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Something that I don't know if they've mentioned specifically in public was that the Apple Watch was partly designed to deal with smartphone addiction. I don't

Something that I don't know if they've mentioned specifically in public was that the Apple Watch was partly designed to deal with smartphone addiction. I don't have a citable source handy here, so it's just my word, but when I interned with Apple last year there were a few "town hall" events where interns could ask questions of senior management (Cook, Ahrendts, Cue, Maestri, etc). At one of them (I think the Tim Cook one but I'm not 100% certain) someone asked about smartphone addiction. He pointed out that the Apple Watch actually plays a role. It gives you a tap when you get a notification, but the tap isn't too intense and doesn't go for more than a moment. In user studies, they found that people were much more likely to simply dismiss notifications from the Watch than if they weren't wearing one. The effect of this was that people weren't unlocking their phones as often, and by merely avoiding unlocking the phone people were not as tied to using it. It used to be the case for me that I would get a notification, unlock my phone and attend to the notification, and then immediately afterwards open Reddit or Facebook or something because, well, I was already on my phone so why not? Since getting an Apple Watch, I've noticed I do this much less. Maybe part of it is that I'm more cognizant of the problem, but another part is that it's much easier to simply disregard the notifications since they're more fleeting now. I'm sure this sounds like a sales pitch for the Watch to some people, but I don't mean it that way. I just thought it was very interesting when Cook (I think) pointed out that this was a deliberate consideration with the Watch and then I was able to anecdotally confirm its effectiveness myself. I wish I had an actual source to cite for this, but notes are forbidden in the town hall events.

