Tag Archives: watches

Two iPhones and a Watch

As widely expected, Apple announce the iPhone 6 at their September 9 event. Actually two iPhones. Specifications-wise, they’re actually average. So they’re quite disappointing to some (and always disappointing to Android fans). The features are pretty much normal for other (read: Android) phones. It doesn’t even have QHD (1440×2560) which some Android flagship phones like the LG G3 already have.

But Apple doesn’t usually go for bleeding edge technology for the sake of it. Why go beyond overboard with the pixels per inch (ppi) when you can make just the same (or actually much much more) revenue for less cost (of high-resolution displays). You probably can’t even tell the difference (I know I can’t) when holding the phone at normal usage distance.

Why use new technologies when they’re still unstable and potentially ruin the all-important user experience? Why offer 802.11ac when most installed routers and access points don’t support it? Why offer NFC when there’s no business case and corresponding strategy for it? But now they have Apple Pay, which was announced on the event.

But people are asking for bigger phones because of more media consumption (to quote a friend) and so they delivered a big phone and a bigger phone.

I do hope they will offer a smaller version for us who still like our things small and beautiful. Unfortunately, other than the display size and the NFC, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus are more incremental  improvements. So for now the iPhone 5s neatly fills in the slot for a small phone in the product range. That may show up on next year’s iPhone 6 upgrade or in two years on the iPhone 7 range.

But the big thing during the event was the now classic “one more thing”: the Apple Watch. It’s actually more of a fitness/health monitor with extra functionality which just happens to include telling time. Or you can also say it’s a watch because it watches your fitness/health :P In terms of the target market, it’s quite clear from the photos and videos they used: it is for the fashionable millennial fitness buff. And boy did they nail it!

The Apple Watch offers two case sizes (women’s and men’s), three case materials (stainless steel, aluminum, and gold) and a whole bunch of straps. Strap it on for the gym (or the route) along with the rest of your trendy gym wear, look fab doing your sets, and then go off to work and/or the coffee shop. If you’re still wearing your Apple Watch by then, even better. For Apple. Of course that would depend on the battery life on which Apple was silent. But if it’s better than the generally dismal battery life of most other, if not all, smartwatches, then Apple has a winner.

Most have known, or at least suspected that Apple is not just a hardware company, is not just a software company, but a lifestyle company. If you’re not convinced look at the iPod, the iPhone, U2, the iTunes festival, Beats, and now the Apple Watch which further reinforces that identity.

So a word of advice to Samsung and company: you’re not competing against a phone, you’re competing against a lifestyle. Good luck!

Wearable Computing

Wearable computing isn’t new and its utility is not up to debate. Athletes are wearing them to monitor or even enhance performance. Patients are wearing them to monitor health vitals. The same goes for soldiers, astronauts, etc.

Then there are those people wearing those Bluetooth earpieces, Oakley Thumps, smart watches like the Pebble, wrist-mounted iPod nanos, and Google Glasses. There are (were?) even people wearing backpack computers with heads-up displays and on-hand keyboards

On an average day, by and large those people look nerdy at best, and dorky at worst. Certainly not fashionable. For wearable computing to go mainstream , the key obviously is for the devices to become fashionable. Either by changing shape and form. Or by changing the norms of fashion. This is what the more successful companies are doing.

Take watches, it’s not a debate that on an average day they are jewelry first, and timekeeping device second. And so “dumb watches” are arguably more successful than smart watches. Supposedly, they’re “dumbness” and “lack of innovation” is actually what’s helping them sell. I think it’s actually more because these dumb watches are fashionable.

Lost and Found

This morning while preparing for work, I was looking for my watch but couldn’t find them. I suspected that Jeanne squirreled them somewhere. But she was still sleeping so I asked Lola Becky to ask Jeanne when she wakes up. And true enough she had them. Lola Becky asked her if she played with the watches and told her I was looking for them. She immediately went inside the room and got the paper bag containing the watches. So cute. Her memory is really good :)

Casio G-Shock GW2310FB-1CR

Leslie finally came back from his onshore assignment and he dropped this off at my desk: My new Casio G-Shock GW2310FB-1CR. Casio G-Shocks are known for their resistance to shocks (e.g. hard knocks and strong vibrations). They are designed primarily for sports, military, and outdoor adventure oriented activity. Of course, they’re also water-resistant to 200M. Operators may have Rolexes and Omegas but when they’re actually operating, they wear G-Shocks. And the color of this particular model, all black, backs up the walk with the look.

Aside from being a helluva beater of a watch, it’s also a gadgety watch. Consider the specs:

  • Tough Solar Power – Solar rechargeable battery with power saving function and battery power indicator
  • Battery life – 10 months on full charge an no further exposure to light
  • Multi-Band Atomic Timekeeping (US, UK, Germany, Japan, China) – Receives time calibration radio signals which keep the displayed time accurate, accuracy: +/- 15 seconds per month
  • EL Backlight – With auto (glance to light) and manual (press G button to light) Illuminate and afterglow (1 or 3 seconds).
  • World Time – 31 times zones (48 cities + UTC), city code display, daylight saving on/off
  • 4 Daily alarms and 1 Snooze Alarm
  • Hourly chime
  • 1/100 second stopwatch – Elapsed time up to 24 hours, split time, 1st-2nd place times
  • Countdown Timer – 1 minute to 24 hours
  • Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)
  • 12/24 hour formats
  • Button operation tone on/off

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the compass, altimeter/barometer and thermometer function of the recently departed Suunto Observer. Also, this particular inverted display is a bit hard to read especially since the numbers are smaller than those on the Observer. Finally, the backlight doesn’t remain on while being operated but shuts down in 1 or 3 seconds, depending on the setting. On those, Suunto had it beat. But at $150, it’s still a lot of bang for the buck.

Rating: 4/5

Farewell My Suunto

My Suunto Observer‘s battery died about a week ago. I have replaced its battery three times before: 2003, 2006 (when I damaged the battery cover), and 2009 (when I got a Suunto battery replacement kit complete with new battery cover and opening tool). But this time, it won’t start up at all. Looks like it’s time to say goodbye. It’s been a good ride. I had taken it up mountains, underground into caves, and underwater. I even used it at the office. It wasn’t without problems, I had replaced the bracelet in 2005. And the pressure sensor gave up a few years ago. The sensor couldn’t be fixed short of replacing all the electronic internals. But it kept on “ticking” sans the barometer and altimeter. But all things must come to an end. What will remain are the good memories.