Some brutal reviews. Wow.
Watch is too slow?
Watch is not for tech novices?
Watch apps work poorly?
Uh oh.
Watch is too slow?
Watch is not for tech novices?
Watch apps work poorly?
Uh oh.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Apple Watch |OT| Apple invents the watch!
- Thread starter SuperPac
- Start date
They would have to re-architecture the OS from the ground up, and get developers to start over again. It's not like going from iPhone 4 to 5. They are not gonna do that.
Besides I think Apple are not going to go that route in any case, and for good riddance. Circular screens are terrible for pretty much anything except showing a watch face.
The Elite
BOSS
LyleLanley
Banned
I'm skeptical. Why would Apple let reviews go up today if software performance is going to get significantly better before launch? Maybe this update will shorten the battery life in exchange for more power or something.
Brutal seems a bit hyperbolic.
if your phone has a 2 day (or even 1.5 day) battery, it means it isn't the end of the world if you forget to plug it in. You can still use it the next day. Surely some of us have forgotten to plug a phone in at night now and again?
I don't think anyone would be super excited about not having to conciously charge a phone every night, it is more the reassurance that you won't be screwed if you forget.
Yeah I would think you could turn off the "tap tap" if you didn't want it. If you do want it I guess you would love the "tap tap".
EDIT:
I feel like Apple has a history of doing this... the iOSX.0 has better battery life and then the revisions iOSX.0.1 and iOSX.1 etc have worse battery life but nobody talks about it because the review period is over.
I'm curious to see. I posted before about software being improved as I feel like we've had iPhones get a little more responsive in the past. Third party apps loading seem like something that would've get much better but I can see an overall responsiveness increasing a bit with the native tied in apps.
……forgetit
Member
My opinion is to wait 2 years, I love tech and that's why I'm here. I see the potential, but I think the Apple watch 3 will be where it's at.
Honestly I don't think apple really figured out the iPhone until the 4
Honestly I don't think apple really figured out the iPhone until the 4
Frank Serpico
Banned
Gen 2 Apple Watch will likely be the huge leap that the iPad 2 was to the original iPad
a lot of the sluggish comments are to do with apps pulling data from the phone rather than caching it. Maybe they can update the software so the phone always has fairly recent information stored locally for the glance screens at least. That should make it seem a lot snappier without really hitting on the battery.
I do think the communications part seems like a bolt-on without a huge amount of thought though. You get a ring of your favourite contacts (so not everyone) and you can send them weird squiggles, your heartbeat or 90's animated smiley faces. I can see the point of using siri to send a quick text or call someone, or even using the speakerphone for a quick conversation when answering a call. But the rest of that communications part just seems like it could get dropped in the next iteration and nobody would miss it.
Frank Serpico
Banned
The fact they are saying it's really slow when the Apple Watch uses location based apps is kind of crazy when that seems like that was big selling point of the Apple Watch to begin with
Both opinions are fine, you can be okay with charging nightly and still wish the battery lasted more than 15 hours.
LyleLanley
Banned
That's a good point, just having some sort of information there instead of the circular loading image would at least give off the impression that things are actually happening fast.
was it?
the fact that it doesn't even have its own GPS chip seems to indicate location based apps are somewhat of an afterthought.
An actual focus, the fitness app, seems to be working really well and really accurately.
also seems like something that i feel should have been more comfortable to manage than within the settings app.
All non-native app notifications on the watch should be:
* off by default
* not only dismissable but have an option to be deactivated right from the phone.
the fact that when i put on the watch for the first time, i'll have to manually turn off Twitch, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook (the app, not the messenger) etc. within the app doesn't sound like a great initial experience.
Honestly, I'm a bit surprised by those reviews. The average design and battery power don't really bother me, but quotes like this one from the Verge gave me pause
Hopefully this will change once native apps are released after WWDC, but slow navigation speed is a real bummer. I'm still going to get one because I only want it to replace the ipod nanos I've been using with a watch-strap for running since 2010. But this first gen model probably won't change my stance on wearing a watch all day.
Hopefully this will change once native apps are released after WWDC, but slow navigation speed is a real bummer. I'm still going to get one because I only want it to replace the ipod nanos I've been using with a watch-strap for running since 2010. But this first gen model probably won't change my stance on wearing a watch all day.
Opus Angelorum
Member
Jobs would never have let the Apple Watch be released in its current state.
Many of the initial reviews note that the Apple Watch is the "first mainstream smartwatch". The same reviews complain about lacking features in the Apple Watch which other smartwatches do well like: music playback display, dictation, general organization of interface.
