watchOS 5 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Want to See Introduced in the Next Apple Watch Software Update

Right now the Apple Watch doesn’t have any must have features for me. I’m not saying it’s bad but I work around machinery frequently and jewelry of any type isn’t a good idea. So, in my opinion it’s not worth the money right now.

Keep adding new capabilities and get the battery life up-or develope true non contact area charging - and I’ll take another look.

The square watch face and the watch thickness aren’t a problem as far as I’m concerned. Customizable faces and/or 3rd party watch faces would be nice but aren’t enough of a reason for me to buy one.
 
QCassidy352 said:
Maybe for you. It’s the #1 thing I want. RTW doesn’t work at all when the watch is worn on the inside of the wrist, which is how I wear watches. And a tap is annoying in lots of situations, like when your hands are full or during workouts.

I don’t care if it’s just an option. Folks like you can forgo it and save battery. But I finish the day with plenty of battery, which I would GLADLY trade for an always on display.
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Exactly, and for the exact same reason: I wear my watch on the inside of the wrist. Now I'll grant you Apple does have a left/right arm setting, they should have an outside/inside wrist setting as well.
 
I wore an Apple watch for a week a few months ago to see how it works compared to my Polar A370.

As a smartwatch it's years ahead of the A370, I liked it how fast it was, and the screen was gorgeous. I thought the size would annoy me but I quickly got used to it and even to its measly battery life.

However, as a fitness tracker it fails utterly. It has no sleep tracking, only a handful of activities; the Health and Activities app are very sparse and not really useful beyond getting a simple overview. You also have to install multiple apps to add functionality. And for some reason, the native apps work and look much better than the 3rd party apps.

With that being said, I think Polar et al. are gonna go broke in the near future if they don't take Apple very seriously. The Polar app is excellent and informative, but it's neither intuitively designed nor pretty. I'm afraid that's what matters nowadays.

After the first week I did return the Apple Watch but I have to say that it sure seems like it's going to be a killer product for fitness tracking after a few more iterations. And the various watch straps are a huge advantage of the Apple Watch.
 
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The interface for switching between apps is clunky and discourages me from even using them. I think that the earlier versions of the watch iOS was better at this than the current version.
 
Duncan-UK said:
How about reintroducing the music app as it was before 4.0 - ie not starting immediate playback of the first track of a playlist. An incredibly retrograde step.

Everything else on the watch for me is a gimmick.
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This! I upgraded to 4.0 on my Nike Series 2 without looking at the changes, (my bad). If I could go back to 3.0 i would do it in a second.
 
I don’t think I have used a single App on my Apple Watch in over a year.

I just don’t see the point in spending over 1.000€ on a phone with a great big screen only to fiddle around with those tiny apps on my wrist potentially walking against a street light while doing so.

brownpaw said:
It blows my mind that your watch can’t make your phone play a sound, and vice versa, for finding one or the other when it’s been misplaced in the house.
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But you can. Helped me find my phone in my room plenty of times in the past

danuff said:
Just read about the "always ON suggestion." While it sounds like a good idea, this would dramatically decrease the life of the battery during the day and its lifetime, and then the end-user cry babies would have something else to sue Apple about.

I'd say that the only way this could be achieved is if the watch could be charged while on the wrist and in range of the wireless charger, which could be hard to achieve in businesses such as hospitals and some offices.

Just my opinion.
Dan Uff
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My work phone (a Samsung Galaxy) got a Always On Screen and since it is OLED it literally drains next to nothing and it is great. iPhone X needs it asap
 
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I want an app like Fitbit has that and then a website which allow me to look at multiple days of activity, sleep, weight and more. While the watch is smart, it's activity tracking stinks.
 
itsmilo said:
My work phone (a Samsung Galaxy) got a Always On Screen and since it is OLED it literally drains next to nothing and it is great. iPhone X needs it asap
Click to expand...
Isn't the Apple Watch OLED? If so it could have a dark, always on mode. Is there definitive info on OLED vs. LCD on the current Apple Watch?
 
danuff said:
Just read about the "always ON suggestion." While it sounds like a good idea, this would dramatically decrease the life of the battery during the day and its lifetime, and then the end-user cry babies would have something else to sue Apple about.

I'd say that the only way this could be achieved is if the watch could be charged while on the wrist and in range of the wireless charger, which could be hard to achieve in businesses such as hospitals and some offices.

Just my opinion.
Dan Uff
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So make it an option. It would be a game changer for me, and as I said before, I’ve got battery life to spare. Let the user make that decision. At the very, very least, make it an option for during workouts.
 
I'd like a proper radio app, Tune-In like, that streams stations direct to the cellular watch. At the moment in the UK the radio app gives us one local live station, LBC. Having a proper wrist-mounted radio would be great while running.

I'm not sure why a third party developer hasn't done this already actually. Anybody have any ideas?
 
I really, really, really need Apple get rid of those ugly colored notification symbols on top of those beautyfully designed watch faces.

Red dot on top of my empty watch face with white hands? Really?

