Selectively Using Watch

[NotSafeForWork]

First 2 weeks for me were about trying to use the Watch for everything - music, email, tasks, weather, stocks - versus selectively using it for what it's best at.

Now I'm settled in to a routine with the Watch I have started identifying what it's really good at versus my iPhone.

Calendar - really nice to be able to easily get to my next appointments
Fitness - I'm actually enjoying the Watch tracking my workouts at the gym
Now Playing - nice easy way to pause/rewind Podcasts in the car
Phone Calls - surprised how convenient this is versus finding/pulling out ringing iPhone
Notifications - in general these are good, especially meeting reminders

I think there will be more really useful stuff to come but the truth is - for me at least - it's a short list of things the Watch does better than using my iPhone.

While the list is short these are solid benefits and I'm loving the Watch.

I am also learning there are lots of apps that are ultimately more trouble than just using my iPhone.

 

[bjdraw]

I mostly agree with you and your list. The one missing for me is Siri and texting. I almost never used Siri on the phone (easier to just do what I need with my fingers). But raising my wrist and saying "Hey Siri when is the next Lightning game" is so much faster than launching the ESPN app on my phone.

I've used the quick responses on texting on the iPhone for a long time, but it is so much more accessible on the Watch. Then add in the Watch's ability to allow me to choose to send audio or a dictated message, after I've had a chance to check the dictation for accuracy, and we have a winner. I expect to see this particular feature come to the iPhone, it would be very useful on there as well.

 

[friedmud]

Funny thing: Email

Yes, I said I like doing email on my Watch. Why? It's quick. I get a lot of email and I love that I can cull it down while I'm on the go. Archiving 10 emails while I stand in line at Chipotle saves me a decent amount of time when I get back to my office

I also love how if I'm looking at an email on my watch and I want to reply I can get my phone out and use Handoff to go directly to that email on my phone and reply. Really slick.

Oh: setting reminders via Siri works really well too. It's something I did with my phone too... but it's even more convenient to do it while I'm on the go now.

Finally: Twitter. The small nature of tweets fits well with the watch and it's one of the faster/smoother third party apps out there.

But yeah: I agree... I'm trying not to overuse the watch. I still have a phone with me. It's definitely better at some things... So I should use it for those!

 

[metacove1]

Completely Agree.

 

[Mac 128]

Then add in the Watch's ability to allow me to choose to send audio or a dictated message, after I've had a chance to check the dictation for accuracy, and we have a winner.

I'm not following this. The iPhone already allows for this -- sending voice message or text. What the watch can't do is allow you to edit your dictation to send as text -- if it's wrong you have to start over.

----------

Phone Calls - surprised how convenient this is versus finding/pulling out ringing iPhone

I'm curious how this is impacting your battery life since this is the highest power drain on the watch reducing its battery from 18 to 3 hours of continuous use. Do you ever hand the calls off to your phone?

 

[Snowkarver]

Funny thing: Email

Yes, this. I'm an obsessive inbox cleaner, and being able to filter out "FYI", spammy, "thanks", and other messages you don't need to respond to, anywhere, is great. Never having to see them in my inboxes - priceless.

The interface is a bit inconsistent (immediate vs red dot notifications, having to scroll all the way down to get the trash button on the latter etc) but if that stuff gets cleaned up in an OS update it would be even better.

 

[susan12369]

I'm not following this. The iPhone already allows for this -- sending voice message or text. What the watch can't do is allow you to edit your dictation to send as text -- if it's wrong you have to start over.

My experience has been that on the iPhone, you can send an actual audio file/voice message, or type in text - NOT send the voice message as text, which is what I think bjdraw was talking about. I hate getting audio file messages, it's more things to push and you have to be somewhere where you can hear the audio message. Love the ability with the watch to dictate something and then send it as text.

 

[brandnew2]

My experience has been that on the iPhone, you can send an actual audio file/voice message, or type in text - NOT send the voice message as text, which is what I think bjdraw was talking about. I hate getting audio file messages, it's more things to push and you have to be somewhere where you can hear the audio message. Love the ability with the watch to dictate something and then send it as text.

The iPhone does of course let you dictate a message and send it as text - it's built in to the stock keyboard (the little microphone button).

 

[flur]

The iPhone does of course let you dictate a message and send it as text - it's built in to the stock keyboard (the little microphone button).

How? When I've tried this, it only gives me the option to send the audio.

 

[susan12369]

The iPhone does of course let you dictate a message and send it as text - it's built in to the stock keyboard (the little microphone button).

That sends an audio file which someone can listen to. Unless mine is defective, there is not an option to translate it to text which someone can read. With the watch, you have the option of sending it as an audio file that someone listens to, or a text that someone reads.

 

[extricated]

The interface is a bit inconsistent (immediate vs red dot notifications, having to scroll all the way down to get the trash button on the latter etc) but if that stuff gets cleaned up in an OS update it would be even better.

Spot-on regarding the email. There are things I KNOW need to be trashed and not scrolling through the whole thing to do it would be nice.

 

[jwball]

That sends an audio file which someone can listen to. Unless mine is defective, there is not an option to translate it to text which someone can read. With the watch, you have the option of sending it as an audio file that someone listens to, or a text that someone reads.

It doesn't if you use the correct button on the keyboard.

