Apple Watch: Big direction and Google like, hardware parted

The more you learn about an Apple Watch, the more you feel there's nothing special about it. In fact, Apple Watches have a lot in common with Android Wear. Things became clearer after Apple released its third-party application development guidelines last week. The policy has two points similar to Google's Android Wear: fast, context-based interaction and data collection through sensors.

Two companies have even used similar languages:

"The Watch app is a supplement to iOS apps, not a substitute," Apple wrote. "If your interaction with an iOS app is calculated in minutes, then the process that is applied to the watch is calculated in seconds. Therefore, the interaction process needs to be fast and concise. ”

"The classic watch allows you to continue to do what you're doing after you've seen the exact time," Google wrote. "The idea of designing for Android Wear is different. The less time users spend using your software, the more time they have to do their own thing. The response of Android wear should be swift. ”

This is not to say Android Wear and Apple Watch exactly. Even if their purpose is the same, they still use different approaches.

Peek Interface and Reminder card

On the basic level, both Apple Watches and Android Wear are driven by actionable reminders-for example, deleting emails, reacting to messages directly on a watch, or popping up information cards that can be quickly scanned. The main difference comes from how the above-mentioned transactions are presented.

On Android Wear, the cards that can be scanned, the actionable reminders, and even the music playback controls are placed in a single vertical menu. Swipe right to any reminder, and the relevant executable action, such as deleting or replying to a message, appears. In some cases, you can open the appropriate watch application with the appropriate reminders.

Apple Watches take a more easily differentiated approach, rendering the peek and the reminders separate. When you want to see simple information, such as the current stock price or sports score, just swipe up and sweep the area, then swipe over the information card you want to see. Clicking the Peek area launches the appropriate app.

The reminder card on the Apple Watch is shorter and initially only brings up the smallest amount of information. If you tap the screen or keep your wrist up, more information and actions are available to perform. Otherwise, the reminder will automatically disappear.

Both ways have advantages and disadvantages. Android wear the cards together, making navigation easier, and allowing the app to pop up information that can be scanned only when it encounters useful information, such as a change in the score of a sporting event. And Apple gives users more control, lets them decide what they want to see, and introduces reminders in a more private way. Apple's interface will also prevent a mountain of reminders from appearing.

The two systems use slightly different steps to solve the same problem.

Launch app: Active vs. passive

When you want to launch deep-seated applications such as to-do lists, music players, and fitness trackers, the 2 platforms take a much more different step. The Apple Watch uses the traditional home screen approach, which users can access by clicking on the "Digital crown" on the right side of the watch.

Android Wear also has a corresponding application launcher, but its design may be elusive. To find the launcher, you need to tap from the main Dial screen and sweep the list of options to the end. Launching an app with voice commands is also an option, but Google's approach clearly states that most applications should automatically be transferred to the reminder stacking area, which appears only when the right time comes. The so-called appropriate timing should be judged by time, place or physical action.

At least in terms of startup, Android wear and Apple Watches have more fundamental differences: on Apple Watches, third-party apps need to work with smartphones, which continues until late 2015, At that time, Apple would allow developers to launch fully native apps (it is unclear whether Apple's own apps will be constrained by these restrictions). By handing compute and storage tasks to the mobile phone, the Apple Watch application runs more smoothly and the Apple Watch has a longer battery life.

Android wear apps can be loaded directly onto the hand table, but most applications need to be connected to the phone, but the system has allowed independent operations (such as calculators and checklists) and offline music playback to be applied in basic functions. Android Wear watches with onboard GPs can keep track of your location, speed and distance without the help of a mobile phone.

As time goes on, these differences will become blurred. It is rumored that Android wear will make applications easier to launch in the future, and that when Apple Watches ' hardware performance becomes stronger and more efficient, the applications running on them will become less dependent on the corresponding phone.

The hardware of the Parting

There are several other factors that distinguish Android Wear from Apple Watches. The most obvious is the hardware, Apple's products have a single size (2 sizes), and Google by working with hardware manufacturers to launch a variety of shapes, sizes and prices of products. To get a grip on the hardware, Apple has placed a considerable amount of bets on the new interactive mode, such as a digital crown with a non-touch operation, and Force touch with touch commands to detect different touch forces.

LG's G Watch R has a masculine style that doesn't fit everyone, but Android Wear is not limited to a single style.

By providing support for Apple Pay, Apple Watches have an advantage in mobile payments. Although Google also has a mobile wallet service, they do not say whether Android Wear will support this, and the current watch is not equipped with NFC function.

However, if these differences are left aside, Apple Watches and Android Wear are no different in nature. They also provide us with more conveniences to save us from the information piled up on our phones and to take on the task of collecting data (especially health data) to make our lives better. It can be predicted that the war between Apple and Google on smart watches will be as intense as on smartphones.

Apple Watch: Big direction and Google like, hardware parted