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Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

bloomberg.com

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Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#51

Post by ben_w »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #42
jamesjyu wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would be pretty cool. I've started the habit of bringing a book (yes, paper!) to places to read. But, I still need to have my phone with me, in case of emergency calls or urgent messages. If the watch can do that, it'd basically act like a dumb phone with just enough capabilities to make me leave the phone at home.

I recently bought a cheap feature phone and used that for a while, especially at work. Two things pushed me back to carrying a smartphone full time: 1. Typing messages on a keypad (T9 predictive), annoying as I usually just send messages for work 2. Swapping the sim card between two phones on the weekend / evenings Battery life was phenomenal. Does anyone know how to copy an Australian sim card?

I have accidentally stumbled on a solution to 1., if nobody knows how to copy a SIM: I have an eleven year old Blackberry — full keyboard, not T9, and both new enough to be using the 3G network and so old nobody maintains distracting apps for it.

I can even, despite its age, use it to make a WiFi hotspot so my development phone with no credit can go online when I'm outdoors.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#52

Post by harpastum »

erikpukinskis wrote: post #46
aetherson wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might function as a proper phone , but it can't function as a proper smartphone , because you need a real screen for that.

What you're implying is that blind people can't properly use a smartphone, which I believe is false.

I'm not sure what the grandparent was implying, but there's definitely a major benefit for larger screen sizes, even for those that are completely blind. iOS voiceover and other accessibility UI affordances are much more difficult to implement on the watch form factor, where a very small amount of content can be 'active' at a time.

There are some interesting startups targeting the possibilities here, but right now, smart watches provide a less capable experience for everyone right now.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#53

Post by shaggyfrog »

dboreham wrote: post #48
user219294 wrote: post #18

If you could make calls, respond to messages (any platform), play music from a major music service, and stay up-to-date with the most important notifications, you could basically untether yourself from your phone completely. This would be a real game-changer from a personal health standpoint. People are losing their minds with the current smartphone pandemic. I, personally, would welcome this change. It seems like an…

A real game changer like the watches Samsung has been making for years that already do these things?

In theory, or in practice?

Developing for the Samsung Gear S2 was one of the most frustrating experiences in my life. Tizen is a trainwreck.

There are no games being changed with that platform.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#54

Post by rrdharan »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #41

Could the Apple Watch use WiFi provided by a phone's personal hotspot?

You mean the same phone, or a different phone?

The Apple Watch already can and does use WiFi and will connect to existing configured access points:

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2015/05/how-to-ensure-apple-watch...

Presumably if you tethered your personal phone to a second phone, then the apple watch could and would also connect directly to that second phone's WiFi hotspot without your personal phone present.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#55

Post by jmull »

This is all great.

In the short term, the sticking point is the cell contract.

If there is a reasonable add-on price to your existing phone rate, this is going to catch on. The more reasonable the rate, the quicker it will catch on.

Longer-term, the standalone service contract (Watch-only, no phone) will become more significant. People don't have an intrinsic urge to carry a rectilinear slab in their pocket... they have an intrinsic urge to communicate with each other. As a watch form-factor becomes more convenient, they will happily switch, in droves.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#56

Post by teilo »

MBCook wrote: post #7
teilo wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one will be paying that for cellular connectivity. It's all about the shared data pools now. I pay $10/mo. for my iPad Pro cellular. I'm on T-Mobile, but when I was on Verizon, it was only $15/mo. I have a friend with a cellular Samsung watch. He pays an additional $5/mo.

$10/mo is $120/yr to get access to the shared pool. That's the exact plan available for my iPad. And for extra cheapskate-ness you don't event get one extra GB when you do that. Pay more for less. I didn't know watches were less. I can't find anything on Verizon's site (from a quick glance) that mentions them, only that "tablets and hotspots" are $10/mo. Even at $60 I don't think I'd do it. I might for my iPad, but n…

If memory serves, he is on Sprint. Which I would never consider, frankly. I imagine once a cellular-capable Apple Watch is available, we will see those plans pop up everywhere.

Also, sorry, I didn't notice you were talking about the annual price.

Re: Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties

#58

Post by brianpan »

Avshalom wrote: post #49
erikpukinskis wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The lack of a screen capable of paragraphs and videos would cut you off from the most forms of readily available content, which would blunt the device's addictive potential. It's similar to the theory that mandating a lower nicotine content in tobacco would curb addiction.

A watch might be worse at keeping my attention but it is even better at demanding my attention.

You are in control of that- doesn't your watch let you configure notifications?

My watch is always on mute (vibrate only) and it has only a subset of the notifications that my phone has. My experience is it is less demanding of my attention than my phone.

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