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Apple Unveils the Apple Watch Series 2
- bdcravens 10y agoI hope it's really much faster. I use 2FA often, but found that the time it took to process and give me a code was longer than the time it would take to unlock my phone and generate the code there.
- nharada 10y agoAny word on battery life?
- rch 10y agoa watch that needs a battery? yawn. E: I expected downvotes, but I'm actually kind of serious. It shouldn't be impossible to get a small but interesting amount of tech incorporated into an automatic watch.
- qntty 10y agowell my wind-up watch is rusty these days
- k-mcgrady 10y agoI didn't down vote you but this comment is like someone complaining that their iPhone only gets 36 hours battery life when their Nokia 3210 got them through a couple of weeks. I'm not sure if you've used an Apple Watch but battery life just isn't a concern at all. You take it off at night, put it on the magnetic charger next to your bed and put it back on in the morning. Unless you want sleep tracking there's no need to wear it at night and the battery easily gets through an entire day with 20-30% charge left. In other words there's a reason they didn't seem to even mention battery in this keynote - people have found it's not really an issue. Of course there are extreme use cases where it is (what if I go camping for a few days) but these hold true for an electronic device.
- rch 10y agoI hear you, and I can see how some people will enjoy owning Apple or Android watches. But I'd still be more interested in news of a self winding watch that could somehow also deliver 30mA at 3.3V every 5-10 minutes to power a GPS module and a bit of NVRAM, even if it's in the $3-8K price range.
- sulam 10y agoIt really is an issue for me when it comes to anything fitness-related. Recording exercises drains it fast, and I am willing to bet that the GPS is the same story as heart rate -- it will probably sample every 5 minutes or so when you're not exercising and then bump up the frequency when you are. Which means it still can't be used to capture anything over a couple hours.
- webXL 10y agoThey added features, so even though the battery probably has more capacity, or the CPU is more efficient, I expect the extra power those features demand will offset any improvements in that area.
- nfriedly 10y agoNothing official, but my guess is that it's relatively unchanged: charge it every night.
- enraged_camel 10y agoThis is the only reason why I haven't bought one. I don't want yet another device I have to charge daily or every other day. Give me an iWatch with a battery that lasts a week or longer and I'm sold.
- threeseed 10y agoIt really isn't a problem unless you are someone who sleeps with their watch on.
- wh0car3s 10y agoExactly the same: 18 hrs on both. source (scroll to the bottom): http://www.apple.com/watch/compare/ http://www.apple.com/watch/compare/
- protomyth 10y agoI do wonder what the plan is for the big spenders with the gold phones?
- pille 10y ago3rd paragraph FTA: > As for the really expensive Apple Watch Edition, it seems like Apple is killing the product. The company probably wanted a flagship model to show that it was serious about fashion. But now that the Galeries Lafayette, Colette and Hermès sell the Apple Watch, Apple can focus on mass-market watches.
- protomyth 10y agoI just gotta wonder what the reaction of all the celebs will be, as Apple tends to listen and covet them. I was expecting a special upgrade given the cost. I guess its another Mac anniversary edition.
- pavlov 10y agoHow many units of Apple Watch Edition could have been sold -- I'd imagine it must be less than 10,000? Upgrading that amount of watches to the new motherboard (with the improved SOC) which fits in the same case doesn't seem like a major operation. IIRC, those watches were sold with a private consultation at an Apple Store... So Apple could be privately inviting those buyers to get their watches upgraded, and it would give Apple an opportunity to connect with these high-spenders again and sell them some more stuff.
- TheOtherHobbes 10y agoProbably less than 1,000. I expect quite a few were given away. For the people who bought them, the price was likely pocket money to them, so they'll shrug and move on. I'm surprised there was no effort to make the design sleeker. Visually Watch is a bit of a clunker, and not quite in keeping with the usual Apple aesthetic.
- throwanem 10y agoAlso a Pokemon Go app for it, which is probably going to blow the top off sales unless people start getting bored with the game any time soon. (Totally scientific analysis of my fellow light rail commuters suggests this is not likely!)
- serge2k 10y agoDoesn't mean they will spend hundreds of dollars to do it with their watch.
- throwanem 10y agoDoesn't mean they won't, too. I see a lot of smartwatches on the train.
