The biggest issue with the Apple Watch is that third-party apps are heavily stunted. Basic things like audio/video streaming and audio recording aren't supported yet (only for Apple's own apps). Once the OS is upgraded to support additional features I think we'll see the ecosystem expand a lot more.
Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
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Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#62It's a watch first, computer second, not the other way around. And that's the right way to do it, IMO. FWIW, I'm enjoying mine. Its heart rate monitor is about as accurate as a chest strap. Its timekeeping is accurate (unlike with Android Wear which sometimes struggles with this basic task). It shows me which meeting I have next (if any). It tells me to stand up and shows text messages. It lets me set the timer while…
Are you contending that Android Wear watching can't keep time? I'm willing to listen if you have any evidence, but that sounds like an extraordinary claim.
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#63It's too fucking slow! Every interaction with a non-Apple app takes like 5 seconds just to boot the app. Siri goes away and thinks for dozens of seconds when you ask her something and sometimes never comes back. Even once text has been translated from speech, it sometimes takes 5 seconds to actually send a text. The functionality is amazing, but the speed of the device is abysmal. I love everything that it does do, b…
I feel the same, to the point I'm now selling my watch and can't see myself buying v2 unless there's a huge improvement.
I use it for telling the time, tracking my activity, and reading iMessages, but I now know that attempting to do anything else I'd possibly want to (like replying to a message) will take twice as long on the watch as it does to take my phone out of my pocket and do it on there. It even lags while scrolling a notification, sometimes.
Many of my friends are the same, although don't dislike it enough to sell it. They don't plan to upgrade to the next version, however.
Edit: I also wish notifications were smarter. I like that you can choose which apps have their notifications show up on the watch, but it's currently all or nothing. I'd like to be able to choose what type of notifications show up. For example, I want notifications for Twitter DMs on my watch, but not notifications for likes, retweets, etc.
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, as I said initially, I don't think that this product was ever going to be a home run. Regarding busywork, it's worth recalling that "the enemy of art is the absence of limitations." A circular UI would introduce some very interesting constraints and give Apples designers a chance to work in a new problem space. The tension and interplay there could lead to more interesting innovation than the scaled down mobile…
I'm sorry, that all still sounds like busywork with some buzzwords thrown in for good measure to me. A screen that has the size and power limitations of the Apple Watch seems like plenty of limitations to work with, to me.
What do you mean busywork? Many Android watches have been doing great with a round dial, vast majority of regular watches have round dial!
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#65The Apple Watch works well for my (N=1?) use case: I have an iPhone 6 plus, and no, I don't want to pull it out of my pocket or bag dozens of times a day. I had an iPhone 5, and loved the form factor, but not the battery life. The 6+ can handle a couple of days of use as a smartphone and mobile internet access point. The larger screen is irrelevant to me, but the larger battery matters. I like that when the phone rin…
I had an iPhone 5, and loved the form factor, but not the battery life. The 6+ can handle a couple of days of use as a smartphone and mobile internet access point. The larger screen is irrelevant to me, but the larger battery matters.
Do you think the purchase of a Watch could have a bearing on iPhone purchase decisions based on the phone's battery life (if we do not see untethering in the near future)?
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#66It's a watch first, computer second, not the other way around. And that's the right way to do it, IMO. FWIW, I'm enjoying mine. Its heart rate monitor is about as accurate as a chest strap. Its timekeeping is accurate (unlike with Android Wear which sometimes struggles with this basic task). It shows me which meeting I have next (if any). It tells me to stand up and shows text messages. It lets me set the timer while…
If you think keeping time accurately is a notable feature in a $300+ digital watch, you seriously need to re-think how you evaluate usefulness of a product.
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#67They need to get the battery life above "1 day". I think that's what's stopping MANY people. In my case, I almost need sleep tracking (diagnosed with a sleep disorder).
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#68The Apple Watch is not a seriously compelling product, nor will it ever be as (a) useful or (b) revolutionary as the iPhone. Apple knows this, and despite what pundits and analysts might think, it doesn’t care. Tim Cook and Johnny Ive may present the Apple Watch as an incredibly novel, sexy-as-hell product in a nascent, high-value market, but they do that with every new Apple product line because it’s their job. They…
I think smart watches will take off when they get good enough to be a second phone (LG almost launched this a couple weeks ago). It makes sense to get the platform out before that happens so that users and 3rd party developers can help improve it.
I think they will only take off when they get good enough to be the only phone... which I think will not happen or until it happens, some other, better thingammabob will be the dominant tech.
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm sorry, that all still sounds like busywork with some buzzwords thrown in for good measure to me. A screen that has the size and power limitations of the Apple Watch seems like plenty of limitations to work with, to me.
What do you mean busywork? Many Android watches have been doing great with a round dial, vast majority of regular watches have round dial!
I'm not saying that a round face is a bad idea, just that the OP suggested making it round specifically so that the designers can explore a round watch face. That's busywork.
(and I suspect Apple did it at some point in the development of the watch anyway)
Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform
#70It's a watch first, computer second, not the other way around. And that's the right way to do it, IMO. FWIW, I'm enjoying mine. Its heart rate monitor is about as accurate as a chest strap. Its timekeeping is accurate (unlike with Android Wear which sometimes struggles with this basic task). It shows me which meeting I have next (if any). It tells me to stand up and shows text messages. It lets me set the timer while…
If you think keeping time accurately is a notable feature in a $300+ digital watch, you seriously need to re-think how you evaluate usefulness of a product.
It's notable if its main competitor in the market (allegedly) doesn't.