# Will Apple cause classic watches to go the way of the pocket watch?



## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

My boss was wearing one of those fruit watches. He was apparently reading something on its tiny rectangle instead of listening to me. So I asked him about it. He took it off to show me. It had a silicone strap with deployment clasp but otherwise looked like a tiny smartphone on his wrist. After it derailed my convo with him, I went back to my desk and just looked at my NORMAL watch for a while. I overthink everything. On my commute home, I could not help but wonder how these "smart" watches will change my new-found love of watches. You know, the mostly round ones with a dial and hands that tell time and sometimes have wonderful complications? The ones we admire, collect, polish, wear, and sometimes just look at? Those. My boss's had the digital time on it, might have had some weather, and maybe some other info, and texts from his children. Frankly I was more interested in it as an oddity than as a watch. I don't think they are for me. I detest smartphones. Yes, I am a dinosaur. I don't like those phones. I don't like the phone period. I am not a phone person. But I tolerate them, they are necessary. I could not help but wonder if that fruit-with-a bite-taken-out-of-it smart watch has made me feel the very same way the horse and buggy people felt when the automobile was introduced to the public. Will my wonderful watch collection end up as an anachronism? Like the pocket watch...? I will hold on to mine like grim death. I don't want to get emails on my wrist, nor read headlines or the weather. The only thing I want to hear out of my watch is "tick tock," if anything. Am I alone here? Bring on the schism! Or ...... not.


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## Mediocre (Oct 27, 2013)

5......


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## gouverneur (Jun 7, 2012)

4...


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## dbostedo (Feb 26, 2014)

3?


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## Memphis1 (Feb 19, 2011)

Wrong forum...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

...0

Where do I put it then? The parchment and quill forum?


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## Mediocre (Oct 27, 2013)

Smart watch forum, F513


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## Watch Fan in Beijing (Jul 15, 2009)

Memphis1 said:


> Wrong forum...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Oh really? So, by logical extension we will tell anyone who tries to do a thread on the "accepted brands" like Rolex, Omega or Patek, will also be told to take it the specific brand (sub)forum? I seriously doubt it.

If anything, the valid criticism would be "asked and answered" or there is already a thread on this - go search for it.

And in any case, OP's question is how the specific watch has an effect on the industry as a whole - so it's not a specific Apple Watch question.... but could be considered a general one, and thus IMHO a topic for general forum.

IMHO.


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## silverghost1907 (Mar 4, 2013)

I do not think that the Apple watch or any other smart watch will effect the mechanical watch market. Most of us around here are are fascinated by inner works of watches, so I just do not see how a smart watch can impact the mechanical market. Also a mechanical piece is something that could always be fixed but an Apple watch has an expiry date.


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## bullshark (Dec 30, 2013)

When they came out with quartz they said mechanical watches were to disappears. They didn't.
We've had those Casio that do everything but cook breakfast for a long time now, yet we still have mechanical watches, most of which do only one thing.
I don't see why it'd be different with those fruity watches.

Myself, I don't want a watch that needs its battery recharged every day, and for which I need to carry an instruction manual just to read the time. I also don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for a watch that will need to be trashed after a year or two because of compatibility issues with new tech, or because it was bricked by a new OS update, or because its battery won't hold a charge anymore. I also would hate having to wait 4 minutes before I can read the time because the watch is rebooting. In one word, it is not for me, and there are millions like me.


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## Omega410 (Sep 4, 2014)

I will say no, traditional watches are typically a piece of an outfit where the Apple watch is a technology gadget so, it will be popular but, I think people will still use their phones instead. 

It will sell however, I do not feel it will affect traditional watch sales.


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

There have been many many other threads on whether traditional watch manufacturers will be impacted by smart watches, whether some members like smart watches, etc. You may want to visit the smart watch forum here and use the search engine to peruse messages about smart phones on the public forum. FWIW I think that wrist borne communications devices that do lots of things and also tell time are here to stay and they will become ever more popular. I also believe that what we see now in terms of functionality will seem rudimentary 10 years from now. And I believe the successful watch companies of the future will have to incorporate these products into their portfolios to survive. 

I plan on continuing to enjoy my eclectic collection of traditional watches while also remaining aware of how new electronic devices such as smart watches, exercise straps and the like can make my life more interesting. I don't see such devices as a threats but opportunities.


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## drhr (Mar 14, 2011)

Watchette said:


> ...0
> 
> Where do I put it then? The parchment and quill forum?


