Apple poaches another luxury executive as iWatch nears

HIRING SPREE: Apple has poached a senior executive from Swiss luxury watch brand Tag Heuer, which could be to help it with the launch of its iWatch expected this autumn. — Reuters

PARIS: Apple has poached a senior executive from Swiss luxury watch brand Tag Heuer, which could be to help it with the launch of its iWatch expected this autumn. 

Tag Heuer, part of luxury goods group LVMH, said on Friday its vice-president for sales, Patrick Pruniaux, who had been with the brand for seven years, was leaving on Monday to join Apple. It did not say what his new job would be. 

Apple declined to comment. 

The iWatch will be the closest the US company has come to selling a fashion accessory and marks its first foray into the personal luxury goods market. 

It is in a race against Samsung Electronics and Google to turn computers into wearable fashion and must-have items as smartphones, increasingly becoming commoditised items, start loosing their appeal. 

Apple has plucked several executives from the luxury sector in recent months. Burberry ex-chief executive Angela Ahrendts started as its new head of retail and online sales in May, and former head of French fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent Paul Deneve was hired last year to work on special projects. 

"I think he was probably headhunted," a Tag Heuer spokeswoman said of Pruniaux, adding a replacement had already been found. 

Analysts and industry executives say the jury is still out on whether smartwatches will disrupt the luxury Swiss watch industry. 

"I don’t believe that an iWatch will be a threat to luxury Swiss watches," said Jon Cox, analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux in Zurich. 

"But where I do see some potential impact is at lower, for example below US$1,000 (RM3,187.80), price points where there could be a temporary dislocation if there is super high demand for iWatches." 

Jean-Claude Biver, head of watch brands at LVMH and chairman of watch brand Hublot, said he believed the threat of smartwatches had to be taken seriously by the Swiss watch industry. 

"The iWatch will have the same status symbol power as many other Apple products, especially at the beginning," he said. "I personally believe it has the potential to be a threat for the industry, and it should not stay with its arms crossed." 

Apple applied for a trademark for the "iWatch" in Japan, a patent official said earlier this week, signalling the iPhone maker could be moving ahead with plans to launch a watch-like device soon. 

Speculation has been mounting that Apple was preparing to launch an iWatch which would include multiple health and fitness sensors and access to features such as messages and notifications through integration with the iPhone and iPad. — Reuters

Source:

www.thestar.com.my

Posted by Editorial Team on 1:17 AM in Apple poaches, group LVMH, iWatch nears, Kepler Cheuvreux, luxury executive, LVMH, Patrick Pruniaux, senior executive, smartwatches, Swiss luxury

Why Samsung’s rumoured Gear Solo sounds like a bad idea

The rumours around Samsung’s standalone smartwatch, the Gear Solo,went into overdrive over the weekend with more reports coming in about the device and its release date. Supposedly, the watch will be launched in the June-July period, but the question is does Samsung even need to do this? Where does a standalone smartwatch fit in, if at all? We try to figure out.

Roydon Cerejo

I believe adding a SIM slot in a watch is a stupid idea. I don’t understand why you’d want a watch that can make calls when you have a phone with you at all times. Not to mention a watch will be terribly inconvenient to have a private conversation on. The Samsung Gear Solo isn’t going to be what many people think. I highly doubt Samsung would make such a move. Even if they do do it, it would just be for the “world’s first” title.

As far as innovation goes, i believe the Motorola Moto 360 should be the holy grail of smartwatches. Whether it takes off or not all depends on the execution and so far, given Motorola’s current track record, I think we’re in safe hands.

Nimish Sawant

Frankly speaking, I find the idea of a smartwatch being able to make and receive calls a bit odd. I mean how difficult is it to just take your smartphone out of your pocket or handbag and attend a call? It’s faster just lifting your wrist to your face and talking you say, but then what ground-breaking thing are you doing with the seconds saved? Some of you may say that it helps in situations such as driving where you can talk without having to pull out your phone. Well, ideally while driving, you shouldn’t be attending any calls. If you absolutely have to, then its best to pull over before talking or responding to that urgent mail.

