The upcoming Apple Watch may be the most personal, most revolutionary tech device yet (don’t get me started on Google Glass). So naturally, Apple brings out the big guns.
By that I mean the big guns in luxury fashion. There are documents revealing that Apple is hiring interior designers with ‘a fashion or luxury background’ to help upgrade retail stores by the time of Apple’s iWatch release in early 2015. Apple is also coaching it’s own staff on luxury vocabulary for this potentially historic event. There’s a reason Apple is taking this route. There is the personalization and diverse styles of the iWatch. Apple Design VP Jony Ive even joked, “Only in prison do all people wear the same thing.” And what options do they have? You can choose between the sizes of 38 or 42mm, between stainless steel, aluminum, and here’s where the luxury comes in, 18 karat gold. Bands come in different styles and colors. Rumors have it the iWatch prices will start at $350. But the ones in 18 karat gold could easily go into the thousands. As far as we know, the exact date of Apple’s iWatch releases is unknown.
They must be expecting big things from the Apple Watch to go all out like this. And it could help. Appearance is a part of the sale, and if you can hire the best, why not go for it? But they shouldn’t forget the most important thing here: the quality of the iWatch. By quality, I mean does it function correctly? Does the fitness tracker rate your heart properly? If I send a message through iWatch, will the recipient receive it? If I go to the store and pay through Apple Pay, will it take or will I be publicly embarrassed? ?These should be their top concerns. My great uncle once said, “I’d rather drive a Pinto that runs good than a Cadillac that just takes up space.” Well, you can have all the luxury and fashion design you want, but if the iWatch doesn’t function, you’re better off with a Timex. Are they focusing too much on look and too little on quality?
Are you excited about wearable technology or just tired of it? If you’re tired of it, I’m sorry. There’s another company jumping in the race just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Bluetooth product maker Jawbone and health and fitness system Up will be introducing two products. Up Move is an aluminum nugget that can be worn either in a wristband or clip-on. It measures basic health activity: calories, steps taken, your sleep amounts. Up Move has a free mobile app for Apple and Android smartphones. The price of Up Move is usually $50. The wristband: only $15! You can start ordering today, but shipping starts November 7.
The other wearable product is called Up3. This wristband will run you $180. Jawbone says this device is like jumping from phone to smartphone. It’s features include wireless synching, water resistance (so long as it’s not submerged), customized reminders, built in alarm clock, motivation and connection with family and friends, goal set-up, and others. They also have resting heart rates as well as workout heart rates. Up3 can detect hydration and respiration rates. Don’t go rushing to Up 3 website’s yet. Shipping isn’t expected to start for a few weeks.
I’ve always said competition is good for business, especially this time of year. I have to do more research, but I think fifteen dollars is a record low price for any fitness technology, or any wearable technology for that matter. This is a good thing because now wearable devices are accessible to everyone and more people will want them. For all UP 3 is offering, $180 is a decent price. I’m not saying I want the Up3 for Christmas, but this is a good buy. The reviews of Up 3 are pretty good. I hope Fitbit and others step up their advertising and promotion game this holiday season, and I think they will. Which wearable technology is on your Christmas list?
The Apple iPad Air 2 release is upon us…well, sort of. You have to pre-order it. Is it worth the suspense, or the money?
The pre-order doors were open on Friday, October 17. Shipping should? take a maximum of four business days. In other words, don’t go lining up, rushing, camping out, or trampling over or fighting over the last one. That’s not happening this time…yet. Battery life is very important to me, and the length of it seems to beat all the competitors, even Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S 10.5. According to charts, the iPad Air 2 leads their competitors in display brightness, graphics performance and hard drive speed. But what’s getting attention is the thinness of this design. This device is so thin you can cut butter with it (don’t go trying that). It weighs about 15 ounces and measures 9.4 x 6.6 inches. You can set up Touch ID and use Apple Pay with this iPad. The pixel resolution is the same as the original iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 contains twin bottom speakers which should guarantee a clear, but bumping audio sound; so make sure you get good headsets for it. The camera has been upgraded from five to eight megapixels. Can you believe there are over 675,000 apps for iPad products, including Apple iPad 2? Now let’s talk price. One can order an Apple iPad 2 from the online Apple store for $499 for a 16 GB version. If you want to really go all out, you can get a 128GB version for $828.
Personally, I’m impressed. I think all the right moves to make iPad Air 2 a success are being done. Everything from the pictures to the battery life is being improved. Even the price is reasonable, for the 16GB version at least. But I’m most grateful for the selling and ordering process. As for right now, it’s only online, so no chaos at the physical Apple stores. Chaos at stores may be a tradition for some folks, but I deplore it. I’m glad Apple is doing it this way…for now at least. Is the Air 2 worth the hype?
