14 DAY TRIAL // During the opening session of All Things D’s D11 conference Tuesday night, Tim Cook put forth a positive attitude regarding wearable tech, and wrist devices in particular.
Amid rumors about Apple launching an iWatch, Tim Cook is careful to draw a distinct line between fact and speculation.
In a live, on-stage interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, the Apple CEO piqued, “There are lots of gadgets in this space right now, but there’s nothing great out there. But none of them are going to convince a kid that hasn’t worn glasses or a band to wear one.”
Cook is not convinced that wearable tech is ripe for the picking, but he does believe “it’s ripe for exploration.”
“There are a lot of problems to solve in this space,” he said, adding, “I think there will be tons of companies playing in this space.”
Speaking of Google Glass in particular, Cook appropriately pointed out that, while there are some positive aspects about the product, it doesn’t make much sense for people who aren’t accustomed to wearing glasses, he said.
“I think there are some positive points in the product,” Cook said. “I think it’s probably more likely to appeal to certain vertical markets.”
“I wear glasses because I have to,” he added. “I don’t know a lot of people that wear them that don’t have to. They want them to be light and unobtrusive and reflect their fashion.”
He also noted that, “from a mainstream point of view [glasses as wearable computing devices] are difficult to see. I think the wrist is interesting. The wrist is natural.”
In other words, Cook has more faith in an iWatch than he does in Google Glass, or any other product that puts a computer on your head. Sounds promising.