The 9/9/2014 Apple Launch Event Thread

[Red Storm]

I have no idea how people are going to send text messages through that little watch screen. That said, it would probably be best for things like...reading text messages and alerts without having to...pull out your 5.5 inch iPhone...from your bag surrounded by case and screen protector so you don't damage the thing...

But I really like the round LCD screen. It's different. Though I guess it would make reading text messages a little awkward.

I feel like a round watch lcd would have been the Steve Jobs thing to do.

Here's to looking forward to the 2nd gen Motorola watch.

Lastly, is it possible someone might come up with platform agnostic NFC payment method? Apple really should have made their NFC payment compatible with Android, but being Apple they didn't.

I read text messages just fine on my Moto 360, the round screen worries are unfounded.

NFC is agnostic, wherever Apple Pay works, Google Wallet works, and vice versa.

 

[Commodus]

I haven't watched the keynote video yet, but I thought one of the livestreams mentioned Siri integration so presumably you just speak a message to it.

Yep, Siri is built-in both to relevant apps and the OS level. You can dictate a reply if one of the canned options won't do the trick.

 

[sze5003]

If Apple does invent a round type watch it will look much better and I'd probably like that. The Moto 360 is nice but it's kind of thick.

I also don't see a point in typing a message on the watch. I would most likely use it when traveling, in the car to see notifications, etc. I still think it's dangerous to mess around with while driving but for those type of situations it comes in handy. For the most part my phone is always near me.

 

[zerocool84]

That was probably a given, but the important question is whether or not it will be able to make it to the end of the day. If it's almost dead by the middle of the afternoon that's an even bigger problem.

It'd have to last at the minimum 13 or 14hrs without a charge. People go to work, then go work out after work then possibly go out after that.

 

[sze5003]

It'd have to last at the minimum 13 or 14hrs without a charge. People go to work, then go work out after work then possibly go out after that.

I also wonder once the watch is paired, what is the distance you can have your phone from you where it still picks up notifications...or does that not matter ?

My buddy can't take his phone in the building at work so he used a web service to text me from his pc. Which is odd because the people working with him and the things they do sometimes are really unprofessional compared to where I work but they are all hyped up about security.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Played with my G Watch and 360 for the past 2 hours, and rewatched the keynotes for both I/O and Apple's September event, and here's what I found.

Maps Interface: Apple offers a viewable map which is huge. It might not give you the functionality that a phone gives, but its still nice to have a visual image.

Time home: Apple copied Google clearly with a "Now" like card, but the card not only shows the time home, but also shows a mini map. To me that's more useful.

Replying to texts/messages: Not only do you get an option to use prewritten responses (which is important because not everyone wants to talk to their watch unless they're in a more private location), but you can still use voice dictation.

The timer screen on the watch: You can control minutes and seconds easily on the Apple Watch. On Android, its pretty simple list of 5 second intervals and then 1 minute intervals.

Calendar screen: Not just a card, but you can visually see the rest of your appointments too, and showing color codes next to each event looks nice.

Camera/Remote Shutter: Apple Watch mirrors your camera view. It's kinda why we use the front camera for selfies. Otherwise people could just hold the phone backwardsand use the rear camera. Android Wear is simply a shutter button.

It's interesting to see where Android will go from here, but I have to be honest and say the Apple Watch seems to be far more functional out of the box. I do wonder if having no buttons on the Android watches did hurt them. The 360 seems to waste the crown button as a power button, but I'm sure it could do a lot more.

 

[WelshBloke]

Maps Interface: Apple offers a viewable map which is huge. It might not give you the functionality that a phone gives, but its still nice to have a visual image.

Not seeing the point of that at all. Given that you have to have your iPhone on you for the watch to work anyway, and if you're in a situation where you have to look at a map to get directions, then getting them off a 4.7 inch screen is going to be vastly superior to trying to read a tiny phone screen.

 

[openwheel]

Smart watches: total waste of time. Android and iOS both. Just another money grab.

I will keep my Submariner 16610LV. Thank you very much.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Not seeing the point of that at all. Given that you have to have your iPhone on you for the watch to work anyway, and if you're in a situation where you have to look at a map to get directions, then getting them off a 4.7 inch screen is going to be vastly superior to trying to read a tiny phone screen.

I definitely agree the phone will always be a better experience. But I'm saying if you're even going to rely on directions on your watch, it helps in addition to a list of directions to see the map doesn't it? Not so much to analyze every move you make, but to know that its around the corner and on the left or right side, etc. I just feel more comfortable with both a map and directions.

Did they show off the navigation feature or maybe I'm just imaginging it, but a list of cards like android would make sense with each direction, but maybe you can swipe right and get a map view. It helps if say you're walking down a street, the signs are no longer there, there's 3 small alleys within hundreds of feet. Which one? Glance at the map. Its the second one. Done.

We'll see. Now that Google Maps is called Google Maps Micro on the watch, I think Google will be adding more soon. After all, maps is their forte right?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

If Apple does invent a round type watch it will look much better and I'd probably like that. The Moto 360 is nice but it's kind of thick.

I also don't see a point in typing a message on the watch. I would most likely use it when traveling, in the car to see notifications, etc. I still think it's dangerous to mess around with while driving but for those type of situations it comes in handy. For the most part my phone is always near me.

I expect a new set of laws to go up once these watches go mainstream.

 

[WelshBloke]

I definitely agree the phone will always be a better experience. But I'm saying if you're even going to rely on directions on your watch...

But why would you when you've got your phone on you anyway? You can even just use some earbuds for audio cues if you don't want your phone in your hand all the time and pull it out for clarification when needed.

