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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

#81

Post by roymurdock »

snowwrestler wrote: post #74
roymurdock wrote: post #44

The 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…

When Apple demoed the iPhone, many folks were amazed at how much computer they had fit into the form factor. And of course the iPhone 6s makes the first iPhone look like a toy. At some point technology will permit iPhone-level computing in a form factor the size of a watch. When that happens, it will require new UI concepts to make that power usable. Apple has started the learning process by seeing what works in the…

While the first generation iPhone started out buggy and feature-sparse, the form factor was completely revolutionary: a phone with a touch screen and internet capabilities. A mini-computer in your pocket, rather than just a phone. It set itself up for future success as wifi, 3g + 4g networks, and the app ecosystem developed over the next decade.

[Some] will argue that there will be a different ecosystem of apps for the Apple Watch. To that I would say, fine, but what are the inputs, mediums, and outputs of this new form factor? What data collection, processing, and presentation applications will be better on the Apple Watch than they are on a smartphone or a computer? What new and compelling apps are possible from these new IO and processing capabilities?

The only input that the Apple Watch gets that is different from a smartphone is from its physical location on the user’s wrist — a pulse. Otherwise, outputs will be relatively restricted and less useful than the iPhone’s outputs due to the watch’s smaller screen. Who wants to play a game, read a book, or surf the web on a watch? Nobody.

The Apple Watch is a glorified fitness tracker that obviates the need to take your phone out of your pocket to check notifications. Its secondary function is a marker of status, but there are plenty of other things you could buy to signal wealth to potential mates. [1]

[1] http://roymurdock.com/essays/2015/07/apple-watch-form-factor...

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#82

Post by maxerickson »

RealityVoid wrote: post #68
maxerickson wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I dunno, I'd be way more inclined to pay extra for a sport watch/mp3 player that I could take phone calls on than I am inclined to pay for a smart watch that shows me notifications when it is near my phone (I guess I still wouldn't pay $500 for it).

I'm not super excited that it is centralized and cloud mediated, but the cross device integration is a valuable piece of the puzzle. I don't want to lose the ability to use a medium sized device for the same purposes, I want to be able to choose whichever one is best for what I'm doing.

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#83

Post by arcanus »

melted wrote: post #60

It'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…

> Its heart rate monitor is about as accurate as a chest strap.

I'm surprised to hear that. I've found the apple watch to have very significant errors for measuring heart rates, often over 20% versus a chest strap.

For my purposes that makes it largely useless. I'm admittedly serious about tracking my exertion levels: I run about 40+ miles per week, use a Polar Ft7 for comparison.

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#85

Post by carsongross »

AdrianRossouw wrote: post #80
carsongross wrote: post #2

I really think apple missed on the aesthetics with this one: they should have gone with a round watch and used the rotating bezel (either physical or touch) for input, rather than a tiny crown. Even if it remained a niche product, which always seemed the most likely outcome, at least there would be some interesting design work to do with a circular UX. I think that Ressence Watches (which are, ironically, mechanical)…

hell, the old school click wheel ipod ui seems great for this, and they even have all the patents.

Exactly!

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#86

Post by trowawee »

lectrick wrote: post #67

They 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).

I think I saw it here, but somebody had a pretty solid system for sleep tracking/making use of the silent alarms, which I've taken to using. Basically, you charge it twice per day, while you shower/brush/floss/eat in the morning and in the evening - basically, pop it off for an hour or so where you don't really need it and charge it then. It recharges really quickly, especially at lower battery levels.

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#87

Post by mikestew »

jbob2000 wrote: post #5

Everyone who wasn't wearing rose-tinted glasses knew this. Even when the pebble came out, I was skeptical. What can you do with an interface and battery that small? It's too awkward to hold your arm out for the amount of time needed to meaningfully interact with it. They're big and clunky on small wrists, and the screen is way too small for people with big fingers. For the price you pay for one, you can get a really…

For the price you pay for one, you can get a really nice designer watch

To flip around, you mean for all the money I pay for that designer watch, all it does is tell time? Hell, I've got my phone for that. An expensive device that takes up space on my wrist just to tell time in a world full of clocks is just a silly gimmick, but so many people have buyer's remorse about it, that they forced themselves into the habit of using it.

Of course, I don't believe any of that. Different strokes and all, and if folks want to blow cash on time-telling jewelry that can't even tell me what the weather is tomorrow, more power to them.

Signed, happy Pebble Time owner

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#88

Post by thescriptkiddie »

maxerickson wrote: post #59
roymurdock wrote: post #44

The 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 have the complete opposite view. Early smart watches sucked because they just tried to be an android phone on your wrist. The most popular smart watch, the pebble (disclaimer: I own one) is also by far the least featureful. People don't want or need a second phone, they want the ability to get notifications, control their music, and tell time without having to take their phone out of their pocket.

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#89

Post by maxerickson »

thescriptkiddie wrote: post #88
maxerickson wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 have the complete opposite view. Early smart watches sucked because they just tried to be an android phone on your wrist. The most popular smart watch, the pebble (disclaimer: I own one) is also by far the least featureful. People don't want or need a second phone, they want the ability to get notifications, control their music, and tell time without having to take their phone out of their pocket.

So if you could get something equivalent to the Pebble that could also take phone calls when you were on a run (or at a bar, or ...), that would not be a good addition?

I don't think there is a big market for notifications. I think the tech is roughly in place to do notifications well (they are still pretty bulky), so people that get a lot out of that feature are satisfied. I pretty well implied that the tech isn't in place to have a compact watch that can also take calls, so I'm not really worried that early attempts failed to serve that function.

Re: Half a year later, the Apple Watch feels like a stalled platform

#90

Post by thescriptkiddie »

maxerickson wrote: post #89
thescriptkiddie wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the complete opposite view. Early smart watches sucked because they just tried to be an android phone on your wrist. The most popular smart watch, the pebble (disclaimer: I own one) is also by far the least featureful. People don't want or need a second phone, they want the ability to get notifications, control their music, and tell time without having to take their phone out of their pocket.

So if you could get something equivalent to the Pebble that could also take phone calls when you were on a run (or at a bar, or ...), that would not be a good addition? I don't think there is a big market for notifications. I think the tech is roughly in place to do notifications well (they are still pretty bulky), so people that get a lot out of that feature are satisfied. I pretty well implied that the tech isn't i…

I can already do that with the Pebble as long as I've got headphones on. I wouldn't mind the addition of a microphone for voice input (the new Pebble Time has this), but I definitely don't want a speakerphone on my watch.
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