Text input

[JayLenochiniMac]

You must not know anyone with a significant speech impairment.

Oh, yes, I do know someone with a significant speech impairment very well, and that person happens to be me. As a result, just about the only time I use Siri is in the car for mapping purposes (e.g., "How to get home?", "How to get to Greg's?", etc.). My wife, on the other hand, uses Siri all day long to dictate long messages (and claims that it saves her one hour of her time each day). So what? I'll use canned responses and if that's not good enough, take out my iPhone to finish them.

What about Siri mistakes when translating? Imagine you start dictating to the Watch (for a reminder, for example) and then when you finish you notice that Siri got a word wrong. What are you supposed to do then? Take out your iPhone and redo everything you just said to correct one word?

You won't have to redo everything. You can start on the Watch and continue on the iPhone (just like Continuity but implemented better). Anything you do on the Watch (messages, calls and email) can be transferred to the iPhone where you can pick up right where you left off.

However, you can already correct Siri on the iPhone and Apple will probably have a couple tricks up their sleeve for doing this on the Watch.

 

[iBreatheApple]

T9.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

You must not know anyone with a significant speech impairment.

What about Siri mistakes when translating?

If you can't use Siri, pull out your phone and send the message via handoff. This has been covered already in this thread, more than once. Why are you guys so determined to make this so complicated?

Handoff was designed for when canned responses or dictation are insufficient.

"But I can't use my phone for *handwave* reason!"

Well maybe you shouldn't be screwing around with your smartwatch either then! Unless there's a fire, you can wait fifteen minutes to respond to that god damned text, can't you?

 

[Night Spring]

Well maybe you shouldn't be screwing around with your smartwatch either then! Unless there's a fire, you can wait fifteen minutes to respond to that god damned text, can't you?

Sure, I can wait. But the watch will be more useful to me if I could respond directly from the watch. I'm not saying lack of text input methods other than dictation is a deal breaker. It's more a "nice if it had it" thing.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

Sure, I can wait. But the watch will be more useful to me if I could respond directly from the watch.

In what way?

Any text input method on the watch is going to be slow and fiddly no matter how. Handoff-ing to the iphone which you're already lugging around anyway is going to be potentially hundreds of percent faster in accomplishing the same task, even if you type with just one finger.

Don't make things more complicated than they have to be.

 

[Night Spring]

In what way?

Any text input method on the watch is going to be slow and fiddly no matter how. Handoff-ing to the iphone which you're already lugging around anyway is going to be potentially hundreds of percent faster in accomplishing the same task, even if you type with just one finger.

Don't make things more complicated than they have to be.

What if my iPhone is in my backpack and I'm walking down a street?

Right now, I don't even know that I got a text -- one of the reasons why I'm interested in getting the watch. Once I have the watch, I'd know I was getting a text, but I'd be unable to respond. If the watch had text input, I'd be able to respond right away instead of having to wait until I find a place where I could stop and fish the iPhone out of my backpack. Ergo, more useful.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

What if my iPhone is in my backpack and I'm walking down a street?

Right now, I don't even know that I got a text -- one of the reasons why I'm interested in getting the watch. Once I have the watch, I'd know I was getting a text, but I'd be unable to respond. If the watch had text input, I'd be able to respond right away instead of having to wait until I find a place where I could stop and fish the iPhone out of my backpack. Ergo, more useful.

That's where one of Apple's canned responses "Talk later?" comes handy.

 

[Night Spring]

That's where one of Apple's canned responses "Talk later?" comes handy.

Yes, sure. What if the question my friend sent was "ETA?" If I can't text back "5min," there's no point in talking later because I'd be there!

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Yes, sure. What if the question my friend sent was "ETA?" If I can't text back "5min," there's no point in talking later because I'd be there!

Don't worry, the Apple Watch is smarter than you think. If you visit the Watch section on apple.com you'll find a gif of it giving a good selection of preset options by predicting what you want to say from the context of your message such as "I'll call you back," "Leaving now," "Be there in 5 min," etc. It's more advanced than the canned responses we're used to on the iPhone.

 

[Night Spring]

Don't worry, the Apple Watch is smarter than you think. If you visit the Watch section on apple.com you'll find a gif of it giving a good selection of preset options by predicting what you want to say from the context of your message such as "I'll call you back," "Leaving now," "Be there in 5 min," etc. It's more advanced than the canned responses we're used to on the iPhone.

Ok, if that works as intended, I'll be happy!

Still think it'd be cool to learn Morse code, though.

 

[noobinator]

This is great how people think that apple needs to cater to every person on the planet.

I have a speech impediment! How dare they not allow me to type a text message reply one letter at a time! I'm suing!

 

[Piggie]

This is great how people think that apple needs to cater to every person on the planet.

I have a speech impediment! How dare they not allow me to type a text message reply one letter at a time! I'm suing!

How many keys at the same time do you press now when typing a message?

As far as I'm aware, 1 at a time is still regarded as pretty much the norm for typing.

 

[Mascots]

This is great how people think that apple needs to cater to every person on the planet.

I have a speech impediment! How dare they not allow me to type a text message reply one letter at a time! I'm suing!

I don't think people expect Apple to cater to them.. Or else they probably wouldn't pay a premium for their products.

It's more of a "it would be nice if..." and something I'd also say pretty much is an inevitability.

 

[Seannyb]

I'm not saying single letter input is the best option, just that it does no harm to have such an option, and it takes no longer than writing the exact same message on a sheet of paper with a pen or pencil.

