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Ask Slashdot: What Features Belong In a 'Smartwatch'?

Posted by Soulskill on from the anything-james-bond-had dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes "If the rumors are true, and Apple is indeed hard at work on a newfangled timepiece (dubbed the 'iWatch'), what unique features could such a device offer a public already overloaded with all sorts of handheld devices? Answer that question, and you're perhaps one step closer to figuring out why Apple — again, if the rumors are true — decided to devote millions of dollars and the precious hours of some very smart people in the effort. This article suggests voice control (via Siri), biometrics, mobile payments, and other possible features, but there must be loads of others that someone could think up."

9 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. Time? by addie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hopefully the ability to accurately tell time. But with the way phones these days work at making calls, I won't hold out much hope.

    The whole idea of an iWatch just gives me a headache.

    1. Re:Time? by dintech · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Considering their track record with DST changes affecting alarms, especially around iOS updates, I don't trust Apple to make a timepiece you can rely on.

    2. Re:Time? by alen · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Take a look at Nike fuelband and pebble smartwatch

      It's a watch, biking computer, biometric device, you use it while working out, etc

      It's for people who do more than sit in front of computer screens all day and night

  2. How about a SPY WATCH? by dav1dc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How about some James Bond-esc features, like a: laser cutter, knife, garrote wire, etc. ??

    ^_^

  3. I want my Dick Tracy watch by Earl+The+Squirrel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I want a souped up Dick Tracy watch... with not just a speaker, but video... like this

  4. A battery that doesn't suck. by dclozier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe I could live with charging it weekly but on a daily basis? forget it.

  5. NTP by RandomFactor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I mean really, it is a time piece after all...

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    --- Mercutio was right.
  6. Re:Who needs a wrist watch? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Somehow, I find that glancing at my wrist rather than having to dig my phone out of my pocket (which isn't allowed in all the areas I work in) is significantly less intrusive. I also don't have to worry about whether or not I charged my watch recently.

  7. It's not standalone by Bogtha · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A smart watch only really makes sense as a convenient interface to a more powerful machine. The features important to it are therefore input and output, along with a connection to your phone. So a display, a microphone, and a button are the obvious ones. A smart watch will probably have fewer features than a non-smart watch.

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    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha