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Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay Drop Apple Watch Support [Updated x3]
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I think the main reason why developers are dropping support for the Apple Watch is the same behavior Apple showed us when they introduced the 2016 Macbook Pros: they were designing the Watch for themselves and they expected the developers to love them just like they love it. I mean just look how Tim Cook was glowing when he told the audience that you can make phone calls with the watch! Ive was happy that he finally could design something made of gold and they presented the Digital Crown like it was the same breakthrough as the touchscreen or the mouse. They even dedicated one button to communication with other watch owners, unthinkable with the iPhone. They made it and it seems like they meant "here's a revolutionary device only we can build. That was our part, now you have to make apps as great as this product!"
They did that with the Watch, the Apple TV, the TouchBar and they'll do it with the Siri speaker. Introduce it with a killer feature: Watch = crown, Apple TV = App Store & Siri, Touchbar = well, Touchbar, Siri speaker = ???, and then give it minimal attention once they're released.
I mean they still don't know what the main purpose of the watch is. Fitness is more and more emerging as the main purpose, but that is quite new...
They did that with the Watch, the Apple TV, the TouchBar and they'll do it with the Siri speaker. Introduce it with a killer feature: Watch = crown, Apple TV = App Store & Siri, Touchbar = well, Touchbar, Siri speaker = ???, and then give it minimal attention once they're released.
I mean they still don't know what the main purpose of the watch is. Fitness is more and more emerging as the main purpose, but that is quite new...
Trolls? What trolls? Look back through the comments. Most of the people commenting actually own AW's. Criticism of a product doesn't mean someone's trolling. Heck, even you just gave it a backhanded compliment. Does that mean you're trolling too?
@gnasher729 said it well. People with multiple products really only need the AW for a bare minimum. It's a companion device and every other device has a much more suitable screen for interaction.
I think that if you don't like fitness the Watch won't ever be for you. It's not a general purpose device like an iPad.
Your comment would have been like saying 'I don't like music, so I returned my iPod. I wish Apple would focus on Macs' about 12 years ago.
Does it really cost that much to upkeep a watch app? One good developer should be able to upkeep all 3 of those apps while sipping margaritas at the beach (considering the iPhone app code is already at his disposal). Maybe these companies need to reevaluate their programmers.
I only need notifications and option for a short response. Amazon doesn't notify me. Not really a need there.
Don't use maps on watch.
Ebay could be different but already get the notification. Would use phone to respond if needed. But would ebay really get enough watch users to make it worthwhile to support this? Probably not.
Really just depends on app. I'd want a spotify watch app if i used that service for example. Watch is good for music.
Don't use maps on watch.
Ebay could be different but already get the notification. Would use phone to respond if needed. But would ebay really get enough watch users to make it worthwhile to support this? Probably not.
Really just depends on app. I'd want a spotify watch app if i used that service for example. Watch is good for music.
In my opinion, one of AW's biggest problems is its poor Wi-Fi performance. It's great for quick interaction like notifications, but whenever it comes to fetching data from the internet, it just takes way too long. I think every Watch owner who ever used Maps can relate to that.
As long as Apple doesn't put faster Wi-Fi chips into the Watch (fingers crossed for Series 3), all those web-based apps are pretty pointless since you don't have that 'quick interaction' aspect.
As long as Apple doesn't put faster Wi-Fi chips into the Watch (fingers crossed for Series 3), all those web-based apps are pretty pointless since you don't have that 'quick interaction' aspect.
A guy I know who is a typical owner and has converted his Apple Watch to self winding power which works by wrist action alone. Amazing. He says it's already charged up until the year 2027 
Quite, most watch apps of this type are no more than a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
Let's all be honest. The Apple Watch is redundant. Hell almost all wearables are.
What I really want is for Apple to allow the watch to track iBeacons. Surely one of the most obvious uses for a wearable? And as we push smart homes it should interact with ibeacons in each room/area to turn on/off specific things.
It's silly that I can do this now with my phone but not my wearable that is on my wrist in every room I enter!
It's silly that I can do this now with my phone but not my wearable that is on my wrist in every room I enter!
The developer guidelines are way too restrictive in terms of how you can layout your application it actually makes iOS look free and easy!
There really isn't much incentive for developers to build/maintain apps for the platform the time/financial investment is somewhere close to what it would be for an iOS app with a fraction of the user base and hardware/software that isn't really suited to anything other than a handful of applications.
There really isn't much incentive for developers to build/maintain apps for the platform the time/financial investment is somewhere close to what it would be for an iOS app with a fraction of the user base and hardware/software that isn't really suited to anything other than a handful of applications.
Honestly as an iOS developer I have tried developing apps for watchOS, but the platform is just too limited.
I wish Apple made the watch much bigger. A 60 or 70mm version would be significantly easier to use and offer a LOT more functionality.
I wish Apple made the watch much bigger. A 60 or 70mm version would be significantly easier to use and offer a LOT more functionality.
I did not buy the watch at first as I failed to motivate its value. But when I found a good deal on a used, I started using it and it has grown on me. Not often any third party app but I've boarded planes using QR codes from airline apps. The mentioned apps are mostly replaced by notifications coming from the phone.
For me the apple apps have most needed functionality like the simple but inspiring fitness function. Most though it is about notifications and I use siri for timers and reminders a lot. I can answer short messages when phone is difficult to reach. Oh, and I've pinged the phone easily quite many times.
So from not being enough value, now with watchOS 3 I am confident battery lasts whole day and I've reached my move goal 211 days straight. Still on series 0 bought used together with some elegant 3rd party bands. Waiting for series 3!
Oh, recently bought Home enabled lights. Using watch+siri to control them..until a siri Hub comes along to compete with my echo
For me the apple apps have most needed functionality like the simple but inspiring fitness function. Most though it is about notifications and I use siri for timers and reminders a lot. I can answer short messages when phone is difficult to reach. Oh, and I've pinged the phone easily quite many times.
So from not being enough value, now with watchOS 3 I am confident battery lasts whole day and I've reached my move goal 211 days straight
. Still on series 0 bought used together with some elegant 3rd party bands. Waiting for series 3!Oh, recently bought Home enabled lights. Using watch+siri to control them..until a siri Hub comes along to compete with my echo
Yes, for MMA, bodybuilding, and weight-lifting all "smart" watches are less than useless.
Alas, for Apple (and most of today's hipster/hippie crowd) "exercise" = running.
LOL
I had so hoped to use it as a map when biking, but the map is so painfully slow that it's faster to pull out my phone and look stuff up before the red light turns green.
I don't know if I should sell it now before the public realizes it's officially a dead end, or keep it as a notification device until the cost of SS is spread out over the years
I don't know if I should sell it now before the public realizes it's officially a dead end, or keep it as a notification device until the cost of SS is spread out over the years
Focus on what the watch can do the iPhone can't, improve independence and battery life / charging ease ?
