Week 107 – NR – Essential Phone, Apple Watch, Original Video Content

Aaron's back, and so we're back to our usual back and forth format, this time around three major topics. First up, we talk about the belated launch of the Essential Phone from Andy Rubin's company, and the reviews which came out on Friday. Secondly, we discuss recent reports about the Apple Watch, including the possibility of an imminent LTE version and suggestions that Apple is talking to health insurer Aetna about subsidizing devices for its members. Lastly, we talk original video content, in the context of Netflix's hiring of Shonda Rhimes and Apple's reported $1 billion investment this year in originals. The show notes below include links to all these stories on Tech Narratives and original sources as appropriate. News stories we covered: • Essential Phone: Jan's take on reviews: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/08/18/essential-phone-reviews-highlight-challenge-of-android-differentiation/ Techmeme roundup of reviews: http://www.techmeme.com/170818/p5#a170818p5 • Apple Watch: Jan's piece on LTE reports: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/08/04/★-apple-watch-with-lte-may-be-coming-later-this-year-says-bloomberg/ Jan's piece on Aetna: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/08/14/apple-is-talking-to-aetna-about-apple-watches-for-insurance-customers/ Source on LTE reports: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/apple-said-to-ready-cellular-capable-watch-to-break-iphone-ties Source on Aetna: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/apple-aetna-secret-meetings-to-bring-apple-watch-to-millions-more.html • Original Video Content: Jan's take on Netflix and Shonda Rhimes: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/08/14/netflix-hires-shonda-rhimes-away-from-abc-to-create-new-shows/ Jan's take on Apple's $1 billion spend: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/08/16/apple-reportedly-spending-1-billion-on-original-video-content-in-next-year/ Source on Netflix: http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-lures-shonda-rhimes-away-from-abc-studios-report-1202526464/ Source on Apple spend: https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-readies-1-billion-war-chest-for-hollywood-programming-1502874004 You can also find the Beyond Devices Podcast on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-devices-podcast/id1002197313), in the Overcast app (https://overcast.fm/itunes1002197313/beyond-devices-podcast), or in your podcast app of choice. As ever, we welcome your feedback via Twitter (@jandawson / @aaronmiller), the website (podcast.beyonddevic.es), or email ([email protected]).