- dublinben 10y agoPokemon Go has already peaked. People have gotten bored with it, and stopped playing. https://www.surveymonkey.com/business/intelligence/peak-pokemon-go/ https://www.surveymonkey.com/business/intelligence/peak-poke...
- cgriswald 10y agoThe data in that link doesn't show people are bored with it and stopped playing. Some alternative explanations: many people checked it out and some subset of them never really got into it. Downloads slowing don't digest existing users aren't playing. Nor do fewer searches. It could just mean they have fewer questions about the game. All the link really shows is that in three categories we've hit peak Pokémon.
- simonsarris 10y agoPeak Pokemon Go was back in mid July: https://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=pokemon%20go https://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=pokemon%20go
- throwanem 10y ago
- webXL 10y agoJust got the Gear S2. Apple needs to switch to OLED and add Always-On display before I go back. Twisting my wrist several times just to see the time was extremely annoying.
- rayiner 10y agoThe Apple Watch does use OLED.
- webXL 10y agoWell, no wonder why battery life isn't significantly better on the s2! I just love that feature.
- ihuman 10y agoWouldn't you need to twist your wrist to see the screen even if the screen was always on?
- manarth 10y agoMy experience is that it's sometimes twist (doesn't work), relax, twist again (still doesn't work), relax, twist again (still doesn't work), give up, tap the face. Not always, but often enough to be a mild annoyance.
- grandalf 10y agoWhile I love gadgets, the idea of wearing something on my wrist whose sole purpose is to interrupt me with notifications (most of which I would not want) and that offers an extremely bright display is pretty much the last gadget I'd want. Even with the new color temperature adjustments on the iPhone, looking at the screen in the dark is quite unpleasant. I would much prefer an e-ink smart watch.
- jonknee 10y ago> I would much prefer an e-ink smart watch. Then go get one, the Pebble has been around for years.
- skykooler 10y agoI have a Pebble Time Steel, and I love it. And I'm amazed at how blinding other smartwatches are.
- bluejekyll 10y agoOut of curiosity, have you written any software for it? I'm considering getting one, and the SDK looks attractive.
- fredley 10y agoI have, it's great fun, the documentation is fantastic. Reminds me - I need to update my watchfaces to the new SDK this weekend!
- chrisper 10y agoDid you use C or JavaScript? I tried using C once, but I gave up.
- skykooler 10y agoHave not yet, but I am planning to once I get some free time.
- biot 10y agoBy "swim up to 50 meters" does this mean you can only do a single lap of a swimming pool, or is this a measure of diving depth?
- usaphp 10y agoDiving depth, below that the pressure will force the water into the watch.
- manarth 10y agoDiving depth - ish. That 50m is static pressure. Don't expect to actually dive to 50m and have your Apple Watch survive. The reality of "50m waterproof" is that if you swim with it (pools, maybe a few meters below the surface), most of the time it'll be OK.
- agumonkey 10y agoI've read that the depth thing is also double edged, in that some device aren't sealed enough at 0m and benefit from having a bit of pressure around to tighten things. So a 50m certified thing can leak in if washed under your bathroom tap. ps: I'm really dubious about the post swim clean idea, I hope they took minerals and chemical floating (chlorine and whatnot) in their simulation, otherwise that speaker membrane will come with free sound effects over time.
- EpicEng 10y ago>So a 50m certified thing can leak in if washed under your bathroom tap. Perhaps for a very cheap watch, but if you're a diver you're not using a cheap 50m watch anyhow.
- yblu 10y agoIt's a measure of depth. (Source: I watched the live streaming.)
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- bowmessage 10y agoLove the Freudian slip: "You’ll be able to swipe on Pokéstops, see nearby Pokémon in a watch complication"
- jsmthrowaway 10y agoWhat's Freudian about that? Am I missing it?
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- stonogo 10y agoA "complication" is anything on the face of the watch that doesn't directly relate to displaying the time.
- blisse 10y agohttp://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135377-watch-complications-what-is-apple-talking-about http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135377-watch-complications-w... Whoa, never heard "complication" used like that before. New words. Neat.
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- koenigdavidmj 10y agoComplication is the actual technical term for Apple Watch home screen widgets. It was adopted from the term in mechanical watches, where it refers to the little windows of information (date, day of week, phase of moon) other than the hour and minute.