Despite all of this it still seems like scores and overall impressions are positive.
Despite all of this it still seems like scores and overall impressions are positive.
"Jobs would never have let the ________ be released in its current state."
Madlibs for the next 100 years of Apple products.
The notification complaint seems daft unless they aren't that configurable?
The app makers really need to let you do hardcore configuring; does Apple let you?
If I only want to be tapped when my wife or boss texts me, but no-one else, isn't that possible?
On the same token, can't I say.. choose to get Tweet notifications from only one person?
The app makers really need to let you do hardcore configuring; does Apple let you?
If I only want to be tapped when my wife or boss texts me, but no-one else, isn't that possible?
On the same token, can't I say.. choose to get Tweet notifications from only one person?
Nexus Zero
Member
The original iPhone didn't have 3G and only ran native apps. The original Air ran like a pig. In fact every Apple piece of hardware pales next to its third iteration.
LyleLanley
Banned
That all seems like it should be possible. Twitter notifications would depend on what twitter app you use and how you configure it to send you notifications. Limiting message notifications to just your wife and boss might not work but it would for email if you set those two contacts as VIPs.
Nazgul_Hunter
Member
It's Business Insider
Got the Shakes
Member
Was super excited to preorder an Apple Watch. Now a little bit less pumped about it, but I think I'll still bite the bullet. Worse case is that it's a super frustrating experience and I return it in the first 14 days, best case it's something that I find quite useful in my life. Right now I have the original Pebble and a Jawbone Up24. Hoping the Apple Watch will fill enough of a void that I am only wearing one device instead of two.
Yet it did the main things it was supposed to do extremely well.
Your mistake is in assuming there is a thing it is "supposed to do."
the animated emojis seem to work amazingly well!
LyleLanley
Banned
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
These reviews are a bit confounding. Most say that it is by far the best smartwatch available at the moment, and yet it has issues with being sluggish and unresponsive. considering the level of the processor in the Apple Watch, it should be a smooth affair. Hopefully they really can get these quirks worked out before release, but it is strange that Apple would allow the device to be reviewed with unfinished software. Perhaps they really are working on the device right up until it ships as some reports have indicated.
It is also a sorry state of affairs for wearables if the Apple Watch is the best available, and yet still has these compromises.
It is also a sorry state of affairs for wearables if the Apple Watch is the best available, and yet still has these compromises.
LumpOfCole
Member
Reports of a slow interface give me enough reason to pause and wait a generation. I'm just going to want to take out my phone instead of staring at my wrist waiting for the watch to catch up. I suppose there's a chance that a software update will speed up the interface but I definitely don't mind waiting and seeing to ensure that's the case.
Opus Angelorum
Member
Indeed, it basically gives the Apple Watch a free pass because it's the best of a very bad bunch.
exactly. there seems to be mostly two types of people.. those who turn all notifications on and notifications basically become useless.. and those who turn all notifications off and notifications basically become useless.
I actually spend time in Settings->Notifications usually like once every one or two months just going over everything. I love notifications, BUT want very very very granular control over what notifications I receive. So far as:
I have everything turned off by default
I have most badges turned off except for a few
I have some that only do a banner, and some that only go in notification center
if an app (like twitter or facebook) have further notification settings in the app I will frequently go in there and fine tune (such as only certain lists or friends in Twitter)
etc
I have a bunch of notifications come up everyday... and I care about them somewhere from "if I have time" to "I need to know THE SECOND IT HAPPENS". Nothing that comes up is "uggh I don't care" and if one slips through I'll tune it or turn it off.
To have that then pass through to the watch and the taptic engine? bliss..
there are a whole lot of "yeah but"s to your questions.
1. apple's built in notification settings are ok but limited. basically how does the notification show up, is it archived, and how many?
2. favorites should fall in line somewhere here. Not sure as I have all texts notified.. but I know for instance.. with DND set, only Favorites contacts will ring/vibrate/light-up. I also have email notifications (actual iOS notifications) turned off in all cases, except again when it's from a favorites, at which point it will do a banner and a badge.
3. this is the last of the yeah buts. again, iOS notifications basically only let you configure how the app presents/saves it's notifications. As for the granularity of the notifications, that's up to the app. Twitter and Facebook actually offer pretty good in-app/site support for notifications. So Twitter you can choose specific users or lists to get notifications from. Flipboard I believe you can select specific boards to get notifications from, etc. Of course if the app is all or nothing.. then you're screwed. But like my credit cards even give me a few options in my bank's app.
can you quote some reviews on that?
neither the WSJ, nor recode, nor the verge, nor the NYT specifically calls the interface "sluggish". (i did a quick and dirty cmd+F on "slug" and "respons" just to make sure) They're mostly talking about apps not LOADING as quickly as they would hope. The interface seems to be responsive on native apps and whenever apps have loaded over from the phone.
unless slowly loading apps is what you'd call "sluggish", which i wouldn't. Sluggish is slow UI frame rate and constant re-tapping buttons because of unresponsive UI elements, which i didn't really read any mention of.