Red notification dot on top of my light blue large digits watch face??? No.

Each watch face needs to come with its implementaion of these icons or at least a matching tinting.

Hate that dot. And all the other single-rgb-component colors of those other icons. Brrrr.
 
Proximity notification is number one on my list.

Being able to set up an alarm when my phone and watch get separated would be great.

It would also be nice to extend that feature to dongles that you can attach to suitcases, laptop bags, keys, wallets etc. so that any time a personal item leaves you or your area you get a notification.
 
I want to be able to check my Health from something other than the screen on my phone. Make the Health app work on my iPad or from the browser. Despite what Apple might think, my phone is not my main computer.
 
MacRumors said:



The Worldwide Developers Conference is just about a week and a half away, and while we've heard some rumors on what we might see in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, watchOS 5, the next-generation software update for the Apple Watch, remains a total mystery.

With no idea what to expect, we asked MacRumors readers what new features and tweaks they would most like to see in the watchOS 5 update.

watchos5-800x395.jpg


[*]Live step count complication - MacRumors reader Breezygirl would like to see Apple add a live step complication that lets you see how many steps you've completed at a glance, rather than just a complication that lets you know how close you've come to hitting your activity ring goal.
[*]Third-party watch faces - Third-party watch faces are highly desired by most Apple Watch owners on the forums, but so far, Apple has kept the Apple Watch locked down to control the design and interface of the device. As MacRumors reader Relentless Power suggests, a watch face store that includes a variety of watch faces from third-party developers and companies would be great.
[*]Activity app improvements - Right now, the Activity app requires you to hit your goals each and every day to keep a streak going, which can be difficult at times and allows for no rest. MacRumors reader SoYoung would like to be able to set rest days.
[*]Workout app improvements - In the same vein, MacRumors reader Rbart is hoping for a better workout app for running that's closer in design to Strava with additional statistics, a complete history, best performances, and more. Honglong1976, meanwhile, would like to see automatic activity detection to alleviate the need to start a workout.
[*]Podcasts for Apple Watch - Multiple MacRumors readers would like to see a dedicated Podcasts app on the Apple Watch for listening to podcasts on the wrist-worn device.
[*]Off-wrist Notifications indicator - MacRumors reader Lennyvalentin would like to see the Apple Watch better able to keep track of incoming notifications even when off the wrist, with those notifications still showing up but with an indication to note that they were received while the Apple Watch was idle.
[*]Proximity notifications - There's no way to set the Apple Watch to ping when it goes out of range of the iPhone, a feature MacRumors reader Justiny would like to see as a way to keep track of the iPhone and get a reminder if it's left behind.
[*]Sleep tracking - This one is probably a long shot given that Apple suggests people charge their Apple Watches at night, but MacRumors readers would like to see native sleep tracking capabilities.
[*]Always-on display - Given battery constraints, Apple has never implemented an always-on display for the Apple Watch, which is another highly desired feature. The Apple Watch display comes on when the wrist is raised, but it would be nice to have always-on access to the time as is possible with a traditional watch.
[*]Better health analysis and suggestions - MacRumors reader Bluecoast would like to see Apple better take advantage of the health information it collects with the watch to add recommendations and coaching for those who are aiming to meet health goals, as well as deeper analysis.

Is there something you're hoping to see in watchOS 5 that didn't make it on our list? Make sure to let us know in the comments.

Article Link: watchOS 5 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Want to See Introduced in the Next Apple Watch Software Update
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I’d love to see the Apple Watch be able to echo ringtones in the phone instead of the same bell ding all the time.
[doublepost=1527385329][/doublepost]I’d love to see the Apple Watch be able to echo ringtones in the phone instead of the same bell ding all the time.
 
Novus John said:
I wore an Apple watch for a week a few months ago to see how it works compared to my Polar A370.

As a smartwatch it's years ahead of the A370, I liked it how fast it was, and the screen was gorgeous. I thought the size would annoy me but I quickly got used to it and even to its measly battery life.

However, as a fitness tracker it fails utterly. It has no sleep tracking, only a handful of activities; the Health and Activities app are very sparse and not really useful beyond getting a simple overview. You also have to install multiple apps to add functionality. And for some reason, the native apps work and look much better than the 3rd party apps.

With that being said, I think Polar et al. are gonna go broke in the near future if they don't take Apple very seriously. The Polar app is excellent and informative, but it's neither intuitively designed nor pretty. I'm afraid that's what matters nowadays.

After the first week I did return the Apple Watch but I have to say that it sure seems like it's going to be a killer product for fitness tracking after a few more iterations. And the various watch straps are a huge advantage of the Apple Watch.
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The battery life on my series 3 watch is surprisingly good. I can get three days of usage.
 
scfc said:
Yes a round watch, the current Apple watch is ugly.
Also I would want the option to shut down all radiation features (Wifi, bluetooth etc..) to reduce cell damage.
This is a major issue with the iPhone as well, wher control center no longer truly shuts down wifi and Blietooth.
Let me decide when I sync my device, at night I want to recive urgent calls without having dangerous radiation near my head all night!
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Sounds like what you really need is an Alfoil hat, mate. ;)
 
I found that I got used to my Watch pretty quickly. I’ve used Garmin and Fitbit, both were easy and reliable. I also find the watch ok for exercising. I love several other apps that cannot be duplicated in Fitbit or Garmin.