- 51Cards 10y agoI bought an LG G Watch when they first launched 2+ years ago and used it for a year every day. I tried the Moto 360 (great looks, awful battery), and LG Urbane, and now I think I have come full circle. I'm using a Pebble Time daily, and waiting for my Pebble Time 2 to arrive. The gadget appeal has worn off but I still enjoy the functional benefits which (to me) Pebble has hit the sweet spot. A vibe motor you can feel, 8-10 days of battery life, a screen that's good under all conditions (especially sunshine), water proof, tactile buttons to interact with it, great voice translation, not too bulky, etc. Sure it's not as fancy but it just does the critical things I want it to do. The Time 2 fixes a couple desires (heart rate and larger screen) and that should be about it. I think I've found the smart watch I am going to enjoy living with. Edit: have to add that GPS would be nice too but I am willing to not have it for the battery life.
- tra3 10y agoHey, thanks for mentioning pebble time. Is 8-10 days a realistic time frame? I got the original pebble off ebay to play with, and it really only lasted 4 days between charges, even with very light usage. For me, personally, it was too much work. That's why I'm curious to see how realistic a week between charges is on the new pebbles.
- ramses0 10y agoNew pebbles (time) tend to run 6-7 days pretty easy, and I think pebble time steel shoots for 10-day battery life, many people report easy 7 days. https://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/comments/3j46zs/whats_your_pebble_time_steel_realworld_battery/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/comments/3j46zs/whats_your_p... ... I hate to say wait for the Pebble Time 2 (coming end of year) but they'll be adding heart-rate monitor and keeping ~10 day battery life supposedly.
- 51Cards 10y agoI go a solid week on mine with no real issues. That said I don't push it too often. It's more about not NEEDING to charge it daily. So I forget for 3 or 4 days then I go "Oh, right..." and plug it in. In no time it's good for another week of my bad memory. I would often leave the others home sometimes when I left it in the kitchen over night.
- themihai 10y agoThe only feature I was waiting for is still missing: SIM card.
- maxharris 10y agoI know this is old hat, but I'm just not interested until they make one with a round face. And I say this as a very dedicated Apple-using person (three current Macs in front of me, iPhone 6S in my pocket, internet served over a Time Capsule, an iPad floating around here somewhere...)
- gleenn 10y agoGarmin Fenix 3 is round and a fantastic watch. Not going to appease the people looking for eye-candy but it is super functional. I use it for runs and biking, the GPS works well.
- weisser 10y agoIn some ways I find it more attractive than the Apple Watch
- vvanders 10y agoPebble Round fits this area very nicely. People are always kinda shocked when they hear it's a smartwatch.
- lukevers 10y agoYeah. I love my Pebble Time Round, I've worn it (almost) every day since I got it (last December). People who don't care about smart watches love it and come up to me and ask what kind of a watch it is.
- snoman 10y agoThere's a bunch. I'm partial to my Samsung Gear S2 Classic.
- dchuk 10y agoHow do you propose they do that without forcing every single app to be redesigned to work on a round screen rather than rectangular?
- welder 10y agoApple vs Pebble Battery: 1 day vs 9 days Price: $365 vs $169 Android Support: No vs Yes https://www.pebble.com/ https://www.pebble.com/ Edit: Original comment below for nicky0 Charge my watch every night? No thank you, I'm buying a Pebble. Pay $365 for a watch? No thank you, I'm buying a Pebble for $169. Android support? Don't think so, I'm buying a Pebble. https://www.pebble.com/ https://www.pebble.com/
- return0 10y agoI don't think the HN crowd is a fan of watches in general, and this doesnt seem like it will be the exception. The question is if in general people are going to buy this thing.
- ericzawo 10y agoI don't know, I own 4 watches of varying functions/prices. Those who love horology treat it like car nuts -- it's less about practicality and advancements and more about the sentiment behind it. I'd take my 21 jewel seiko SKX007 over any smartwatch any day of the week. To me, and many other watch lovers, the Apple Watch really is just a watch by name only.
- wlesieutre 10y agoWelcome to being a weird niche market that nobody else cares about it. While you're here, try a fountain pen! They're great! (no, really)
- jusben1369 10y agoWell the Gen 1 version suffered from ever decreasing sales. So right now it would seem as though the HN crowd and general public are in sync when it comes to interest in the watch. I guess you could argue GPS support could create a strong use case with the fitness vertical and that is not well represented here but not sure if that's true.