LyleLanley
Banned
I agree, from what I've seen the UI itself seems pretty smooth it's just all the waiting for apps and glances to load make the experience feel sluggish.
it being the best available is obviously subjective. My LG G Watch R might not be as beautiful, but the larger battery means I can leave the screen on all the time (so I can just glance at it anytime) and it'll still usually last two days. Plus I enjoy customising the watch face using watchmaker. The rest of the stuff is mostly similar to the apple watch with regards to notifications etc - and it isn't sluggish.
I think most of the comments about 'best ever' are perhaps about the aesthetics? Otherwise I find it hard to understand how they'd quantify 'best ever' regarding specs as the platforms are so different to each other.
Maninthemirror
Banned
why are reviews repeated multiple times to create an impression. Most say its the best one out there but could be better. however the article picks Patel and Manjoo and sticks with their view
i wonder how much of this is badly optimized "payloads" within third party apps, how much of it are bluetooth limitations and how much of it is CPU based.
i'm quite certain that a big part of these issues need to be alleviated by optimizing the communication channel between the phone and the watch and can't really be "brute forced" by the watch having a faster chipset.
native apps seem to be fine and once WatchKit 2.0 hits, so should third party native apps.
Opus Angelorum
Member
LyleLanley
Banned
Native apps probably wouldn't fix the problem with glances though. Unless the glances constantly get data from native apps running in the background but that seems like it would kill battery life.
There's also:
Verge said:
So beyond it being slow loading most things, it has some UI glitchiness it sounds.
Verge also noted that the delay of even checking the time is not optimal.
It sounds a bit half baked overall; I might still buy one since ~$400-500 isn't an enormous amount of money.. and I'm a gadget head.. but I hope this stuff is smoothed out over time.
Opus Angelorum
Member
Part of the problem.
You're free to spend your money however you like, but to complain about a device and then buy it...
really disagree with this. it gives the Apple Watch a pass because it's going in a different direction than most wearables. Every review.. even the verge one.. basically goes on to say "while other wearables are trying to put your phone on your wrist, apple watch is trying to change how we interact with our devices. less intrusive." it seems to mostly get good reviews because they are greatly intrigued and excited by what it's trying to accomplish compared to other wearables, BUT it's clearly a first gen product.
I also disagree that "jobs would have never let it release in this state". From the sounds of it.. first party stuff and UI and whatnot work great. It seems to mostly be third party stuff that is having growing pains. now granted jobs may have taken a different approach.. like the OG iphone and no app store with VERY limited third party apps (i.e. google maps, etc) or what have you. it just sounds like once this is actually released to the public developers will have to tweak their apps to allow for a good user experience.
I mean how many MODERN iphone apps come out with: bad load times, sluggish/poor UI, crashing, etc.? I'm not dismissing that this is a first gen product that will likely have some performance issues, especially compared to the next iteration. But at the same time it's a COMPLETELY unreleased product that most devs haven't had a lot of time with while still releasing apps for. I'm guessing a lot of these app problems (like the Evernote example) will be resolved in the week or so after launch, not having to wait for Apple Watch 2.
Part of the problem.
You're free to spend your money however you like, but to complain about a device and then buy it...
again, ridiculous. it's not black and white. It's silly to believe that you are 100% satisfied with any device you own. I mean I am a major apple geek, but even still have complaints about iPhone and iOS.. and even if I went to Android.. hey, I'd have complaints over there as well.
There is nothing wrong with buying a product, enjoying or even loving it, but having issues/annoyances with parts of it at the same time.
LyleLanley
Banned
Jobs would never release a crappy product.
Makes me curious for the second gen watch. Not only will they have hopefully ironed out the kinks, but also at that time they will have more data on how people actually use the device and can make adjustments to fit the actual use case scenarios.
I am still intrigued by this category.
I am still intrigued by this category.
I also wonder if the phone seeming to take a second to show the time is more of a tuning of the gesture reading. I feel like if it was too sensitive the screen would turn on all the time causing more battery drain. They probably want to make sure it's not just a normal gesture of moving the hand around.
I do feel like most of the issues can be ironed out. Who knows though.
I do feel like most of the issues can be ironed out. Who knows though.