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Designers Envision Concepts for Apple Watch Apps Like Uber and Instagram

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Digital agency Huge yesterday released a set of renderings showing off their concepts for how existing popular apps like Fandango, Foursquare, Chase Bank, and others could take advantage of the Apple Watch when the smartwatch launches in the coming months.

Breaking down the major new features of the Watch, including the Taptic Engine, Voice command, and the Digital Crown, Huge reminds readers that none of the renderings are based off any confirmed apps from the companies or Apple itself, but they do offer an interesting look at the possibilities.

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Huge also smartly points out that the success or failure of apps on the platform lies in developers embracing its smaller-scale and not just shoehorning existing iOS user interfaces and features into the Watch but making something new and unique. Interaction between the Apple Watch and the iPhone will of course be key, however.
Features such as native voice control, haptic feedback, and a digital crown that can be used to magnify, scroll or zoom within apps crack open a whole new world of design requirements and opportunities. The smartest companies will do more than offer facsimiles of their existing apps; they'll create custom experiences that exploit the watch's unique interface.
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Tackled first are "existing apps" that the company reimagines for the wearable platform, namely Uber. Pointing out Uber's dependency on tracking a car, Huge thinks possible voice control, a quick messaging system between the user and driver, and easy peeks at real-time car tracking would push the app to be even more popular on the wrist.

On the banking side, the company takes a look at the possibilities for an app like Chase, thinking the transfer of money, checking balances, and alerts for bills due and deposits made could provide even more ease-of-mind for customers banking on the go.

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On the more social side, Huge mocks up an idea for movie-going app Fandango consisting of electronic ticketing, alerts for movie times, and, of course, theater time listings for movies nearby.

Perhaps most questionable, but also one of the most interesting, are Huge's ideas for Instagram on the Apple Watch. Though most users probably wouldn't mind taking out their iPhone to check the service, Huge envisions the Watch version of the app as more of a companion piece: alerting users to photo comments, tags, and likes, with possible photo browsing relegated to the digital crown. The company also points out the significant gain any news outlet, like The New York Times, could receive from having alerts and breaking news sent right to their readers' wrists.

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Next, the company looks at "new use cases" the Apple Watch will enable, thanks to the release of WatchKit to developers a few months ago. Though iBeacons have been the source of some questionable developments about the possibility of location-based advertisements hitting the Apple Watch, Huge points to a few clever alternatives, like the watch notifying a user passing a grocery store that they have milk or bread on their shopping list, for example. More broadly, Huge envisions a native to-do list app in the vein of Apple's Reminders but which could easily best its iPhone counterpart due to its easier-to-access location on the Watch.

The Apple Watch launch is rapidly approaching, although a rumored March release date has yet to be confirmed by Apple. Apple has promised it will share more information on the Watch as its launch nears, and third-party developers have been hard at work on their Apple Watch projects for some time now. But for the time being, readers can see the possibilities outlined above, as well as others including a kitchen assistant, haptic feedback-fueled navigation, and a sports-focused news app, in Huge's feature published at Fast Company.

Article Link: Designers Envision Concepts for Apple Watch Apps Like Uber and Instagram
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/01/16/uber-instagram-watch-concepts/
I have to confess that am still not sold on the idea of the watch, but time will tell. Thought these renderings look really cool.
 
Even if this ends up being more useful then I currently think it will be, I don't think I'll have the disposable income to buy one when it's released (going to be tight on money until June). I'll probably just wait for the second generation.
 
Regarding Instagram, most of us would probably consider notifying every "likes" and "tags" to be quite pointless, a borderline spam really.

I am hoping most app designers would be wise enough to push only useful information to Apple Watch.
 
Ubers allegedly criminal rapist drivers have given the company a bad image amongst the mainstream public who make up their target market. It's a global problem that's growing.

Apple is a squeaky clean very conservative company. I can't imagine them getting into denial about Uber just for the money. But one never knows, especially since it's no secret Apple loves money.
 
Why isn't this article on the front page???

I can really see the digital crown being useful in that mockup for sending money. You would rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or lower the amount and maybe click it to switch between the dollars and cents fields. The possibilities are going to be endless for people that are great designers and think outside the box.
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Even if this ends up being more useful then I currently think it will be, I don't think I'll have the disposable income to buy one when it's released (going to be tight on money until June). I'll probably just wait for the second generation.
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I think we're all assuming they'll release a generation every year like the iPhone. That may not be the case!
 
OneBagTravel said:
Call me crazy but I'm so against wearable's like this. Just another distraction.
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I am just waiting to see what this turns out to be, but I am curios to see where the wearable market will end up. I hope we get past the watch and glasses mode.

Wondering if or when a wearable replace my phone?
 
Still don't get this. Why would you wanna see information, photos, etc... on such a tiny device when your bigger screen phone is right on your pocket. Are we getting this lazy? I really thought Apple would present something different, but this is just the same as every other smartwatch out there. I still think this won't take off like the iPhone or iPad did, but we'll see if developers can make this attractive.
 
brunosh said:
Still don't get this. Why would you wanna see information, photos, etc... on such a tiny device when your bigger screen phone is right on your pocket. Are we getting this lazy? I really thought Apple would present something different, but this is just the same as every other smartwatch out there. I still think this won't take off like the iPhone or iPad did, but we'll see if developers can make this attractive.
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If 10% of iPhone 6 owners buy this, it'll be huge. I'm going to have to struggle to NOT buy the first gen..

It's not just the convenience of avoiding pulling your phone out of your pocket for every notification. It's the status that comes with being a part of some new cutting edge technology, and I personally think the thing looks beautiful.

That being said I'm not normally a watch person, so I hope it fits comfortably on my wrist. Looking forward to getting one of those stands with mine to display on my nightstand.

Once it's released and we've played with it, everything will become clear.
 
brunosh said:
Still don't get this. Why would you wanna see information, photos, etc... on such a tiny device when your bigger screen phone is right on your pocket. Are we getting this lazy? I really thought Apple would present something different, but this is just the same as every other smartwatch out there. I still think this won't take off like the iPhone or iPad did, but we'll see if developers can make this attractive.
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I can see it being useful and convenient especially now that phones are getting bigger. Rather than always pulling your phablet out of your handbag you can just glance at your watch. Until it's out and we have apps from developers it's hard to really see how useful it could be.
 
nutmac said:
Regarding Instagram, most of us would probably consider notifying every "likes" and "tags" to be quite pointless, a borderline spam really.

I am hoping most app designers would be wise enough to push only useful information to Apple Watch.
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Haha nope my younger sis gets basically off off it seeing all the "like" notifications popping up on her lockscreen. Her world breaks down when a pic gets less than 100 likes. Kids these days

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I still don't get it. People buy huge smartphones to use but then get a tiny smartwatch for convenience so they do not have to pull out their phone? Schizophrenic much?
 
nutmac said:
Regarding Instagram, most of us would probably consider notifying every "likes" and "tags" to be quite pointless, a borderline spam really.

I am hoping most app designers would be wise enough to push only useful information to Apple Watch.
Click to expand...

What notifications and how many are in the eye of the beholder. Just as long as there is sufficient configuration options for tailoring the information that displays on the watch life will be good.
 
Gaming on the Apple Watch?

I wonder if this thing can run games like breakout or snake. Obviously the digital crown can act as a controller for those simple games.
 
Lexdexia said:
I wonder if this thing can run games like breakout or snake. Obviously the digital crown can act as a controller for those simple games.
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I'd imagine any game for the iPod Classic could translate well to the Apple Watch.

Peggle, Zuma, and Vortex!
 
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