With practice you should be able to write a short message on a watch screen with your finger, at the same speed you write on paper.

Don't see why you are so negative to having that option, even if it was for a short phrase.

Andthenyourmessagewouldlooklikethisbecausehowdoyoudrawaspace?

Also what happens when you make a mistake, start from scratch? It would almost certainly take longer than using a pen and paper.

 

[rorschach]

How many keys at the same time do you press now when typing a message?

As far as I'm aware, 1 at a time is still regarded as pretty much the norm for typing.

Hunt-and-peck with one finger (which is what you're suggesting) is significantly slower than using all ten fingers on the keyboard to type.

 

[amirite]

In what way?

Any text input method on the watch is going to be slow and fiddly no matter how.

Well Apple is pretty good at innovating when it comes to input methods

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This is great how people think that apple needs to cater to every person on the planet.

I have a speech impediment! How dare they not allow me to type a text message reply one letter at a time! I'm suing!

Too bad no one actually said that and its just a weird little fantasy you dreamt up.

A lot of people will want to type an original reply in situations where they can't use voice dictation, and you'll sometimes lose a bit of convenience having to pull your phone out of your pocket, unlock it, and type your message there.

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Andthenyourmessagewouldlooklikethisbecausehowdoyoudrawaspace?

You have no imagination at all. Thank god people like you don't work for Apple.

 

[Tycho24]

T9.

Omg, I would SO pay for this app!! =)

 

[Lennyvalentin]

What if my iPhone is in my backpack and I'm walking down a street?

Could you make up a less contrived scenario? Why would your phone be in your backpack? Do you, or other backpackers often keep it there? Maybe not do that, and your objection pretty much annihilates itself.

Yes, sure. What if the question my friend sent was "ETA?" If I can't text back "5min," there's no point in talking later because I'd be there!

If you're there in 5 mins, do you really have to send a reply text? Just friggin show up, like people did...you know, like five years ago.

Well Apple is pretty good at innovating when it comes to input methods

Uh-huh. Innovate something, just like that eh? "We should have text entry right on the Watch, because Apple should have innovated it for us." Nice bit of circular reasoning there.

Obviously they have innovated, with expanded Siri, canned responses and HANDOFF. Typing on the watch would be the opposite of innovation, as typing directly on a mobile device is what we've been doing ever since the GSM standard's inception.

The restrictions rising out of the physical dimensions of the Watch makes typing on it extraordinarily difficult. Drawing letters one at a time on a screen, and then having the device recognizing those letters...that's no cakewalk. Especially while out and friggin backpacking as suggested in this discussion thread. Try and draw some letters onto your wrist with your other hand while you're walking. Add a heavy backpack too if you like, just for kicks. See what those letters look like. I think you'll find they're scraggly mofos at best, making character recognition for a computer rather...um..."challenging", would be one way of putting it. Now try writing at anything approaching a reasonable speed.

How's that working out for ya?! You're actively creating Google re-captchas! Is your message even going to be finished by the time you get to your destination? Maybe handoff isn't sounding so bad now after all, eh?

If anyone suggested anything like this at an Apple design meeting, I think you'd find the rest of those attending would laugh you straight out of the building.

 

[Night Spring]

Could you make up a less contrived scenario? Why would your phone be in your backpack? Do you, or other backpackers often keep it there? Maybe not do that, and your objection pretty much annihilates itself.

I use small bags like these that go on my back.
http://www.ebags.com/product/patagonia/atom-sling/278624?productid=10317236

And please don't tell me to use a different bag. I have my reasons for preferring bags of this type, and if that means I don't have easy access to my iPhone while walking about, well, that's what it is. But this is why I'm looking forward to the watch, because with it, I can have my bags and my notifications, too.

And maybe text input on a smart watch is a niche usage, and Apple obviously decided not to include it this time around. But I sure hope they did so after due consideration, instead of laughing out the idea at first suggestion.

 

[8CoreWhore]

What's with all the crazy talk about typing on a watch? Just use the dang phone. Sheesh.

 

[KauaiBruce]

All they need to do is project a holographic keyboard into the air above the watch and you just type on that. SIMPLE!

Wait for version 2.

 

[jsmith189]

I mean, I guess it all comes down to the classic argument... it's just a watch. We're basically asking it to do everything BUT tell time, just like the phone feature is arguably the least cared about iPhone functionality lol.

And using the crown to type just seems as inefficient as trying to type on the Apple TV.

So with touch and crown out of the picture, they should AT LEAST give the option for dictation.

Oh wait.

 

[Night Spring]

So with touch and crown out of the picture, they should AT LEAST give the option for dictation.

Oh wait.

I already explained several times that dictation doesn't work for people with speech impairments. So yes, inputting text with the crown would be slow, but better than not being able to input text at all.

 

[KauaiBruce]

I already explained several times that dictation doesn't work for people with speech impairments. So yes, inputting text with the crown would be slow, but better than not being able to input text at all.

It can't do everything. Unless your phone is locked in a briefcase that needs someone else to put in the password it will always be much faster to just get out your phone. Anyone with a speech impairment that really needed to type stuff and is in a hurry will keep their phone more readily available.

Perhaps someone will write an app you can use if this is really what you feel you need.

 

[DravenGSX]

Hunt-and-peck with one finger (which is what you're suggesting) is significantly slower than using all ten fingers on the keyboard to type.

You use all ten fingers to type on an iPhone? Impressive.