Of all the things that I think a watch will be terrible at navigation would be at the top. Its got a tiny screen and you need to carry a superior device to make it work.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

But why would you when you've got your phone on you anyway? You can even just use some earbuds for audio cues if you don't want your phone in your hand all the time and pull it out for clarification when needed.

Of all the things that I think a watch will be terrible at navigation would be at the top. Its got a tiny screen and you need to carry a superior device to make it work.

I agree if you want more info, use a phone, but whats the point of even having directions on a watch? You might as well argue to not do anything on a watch because a phone will always be superior. I don't think it hurts to show a mini map in addition to the list of directions.

The user can always go for a phone if they want the full detailed map.

 

[WelshBloke]

I agree if you want more info, use a phone, but whats the point of even having directions on a watch?

Indeed, that was my point.

Watches don't do navigation very well. There's no audio, no GPS, no cell coverage, and the screen is too small to use effectively.

 

[Demo24]

Is there anyway to buy a ip6 off contract Verizon right now? Probably too late to get one, but figured I'd entertain the idea. I can only find them via upgrades, and of course T-Mobile unlocked.

 

[Red Storm]

If Apple does invent a round type watch it will look much better and I'd probably like that. The Moto 360 is nice but it's kind of thick.

I also don't see a point in typing a message on the watch. I would most likely use it when traveling, in the car to see notifications, etc. I still think it's dangerous to mess around with while driving but for those type of situations it comes in handy. For the most part my phone is always near me.

FYI the Apple Watch is thicker than the Moto 360.

 

[eelw]

Indeed, that was my point.

Watches don't do navigation very well. There's no audio, no GPS, no cell coverage, and the screen is too small to use effectively.

Well pedestrian mode is nice. As you're walking, the watch will tap you which direction you need to turn. Wonder how to effective is it for driving?

 

[sze5003]

FYI the Apple Watch is thicker than the Moto 360.

I couldn't tell from the pictures. But it would be better to see both in person. Does Apple even have a display prototype at the store?

 

[Anubis]

do any of the watches do voice to txt? because that would solve this texting debate off the small watch face

and we could all pretend we were Dick Tracy

 

[Red Storm]

do any of the watches do voice to txt? because that would solve this texting debate off the small watch face

and we could all pretend we were Dick Tracy

Yes they all do voice to text.

 

[desura]

It's pretty obvious to me that the biggest deal here is Apple Pay. The smartphones are...meh. The watch is meh. Apple Pay however gets us closer to being able to leave the house with just an iPhone and not having to carry a wallet with you. Now if only we could digitize that driver's license...

 

[vi edit]

*IF* Apple can get Apple Pay well adopted that can be a bigger push for their phone sales than any statistic or benchmark on specsheet could.

I'm sitting in a campus of students, clinicians, patients, ect that accounts for almost 60,000 people on a daily basis. Starbucks and the cafeterias across campus are swiping credit cards every second of the working day here. Most of us using our credit cards at least once, if not two or more times a day. If the campus puts in a tap 'n pay system it'd be huge. As a student or a worker you already have a phone that you are carrying. Now it's one less thing to worry about.

Businesses have to be salivating. You are making it *even easier* for somebody to exchange money. With cash you needed to make the effort to carry it, and then had a built in willpower check before you handed it over. Credit cards eliminated that will check and you just swiped the plastic through. Now you don't even need your wallet on you. That fresh brewed coffee smell good? Don't have your walllet? That's fine, you still have your phone. "Boop" it on the NFC reader and it's all good. You've even further removed that will power check than it was previously credit cards.

Colleges, major "campus" settings with high volumes of staff & clients, airports, ect. All would RAKE it in. And since it's locked to Apple it makes that push to go iPhone a bit more desirable on your next cell phone. And if you are Apple currently and using that, once you have that convenience going backwards won't be easy.

What I wonder is...if a business signs an agreement to put in an Apple reader, is there an exclusivity clause saying they can't use Google's wallet?

 

[Red Storm]

Colleges, major "campus" settings with high volumes of staff & clients, airports, ect. All would RAKE it in. And since it's locked to Apple it makes that push to go iPhone a bit more desirable on your next cell phone. And if you are Apple currently and using that, once you have that convenience going backwards won't be easy.

What I wonder is...if a business signs an agreement to put in an Apple reader, is there an exclusivity clause saying they can't use Google's wallet?

It can't be locked to Apple, the technology being used is NFC which is not Apple proprietary. Wherever Apple Pay works, Google Wallet works and vice versa. Merchants will love this because both major mobile OS users will benefit from increased proliferation of NFC terminals.

 

[WelshBloke]

It can't be locked to Apple, the technology being used is NFC which is not Apple proprietary. Wherever Apple Pay works, Google Wallet works and vice versa. Merchants will love this because both major mobile OS users will benefit from increased proliferation of NFC terminals.

I'm not sure that's true. We have lots of places that take NFC payments here in the UK but no Google wallet.

 

[Red Storm]

I'm not sure that's true. We have lots of places that take NFC payments here in the UK but no Google wallet.

That's because Google Wallet itself is only available in the US at the moment.

 

[jpeyton]

It can't be locked to Apple, the technology being used is NFC which is not Apple proprietary. Wherever Apple Pay works, Google Wallet works and vice versa. Merchants will love this because both major mobile OS users will benefit from increased proliferation of NFC terminals.

Yep. I know Apple mentioned Subway in their announcement. Subway has already been accepting Google Wallet payments for a while. No equipment change is needed to accept Apple Pay, and vice versa.