New Concepts Imagine the iWatch as a Lifestyle Device, Traditional Timepiece

While earlier iWatch concepts were inspired by the wearable's health-tracking features, a new set of renderings from Argentine design student Tomas Moyano imagines the iWatch as a device that'll produce "a further and deeper interaction between human beings and technology."

iwatch-concept-moyano-grid
Moyano pictures a perfectly round device, with grooves in the side that'll allow for multiple looks with different bands. Similar to the Shine from Misfit Wearables, the concept design features no buttons to catch on your sleeve and no holes to allow in water or dust. Submersible and resistant to dust, the watch lacks speakers and will rely on vibration notifications to alert you to an incoming message.

Wait a moment, no speakers? Think about it. A watch is almost always on your hand, pretty far from your ears. Imagine yourself walking on a noisy city: If you want to hear a notification sound from your smartwatch, it should be a loud sound, and to produce it, it would need a lot of energy and big components. Both things not easy to include on a such small device.

Besides that the iWatch will be constantly in contact with your skin and body, an important fact to consider. That's why I decided you shouldn't hear, but feel the notifications. That is right: Vibration notifications. Perfectly submersible and dust resistant vibration notifications.

Battery life will be a challenge in such a small device, so Moyano visualizes the iWatch with micro-solar panels and wireless recharging. To conserve this precious power, the concept iWatch will sacrifice the cellular connection and associated services that require an internet connection. Moyano's concept envisions Maps working on the iWatch, but it is not clear how the maps would be usable on such a small-screened device.

iwatch-concept-moyano-wrist
Another circulating iWatch concept created by Hungarian freelance designer Gábor Balogh and published by The Verge is inspired by traditional wristwatch design. The concept uses an actual product image of the Havana timepiece from Swedish watchmaker Triwa. Balogh replaces the face of the watch with rumored iWatch features such as messages and heart rate tracking.

Balogh-iwatch
Though the iWatch may not have many of the features mentioned above, it is rumored to include biometric functions like a heart rate monitor that'll tie into Apple's iOS 8 ecosystem via a new Healthbook app. It may also ship with a version of Siri tailored for the wrist-worn device.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Apple Smart Glasses Launching in 2026

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:22 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week. Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
maxresdefault

OpenAI Buys Jony Ive's AI Startup to 'Completely Reimagine What It Means to Use a Computer'

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices. In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...

Top Rated Comments

kolax Avatar
146 months ago
A design student's concept is front page news?!
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cali Fornia Avatar
146 months ago
Stupid idea.

Just taking something that already exists without changing the core design but trying to fit in new technology to magically work together is wrong.
That’s the reason why taking Symbian phones in 2006 and slaping a touch screen on it, without adjusting the core system in a major way, didn’t work.

Especially the buttons on the side look pathetic. It’s just like the fake-leather calendar design of the former Mac App, with the bookmark symbol acting as a button that has completely different functionality than what it suggests.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cambookpro Avatar
146 months ago
Yes please. A watch has to be waterproof, and the idea of vibrating notifications is much better than sound.

Like the design too, I don't want a watch that's as big as my phone on my wrist! The buttons need work - I would prefer a buttonless design that was just gesture controlled.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GQB Avatar
146 months ago
Stupid idea.

Just taking something that already exists without changing the core design but trying to fit in new technology to magically work together is wrong.
That’s the reason why taking Symbian phones in 2006 and slaping a touch screen on it, without adjusting the core system in a major way, didn’t work.

Especially the buttons on the side look pathetic. It’s just like the fake-leather calendar design of the former Mac App, with the bookmark symbol acting as a button that has completely different functionality than what it suggests.

You miss the point that this first and foremost HAS to pass muster as a fashion item. Sorry geeks, but if this has every great feature on everyone's dream list, but looks like ass, it will fail. On the other hand, if it only does 2 or 3 things really well AND looks amazing, (but is capable of growing in functionality) it could be a hit.
The iPhone was really short of features when it launched, but did what it did well and looked cool.

But I REALLY hope they go with round. I've never seen a square watch that anyone with any self respect would wear in public.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
146 months ago
Those concepts are really, really nice... surprised to see a round display, that would be pretty awesome.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z400Racer37 Avatar
146 months ago
Um. Ew.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)