Obviously it wouldn’t replace my iPhone for web browsing, but I’ve found myself wishing I could use Safari by itself and not just when I get links in Messages. Anyone else have this desire or am I just crazy?
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Am I the only one who wants full Safari in watchOS?
- Thread starter Aftermath747
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No way with today’s Apple Watch with it’s current CPU. Not going to get a lot better as Apple has to “balance” performance with available power supply and the battery is very small.
Better, easier notes integration for voice/to do lists - yes. Safari? Not yet. Battery life just isn't there - or CPU - like Newtons Apple said.
I would love to have safari on my apple watch. My dream is Apple creates Apple Watch as an iPhone independent gadget with full iPhone capabilities someday.
Notes! Don’t understand why we don’t have a Notes app on the watch. This would be number one on my wish list.
You might be surprised at how much of a resource hog a browser is on a desktop system, never mind the the watch and it's pretty impressive that we get such good experiences on the phones. I don't see a general browser experience happening any time soon on the watch.
From Apples standpoint, Safari is unnecessary, I mean, what would the average consumer use Safari for? I understand we all want different things, but trying to navigate safari with the screen that small is an intuitive and cumbersome. If I want to use Safari, I will gladly resort to my iPhone/iPad or laptop.
Do not forget to invent a new battery chemistry as it will be taking a faster CPU to power your "flower".
You’ll all get everything you want in a watch when quantum computing.becomes a consumer reality. The watch will project a 3-D hologram in the air so screen size won’t be an issue.
Just a guess, but I bet both technologies will arrive on the market at about the same time.
Just a guess, but I bet both technologies will arrive on the market at about the same time.
I have no real reason to want full Safari on AW. If I'm sent a link via Messages, I'll see the link on my Watch and then pull out my iPhone to click on said link.
For me, it's just silly to have full Safari on the Watch when you easily can visit the link on any of your other Apple devices.
For me, it's just silly to have full Safari on the Watch when you easily can visit the link on any of your other Apple devices.
I think the Watch might be capable of it (although it would be a huge battery drain), but what hasn't been mentioned is that websites won't support it. The watch resolution is down to 272 px width. No web designer in the world is designing their responsive website to work down to that resolution. Can you imagine the mess of css you'd have to do to achieve that?
Enabling Safari on the Apple Watch opens the door to people blaming Apple that no websites fit the Watch resolution, as if it's their fault.
Enabling Safari on the Apple Watch opens the door to people blaming Apple that no websites fit the Watch resolution, as if it's their fault.
Most modern websites go for single page application technology which means a huge amount of javascript and local processing to optimise the site experience and the bandwidth demand on the site - this means a heck of a lot of processing at the client end and and assumptions far beyond simply posting form variables etc.
The watch could probably handle all websites from several years back with a very limited experience due to the size. As tech moves forward fewer and fewer will be feasible unless a standard emerges for those sites to target watch type devices.
The watch could probably handle all websites from several years back with a very limited experience due to the size. As tech moves forward fewer and fewer will be feasible unless a standard emerges for those sites to target watch type devices.
Lots of interesting points being made here that I hadn’t considered. I wonder how much effort Apple has already put into making it work. Obviously they figured out enough of how to make it work with the Messages integration. Perhaps their goal is to push it further but they haven’t been able to polish it well enough quite yet.
As others have mentioned, I don't think its possible to have full Safari due to typical web page design and the limitations of the AW hardware.
It might be possible to have a text-based browser like Lynx on the AW. That should work on major websites that offer text alternatives. Here is an example of Apple.com through Lynx:
But even with some basic functionality on major websites, at best it would be tedious with the tiny screen and limited controls of the AW.
I don't see how any of this is usable without a fundamental shift in both the display hardware and user interface.
It might be possible to have a text-based browser like Lynx on the AW. That should work on major websites that offer text alternatives. Here is an example of Apple.com through Lynx:
But even with some basic functionality on major websites, at best it would be tedious with the tiny screen and limited controls of the AW.
I don't see how any of this is usable without a fundamental shift in both the display hardware and user interface.
I think you will be ok.
In answer to the original question, I really think it would be an awful experience on such a small screen.
I emailed the link for Google.com to my iCloud email account. If I find myself really needing a Web browser for whatever reason because my phone is dead or not with me, I open the Email app on my watch, go to my iCloud email account then open the link and I have a internet browser on demand.
I also added a link for MacRumors forums, Facebook and ******* for good measures. Was hoping to get “Find My iPhone” as well in case I misplace my phone but unfortunately, it doesn’t work on the Watch. The site opens but can’t view the map.
Kidding about *******...
I also added a link for MacRumors forums, Facebook and ******* for good measures. Was hoping to get “Find My iPhone” as well in case I misplace my phone but unfortunately, it doesn’t work on the Watch. The site opens but can’t view the map.
Kidding about *******...
Why? Even if the CPU and battery can handle it, the tiny screen itself will render Safari close to useless. I remember having opera on my Nokia E51. It has a screen larger than the Apple Watch, but web browsing is nearly impossible u less you simply have text only websites.
Rather than a generic browser, it’s better to simply have the specific functions available as apps on the watch.
Rather than a generic browser, it’s better to simply have the specific functions available as apps on the watch.