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Latest iWatch concept imagines flexible display, iOS 7-inspired user-interface

Designer Federico Ciccarese, who we know from many past Apple product concepts, has teamed up with some friends to create his latest iWatch render. This time around his concept is a little more realistic than some of the other iWatch renders we’ve seen from Ciccarese, and even touches on some of the old flexible display, slap-on wristband rumors that were floating around when iWatch rumors first started heating up. In case you’re out of the loop, we reported back in July that Apple had assembled a team sensor and fitness experts to work on the much rumored wearable, and over the weekend key Nike FuelBand developer Jay Blahnik confirmed he’s taken a job at Apple. Samsung is expected to unveil its new smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, on Sept. 4 in Berlin, but recent reports note Samsung won’t have a flexible display ready in time for the first generation. The video below shows additional renders with the iWatch concept in black and various colors.

Our own Mark Gurman stopped by BusinessInsider recently to talk iWatch:

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Comments

  1. PMZanetti - 11 years ago

    What? Its “realistic” to mockup a device that has rough edges sticking out to the side of the person’s wrist?

    I don’t think so.

    • ericpruss - 11 years ago

      The headline does not match up with the content of the article, which reads “This time around his concept is a little more realistic than some of the other iWatch renders we’ve seen from Ciccarese.”

      if you look at the other renders Ciccarese – such as his utterly absurd “spider” design – has done, then yes, it is the most realistic yet. Of course, that is akin to saying that Lever 2000 is the most nourishing of soaps.

  2. Realistic??? A watch with a full iPhone4 homescreen???? Try again!!!

  3. Josh Lefebvre - 11 years ago

    Have a friend who works at a bakery and one of her regular customers who comes in and does some design work for Apple had the iWatch on. Out of all the renderings I’ve shown her, she said this one is the closest to looking like what she saw. She said the screen was slightly longer and it was more of a round cuff than something you could slide off your wrist. Apparently the one she saw came in black.

  4. rettun1 - 11 years ago

    Mark looks like he’s about to karate chop somebody.

    A WHOOPAP!!

  5. Zach Lach (@Zach_Lack) - 11 years ago

    It needs more Gold or it’s not going to be successful in emerging markets…

  6. mkimid - 11 years ago

    for the fitness, this design is no good. How can be hold while running ? And too large screen and it will took too much power. And, flexible screen is not practical solution yet.
    I just want to say “Looks good”
    But, “No practical”.
    Why this designer just want make some thing winder instead of making some reasonable ?

  7. John Choi - 11 years ago

    Looks less like a watch and more of a woman’s fashion bracelet.

  8. incredibilistic - 11 years ago

    I find it incredibly puzzling that someone has the vision to create a concept like this but not the foresight to think about a more conventional interface but rather just slap a screenshot of iOS 7 onto the face of the watch.

    Just comes across as lazy. That’s not to say what they put together wasn’t impressive. It was, but when I see JPEGs of existing screens of the iPhone slapped onto a watch the effect is tarnished by their “lack of vision”. LIGHTNING STRIKE!!!!!

  9. Chris Cook (@TCCook) - 11 years ago

    wow! no way this is even close

  10. rahhbriley - 11 years ago

    People wondering about the flaws of this device, look at the designer’s other product renderings. They are often cool, well built, and well rendered, but rarely are the practical. The other wrist device looks like a spider and wouldn’t be comfortable, and his iPhone rendering that looks like a Mighty or Magic Mouse is incredibly impractical because you would have to set the phone on it’s face to make it lay flat. Any way he’s imaginative and can build some hella good CAD models and renderings. More than most of us can say.

    • incredibilistic - 11 years ago

      He’s incredibly talented but his talents would be better utilized within a team environment where someone with talents in UX, another in art direction and another with an eye for UI.

      Not everyone is Tony Stark.

  11. rogifan - 11 years ago

    I wish the world could be banished of concepts. I’m so sick of seeing some 3D computer rendering that is neith practical nor realistic. Yawn.

    • mistergsf - 11 years ago

      I’m not a designer and don’t claim to be an expert, but I don’t see how you could design anything without first having an idea and then a concept. It’s part of the creative process. The definition of “concept” is very broad. I’ve always felt that for a designer, the conceptual process was a way for them to step out of the box and design something over the top and without any boundaries; push the envelope. Determining whether it’s practical or realistic comes later in the process. Perfect example are concept drawings that automakers put out of future cars. They look cool and futuristic at first. But then, you start to focus on the details of what is practical or even functional. If designers designed with only “practical” in mind and with no vision towards the future, it would be a very boring world.

  12. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 11 years ago

    This is absolutely awful design. These are not “concepts” either but instead just mockups. There’s a big difference. A concept has to be a possible working design, not just something that looks futuristic and cool. This design is simply impractical and would fail the student out of even a beginner’s industrial design class.

  13. This is one of the best iWatch concepts we’ve seen in recent time. Design looks clear, inspired by past Apple products and I kinda like it :)

  14. Chris Ko (@xiingli) - 11 years ago

    It looks too feminine.

  15. MaRico NoHands Spikes - 11 years ago

    Remember these aren’t Apples renders or product

    If it was a little rounder, short screen, clasp to ensure doesn’t fall off & more of a universal size over all, remember it can’t be too big then Apple would lose out on a lot of the market with the teens and petite adults, 2 sized models could be the answer to that, but our imagination can take us millions of miles away from their direction so only time will tell. It’s only so many ways to make a watch tho, I’m interested in Seeing Samesungs ATiV Watch too.

  16. Dime09 (@dime09) - 11 years ago

    Looks more like a Bangle than a watch. Something a woman would wear with a matching necklace.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.