Hands-On With watchOS 3: Instant App Launching, Favorites Dock, New Watch Faces and More

[BlueMoon63]

Glad to hear watchOS will now remind me to breathe.

Gawd, I can't even count how many times I have seen this post... it's an app - there is a stand reminder - there are alarm reminders - you can turn them on or off. It's not even funny.
[doublepost=1466527190][/doublepost]

I agree 100%. I could see many kids playing with mommy and daddy's watch and activating 911.

Way harder to activate on the watch than using the phone to call 911. Watch that is off is locked - if on, they need to know the password - then hold the button long enough when kids press and let go... Then you need to choose and slide to dial 911... With a phone - press the phone icon - emergency call.

 

[dewski]

Gawd, I can't even count how many times I have seen this post... it's an app - there is a stand reminder - there are alarm reminders - you can turn them on or off. It's not even funny.
[doublepost=1466527190][/doublepost]
Way harder to activate than using the phone to call 911. Watch that is off is locked - if on, they need to know the password - then hold the button long enough when kids press and let go... Then you need to choose and slide to dial 911... With a phone - press the phone icon - emergency call.

I'm more worried about myself hitting it honestly. Like the poster said, I look down at least once a day to see the slide to power off prompt because I have mashed the button with my wrist. (I'm wearing it wrong)

Also, I don't use a passcode on my phone or watch so my baby could get at it in theory.

 

[BlueMoon63]

It's a beta. Being buggy should be expected.

While you're at it, be a good citizen and report those bugs and crashes to Apple. I imagine that's one of the reasons why you installed a beta on your device, correct?

And it isn't even that buggy... people use a beta and load third party apps and non-native apps and think it is the beta version as the problem. I've used this beta 1 for a week and it has been incredible. I've played around with the dock and have great battery life - even better than 2.2 or equal unless I put in bad third party apps that are not native and have to go to the phone. Overall, I used to finish with 40-50% battery with an hour workout included and wearing the watch at night for sleep tracking and silent alarm - now it is more like 30-40%.
[doublepost=1466527639][/doublepost]

I'm more worried about myself hitting it honestly. Like the poster said, I look down at least once a day to see the slide to power off prompt because I have mashed the button with my wrist. (I'm wearing it wrong)

Also, I don't use a passcode on my phone or watch so my baby could get at it in theory.

But you can't hit it with version 3 - you need to first get that screen to come up and then select one of the three choices and slide it across the screen. Even without a password, it is way easier to dial 911 with a phone than the watch... way easier. Since you don't lock your watch or phone, I fully expect you don't use apple pay or use any apps that require a password that allow you to see the password. Not meant as a rip.

I had to comment about the person saying the watch will dial 911 so easy because they bump that button or take pictures. Now you can turn off the option to take pictures and the 911 requires way more than accidentally holding down the button - you then have to choose the right option with a long slide.

 

[ke-iron]

What we need is a faster watch. Even though the apps launch quicker, the apps itself is still slow because the watch is slow.

 

[dewski]

And it isn't even that buggy... people use a beta and load third party apps and non-native apps and think it is the beta version as the problem. I've used this beta 1 for a week and it has been incredible. I've played around with the dock and have great battery life - even better than 2.2 or equal unless I put in bad third party apps that are not native and have to go to the phone. Overall, I used to finish with 40-50% battery with an hour workout included and wearing the watch at night for sleep tracking and silent alarm - now it is more like 30-40%.
[doublepost=1466527639][/doublepost]
But you can't hit it with version 3 - you need to first get that screen to come up and then select one of the three choices and slide it across the screen. Even without a password, it is way easier to dial 911 with a phone than the watch... way easier. Since you don't lock your watch or phone, I fully expect you don't use apple pay or use any apps that require a password that allow you to see the password. Not meant as a rip.

I had to comment about the person saying the watch will dial 911 so easy because they bump that button or take pictures. Now you can turn off the option to take pictures and the 911 requires way more than accidentally holding down the button - you then have to choose the right option with a long slide.