- theshrike79 10y agoDecreasing sales yes. Also provided the second most revenue in watches in the world. Right after Rolex. Also the only smartwatch in the top 10.
- jusben1369 10y agoBut for how long? "Apple Watch shipments were a different story, with Apple being the only company to post a year-on-year decrease in shipments - almost 58% down" That's from IDC's 2nd quarter report. I appreciate that you might be a big fan but I seriously doubt Rolex is going down 58% YoY.
- jbmorgado 10y agoStill same unusable battery.
- AceJohnny2 10y agoBut does the screen stay on? I used to have one of the first-gen Android Wear watches, an LG one. I really liked how it acted as an extension of my phone, it was particularly useful for voice queries (Google still beats the pants off Siri), and directions. But the best feature was that even when sleeping, the LCD screen would still show the time in black-and-white and with the backlight off. It still lasted a full day. Apple seems to have gone in a different direction, emphasizing the Watch as a fashionable fitness tracker. I don't care as much for the fitness tracking aspect: I'm not an athlete, and GPS tracking on my phone is usually enough to get a rough estimate of things I do. I also don't do workouts for the numbers, which Apple seems to be touting. Overall, they seem to have prioritized many other energy-draining features over doing the most basic thing I expect from a wrist-mounted device: displaying information. I've had an Apple Watch for almost a year, and its finickiness about turning on or off the display is by far my biggest annoyance.
- therobot24 10y agoI've had a pebble (which was chewed up by my dog), fitbit (literally fell apart - fitbits have the worst quality IMO), and a microsoft band 2. The Band 2 has most of these functions (except water proof - it's just water resistant), and while i enjoy it, i find the bulkiness and battery life (have to charge every day or every other day) tiring. I was hoping the apple watch would focus more on battery than adding new features like GPS, so if a Band 3 isn't released with a better battery i'll probably revert to a new pebble.
- brlewis 10y agoFitbit Charge HR and previous had manufacturing quality issues. Blaze and Alta are "benefiting from lower warranty costs due to their inherent design and the improved manufacturing processes we have implemented this year. We expect this trend to also apply to other new products we will be introducing heading into the holidays" http://seekingalpha.com/article/3995113-fitbits-fit-ceo-james-park-q2-2016-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single http://seekingalpha.com/article/3995113-fitbits-fit-ceo-jame...
- kstenerud 10y agoI'll buy one when it's solar powered like my current watch.
- sulam 10y agoBy adding GPS it seems like they're really doubling down on the ~1 day battery life, which is really annoying. And keep in mind it's not actually a full day if you _use_ the thing. For instance I was trying to compare a Fitbit Charge HR and the Apple Watch in terms of how they tracked my heart rate over a hike a couple months ago. It was an 8 mile loop with some good elevation gain -- took me maybe 4 hours. The Apple Watch died 3/4 of the way through the hike despite being fully charged that morning. The Charge HR has lasted 3 and 4 day trips to the Sierras with room to spare, and it's always capturing heart rate, whereas the Apple Watch is really only doing that when I tell it to.
- iLoch 10y agoThat's awful. I'm a Charge HR owner and I was considering the Nike Apple Watch (it looks so cool!) but if what you say about the battery life is true than the Apple Watch is completely off the table.
- sulam 10y agoSo you _can_ wear it on a hike, you just can't record the whole exercise. The Apple Watch samples your heart rate every 5 minutes or so normally. If you start recording an exercise, it samples much more frequently and also seems to do more communication with your phone. The end result is that any exercise that lasts a long time (hours) will drain the battery fiercely.
- dfar1 10y agobut gps is a must if you want accuracy.
- newman314 10y agoWhen the Apple Watch was first announced, there were rumors of the watch being able to measure blood glucose. That was exciting news. So it was disappointing to find out that this was not true. (while writing this comment, I dug around and it seems that there is now Glucowise that will supposedly ship this year). I believe that Apple Watch has the potential to become a life changing device for many and I look forward to the day that bloodless blood sugar monitoring is a feature for the Watch.
- cududa 10y agoThe new rumor is that sensors like blood glucose and pulse Ox is going to be a separate device - so FDA regulations wouldn't impede the rollout of the core Apple Watch
- guilamu 10y agoMark my words : Won't sell more than the first one.