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Apple has launched a new webpage showcasing the tight integration between iPhone and Apple Watch. "Add them together. Multiply their power," reads the minisite, which highlights the benefits that come with using the two devices in tandem.

apple-watch-iphone-minisite.jpg
Get directions on iPhone and a tap on your wrist when you need to turn. Check your heart rate on Apple Watch and track it over the last hour, day, month, or year on iPhone. When you put the two of them together, they add up to so much more.
Scrolling down the vector image-based page brings some of the more basic features into view first, like the ability to answer or decline a phone call or FaceTime call on Apple Watch, and then transfer it to your iPhone.

Messages are next, with Apple Watch features like quick replies, Tapback, emoji support and Scribbles covered, as well as the ability to ask Siri to compose or reply to an incoming message using your voice.

The site goes on to highlight the two devices' deep Camera app integration and the way you can use Apple Watch to remotely set up a shot on iPhone, including the ability to frame and shoot, zoom in and out, switch between the iPhone's front and back cameras, and switch between camera modes.

Elsewhere, Apple shines a light on the music capabilities of Apple Watch, such as Apple Music streaming, playlist support, and remote iPhone playback controls. There's also a section on Apple Watch health functions with iOS Health and Activity app integration, as well as mentions for handoff support in Maps, Find My, and Apple Pay.

Without disclosing anything new about iPhone and Apple Watch, the site does a good job of surfacing some lesser known features available to prospective customers who might be thinking about pairing the two devices.


Article Link: Apple Webpage Promotes Unique Benefits of iPhone and Apple Watch Integration
 
When it works, it works splendid. When it doesn't.. well, you might as well have Siri go "sorry, this request took too long" or "the app took too long to respond" when you simply ask her to dial a number, or "I couldn't find anything for..." whenever she picks up random words during regular conversation and so forth.

Or when you use Maps to navigate on the watch and it gets casually overtaken by message notifications or music apps.

But yea, I think before Apple pushes more ads onto the world, they'd better fix the technological embarrassment that is Siri.
 
Siri is quite responsive for me on my Apple Watch. There is a disparity between what Siri can do on different devices. However within the confines of what it can do on the watch it works well enough for me.
 
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On the ability to ask Siri to compose or reply to an incoming message using your voice it’s just a pity Announce Messages with Siri is not available on the Apple Watch so users can hear the message read out before composing a reply with their voice. Would be great for accessibility and people with severe physical disabilities who have problems accessing the Watch face
 
Every time I handoff stuff between Mac and my devices, or I find my desktop synced in my phone, or I unlock my Mac just by sitting in front of it with my watch, I remember why I will not even consider switching ecosystem.

It’s just a wonderful garden, and I don’t care about walls.
 
The value of the watch would be for me to leave my iPhone at home. Unfortunately there are only cost prohibitive plans from the carriers Telecom and Vodafone available in Germany.
 
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The value of the watch would be for me to leave my iPhone at home. Unfortunately there are only cost prohibitive plans from the carriers Telecom and Vodafone available in Germany.

Out of interest what is the cost? I grudge having to pay around €5.50 per month for an unlimited Watch plan in the UK.
 
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When it works, it works splendid. When it doesn't.. well, you might as well have Siri go "sorry, this request took too long" or "the app took too long to respond" when you simply ask her to dial a number, or "I couldn't find anything for..." whenever she picks up random words during regular conversation and so forth.

Or when you use Maps to navigate on the watch and it gets casually overtaken by message notifications or music apps.

But yea, I think before Apple pushes more ads onto the world, they'd better fix the technological embarrassment that is Siri.
I’m down on Siri as well, although your maps/music triage example is not a Siri problem per se. But two things have happened since I formed my opinion years ago. First, Siri has gotten noticeably smarter. Apple has done this through elbow grease and acquisitions in AI/machine learning. I know empirically this is true because I have a personal “greatest hits” list of Siri’s more ridiculous past screw ups, and Siri now gets most of them right. Second, I have accumulated experience with Siri’s competition, Alexa and Google. I found that Siri is not awful by comparison. They all suffer from various parsing and detection foibles. Siri is a little worse at answering trivia questions (which I’m not sure was ever the point of Siri, but whatevs). It’s very good at most of the stuff I throw at it, because it’s commands rather than questions (HomeKit, set a timer, play a tune/playlist, etc.). When I do ask a questions, it’s usually the time or the weather, both always correct.

So yeah, still flawed but better. More importantly not dramatically worse than the others (there are published comparisons that bear this out). And most importantly, you couldn’t pay me to deploy Amazon or especially Google in my house. So fbow I’m stuck with Siri. Glad to see it’s improving. Like Apple Maps, there’s never a second chance to make a first impression, which are hard to let go of, but I am.
 
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The main two reasons I bought my watch on launch day are still two of the reasons I love wearing my watch. The time is correct and I get a tap on my wrist for notifications. I would miss so many notices before with just the phone in my pocket or in a cup holder. The many many other features it provides and I use are icing on the cake for me.

