The Apple Watch Is About to Make Apps an Afterthought
wired.com
wired.com
Isn't the second query less restrictive?
Again, the only real 'innovation' here IMO is allowing developers to continue to innovate - they will make billions off it though and that's the goal.
We've seen smart watch apps for years - most of the 'novelties' of smart watches have been played out on android devices - so I'm not really one to think that the concept of a smartwatch is going to make apps an afterthought - actually, the apps will be on your wrist all the time so it might have the opposite effect.
VERY sensationalist.
If anything, this will simply augment the app experience for the end user. The sky is not falling.
It's a good point that watch-based apps will be much more limited in their interaction, and thus a new rise of contextual apps full of quick interactions will find a very appropriate home.
However that's completely neglecting the fact that communication, boredom, and play all necessitate longer interactions for which the phone-based app isn't going away anytime soon. Sure 'yo' and anything more substantial that that will break through as a new communications style, just like texting did, but a true conversation just isn't possible in that fashion. And many people have 10+ minutes to kill and want something to fill that timeline. Then there's actual problem solving, researching, news reading, etc that all won't be solved within 10 seconds nor would that be desired.
I'm most interested to see what becomes the 'killer' use case for a smart watch and I don't think notifications are it. I believe it's going to be connected to something larger in which the watch itself may not even need its screen or much interaction -- whether that's acting as a key/CC-replacement via NFC or transmitting gestures via EMG recordings like the Myo.
It took iPhones many years to refine what an app could be and we're still getting new waves of concepts. Exciting times :)
As someone who has been in 2+ year long distance relationships, the thought of being able to send something like that in a quick few taps on the way into a meeting, or receiving similar, can be something that actually is as 'intimate' as they keep saying in the keynotes.
The hundreds of mild conveniences are going to add up, I reckon we'll get to the point where people need to have used a similar device and then 'go without' to realize what they've missed out on
if i am going to spend several hundred $ minimum on a watch watch, why not spend it on a decent looking digital watch where i can apply different clock faces.
i ofcourse not in the apple market, the strap pricing is just ridiculous compared to the already outrageous pricing of the watch itself... maybe the new haweii one.
if i am going to spend several hundred $ minimum on a watch watch, why not spend it on a decent looking digital watch where i can apply different clock faces.
Given this constraint it may be a cool gadget at this time, but with a battery life of less than a day I don't see it as a replacement of a real watch.
The scariest thing is that I'm almost certain I'll be buying the new Macbook.
Apps enable actions. Their two examples, Yo and Uber, I think you will find are 'Apps'.
Thoughm maybe I've missed the implied definition of 'app'.
Still, if the conclusion is that 'Apps' are in trouble, what does that say for content websites ?
Twitter will adapt to the watch well and with less friction on notifications Facebook has more opportunities to engage you.
There does seem to be a strong narrative from commentators on 'freeing' us from our phones, but I can't see the reality being anything other than the other way around.
It's the phone breaking free from our pockets and making itself always available within reach and vision.
I think we'll look back and see this as the middle stage in the evolution in the phone consuming us.
The last stage of complete consumption, will be attaching to our heads / brains at some point.
If it remains a niche product, then it'll be supported as a niche product by developers, while the great majority of mobile device devs keep targeting smart phones as per usual, with their usual modes of user interaction, and nothing changes.
Resist commenting about being downvoted. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading.
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Edit: speaking of signal/noise ratio, your comment downthread is substantive and a fine contribution. That's more the thing we're going for in HN comments.