Apple watchOS 10 Double Tap on latest watches only – disappointing

[KeanosMagicHat]

The instant I saw the Double Tap feature on watchOS 10 I thought gimmick (unless of course it is being used as an accessibility aid in which case it's fantastic).

Less than a minute later, however, I quickly changed my initial opinion and realised just how useful this could potentially be in my daily life as an Apple Watch owner.

I don't have an accessibility case for this so would not deem to voice an opinion from that perspective (I can't), I'm merely looking at it from a convenience point of view.

I've had several models of Apple Watch over the years and I currently have an Ultra which is less than a year old.

On a personal note, considering this watch was the top spec one last year, it is ridiculous that it doesn't have Double Tap at least as things stand (perhaps Apple will relent).

In fact, I think it is ridiculous that this isn't backwards compatible with many previous Apple Watch series, as I don't fully believe the explanation Apple gave.

Very, very similar Assisted Touch features have existed on previous Apple Watch series for a while now, so I'm not really buying that the technology isn't there within the watch.

We've all seen Apple do this before though, introducing features that we suspect would work fine on previous models, but keeping them just for the latest versions and beyond.

With this particular feature, considering it would help many people who do have accessibility requirements rather than just me who would enjoy it for the convenience, I think this is a poor decision by Apple.

I hope they change their mind and introduce this to previous versions – they can even fluff it up with some marketing spiel that they were able to re-engineer it to bring this fantastic feature to more people – or some fluff that justifies the position change and wider availability.

After all, when you think about it, the convenience aspect is huge really – even if you were only going to use it to double tap to answer a call and to end a call – a one handed gesture which is essential for some and convenient for almost everyone.

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[DMG35]

I agree OP but I doubt they will offer it to older models. Its essentially the only reason for updating to the 9 and Apple knows that some people will upgrade solely for that feature alone.

 

[Craiguyver]

It's also like some claiming only the Ultra watches have a large enough screen to accommodate the new Modular Ultra watch face when the Series 9 screen (45 mm) is 396 by 484 and the Ultra is 410 by 502.

Clearly those 14-extra-pixel wider screens are the magic key to the universe for fitting in those extra complications. /s

 

[TwistedPain]

It's also like some claiming only the Ultra watches have a large enough screen to accommodate the new Modular Ultra watch face when the Series 9 screen (45 mm) is 396 by 484 and the Ultra is 410 by 502.

Clearly those 14 extra pixels are the magic key to the universe for fitting in those extra complications. /s

Maybe I’m really bad at math…but the difference in pixels is actually 14,156.

 

[Pug72]

On device Siri is also, and IMO more useful, another feature for the new models.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

I agree OP but I doubt they will offer it to older models. Its essentially the only reason for updating to the 9 and Apple knows that some people will upgrade solely for that feature alone.

Thank you for the reply and you will probably end up being right.

It's pretty poor though that they would use what began as an accessibility feature as a unique selling point for new models when we suspect that the older models would also be capable of benefitting if there was not a restriction.

 

[DMG35]

Thank you for the reply and you will probably end up being right.

It's pretty poor though that they would use what began as an accessibility feature as a unique selling point for new models when we suspect that the older models would also be capable of benefitting if there was not a restriction.

Oh there is no question the older models could most certainly do it. Who knows, they might feel enough pressure to add it to current models as well. They’ve done that before with certain software features so who knows.

 

[nattK]

Technically, you can still get the "double tap" through the Quick Actions accessibility settings in watchOS 10 on older watches. It might not be as sensitive or optimized as "double tap" on the Series 9, but I guess they needed a way to somehow differentiate the Series 9 from the Series 8.

 

[nattK]

Oh there is no question the older models could most certainly do it. Who knows, they might feel enough pressure to add it to current models as well. They’ve done that before with certain software features so who knows.

I doubt they'll bring it to the older models, regardless of whether the older watches can support it. The Series 9 is such an incremental update they needed to find a feature to justify calling it a Series 9 and Ultra 2 instead of an updated Series 8 and Ultra.

 

[Howard2k]

Oh there is no question the older models could most certainly do it. Who knows, they might feel enough pressure to add it to current models as well. They’ve done that before with certain software features so who knows.

Really? No question? This has been confirmed by people who understand how the new feature works?

 

[onenorth]

Really? No question? This has been confirmed by people who understand how the new feature works?

Apple is using the neural engine in the new processor to detect double tap using AI. It’s not clear that the older watches have the processing capability to do it reliably.