No worries, just leave it here and wait, thing's a start poppin' (as in popcorn) ;-). .


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## check7 (Jan 8, 2015)

I think alot of folks wearing these smart watches would otherwise have consulted their phone for the time and additional information. The sheer contradiction in differances of wearing an automatic watch and seeing a co-worker wear a smart watch the other day made me laugh. I explained it to him that the analog to completely digital computeriuzed watch were very different and showed him my watch, I think a Seiko Black Monster and he remarked he'd have to get one. Previously he hadn't worn a watch at all, maby there is hope. Cheers


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## eblackmo (Dec 27, 2014)

nope.


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## valmak (May 29, 2010)

I know many people don't like this topic but I find it really interesting. I think to some extent you are right. I think that just the incredible quality of Apple products will cause their watch to put pressure on the watch industry. Some companies will probably fold. Other companies will have to improve their offerings to survive. The big companies who were enjoying pretty much ripping off customers by marking up their watches by huge amounts won't be able to do that anymore. They will have to make more attractive and affordable offerings. I predict that pretty soon you will see Rolex and Omega offering watches for 2-3K and Patek offering watches for 5K. That is if they're smart. I know it sounds extreme but that is what I see happening.


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## eblackmo (Dec 27, 2014)

Personally I see a dystopian future where corporations govern nations. Where consumerism is not only good but mandated. Where Steve Jobs is venerated and worshipped like a god. The almighty creator of the apple and other assorted stuff. The apple watch will be the catalyst because it is so revolutionary and not a clone of smart watches that have been on the market for years.

All hail Tim Cook!
All hail Apple!
All Hail the Apple Watch!


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## valmak (May 29, 2010)

eblackmo said:


> Personally I see a dystopian future where corporations govern nations. Where consumerism is not only good but mandated. Where Steve Jobs is venerated and worshipped like a god. The almighty creator of the apple and other assorted stuff. The apple watch will be the catalyst because it is so revolutionary and not a clone of smart watches that have been on the market for years.
> 
> All hail Tim Cook!
> All hail Apple!
> All Hail the Apple Watch!


well at least you're thinking!


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## pr1uk (Sep 25, 2012)

To answer the question i would say NO to me the smart watch is a new trendy thing that youngsters will love but in the end they are novelties items that will be forgotten in time. 


Peter


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## Tomatoes11 (Feb 17, 2015)

I think the only thing that mechanical watch makers have to worry about is if the next breakthrough media consumption device is a watch or not. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing two watches, one on each wrist, so in that sense, the smart watch could be a threat. However, the next great media consumption device might not even be a watch at all.

I am not convinced that the technology is anywhere near ready to replace your smartphone the same way the laptop regulated the desktop to an HTPC for your hd tv. Or how smartphones and tablets regulated the laptop into strictly a work device. Everybody emails, web browses, uses it as alarm clock, as a gaming device, watch videos, listen to music on their smartphone more than any other device. And I just don't see the smart watch as this ultimate media consumption device that can replace our phones. I think this device needs an at least 3.5 inch LCD display and decent audio capabilities and battery life. Smart watch technology simply can't offer this anytime soon so I think watches are safe and don't need to directly compete with our phones, unless we start wearing our phones on our wrists.

I think the closest technology, which is still super far off, that can replace the smartphone as the ultimate media consumption device would be foldable displays. If you can make a thin credit card wallet that is all OLED screen that can fold out into a large smartphone size or tablet sized screen, then your wallet can technically replace your phone and you don't need to carry both your phone and your wallet, and then you can listen to music, watch videos, answer phone calls, emails etc with your credit card sized wallet, all with a device the size of your credit card wallet. No need for a phone plus keys, plus wallet. Just one wallet sized device that can unfold into a tablet and act as your phone and keys once electronic locks take over.. That would beat the pants off a smart watch and we would still be able to wear nice mechanical watches.

I think even Google Glass, if they can make them look exactly like normal glasses/sunglasses has a better chance of taking off BIG then smart watches. Short term success the smart watch already crushes Google Glass, but long term, if tech companies decide to go that route, I think Google Glass has more possibilities.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

I'm wondering how the OP's boss is able to score an Apple Watch a full month before they ship…

Those of you who are waiting/expecting smartwatches to replace your phone/laptop/mainframe are looking at this wrong. A smartwatch is as likely to replace a phone as a phone would replace a laptop—which is, hardly at all. Each form factor (I hate that phrase…) has its place, and each does some things better than others.

