I’m not a fan of most AI implementations to date, but I will say Google is clearly making a bold statement by trying to make the Pixel product lineup hardware to run AI front and center.
I wonder if the general public will care - they can be pretty unpredictable. People generally like party tricks and having an AI assistant to talk to may go farther than we nerds think.
A few issues I see with these (and all smart glasses): it cannot replace a phone, battery life will be terrible the first few years and it really doesn't solve the attention problem smartphones cause. I'd rather have an audio only device.
I only use my Apple Watch Ultra and one AirPods in for a better (albeit not perfect) solution to limiting screen time. I feel smart glasses exacerbates the problem. At least with a smart watch it can already make calls and send messages.
I started just having my cellular Apple Watch on me 6 years ago while leaving my phone at home. When everyone around me thought I was crazy I knew I was on to something.
I’m doubling down on this philosophy and keeping my phone in my drawer and couldn’t be happier.
This is a great write up on how to accomplish this, I hope someday Apple just allows the Apple Watch to work standalone.
Having said that, the Apple Watch is the primary reason I switched to the iPhone (and Apple ecosystem with it). I have been using the watch with cellular since April 2019 and I only take my phone with me on the rarest of occasions (usually for events that I want to snap pics or video or if I’m taking a day trip or on holiday). I’ve even taken just the watch on small holidays/trips by keeping my iPhone fully charged but on Wi-Fi to get all notifications.
Once I got used to the workflow I never looked back. I noticed I was more focused at work, at social events, dinners either the wife and family or friends while being more social and attentive, and noticed a huge overall improvement in mood and well being. Part of this is due to more focus on health and fitness and the Apple Watch certainly helped me stay motivated.
Since 2019 I’ve lost 25lbs, gained some muscle mass, I now compete in friendly running races and I’ve lowered my blood pressure. The Apple Watch truly is the most important gadget I’ve ever purchased and owned.
I couldn’t agree more, and this is the reason why I built some apps for the Apple Watch that I was missing: first a keyboard app (before it came built-in with watchOS), a Notes app (there’s still no official app), and most recently a ChatGPT Voice Mode app -- I now feel like I’m carrying a productivity powerhouse on my wrist!
Can anyone recommend a Google-free AOSP based phone with solid specs? Looking to jump ship from iOS and want something privacy focused but flexible and functional.
Duo is not built in. However, I installed it and last week I discovered that it automatically integrated with my phone calling app. Now that I call people I can choose video call and it uses Duo for that. (But only if the other person has Duo too)
I do this every day. I leave my iPhone home and just use my Apple Watch and AirPods. Works great, and as long as my iPhone is on at home on WiFi it will relay just about everything.
That is a not a cure-all solution. It may be better as Apple has a higher barrier of entry into their store but those apps still exist. And Apple doesn't remove these apps right away either, for instance it took Apple one month to remove the app that was sending browser data to China.
I wonder if the general public will care - they can be pretty unpredictable. People generally like party tricks and having an AI assistant to talk to may go farther than we nerds think.