p1esk 9y ago
Regardless of whether they intended it or not, smartphone addiction was one of two reasons I bought Apple Watch (the other reason being I don't like to carry something in my hand or pockets, just to be within reach). Well, a distant third reason is that voice recognition is finally good enough for basic text messaging.
vinniejames 9y ago
This argument seems to imply the opposite, taking the "addicting" notifications and strapping them to your wrist doesn't exactly reduce the behavior. Most studies show any addicting effect is directly tied to the dopamine release from receiving the notifications. The decreased frequency in unlocking the phone is simply moved to your arm. Just bought a smart watch over the weekend, I'll keep you posted ;)
- DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
  What's important is the reduction in functionality. I can't do nearly as much from my Watch as I can with my phone, and specifically I can't just browse through Reddit or Facebook. While I may interact with the same number of notifications, I interact with them for significantly less time (because there's not much to do with them from the Watch), and any such interaction is unlikely to cause me to browse my phone in a more general way. So that's the key: the Watch frees me from the trap of "Well I'm already on my phone, so I may as well open up Instagram/Twitter and scroll through my feed again."
  - collyw 9y ago
    Don't you need your phone in your pocket to use it?
    - hawaiianbrah 9y ago
      For non-LTE models, yes. But if you are notified via your wrist, you still have to go through the effort of retrieving your phone, unlocking it, and then tending to the notification before you get to the “time wasting” stage, and I think its that’s a barrier to entry that’s causing people to use their phone less.
    - DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
      Yes, I have a Series 2 so I need to have my phone nearby (or on the same WiFi) for the Watch to be useful. The difference is that now I can dismiss notifications from my wrist and I am less tempted to actually unlock my phone directly, which is what was causing me to get distracted before.
- graeme 9y ago
  I've noticed with watch notifications I'm far more likely to mentally dismiss them without losing my train of thought. Phone notificaions, on the other hand, clog up the unlock screen, and seem to demand action when I pull down notification center and see old ones. I still keep notifications low, mind you. Watch ones are still a distraction. But on balance I find it much less.
whytaka 9y ago
I purchased the Apple Watch when the cellular version came out. You can bet that my smartphone usage has gone down since I've stopped carrying it around. I get my messages, my calls, and my emails. I can get directions if necessary. I even get my wallet, my weather, my reminders/schedule AND my music. What else do I need? EDIT: Did I mention it also tells time?
- graeme 9y ago
  Do you have a camera for photos? I have an LTE watch. That + written notes are the two big things I miss. Also can't wait till all apps are phone independent. Right now most third party apps stop working without a phone.
  - whytaka 9y ago
    I do not. I'm in the market for a camera that's the size of the AirPods case so I could bring it on vacation. It'd be great if I could have something like the cameras off of today's latest and greatest phones but in a much more miniature and standalone form factor. The apps I'm waiting for are Car2Go or Uber that work totally independently. Also, unfortunately, Google Hangout for work. While I'm making wishes, it'd be amazing if I could sync with my MBP instead of my iPhone.
    - eropple 9y ago
      Finding a decent camera in that size is damned near impossible, but something like a LUMIX ZS60S or a Sony DSCW830 is pretty tiny and takes much nicer photos than a phone once you've spent a little time getting used to the camera and what it can actually do. (Often your phone can also take much better photographs than your automatic settings will, but fiddling with it is a pain.)
      - graeme 9y ago
        Do camera makers have any recent models that small, or do we generally need to look at old versions, since the point and shoot market tanked?
Jyaif 9y ago
Wasn't the town hall's content confidential? If you are going to leak things, at least do it anonymously.
- DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
  I don't think I breached any agreements here, but in any case this handle is not my real name, and personal information I give through it is not all factual. :)
- JibJabLab 9y ago
  That would be kind of a strange thing to do for interns...if that's what they really were
  - DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
    There were definitely specific things that they asked us not to talk about. One example: Angela Ahrendts (SVP Retail) talked to us about the new Chicago Apple Store [0] and asked us not to discuss it until its public announcement. I don't think the town hall events were confidential. My understanding was that they asked us not to take notes or use electronic devices to be polite to the speakers. They explicitly told us when certain information was meant to be kept secret. [0] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/10/apple-michigan-avenue-opens-tomorrow-on-chicagos-riverfront/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/10/apple-michigan-avenue...
ASalazarMX 9y ago
You have to admire their ingenuity in fighting smartphone addiction by selling you another smart device.
vanattab 9y ago
I just bought a LTE LG Watch (should be in tomorrow) just so I could leave my phone behind exactly due to this kind of effect. I have come to the realization that a huge junk of the time I and virtual everyone around me spends on our phones is wasteful and unproductive. Looking up from my phone around a bar and seeing so many tables full of people staring at their phones kind of makes me nostalgic for the dumb phone era. I am hoping that the smartwatch will be a good compromise between staying connected and not encouraging my own bad habits.
- DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
  There's a quote in a book that I like that says: "In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." I think about that a lot when I notice things like what you mention, where everybody is distracted and cell phones are ruling our lives.
schuke 9y ago
Interesting story. But it seems to me they're just substituting addiction with distraction. The Apple watch ad always made me cringe: they basically listed how the wonderful moments of our life are distracted by digital devices. These devices used to be feet away: radio, phones, computers... now I have to bloody wear it on me? No fucking way.
- DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
  I'm not sure I follow your reasoning. I (and others) have noticed that the effect I reported is true: wearing the Watch prevents distraction more than it enables it. I spend less time on my phone doing unimportant things than I used to, and I don't get as distracted while attempting to work on other things because the Watch actually makes it easier to ignore notifications. I understand if you're not sold on it, and maybe phone distraction isn't a problem that you have anyway, but I think that there is certainly anecdotal evidence that the Apple Watch can be more helpful than harmful in these situations.

p1esk 9y ago

Regardless of whether they intended it or not, smartphone addiction was one of two reasons I bought Apple Watch (the other reason being I don't like to carry something in my hand or pockets, just to be within reach). Well, a distant third reason is that voice recognition is finally good enough for basic text messaging.

vinniejames 9y ago

This argument seems to imply the opposite, taking the "addicting" notifications and strapping them to your wrist doesn't exactly reduce the behavior. Most studies show any addicting effect is directly tied to the dopamine release from receiving the notifications. The decreased frequency in unlocking the phone is simply moved to your arm. Just bought a smart watch over the weekend, I'll keep you posted ;)

DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
What's important is the reduction in functionality. I can't do nearly as much from my Watch as I can with my phone, and specifically I can't just browse through Reddit or Facebook. While I may interact with the same number of notifications, I interact with them for significantly less time (because there's not much to do with them from the Watch), and any such interaction is unlikely to cause me to browse my phone in a more general way. So that's the key: the Watch frees me from the trap of "Well I'm already on my phone, so I may as well open up Instagram/Twitter and scroll through my feed again."
- collyw 9y ago
  Don't you need your phone in your pocket to use it?
  - hawaiianbrah 9y ago
    For non-LTE models, yes. But if you are notified via your wrist, you still have to go through the effort of retrieving your phone, unlocking it, and then tending to the notification before you get to the “time wasting” stage, and I think its that’s a barrier to entry that’s causing people to use their phone less.
  - DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
    Yes, I have a Series 2 so I need to have my phone nearby (or on the same WiFi) for the Watch to be useful. The difference is that now I can dismiss notifications from my wrist and I am less tempted to actually unlock my phone directly, which is what was causing me to get distracted before.
graeme 9y ago
I've noticed with watch notifications I'm far more likely to mentally dismiss them without losing my train of thought. Phone notificaions, on the other hand, clog up the unlock screen, and seem to demand action when I pull down notification center and see old ones. I still keep notifications low, mind you. Watch ones are still a distraction. But on balance I find it much less.