A smartwatch should ideally just be an accessory to your smartphone. Smartwatches are great tools for notifications and with the sensors on-board, work great as a fitness trackers. I would ideally look at a longer battery life, compatibility with any smartphone irrespective of the brand of the smart watch and an economical price point when considering buying myself a smart watch. The rumoured news of Samsung Gear Solo which is expected to come with a SIM card slot seems like innovation for innovations sake to me.

Even if such a device were to come out, there are very slim chances of it replacing a proper smartphone. There are limitations such as the screen size, the form factor, the apparent discomfort while using such a device in noisy streets and so on. It will clearly have to be accompanied by accessories such as a Bluetooth headset if you intend to have long duration calls. Just think about it, an accessory for a device which itself is supposed to be an accessory to a smartphone? To me that seems like a very roundabout way of doing things, which comes with additional cost of course.

Battery life is another major concern. A smartphone with a SIM slot and calling facilities will most likely drain quicker than a smart watch that is just tethered to a smart phone over Bluetooth LE. Do you really want the headache of charging one more device?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Gear Solo is indeed a reality, but it is one product I definitely would not buy.

Nikhil Subramaniam

Samsung does have a do-it-all approach when it comes to devices. One wonders whether they are just launching certain products in case that device category explodes. Presumably, Samsung wants to be ready to scale up. So this year we are hearing about Galaxy Eye, its take on Google Glass, and even a VR headset like Oculus Rift, which will reportedly work with Galaxy smartphones.

Among all this, I am least surprised about a possible Samsung smartwatch with a SIM slot. It’s rumoured to be called Gear Solo, and will supposedly sit alongside existing wearables.

I am not even sure why someone would want a watch as their primary phone. Is a phone too much to carry? We can safely assume the Gear Solo would be a great hit in the anti-pocket brigade, but surely Samsung is not catering to such a niche. It makes littler sense, when you consider that there are hardware startups trying to do the same already on various crowdfunding platforms and not with much success. So it’s not like everyone is dying to talk into their wrist. Samsung is covering its bases, in case the world decides it wants to.

Source:

tech.firstpost.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 1:15 AM in bad idea, Gear Solo sounds, Nimish Sawant, Roydon Cerejo, Samsung Gear Solo, Samsung’s rumoured, Samsung’s standalone, smartwatches, Supposedly, the Gear Solo

Jawbone's UP24 fitness tracker adds Android compatibility

SAN FRANCISCO — Fans of Jawbone's Up bands who happen to be Android smartphone owners as of today can consider the company's most recent take on the fitness tracker, UP24.

Jawbone on Tuesday announced Android compatibility for the $149 UP24 band, which launched late last year as an iOS-only device.

The new hardware added Bluetooth connectivity, which the original Up band ($129) lacks. That means you don't have to plug it into your phone's headphone jack to sync data.

The Android app lets you wirelessly sync from the band to an Android device via Bluetooth Smart technology, so you can get feedback in real-time.

Everybody and their brother has a fitness tracker on the market, so the UP24's arrival on Android was a must to deliver.

Bands from competitors including Fitbit and Nike all offer a variety of ways to track overall fitness and health. The Up made its mark as a simple step tracker that added insight into sleep patterns in a sleek design. An early version was marred by some battery and syncing issues, which the company addressed for the most part in a subsequent model.

I've used the non-Bluetooth Up model for about a year and find syncing still finicky at times. Presumably, not having to stick the thing into your phone smooths out that issue. And there is no display on the band, so you must rely on the app to get the latest info about your progress.

But Up is simple to use and I've continued to rely on it to keep me honest and active during the day, even as I've added a Pebble smartwatch to my wrist-wear. Indeed, it will be interesting to see how Jawbone and others keep pace in the market as smartwatches make their move, many with functionality and apps that mimic what the first-generation of bands provide.

News Source: www.usatoday.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:48 AM in Android, battery, competitors, Jawbone's, non-Bluetooth, smartphone, smartwatches, tracker, UP24, wirelessly