If smartwatches are going to turn anything into pocket watches, it'll be smartphones. 

I'll tell ya, though, that there were many times during my business trip when we were busy running around, carrying stuff and riding in buses, that I wished I had a smartwatch so I could decide whether the random buzzes I was getting were worth digging the phone out of my pocket. Kind of annoying to drop my luggage so I can read, "K", "Ok", "K", "Roger", "got it", etc…


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

BarracksSi said:


> I'm wondering how the OP's boss is able to score an Apple Watch a full month before they ship&#8230;


Hmmm...My first thought when reading the story was it came across as a bit contrived. I didn't realize the Apple Watches were still in the warehouse. The op does call the boss's timekeeper a fruit watch which could refer to the rarely seen Avocado Watch.


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## mpalmer (Dec 30, 2011)

I'll wait for the chip implant...


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## doggbiter (Oct 31, 2010)

Actually, I'd be more impressed if Apple MADE a smart pocket watch. THAT, I'd consider buying.


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## rosborn (Oct 30, 2011)

It is interesting that Apple has created the "smart" watch (a very small data/ communication device) while at the same going with a larger iPhone (6 Plus). To me the watch is more of a novelty than anything else, a "look at what we developed" situation. I mean, they sell more phones than anything else so why would they want to kill that portion of their business?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## eblackmo (Dec 27, 2014)

valmak said:


> well at least you're thinking!


Wow! Thanks. I have always wondered why no one ever says that.


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

Watch Fan in Beijing said:


> Oh really? So, by logical extension we will tell anyone who tries to do a thread on the "accepted brands" like Rolex, Omega or Patek, will also be told to take it the specific brand (sub)forum? I seriously doubt it.
> 
> If anything, the valid criticism would be "asked and answered" or there is already a thread on this - go search for it.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your defense. I have since found it is not an Apple watch, they aren't out yet - duh. But you're right, it wasn't about the Apple brand per se, it was a general observation of the invasion of the smart watch and what effect this my have on our hobby. You nailed it better than I did, counselor!


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

John MS said:


> Hmmm...My first thought when reading the story was it came across as a bit contrived. I didn't realize the Apple Watches were still in the warehouse. The op does call the boss's timekeeper a fruit watch which could refer to the rarely seen Avocado Watch.


No, no, no. The only thing contrived is my amazing powers of observation. It's a tomato watch! No, I was wrong about the fruit part. I have since learned it is a Samsung watch. Apparently _just_ a smart watch. Boss man called it a "gadget" today when I spoke further with him. I used the opportunity to show off one of my Bulova Precisionists...ahhhhh. I made him watch the smooooov seconds hand and he admired it. That's when he pointed at his Samsung and said it was a "gadget." Made me think these watches won't stand up over time to real watches.


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

bullshark said:


> When they came out with quartz they said mechanical watches were to disappears. They didn't.
> We've had those Casio that do everything but cook breakfast for a long time now, yet we still have mechanical watches, most of which do only one thing.
> I don't see why it'd be different with those fruity watches.
> 
> Myself, I don't want a watch that needs its battery recharged every day, and for which I need to carry an instruction manual just to read the time. I also don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for a watch that will need to be trashed after a year or two because of compatibility issues with new tech, or because it was bricked by a new OS update, or because its battery won't hold a charge anymore. I also would hate having to wait 4 minutes before I can read the time because the watch is rebooting. In one word, it is not for me, and there are millions like me.


YES! I agree with all you said.


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

John MS said:


> There have been many many other threads on whether traditional watch manufacturers will be impacted by smart watches, whether some members like smart watches, etc. You may want to visit the smart watch forum here and use the search engine to peruse messages about smart phones on the public forum. FWIW I think that wrist borne communications devices that do lots of things and also tell time are here to stay and they will become ever more popular. I also believe that what we see now in terms of functionality will seem rudimentary 10 years from now. And I believe the successful watch companies of the future will have to incorporate these products into their portfolios to survive.
> 
> I plan on continuing to enjoy my eclectic collection of traditional watches while also remaining aware of how new electronic devices such as smart watches, exercise straps and the like can make my life more interesting. I don't see such devices as a threats but opportunities.