 

[flur]

It doesn't if you use the correct button on the keyboard.

Care to tell us what that is?

 

[brandnew2]

That sends an audio file which someone can listen to. Unless mine is defective, there is not an option to translate it to text which someone can read. With the watch, you have the option of sending it as an audio file that someone listens to, or a text that someone reads.

How? When I've tried this, it only gives me the option to send the audio.

You're looking at the wrong button - it's not the microphone next to the text entry field (which is for audio messages). It's the microphone to the left of the space button on the stock iOS keyboard. You can use that to dictate audio into text in any app (not just messages).

 

[Mac 128]

That sends an audio file which someone can listen to. Unless mine is defective, there is not an option to translate it to text which someone can read. With the watch, you have the option of sending it as an audio file that someone listens to, or a text that someone reads.

There is a small microphone icon next to the space bar on the keyboard. It is the dictation button. There is a microphone next to the text box which is for sending audio.

 

[susan12369]

You're looking at the wrong button - it's not the microphone next to the text entry field (which is for audio messages). It's the microphone to the left of the space button on the stock iOS keyboard. You can use that to dictate audio into text in any app (not just messages).

Thanks for clearing that up, I didn't realize that the two microphone buttons had different abilities.

 

[bushido]

Care to tell us what that is?

this one next to the space bar

 

[flur]

this one next to the space bar

Image

Yep. That's the one I used. I don't get an option to dictate text, just to send the audio.

EDIT: Oops, that's NOT the one I used. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[kupkakez]

Funny thing: Email

Yes, I said I like doing email on my Watch. Why? It's quick. I get a lot of email and I love that I can cull it down while I'm on the go. Archiving 10 emails while I stand in line at Chipotle saves me a decent amount of time when I get back to my office

This is one of the biggest watch uses for me! I don't even have to pull my Plus out anymore to swipe them away just do it in a few seconds right on the watch.

 

[greytmom]

I mostly agree with you and your list. The one missing for me is Siri and texting. I almost never used Siri on the phone (easier to just do what I need with my fingers). But raising my wrist and saying "Hey Siri when is the next Lightning game" is so much faster than launching the ESPN app on my phone.

I've used the quick responses on texting on the iPhone for a long time, but it is so much more accessible on the Watch. Then add in the Watch's ability to allow me to choose to send audio or a dictated message, after I've had a chance to check the dictation for accuracy, and we have a winner. I expect to see this particular feature come to the iPhone, it would be very useful on there as well.

Hey there, I'm in Tampa too.

I definitely use Siri and texting all the time. Reminders are working well for me - if I forget phone in purse, my watch nags me to take my meds.

 

[bjdraw]

The option to choose to send as audio after failing to attempt to dictate is the feature I'd like to see on the phone. I seldom use dictation because I'm afraid it'll just make a mistake and I'll have to edit it. I feel like I'd use dictation more on the phone if the penalty for being misunderstood was lower (in this case the penalty is on the receiver's side, as they have to listen instead of read).

 

[greytmom]

The option to choose to send as audio after failing to attempt to dictate is the feature I'd like to see on the phone. I seldom use dictation because I'm afraid it'll just make a mistake and I'll have to edit it. I feel like I'd use dictation more on the phone if the penalty for being misunderstood was lower (in this case the penalty is on the receiver's side, as they have to listen instead of read).

I use dictation ALL the time, phone and watch. Even on iPad. Even if I have to edit a word or two, it takes less time to do that than to type a paragraph.

The watch has been amazingly accurate. I've only had to cancel one message.

 

[bjdraw]

Hey there, I'm in Tampa too.

I definitely use Siri and texting all the time. Reminders are working well for me - if I forget phone in purse, my watch nags me to take my meds.

Actually, reminders and timers were the few things I used Siri for on the phone before getting the watch. Saying "hey siri set a timer for 5 minutes" after I just told my kids we were leaving in 5 minutes works wonders for motivating them to cooperate -- they know I mean it.

----------

I use dictation ALL the time, phone and watch. Even on iPad. Even if I have to edit a word or two, it takes less time to do that than to type a paragraph.

The watch has been amazingly accurate. I've only had to cancel one message.

How fast can you type on your phone? I'm at about 40WPM on my iPhone 6, so dictation is a toss up even when it does work well.

 

[greytmom]

How fast can you type on your phone? I'm at about 40WPM on my iPhone 6, so dictation is a toss up even when it does work well.

I haven't timed it, but I'm pretty quick. Not as fast as I speak, though.

 

[friedmud]

Yes, this. I'm an obsessive inbox cleaner, and being able to filter out "FYI", spammy, "thanks", and other messages you don't need to respond to, anywhere, is great. Never having to see them in my inboxes - priceless.

The interface is a bit inconsistent (immediate vs red dot notifications, having to scroll all the way down to get the trash button on the latter etc) but if that stuff gets cleaned up in an OS update it would be even better.

This is one of the biggest watch uses for me! I don't even have to pull my Plus out anymore to swipe them away just do it in a few seconds right on the watch.

Glad I'm not the only one!

One thing they could do to make this better is allow you to force touch in a _thread_ and be able to archive the whole thread at one time.

You can do this using Inbox from Google (which is actually how I do email on my iPhone). Being able to do it on the Watch would be a huge time saver.