There’s Google Glass. There’s the iWatch. Samsung is getting in the wearable technology game. It was only a matter of time when Microsoft was going to cast it’s hat in.
According to Forbes magazine, Microsoft plans to launch a smartwatch. This watch is expected to measure heart rates and has a two day battery life, among offering other mobile benefits. The battery life alone is about twice as much as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear and Moto 360. You know they’re going to launch their wearable device just in time for the holiday shopping season, which is very near. Though Microsoft started the process back in May 2014, this will be their first brand new project (I don’t mean spinoff or update of a Microsoft product that already exists) under the leadership of new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Smartwatch is new chartered territory for everybody, but it’s expected to bring in over seven billion dollars in 2015 alone. Some predict smartwatches to be the next big thing in technology. Microsoft, the company that caused a revolution in computer software development, hopes to cash in on this expectant revolution.
But let’s see how Microsoft has done in other areas, especially in recent history. The Windows phone hasn’t been too kind to this company, or to Windows phone users for that matter. It’s lead many a user to frustration and confusion. Maybe that’s why they have less than three percent of the smartphone market. However, the Xbox is the most successful gaming system of all-time. The Kinect is the fastest selling device of all-time. The release date, name, or price of this mysterious device? hasn’t been released yet. But having a battery life longer than their competitors is a huge step up. But I hope that’s not all they’re depending on. The competition is fierce. And they better start making proper connections to get the medical community to support their watch, or this experiment won’t last very long. Will Microsoft survive the wearable technology race?
Sprint’s troubles seem to have little end in sight. So far in 2014, they’ve had to cut hundreds of jobs and shut down scores of stores. And that’s just the beginning.
Back on Friday, during a regulatory meeting, Sprint announced more job cuts from their already battered Kansas City headquarters. Back in March 2014, they had to shut down 55 stores nationwide and cut 330 jobs. Now more are coming. Management positions aren’t immune, as some top positions are expected to be cut. By October 31, this batch of job losses will likely cost this smartphone conglomerate over $160 million this fiscal quarter alone. And it looks like the Sprint consumer may be paying for the balance. Sprint warned additional charges may be needed to make up the difference, although nothing specific has been released to the public. Intense and aggressive ad campaigns are doing little to help. If anything, it’s inspiring? competitors. Sprint is #3 in the wireless carrier market. T-Mobile, #4, is bent on taking their #3 spot. The top two, AT&T and Verizon, have countered Sprint’s campaign with their own aggressive, but very popular, ad campaigns.
How did Sprint get in this mess? It started with a tacky, mediocre overhaul that a 5th grader could have put together. That lead to gaps in coverage, which led to confusion for a lot of Sprint consumers. That led to a mass exodus of customers dumping Sprint, probably in favor of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. So when the customers go, revenue goes. And when revenue goes, jobs go. And now they want to take it out on their remaining customers by even suggesting the bill might be passed on to them? This is what I call company suicide. I know the lostmoney has to be made, but not this way. Hold on to what consumers you have left. How bad will it be when more customers walk out because they’re being forced to pay for Sprint’s troubles?
It’ s pretty much the same old story, only more of it. Every smartphone store I passed by this weekend, lines were out the door. I’m just glad they had a kiosk so I could run in and pay my bill without the madness. And according to numbers, this weekend’s madness tops all others.
Numbers just released by Apple say the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sold over ten million combined units in a 72 hour period. This sets a new record. And the US isn’t the only nation to thank, or blame, depending on the way you look at it. Australia, Canada, Japan, France and other nations took part as well. And this is probably just the beginning for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus domination. On September 26, these phones will be released in 20 more nations and in 115 nations by December 31, 2014. I will give Apple credit; this phone has it all. It’s got HD cameras, lightning speed wireless technology, fingerprint ID technology to protect from hackers, and you can even use it as a credit card thanks to Apple Pay. I will admit the prices aren’t bad either. One can get an iPhone 6 and 6 Plus for as little as $200-$300.
Now it’s easy for some to say the US, Canada and the first wave of nations are smartphone obsessed and consumer obsessed. But wait until China, India and BRIC nations’ turn for the iPhone 6. I wouldn’t be surprised to see to see fights break out over this. It’s happened before. But my question is why would anybody risk long lines and potential tempers just for this smartphone? It isn’t just the cool features. Something deeper is going on. Maybe you got to be the first one on your block to get it. Maybe it’s for bragging rights among family, friends and colleagues. I’m sorry, but I don’t have that urge. I’ll just wait a week or two or three and wait for the lines to get low. So if you’re one of those who just have to have the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus on the first day or weekend, why?
