Siri so it might be worth using those watches and google/microsoft services on your iPhone just for that alone, even though the watches don't send your heartbeat to iMessage like the Applewatch will. That's the proposition Microsoft might be about to offer to iPhone users.
EatinOlives
Member
That depends on why you think that is. Apple has a reputation of "trend setter", even on things it didn't really "set a trend" on. Hell, even this past year, they didn't set the trend for Phablets or Smart Watches. Last year they didn't set the trend for Flat OS design, WP7 did that first. Apple has been "the follower" for several years already.
Now, if by "in a position to set the trend" you mean "they have a cult of superfans who will treat everything they do as the second coming of Jesus", then no, they're not in that position. But MS has done plenty of novel efforts that don't catch on for many reasons, the biggest being their "lolol it's MS of course they're shitty" reputation people keep perpetuating.
This is an interesting point I didn't think of. MS may not have the direct service access because Apple treats 3rd parties as second-class on iOS but if they abstract it to companion hardware then MS watch users will use the Bing/Cortana service directly without a convenience penalty. That would be pretty smart.
They weren't too expensive, 100-150 dollars range.
I know one guy (but only one) who had one, they were pretty unattractive, had a rather limited functionality (just the bare boned stuff, email, IM, weather, news, sports) and required a yearly subscription (though it was pretty cheap IIRC).
They did however had good battery life and had wireless charging.
I'm still not sold on the whole smartwatch concept, but they were pretty ahead of their time, but the technology just wasn't quite there.
There isn't even a trend in Smart watches yet. Phablets are basically one of Samsungs ideas that actually worked. I mean they shit out so many products in a year, one of them is bound to be successful eventually. Apple is never the first to market for anything. Apple is however the first to bring a product out that has mass appeal and that's what sets them apart. How many smart watches have shipped till date? I bet Apple blows that number out of the water in the first day.
It's not just Apple fanboys that buy Apple products, it can't be. They sell way too many products to just brush it off as "Apple Superfans".
Also someone mentioned Microsoft's problem as being early to the market and that's absolutely right. They are first and usually always the shittiest implementation. Anyone remember the Windows smartphones before iPhones launched? Oh lawd they were terribad. Don't even get me started on their earlier tablets.
Also bonus video Ballmer on the iPhone. Always a treat to watch how wrong this guy was:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywi0h_Y5_U
doctorcdcs
Member
Microsoft Smartwatch in 2004.
I still have that watch. Given to me as a gift.
Wiktor
Member
No, more like as usual Microsoft is first, but fails, then tries to follow when others move into the market.
Altough this time they're at least not waiting till the market succeeds without them. Assuming smartwatches will suceed at all, which so far doesn't seem like such a sure thing.
It's sad that MS' reputation will propably kill it the project, as unlike Apple and Android's solutions it's bount to not follow the OS-exclusive crappiness.
Maybe if MS would partner with watches companies, that might give them decent chance of winning, especially if their tech would allow for augumentation of existing watches designs instead of having to build one from scratch
juliushandle
Member
Cortana and a Pureview camera priced at $200. I'd probably buy day 1 if it looks good.
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