 

[Howard2k]

Apple is using the neural engine in the new processor to detect double tap using AI. It’s not clear that the older watches have the processing capability to do it reliably.

The new neural engine that’s not the same as the S8/U1? That neural engine?

 

[Howard2k]

From Apple’s website.


This new double tap gesture is enabled by the faster Neural Engine in Apple Watch Series 9, which processes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with a new machine learning algorithm. The algorithm detects the unique signature of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb perform a double tap. The double tap gesture will be available in a software update next month.

Apple introduces the advanced new Apple Watch Series 9

Apple today introduced Apple Watch Series 9, bringing new capabilities to the world’s best-selling watch and achieving a significant environmental milestone.

www.apple.com

 

[Night Spring]

The new neural engine that’s not the same as the S8/U1? That neural engine?

What is a neural engine?

 

[Howard2k]

What is a neural engine?

Like the CPU, but it focuses on dedicated tasks related to machine learning, AI, etc. And like a GPU is a computer that is optimized for graphics, same idea.

 

[ndouglas]

I agree it’s disappointing. Especially when it’s been a feature already in accessibility, for however long, and it works so poorly. I have been going back and forth a lot the past several days using it, (via accessibility on an AW7) and fiddling with all the different setting to get it to work better. I guess I think I’ve learned to use it better than the first 1-2 days when I first started, but overall, if I had an actual accessibility need for this, well, I just feel bad for anyone who actually has to use this, it’s horrible how unreliable and hit or miss the feature is. That, and this roving “focus” thing that I can’t seem to disable, where it floats around and even sometimes makes haptic taps.

Anyway, sorry this is just a mini-rant I guess, I like the feature when it works and find its potential pretty cool. But having used it more and more for a while I suspect that even if I got a new model watch, it would still be 50% neato and 50% annoying.

 

[DMG35]

Really? No question? This has been confirmed by people who understand how the new feature works?

I don't think there is. Of course I don't know for sure but the fact that these features have been around for a while make you think it certainly could be used on older watches using the previous chip.

Sort of like stage manager when Apple originally said only the M1 and newer iPad's could run it but then changed course when enough people complained about it and they "magically" made it available on older iPads.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

For people that remember that far back even Siri was a feature that Apple introduced saying that only the latest phones were able to cope with it.

This was blatantly untrue as Siri was originally a third-party application that worked very well (some would say better than the Apple iteration) on these previous iPhones – so Apple have several prior examples of claims about new features only working on new products which appear to have been potentially false.

My gut feeling is that this is another of those situations where Double Tap has been used as a differentiator for the latest models, but could work on previous models.

I just don't believe the explanation Apple is giving and whereas Siri is also a useful accessibility function, this one appears just as obvious to me and just as disappointing.

And as I've mentioned, I'm looking at this purely from a convenience POV rather than any accessibility requirement and I am still disappointed.

 

[Dekicrown]

Quick actions works very reliably for me. Series 8.

 

[Supermallet]

The difference between Double Tap and Assistive Touch/Quick Actions is that AT/QA is reactive--The watch waits for you make a gesture, the watch processes that you've made a gesture, and then responds.

Double Tap is proactive--the S9 chip is in an always listening state to check the sensors for the signals that indicate the double tap motion from your hand, and responds based on those signals. The difference here is that for the processor to be in that always on state, it needs the S9 chip. The S8 chip, which is really the S6 chip, is not powerful or efficient enough to maintain this.

The Apple Watch Ultra has the same S8 (really S6) chip in it, which is why it also can't do it. Same with on device Siri.

At least that is Apple's explanation for it. And those who have used Double Tap say it is more responsive than Assistive Touch, so the real world usage does match the claim.

 

[Howard2k]

The difference between Double Tap and Assistive Touch/Quick Actions is that AT/QA is reactive--The watch waits for you make a gesture, the watch processes that you've made a gesture, and then responds.

Double Tap is proactive--the S9 chip is in an always listening state to check the sensors for the signals that indicate the double tap motion from your hand, and responds based on those signals. The difference here is that for the processor to be in that always on state, it needs the S9 chip. The S8 chip, which is really the S6 chip, is not powerful or efficient enough to maintain this.

The Apple Watch Ultra has the same S8 (really S6) chip in it, which is why it also can't do it. Same with on device Siri.

At least that is Apple's explanation for it. And those who have used Double Tap say it is more responsive than Assistive Touch, so the real world usage does match the claim.

It also has additional context sensitivity apparently. AT seems to make “dumb” choices sometimes.