You’ve seen the competition, so now it’s time to wind things up and throw together a wishlist for Apple’s chronometer of the future. This is what we’re hoping to get from a Cupertino timepiece.
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MICRO CHIPS
According to ARM, a tiny power- saving M-class chip such as the Pebble’s Cortex-M3 is capable of running at ‘hundreds of MHz’, meaning it could power a hi-res screen – it just depends how you organise the software. In order to smoothly run the iWatch’s rumoured cut-down iOS, it’s likely that the device will require a little more grunt. But if the sixth-gen iPod Nano managed it…
A VERY SIRI IDEA
Voice control via the connected iPhone’s Siri would turn the iWatch into a personal oracle without compromising its design. There’s plenty of screen space to retrieve answers such as ‘what am I doing on Thursday?’, ‘how many calories have I burned?’ or ‘what’s the land-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?’ As for built-in FaceTime video calling… we’ll pass. It ain’t gonna happen.
SHOW THE WAY
The opportunity to use a smartwatch for navigation purposes is surely a no-brainer. We’d like to see GPS directions delivered to the display and a bike mode that swaps visual indicators for vibrations – once for left, twice for right – so you can keep the iWatch on your wrist as you ride, rather than having to affix it to your handlebars. We’d also like Google Maps to work…
DOUBLE-LOCK
Considering NFC has so far failed to take off, Apple’s refusal to adopt it hasn’t proved to be a major tragedy. But on a watch it would be genuinely useful for payments, data sharing (send a vCard with a tap, say), ticketing and more. The idea that you could keep your phone in your pocket to do anything on the go that doesn’t require its bigger screen is a compelling one for us lazy lot.
TAP ON THE WRIST
NFC or similar contactless tech would also be used for two-step security, providing the wearer with a unique identifier requiring both the watch and a password for important stuff such as online banking. In a world where passwords are no longer enough to keep the baddies out, this could prove invaluable. Although it probably won’t be able to stop you from eBaying while drunk.
AN APPLE A DAY…
Having a device that is constantly in touch with your skin opens up all kinds of health-monitoring possibilities. Alongside Nike+ and Fuel integration, our iWatch would measure your body’s temperature and perspiration to gauge your calorific intake and expenditure. It would integrate with apps that tell you what to eat and it’d even play you Enya when you get stressed. Actually, scratch that last one.
OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES
CHARGE ME
Neither kinetic nor solar power will yield the juice needed to keep it going for the five days Apple is said to want. A Lightning port would prevent water resistance, while a Nike Fuel-style USB bracelet would kill customisation. We’d opt for wireless charging: convenient, waterproof, and Apple could sell pricey straps.
ALL SEEING i
A square display would provide the best combo of ergonomics and usable screen estate. Ideally, it’d be an IPS Retina Display, but as Flautner says, “If you go for a high resolution with that kind of tech, it’ll cost you battery life.” So, a reflective display that’s readable with or without backlight, like the Leikr’s.
SIZE MATTERS
Apple’s design credo suggests the iWatch will be made from aluminium and GT sapphire crystal (p33). Size is crucial: too big and it’ll feel conspicuous; too small and you’ll need pins for fingers. A usable 1.8in screen and Pebble-besting 200mAh battery would give a chunkily masculine case around 35mm square .
TAG-TEAM
To save battery life and simplify installation, we think the iWatch will rely on your iPhone’s OS to run cut-down apps and Bluetooth their interfaces to the smaller screen. The possibilities are endless: control Spotify; start and stop Strava fitness tracking; surreptitiously check the footy scores…
KEEP IT APPLE
A button on either side (and an accelerometer inside) would allow you to wear the iWatch either way up, with one used to turn it on and off, and another to return to the home screen, iOS-style. A swipe across the face would take you from the time to your apps, while holding the ‘home’ button would activate Siri.
Well let's see what specifications apple cook in it's itime, Sorry it's i watch.
.jpg)
MICRO CHIPS
According to ARM, a tiny power- saving M-class chip such as the Pebble’s Cortex-M3 is capable of running at ‘hundreds of MHz’, meaning it could power a hi-res screen – it just depends how you organise the software. In order to smoothly run the iWatch’s rumoured cut-down iOS, it’s likely that the device will require a little more grunt. But if the sixth-gen iPod Nano managed it…
A VERY SIRI IDEA
Voice control via the connected iPhone’s Siri would turn the iWatch into a personal oracle without compromising its design. There’s plenty of screen space to retrieve answers such as ‘what am I doing on Thursday?’, ‘how many calories have I burned?’ or ‘what’s the land-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?’ As for built-in FaceTime video calling… we’ll pass. It ain’t gonna happen.
SHOW THE WAY
The opportunity to use a smartwatch for navigation purposes is surely a no-brainer. We’d like to see GPS directions delivered to the display and a bike mode that swaps visual indicators for vibrations – once for left, twice for right – so you can keep the iWatch on your wrist as you ride, rather than having to affix it to your handlebars. We’d also like Google Maps to work…
DOUBLE-LOCK
Considering NFC has so far failed to take off, Apple’s refusal to adopt it hasn’t proved to be a major tragedy. But on a watch it would be genuinely useful for payments, data sharing (send a vCard with a tap, say), ticketing and more. The idea that you could keep your phone in your pocket to do anything on the go that doesn’t require its bigger screen is a compelling one for us lazy lot.
TAP ON THE WRIST
NFC or similar contactless tech would also be used for two-step security, providing the wearer with a unique identifier requiring both the watch and a password for important stuff such as online banking. In a world where passwords are no longer enough to keep the baddies out, this could prove invaluable. Although it probably won’t be able to stop you from eBaying while drunk.
AN APPLE A DAY…
Having a device that is constantly in touch with your skin opens up all kinds of health-monitoring possibilities. Alongside Nike+ and Fuel integration, our iWatch would measure your body’s temperature and perspiration to gauge your calorific intake and expenditure. It would integrate with apps that tell you what to eat and it’d even play you Enya when you get stressed. Actually, scratch that last one.
OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES
CHARGE ME
Neither kinetic nor solar power will yield the juice needed to keep it going for the five days Apple is said to want. A Lightning port would prevent water resistance, while a Nike Fuel-style USB bracelet would kill customisation. We’d opt for wireless charging: convenient, waterproof, and Apple could sell pricey straps.
ALL SEEING i
A square display would provide the best combo of ergonomics and usable screen estate. Ideally, it’d be an IPS Retina Display, but as Flautner says, “If you go for a high resolution with that kind of tech, it’ll cost you battery life.” So, a reflective display that’s readable with or without backlight, like the Leikr’s.
SIZE MATTERS
Apple’s design credo suggests the iWatch will be made from aluminium and GT sapphire crystal (p33). Size is crucial: too big and it’ll feel conspicuous; too small and you’ll need pins for fingers. A usable 1.8in screen and Pebble-besting 200mAh battery would give a chunkily masculine case around 35mm square .
TAG-TEAM
To save battery life and simplify installation, we think the iWatch will rely on your iPhone’s OS to run cut-down apps and Bluetooth their interfaces to the smaller screen. The possibilities are endless: control Spotify; start and stop Strava fitness tracking; surreptitiously check the footy scores…
KEEP IT APPLE
A button on either side (and an accelerometer inside) would allow you to wear the iWatch either way up, with one used to turn it on and off, and another to return to the home screen, iOS-style. A swipe across the face would take you from the time to your apps, while holding the ‘home’ button would activate Siri.
Well let's see what specifications apple cook in it's itime, Sorry it's i watch.
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