whytaka 9y ago

I purchased the Apple Watch when the cellular version came out. You can bet that my smartphone usage has gone down since I've stopped carrying it around. I get my messages, my calls, and my emails. I can get directions if necessary. I even get my wallet, my weather, my reminders/schedule AND my music. What else do I need? EDIT: Did I mention it also tells time?

graeme 9y ago
Do you have a camera for photos? I have an LTE watch. That + written notes are the two big things I miss. Also can't wait till all apps are phone independent. Right now most third party apps stop working without a phone.
- whytaka 9y ago
  I do not. I'm in the market for a camera that's the size of the AirPods case so I could bring it on vacation. It'd be great if I could have something like the cameras off of today's latest and greatest phones but in a much more miniature and standalone form factor. The apps I'm waiting for are Car2Go or Uber that work totally independently. Also, unfortunately, Google Hangout for work. While I'm making wishes, it'd be amazing if I could sync with my MBP instead of my iPhone.
  - eropple 9y ago
    Finding a decent camera in that size is damned near impossible, but something like a LUMIX ZS60S or a Sony DSCW830 is pretty tiny and takes much nicer photos than a phone once you've spent a little time getting used to the camera and what it can actually do. (Often your phone can also take much better photographs than your automatic settings will, but fiddling with it is a pain.)
    - graeme 9y ago
      Do camera makers have any recent models that small, or do we generally need to look at old versions, since the point and shoot market tanked?

Jyaif 9y ago

Wasn't the town hall's content confidential? If you are going to leak things, at least do it anonymously.

DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
I don't think I breached any agreements here, but in any case this handle is not my real name, and personal information I give through it is not all factual. :)
JibJabLab 9y ago
That would be kind of a strange thing to do for interns...if that's what they really were
- DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
  There were definitely specific things that they asked us not to talk about. One example: Angela Ahrendts (SVP Retail) talked to us about the new Chicago Apple Store [0] and asked us not to discuss it until its public announcement. I don't think the town hall events were confidential. My understanding was that they asked us not to take notes or use electronic devices to be polite to the speakers. They explicitly told us when certain information was meant to be kept secret. [0] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/10/apple-michigan-avenue-opens-tomorrow-on-chicagos-riverfront/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/10/apple-michigan-avenue...

ASalazarMX 9y ago

You have to admire their ingenuity in fighting smartphone addiction by selling you another smart device.

vanattab 9y ago

I just bought a LTE LG Watch (should be in tomorrow) just so I could leave my phone behind exactly due to this kind of effect. I have come to the realization that a huge junk of the time I and virtual everyone around me spends on our phones is wasteful and unproductive. Looking up from my phone around a bar and seeing so many tables full of people staring at their phones kind of makes me nostalgic for the dumb phone era. I am hoping that the smartwatch will be a good compromise between staying connected and not encouraging my own bad habits.

DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
There's a quote in a book that I like that says: "In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." I think about that a lot when I notice things like what you mention, where everybody is distracted and cell phones are ruling our lives.

schuke 9y ago

Interesting story. But it seems to me they're just substituting addiction with distraction. The Apple watch ad always made me cringe: they basically listed how the wonderful moments of our life are distracted by digital devices. These devices used to be feet away: radio, phones, computers... now I have to bloody wear it on me? No fucking way.

DonaldPShimoda 9y ago
I'm not sure I follow your reasoning. I (and others) have noticed that the effect I reported is true: wearing the Watch prevents distraction more than it enables it. I spend less time on my phone doing unimportant things than I used to, and I don't get as distracted while attempting to work on other things because the Watch actually makes it easier to ignore notifications. I understand if you're not sold on it, and maybe phone distraction isn't a problem that you have anyway, but I think that there is certainly anecdotal evidence that the Apple Watch can be more helpful than harmful in these situations.