As an woman walking alone in trails, there is a certain sense that you can be safe in lonely stretches. That emergency app for police or ambulance is so reassuring.

As a diabetic, the idea of being able to constantly be aware of the sugar levels in your blood seems to be out of this world. I know this is being done but to have it in your watch, ie. a continuous blood glucose monitor. It would be a true life saver.
 
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MacRumors said:



The Worldwide Developers Conference is just about a week and a half away, and while we've heard some rumors on what we might see in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, watchOS 5, the next-generation software update for the Apple Watch, remains a total mystery.

With no idea what to expect, we asked MacRumors readers what new features and tweaks they would most like to see in the watchOS 5 update.

watchos5-800x395.jpg


[*]Live step count complication - MacRumors reader Breezygirl would like to see Apple add a live step complication that lets you see how many steps you've completed at a glance, rather than just a complication that lets you know how close you've come to hitting your activity ring goal.
[*]Third-party watch faces - Third-party watch faces are highly desired by most Apple Watch owners on the forums, but so far, Apple has kept the Apple Watch locked down to control the design and interface of the device. As MacRumors reader Relentless Power suggests, a watch face store that includes a variety of watch faces from third-party developers and companies would be great.
[*]Activity app improvements - Right now, the Activity app requires you to hit your goals each and every day to keep a streak going, which can be difficult at times and allows for no rest. MacRumors reader SoYoung would like to be able to set rest days.
[*]Workout app improvements - In the same vein, MacRumors reader Rbart is hoping for a better workout app for running that's closer in design to Strava with additional statistics, a complete history, best performances, and more. Honglong1976, meanwhile, would like to see automatic activity detection to alleviate the need to start a workout.
[*]Podcasts for Apple Watch - Multiple MacRumors readers would like to see a dedicated Podcasts app on the Apple Watch for listening to podcasts on the wrist-worn device.
[*]Off-wrist Notifications indicator - MacRumors reader Lennyvalentin would like to see the Apple Watch better able to keep track of incoming notifications even when off the wrist, with those notifications still showing up but with an indication to note that they were received while the Apple Watch was idle.
[*]Proximity notifications - There's no way to set the Apple Watch to ping when it goes out of range of the iPhone, a feature MacRumors reader Justiny would like to see as a way to keep track of the iPhone and get a reminder if it's left behind.
[*]Sleep tracking - This one is probably a long shot given that Apple suggests people charge their Apple Watches at night, but MacRumors readers would like to see native sleep tracking capabilities.
[*]Always-on display - Given battery constraints, Apple has never implemented an always-on display for the Apple Watch, which is another highly desired feature. The Apple Watch display comes on when the wrist is raised, but it would be nice to have always-on access to the time as is possible with a traditional watch.
[*]Better health analysis and suggestions - MacRumors reader Bluecoast would like to see Apple better take advantage of the health information it collects with the watch to add recommendations and coaching for those who are aiming to meet health goals, as well as deeper analysis.

Is there something you're hoping to see in watchOS 5 that didn't make it on our list? Make sure to let us know in the comments.

Article Link: watchOS 5 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Want to See Introduced in the Next Apple Watch Software Update
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1527397367][/doublepost]Improvements? Here's one. Take that cool-looking app cluster, add a bunch of your own apps, and pretty soon you have a huge, unmanageable and very uncool-looking Chinese cluster ****. It's way past time to ditch that interface and get something more workable, partly by introducing a hierarchal system and partly by letting the user hide apps that ship with the app that he/she never uses.
 
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I would love a silent switch sync between a connected iPhone and the watch - if you turn your iPhone to silent, the watch also turns silent. If you turn the silent switch off, watch turns sounds on as well.
I'm sure there are use cases to not have this feature, but for me there's little reason to have my watch make noise when I've turned my phone silent, especially since they're in close proximity to each other.
At the moment is in silent mode full-time, but would be nice to have sound.
While we're talking about sound, having the same sound notifications on the watch as on the phone would be nice (as opposed to one generic sound for all notifications)! Even a choice to assign to apps would be an improvement.
 
dfs said:
[doublepost=1527397367][/doublepost]Improvements? Here's one. Take that cool-looking app cluster, add a bunch of your own apps, and pretty soon you have a huge, unmanageable and very uncool-looking Chinese cluster ****. It's way past time to ditch that interface and get something more workable, partly by introducing a hierarchal system and partly by letting the user hide apps that ship with the app that he/she never uses.
Click to expand...

You are aware you can at least uninstall the apps you don’t ever use, yes? If no, use the Watch app on your iPhone to wipe out the useless ones. As stated in my original post, absolutely yes, I agree with you regarding the unwieldy and quickly unusable app grid/list/Dock situation.
 
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