Really I want to say it again. Having a watch with the correct time no matter where I am is just one of those things that checks a box for me. I dont know why its important to my brain but it is. I wait until the right second to hit enter on the microwave clock when I’m forced to set it because I want everything to be in sync. My cars have GPS that keeps the time. You get the idea.
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Can you actually use the Apple Watch without an iPhone? :p
I know you’re being funny I see the face but to reply I can for some things. It’s really good for exexcise since it has GPS. I take calls on my AirPods when I have left my phone behind. I get weather notices. I need my phone many times though because the letters are small and i need a bigger display to read it, ha.
 
I was coming to say something similar, force press to delete ALL iMessages on the Apple Watch, like clearing notifications.

Deleting conversations individually is painful.

Swipe to the left to delete each conversation? Works for me, but yes, if you want to delete them all, that's a pain, but that's probably something that would not be done much in the real world on the Watch compared to the iPhone. And having a "delete all" next to "new message" with Force Touch, could result in a lot of heartbroken folks who save their messages, as I would assume deleting all on the Watch, would delete all on the iPhone!
 
Now add in the iPad! What a waste always needing a iPhone!

I'm sure the iPad is a better device to manage the smaller Apple Watch, just like how I find using iTunes on my MacBook Pro to manage my iPhone! I don't use the Apple Watch or iPhone App store, its too limited on seeing what the app is and how it works. I do use the iPad to review iPhone apps when I'm on the road and need something.

Apple has the right idea just failing on making it all fit together! I want my iPod Touch to work with my Apple Watch so when i'm on my bike I can have the iPod on my handle bars giving me a display on both my heart rate (as well as other health sensors when they come out) as well as my directions and speed.

I prefer the iPod Touch as less of a loss if I go down. And when I run its still less weight than an iPhone! With a cellular Apple Watch I have my communications device so why do I need a second?
 
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When it works, it works splendid. When it doesn't.. well, you might as well have Siri go "sorry, this request took too long" or "the app took too long to respond" when you simply ask her to dial a number, or "I couldn't find anything for..." whenever she picks up random words during regular conversation and so forth.

Or when you use Maps to navigate on the watch and it gets casually overtaken by message notifications or music apps.

But yea, I think before Apple pushes more ads onto the world, they'd better fix the technological embarrassment that is Siri.
You think wearables are just for voice assistants? That’s like saying HomePod is just for Siri. There’s a reddit page dedicated to just closing rings with Apple Watch. There are stories of people waking up in the hospital after the Apple Watch detected an abrupt fall. There’s more going on with tech than Alexa.
 
You think wearables are just for voice assistants? That’s like saying HomePod is just for Siri. There’s a reddit page dedicated to just closing rings with Apple Watch. There are stories of people waking up in the hospital after the Apple Watch detected an abrupt fall. There’s more going on with tech than Alexa.

I didn't think or say that, you did. I'm aware of and using heavily native Watch features (activity, heartbeat/dB monitoring, etc). But this article is about integration, and smart assistant functionality is a big checkmark for that kind of seamlessness to work. As it is with Siri, it doesn't.

The rings and life saving interventions are valid but not relevant in this context.
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I’m down on Siri as well, although your maps/music triage example is not a Siri problem per se. But two things have happened since I formed my opinion years ago. First, Siri had gotten noticeably smarter. Apple has done this through elbow grease and acquisitions in AI/machine learning. I know this is true conclusively because so have a personal “greatest hits” list of Siri’s more ridiculous past screw ups, and Siri now gets most of them right. Second, I have accumulated experience with Siri’s competition, Alexa and Google. I found that Siri is not awful by comparison. They all suffer from various parsing and detection foibles. Siri is a little worse at answering trivia questions (which I’m not sure was ever the point of Siri, but whatevs). It’s very good at most of the stuff I throw at it, because it’s commands rather than questions (HomeKit, set a timer, play a tune/playlist, etc.). When I do ask a questions, it’s usually the time or the weather, both always correct.

So yeah, still flawed but better. More importantly not dramatically worse than the others (there are published comparisons that bear this out). And most importantly, you couldn’t pay me to deploy Amazon or especially Google in my house. So fbow I’m stuck with Siri. Glad to see it’s improving. Like Apple Maps, there’s never a second chance to make a first impression, which are hard to let go of, but I am.

I ... hear you, but the problems I've described have been ongoing since day 1. In fact, that still happened again today when I tried to call my dad. It also keeps picking up random phrases when I'm having a conversation.

I don't need to benchmark with other smart assistants to tell with conviction that Siri is a dumpster fire.

IMG_6441.jpeg
 
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The value of the watch would be for me to leave my iPhone at home. Unfortunately there are only cost prohibitive plans from the carriers Telecom and Vodafone available in Germany.

Is that so! Vodafone in Australia only charge you $5AU or 3 URO per month to have cell reception on the watch!
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If you have the cellular version watch.
Not really. You still are stuck with REQUIRING an iPhone to use an Apple Watch. I can't just buy myself a watch.
 
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