While I appreciate the suggestion to peruse the smart watch forum, I have a growing dislike of all things "smart" so I probably won't spend much time over there. I just do not see how a traditional watch collection could incorporate a smart watch. You can only wear one watch at a time. Those who like their smart watches will likely stick with them. Or would people wear traditional watches only on certain occasions, and what would those be? Time will tell. As you said, the techmology will change and make many things we now think of as "smart" appear quite dumb. Can you use those smart watches as phones? Now that would be something. Like Dick Tracy...


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

check7 said:


> I think alot of folks wearing these smart watches would otherwise have consulted their phone for the time and additional information. The sheer contradiction in differances of wearing an automatic watch and seeing a co-worker wear a smart watch the other day made me laugh. I explained it to him that the analog to completely digital computeriuzed watch were very different and showed him my watch, I think a Seiko Black Monster and he remarked he'd have to get one. Previously he hadn't worn a watch at all, maby there is hope. Cheers


Hope!


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

Tomatoes11 said:


> I think the only thing that mechanical watch makers have to worry about is if the next breakthrough media consumption device is a watch or not. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing two watches, one on each wrist, so in that sense, the smart watch could be a threat. However, the next great media consumption device might not even be a watch at all.
> 
> I am not convinced that the technology is anywhere near ready to replace your smartphone the same way the laptop regulated the desktop to an HTPC for your hd tv. Or how smartphones and tablets regulated the laptop into strictly a work device. Everybody emails, web browses, uses it as alarm clock, as a gaming device, watch videos, listen to music on their smartphone more than any other device. And I just don't see the smart watch as this ultimate media consumption device that can replace our phones. I think this device needs an at least 3.5 inch LCD display and decent audio capabilities and battery life. Smart watch technology simply can't offer this anytime soon so I think watches are safe and don't need to directly compete with our phones, unless we start wearing our phones on our wrists.
> 
> ...


Just the type of thoughtful reply I hoped for when I posted this thread. You are right. The glasses are much more of a possibility, as you described. I like the idea of the foldable displays. It would have to stand up to being sat upon if stored in men's wallets. There is a joke there but my brain needs a reboot.


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## Watchette (Jan 18, 2015)

BarracksSi said:


> I'm wondering how the OP's boss is able to score an Apple Watch a full month before they ship&#8230;
> 
> Those of you who are waiting/expecting smartwatches to replace your phone/laptop/mainframe are looking at this wrong. A smartwatch is as likely to replace a phone as a phone would replace a laptop-which is, hardly at all. Each form factor (I hate that phrase&#8230 has its place, and each does some things better than others.
> 
> ...


That's because the OP is an idiot! She can't tell a Samsung from an Apple. I had occasion to speak with the boss again and it's not a fruit watch, it's a Samsung. You know women and fruit, we don't know what's up - isn't that what got Adam in trouble in the first place!? Apologies for calling it an Apple, than again, is that like calling cola Coke or tissue Kleenex...hmmm?


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Watchette said:


> Apologies for calling it an Apple, than again, is that like calling cola Coke or tissue Kleenex...hmmm?


This is even more interesting -- that a product that isn't in public hands yet has started to define its segment. It's like "iPod" becoming the general term for "portable MP3 player."


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

Watchette said:


> While I appreciate the suggestion to peruse the smart watch forum, I have a growing dislike of all things "smart" so I probably won't spend much time over there. I just do not see how a traditional watch collection could incorporate a smart watch. You can only wear one watch at a time. Those who like their smart watches will likely stick with them. Or would people wear traditional watches only on certain occasions, and what would those be? Time will tell. As you said, the techmology will change and make many things we now think of as "smart" appear quite dumb. Can you use those smart watches as phones? Now that would be something. Like Dick Tracy...


It's inevitable that new new technology will replace the old. Flat screen led tv's replaced electronic crt tv's which replaced tube based crt tv's. Smart phones have proven more useful to many customers and some of them are disconnecting their land lines. Internet viewing is replacing cable television which largely replaced broadcast television. Whether a new technology replaces or just supplements the older is really not caused by the new device. It is caused by consumers like you and me deciding that the newer item is better than the older one. If enough watch owners decide that simple unconnected wrist watches are not as useful as connected communications devices like the Apple Watch then the older designs will gradually disappear from the market place. I doubt that will happen because there are plenty of us who can enjoy both kinds of devices.


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## Al30909 (May 31, 2014)

Watchette said:


> ...0
> 
> Where do I put it then? The parchment and quill forum?


I love it.

Al.


