I’ve seen some comments over the past couple of days from people wondering what the “killer app” for the Apple Watch will be. I’m pleased to tell you that it’s here—it’s called iPhone.
If you don’t like the implications of calling a hardware device a killer app, then we can say it’s iOS. Either way, some of the great things that will be done on Apple Watch over the next few months will be about the iPhone and the way it interacts with the watch.
Apple Watch is an accessory for the iPhone, that’s very clear. The challenge developers will have is making their app’s UX and UI work and display properly on the watch.
I mentioned yesterday that I really like what Uber has done with its app on the watch. You are initiating something on the watch, not just responding to things happening on the iPhone. This is what we need to see more of from developers moving forward.
One of the mistakes that I made when thinking about the watch was that I’d just be responding to messages—that sounds expensive and boring. Luckily I was wrong.
The idea of watch first, iPhone second is something we’ll have to get used, but it’s also a feature that will make the Apple Watch much more useful for us all.
The argument here is, I think, true convenience or simply novelty. Convenience leads to true potential for change; novelty leads to eventual boredom and abandonment.
It’s too early to say which way Watch will go
Jim, you might be right on this one. It certainly makes the watch more “durable” to think of the iPhone as its processor engine – maybe it will last five years between updates.
But I am still not interested in the Apple Watch version at $550-1100 unless the watch is upgradable in its entirety. Sensor package, battery, processor, etc. And no serious watch aficionado is going to be interested, either. Jewelry watches (as opposed to Casios) are heirlooms, even at the “Movado” level of cost…
I really find it awful the way this site is constantly pushing Uber. The whole concept of user driven “taxis” is deeply questionable, and Uber itself has shown the worst kind of company culture, has a despicable CEO, and huge issues with privacy, regulation, safety etc.
I get that all the tech dweebs think Uber is cool. I get that they like their first world custom taxi service. I get that all the rich techie people who don’t have to really work hard for a living don’t like “regular” Taxis where they have to interact with the poor people.
I just don’t think you should be mindlessly and endlessly promoting this highly questionable service. Uber is just the worst, and this site looks stupid promoting them IMO.
I think you might be on the right track here. I’m not a mechanical engineer, techie, or even that smart (just ask my wife). The designers at Apple know watches are traditionally ‘heirloom’ pieces. But even an heirloom must be cleaned and serviced every few years. And the cost of having this done by a qualified watch craftsman is not cheap. It is quite possible that there are plans for an Apple Watch trade-in or restoration program that will take your watch and install new electronics at a significant discount from the price of purchasing a new watch. Judging from the prices, the bulk of the cost would seem to be in the case materials, not the guts.
Apple knows the market they are getting into. I would very surprised if they have not thought this out. Especially for the higher end product. Those guys seem to be pretty smart.
trade-in isn’t really a good idea IF there’s space enough on the back for engraving…I don’t want to give up the watch my dad gave me, right?
I hope that Apple will announce that the watches are upgradable. If they make that announcement, I will probably buy a stainless steel with link bracelet and an additional fluoroelastomer band for workouts…if not, I don’t know that I’ll even buy a sport!
Wow, some serious resentment there. Or some kind of faux empathy for “poor regular folks”… IMO
Jason, I agree. For the watch to truly be an heirloom it would have to be restored, not traded in and replaced. I want to believe Apple recognizes this too.
By the way, I don’t wear a watch and have no plans to start, even if it is an Apple Watch. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the value of watch passed through generations. One of my fondest memories is the night I honored my parents’ wishes and delivered my dad’s watch to my son on his graduation night.
I really hope Apple appreciates how important moments like these are, and understand just how personal watches are.
Which is why I will be getting the Apple Watch Sport for now, although I probably will be getting Modern Buckle or Milanese Loop later on. I also much prefer its matte finish as well as lighter weight.
This Uber use case seems more like a novelty use case than a killer app. Think about what you do when you order a car from Uber. You order it, get told the time until the car arrives and then play around on your phone for 5 minutes until it shows up. If I’m going to play around on my phone anyway, why would I need to use the watch?
On the other hand, the plane ticket/hotel room thing seems pretty ideal. Plane ticket will be easy because it uses existing infrastructure of scanners. Hotel room could take close to a decade before over half the hotel rooms in the US update their physical plant appropriately.
I don’t agree that Uber is the worst. But its process of qualifying drivers is indeed questionable. Their senior managers have shown highly questionable judgment.
Having said all this, the idea that taxi drivers are the poor people and Uber drivers are in a different class is absurd.
We don’t have to get used to watch first, iPhone second because I doubt the majority of iPhone owners will get an Apple Watch. That does not have to happen for the Watch to succeed. But as long as watches are not ubiquitous, apps cannot be wrist first, phone second as a rule.
I’ve seen your replies to a lot of things on here lately and man, you just come across as such a whiney baby.
The Loop isn’t pushing Uber. It got mentioned because Uber was used in the Apple Watch demo; that’s a totally fair thing to bring up. Whatever your thoughts on the service (I’m a Lyft driver, so I’m inclined to agree with you), it was an excellent demo, and definitely makes me hope for something similar with Lyft. (and I’m more than a little curious about whether there would be any additional Watch features for drivers)
The killer app is “instant info”. Plenty of workout apps are already announced. I expect navigation to follow soon.
The guys are literally always mentioning Uber and they do it uncritically, outside the parameters of a review or article. It’s always mentioned in a positive light as well.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have made big deal about it on this article, but it was one mention to much for me. Apologies.
I think it’s important NOT to do business with companies that behave morally, improperly, etc. This is out of fashion now I know.
Why “faux” sympathy? And why can’t I not be a “poor regular folk”? Perhaps you are upset because my description of the Uber users comes too close to the mark?
I’ve been saying this since the rumors of an Apple watch, the watch makes a lot of little things just a little bit easier and a little bit quicker. Big ain’t nothin’ but a whole buncha little.
People who say “I can already do that on my phone” are completely missing the point.
my iPhone is $850 — how does apple’s upgrade policy for it work? oh yeah, it doesn’t. thats how Sport and Watch will work. Edition — if you’re rich enough to drop $10-17,000 on a gold apple watch, you’re rich enough not to care…thats how the policy will work.
sorry folks.
you guys are living in a dream world. apple is here to build mini computers on your wrist that happen to be watches….not to build family heirlooms.
man you are delusional — “rich techie people who don’t have to really work hard”?? clearly you’ve never been on a big software project.
you also clearly haven’t spent much time in Manhattan, because if you did you’d understand the rich have NO PROBLEM WITH TAXIS! you’re inventing an elitist fiction.
i don’t give a shit about Uber and dislike their corporate policies, but i can still identify a kook when i see one…
I’m gonna call bullshit on your “literally always mentioning Uber” remark unless you provide some links to back that up. I did a quick Google search for “uber site:loopinsight.com” and got the following results (the first two pages of results minus redirects, and sorry the dates are all over the place):
So yeah, your “literally always mentioning Uber […] uncritically, outside the parameters of a review or article” and “It’s always mentioned in a positive light as well” comments are absolute bullshit.
I agree that the Apple Watch desperately needs apps that are initiated on the watch itself. Part of the reason that these apps haven’t come out is that the native watch API hasn’t been released. Developers don’t have access to the speaker, microphone, or input events such as digital crown movement. The iPhone camera-to-Watch screen app by Apple demonstrates that really amazing things are possible if these APIs were to be opened up. Now for my shameless plug, I made a watch app that enables you to lookup Wikipedia articles around you with one button press (www.wiki-watch.io). I’d really like to add navigation into the app, but the map interface ONLY allows you to show an overlay map, no turn-by-turn directions.