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Apple Plans To Release a Cellular-Capable Watch To Break iPhone Ties (bloomberg.com)
According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning to release a version of the Apple Watch later this year that can connect directly to cellular networks, a move designed to reduce the device's reliance on the iPhone. From the report: Currently, Apple requires its smartwatch to be connected wirelessly to an iPhone to stream music, download directions in maps, and send messages while on the go. Equipped with LTE chips, at least some new Apple Watch models, planned for release by the end of the year, will be able to conduct many tasks without an iPhone in range, the people said. For example, a user would be able to download new songs and use apps and leave their smartphone at home. Intel Corp. will supply the LTE modems for the new Watch, according to another person familiar with the situation. Apple is already in talks with carriers in the U.S. and Europe about offering the cellular version, the people added. The carriers supporting the LTE Apple Watch, at least at launch, may be a limited subset of those that carry the iPhone, one of the people said.
Admittedly it's been a serious engineering challenge for Apple. At the moment, with BLE, you're struggling to get a day's runtime out of it, and now they're strapping a power-guzzling LTE modem onto it as well. A few design compromises have had to be made in order to accommodate the additional power draw.
...or is anyone else also concerned about the long-term safety of a fairly high-powered microwave transmitter strapped to the same location of your wrist for days/months/years?
Another attempt to play catch up to Samsung.
I'm actually wearing a Gear S as I write this, so yeah, I get it. Just a few minutes ago I took a call from my daughter on my watch without my phone being in bluetooth range. (I keep leaving the damned thing on the charger at home.)
But Apple's design philosophy for the watch was always as an accessory for the iphone, not as an independent device. It was a "force multiplier" for iphone sales, never intended as a separate product. (I had to do some reading when this article came out, because I hadn't been aware that Apple hadn't already done this.)
The technology to put the great majority of the feature set of a smart phone into a watch (confined only by the small screen) has been available since at least 2014. It was not ineptitude, but a deliberate marketing decision on Apple's part not to use it.
And even now, it looks from TFA that the new i-watches won't take calls on their own.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
I'm really surprised that Apple hasn't done this (a GSM-capable watch) yet. It seems like a case of being dragged into it by their competitors.
No, it's a case of competitors trying to get out ahead of Apples obvious long-term roadmap and still failing anyway.
The reason of for failure of course is that Apple makes products that provide useful features but are still basically usable by non-technical people.
People have done smart-watches with cellular ability before but they suck to use and they certainly suck battery life down. In any case, they simply did not provide good compromises to add that feature.
It was as obvious Apple was going to add cellular capability eventually as it was they were waiting do to so until the battery issue would not impact the design or battery life greatly. They apparently are close to that point as technology and signal coverage improves (no need for a giant antenna or large power drain for reception if cellular reception is strong enough to begin with).
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