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## squibby (Jul 22, 2014)

I like watches and have half a dozen or so, but I've never spent more than a few hundred bucks on one.

Now excluding the multi-thousand dollar VIP/drug dealer versions, the entry level apple watch in my country will retail at $1000 to $1700 depending on which version of exactly the same watch I decide to select. Strap and materials making the price variances.

The Fact is, despite only spending hundreds on a traditional watch which I am very fond of, I find myself very very likely to drop $1000 on an apple watch due largely in part to the additional features it brings to my wrist being my main motive.

Here is the clever marketing part... because I DO have an appreciation for watches, apple are going to get an extra $700 bucks ON TOP of the entry level version because I want the sapphire glass and link strap as well.

And jokes aside, if you do have the disposable income to spend tens of thousands apple have got you covered.

I don't know if it'll replace my other watches, but I expect it's going to halve the wrist time of all the other watches combined.


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## Will_f (Jul 4, 2011)

I think society is moving towards more wearable technology, and it's possible it will manifest as a wrist mounted device. If so, the traditional watch will be competing for real estate and will probably suffer accordingly. However, the big limitation with any wrist mounted device is screen size. As soon as someone figures out a way to project a virtual screen onto your field of view (and in a form more attractive and comfortable than Google glass) the wrist will again be the domain of horological jewelry.

In any case, I'd say it's too soon to tell whether this will be Apple's version of jumping the shark or the beginning of a new era. I for one am interested in buying one, but I can't see spending serious money on something that will be replaced by version two, probably within 12 months.

Will


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Will_f said:


> I think society is moving towards more wearable technology, and it's possible it will manifest as a wrist mounted device. If so, the traditional watch will be competing for real estate and will probably suffer accordingly.


We're getting there. Remember the movie _Her_? I never saw it, but I read this piece at Wired last year:
Why Her Will Dominate UI Design Even More Than Minority Report | WIRED



Kyle Vanhemert said:


> All of these things contribute to a compelling, cohesive vision of the future-one that's dramatically different from what we usually see in these types of movies. You could say that Her is, in fact, a counterpoint to that prevailing vision of the future-the anti-Minority Report. Imagining its world wasn't about heaping new technology on society as we know it today. It was looking at those places where technology could fade into the background, integrate more seamlessly. It was about envisioning a future, perhaps, that looked more like the past. "In a way," says [production designer KK] Barrett, "my job was to undesign the design."


What they're talking about is technology that don't require you to wear special goggles and sensor-laden gloves to whip information around transparent hologram screens. The tech itself moves backstage, like the room lighting that only turns on when someone walks in. The main character, Theo, doesn't even have a keyboard _or a mouse_ for his computer -- he just talks to it.


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## Crunchy (Feb 4, 2013)

Big threat to quartz.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

I keep seeing this caveat, though:



Will_f said:


> However, the big limitation with any wrist mounted device is screen size. As soon as someone figures out a way to *project a virtual screen onto your field of view* (and in a form more attractive and comfortable than Google glass) the wrist will again be the domain of horological jewelry.


I still don't think this is a good idea. LEDs powerful enough to project anything are still too large, too hot-running, and too power-hungry to have a place in a wrist-mounted device. You can't even find them in mobile phones -- we've had smartphones for a decade, and mobiles back to the 1980's, but when was the last time anyone sold one with a projector built in?

Even if it can project a virtual screen, what could you use it for? How would you interact with it? Are you going to hold one arm across your chest the entire time you're scrolling through Facebook (or WUS)?

A smartwatch isn't going to do the same things the same way as a laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Every one of these devices has certain advantages and limitations. I'm not going to try editing multiple 4K video streams on my phone just like I'm not going to carry around a desktop tower and a dozen external drives. Hardware and OS designers prioritize what will work best on a given device, then if they're smart, they leave out the stuff that won't work well enough.

I just don't think a wrist projector will achieve anything. Leave bigger screens to bigger devices.


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## Blancpain (Jan 29, 2014)

I don't get why anyone would want to go back to tiny screens when the trend is for larger screens on phones. I also think projector watches will be a dud... Or any technology that allows other people to see what you are looking at ( like those thin transparent phones used in futuristic movies or holographic displays used in Avatar etc.)

Google glass might go somewhere if it starts looking like normal glasses and I'm hoping they one day can make smart contacts. Then you can see everything without being annoying always looking at your phone or even your wrist every time you get a notification.


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