Yeah i know how it works. I'm just saying that it could happen. I get to the screen accidentaly once a week. at that point a simple swipe calls 911. brushing off my arms or any kind of accidental gesture could trigger 911. I'm not crazy worried about it. I just think it should be something more deliberate like maybe holding down the slider for 5 seconds or something.

and yes i wish i could use apple pay but you cant without a passcode. I do have it set up on the watch, as you only have to put in the passcode once a day, but i wish they would allow me to use it on the phone without a passcode.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Why do we still not have 3rd party faces? I was really hoping they'd say, "...and now we're opening Watch Faces to developers...starting today!" Then introduce a Face AppStore.

Something for WatchOS 4 and get the audience to cheer and clap at the announcement.

 

[dwaltwhit]

Yep, it's pretty great once you experience it.

There is of course, a catch. Only the apps in your complications and the Dock launch instantly. But really, I use about 10 apps frequently anyway. This is completely fine, considering the Watch only has 512MB ram, so there is a limit.

I think that if I had instant access to apps, I'd probably consistently use 4-5 so this is great news!

 

[citysnaps]

I'm more worried about myself hitting it honestly. Like the poster said, I look down at least once a day to see the slide to power off prompt because I have mashed the button with my wrist. (I'm wearing it wrong)

Also, I don't use a passcode on my phone or watch so my baby could get at it in theory.

Well, as a responsible parent, isn't it incumbent upon you to make sure that doesn't happen? Especially since it's so easy to do by setting a passcode (and touchID fingerprint).

 

[QquegChristian]

And how would you suggest we access the apps that aren't on the dock, when we need them?

Swap the buttons, as in, the other button would do that. i just think that the dock will be used far, far more, and the crown is the dominant button.

 

[341328]

It's not a case. It's a clear skin. Just something to help protect my investment. So far holding up great.

- anyone with a case or film on an apple watch.... needs to get a matching bumper for their car. Because both are stupid

 

[Trius]

I'm not worried about dialing it by mistake but do find I can no longer force an app to close. It used to be hold the "Friends" button until you see power off then let off and hold again until you see the home screen. Now when I do this I can get the power screen but the second hold only dims the screen.

I wear my watch above the wrist bone so no issues with pressing against my hand when it bends back.

After you hold the "Dock" button and when you see the power off screen, press and hold the crown instead of the dock button again to force close an app.

 

[Kr15]

It's a beta. Being buggy should be expected.

While you're at it, be a good citizen and report those bugs and crashes to Apple. I imagine that's one of the reasons why you installed a beta on your device, correct?

Done that - reporting.
Installed watchOS 3 because our dev team develops some in-house use only apps and they needed real life testers to ensure it works when our staff goes viral on public beta release day (as they always do).
Hence I'm in IT I thought that will reduce the chance people complaining about the technology being rubbish... People from IT field will understand!

 

[gsmornot]

After you hold the "Dock" button and when you see the power off screen, press and hold the crown instead of the dock button again to force close an app.

Interesting change. Thanks for the tip.

 

[dewski]

Well, as a responsible parent, isn't it incumbent upon you to make sure that doesn't happen? Especially since it's so easy to do by setting a passcode (and touchID fingerprint).

of course. Like i said, I'm not really worried about it. I'm just saying could happen. And i would be the one to trigger it, not my child. Unfortunately touch id doesn't work for me and pass-codes are too inconvenient for me.

 

[skywalkerr69]

so...youre suggesting time travel? am i reading that right?

also, the current version isnt garbage.

I'm guessing you haven't used it? I can fry and egg faster than the time it takes to load an app.
[doublepost=1466609440][/doublepost]

Don't hold back MacRumors. I knew you had it in you. You're right, push it out now, forget users and all the complaints they send about how it breaks all of their third party apps. You could be CEO of Apple with that mind. Hope you don't mind having to focus on fighting the US government on Ebooks, Irish taxes, the FBI and abuses of power in the guise of counterterrorism, the Korean Goverment and Samsung's ways, the Chinese government, Germany's legal peculiarities, the Indian government, working with 125,000 employees and 500 stores worldwide and gigantic supply chain all while working on the next three iPhones and updates to every hardware and software product Apple has. If only Apple knew it was simply a case of pushing out an update prematurely. You're a visionary.

Worrying about 3rd party apps is step 559 out of 1000 and we are on step 2. Worry about NATIVE apps loading first before that.