Apple's Cook says iOS 8 voice messaging a key feature, prompts speculation of inclusion in 'iWatch'

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  • Reply 21 of 66
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    iPod plays MP3s? My Diamond Rio has had this feature for years before the iPod. Apple = fail. /s



    I thought Diamond Rio was a band. ;)

  • Reply 22 of 66
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Might this be language related in China? Not being an expert here but I have to imagine keyboard "text" entry in Chinese would be difficult. I'm not convinced there is a universal need here.
  • Reply 23 of 66
    I prefer texting over phoning about 90 percent of the time. Besides, my kids rarely answer the phone or listen to their voice mail in this day and age.
    iOS 7 currently voice texts just fine: summon Siri and ask him to text anyone in your contacts, dictate your message, and it is done - you even get a preview of your text before permitting Siri to send it off. I only wish Siri would proofread the text back in order to keep the experience 100 percent eyes-free.

    For what it's worth, I found recently that when Siri asks whether or not you want to send the text message, instead of saying yes or no, say 'read it' or 'read it to me', and she'll do just that. Pretty slick that way.......as you said, it keeps it hands free.
  • Reply 24 of 66
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,900moderator
    crosslad wrote: »
    I cannot see the point in this feature, why not just call someone and have a conversation? If the are not available to take the call leave an answer phone message.

    Great idea! Now take that idea and overlay it with the convenience of time-shifting that texting allows in a conversation. And... well, and that's voice texting! Lol!
  • Reply 25 of 66
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Maybe it's just me, but I'm not the kind of person who usually has a fully formed sentence ready for transcription. Voice for me is only useful when in a quiet environment and for short comments.

  • Reply 26 of 66
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,900moderator
    It would be cool if the recipient could chose to have either the audio or convert the message to text.

    It's on the list. Let the playback be the converted text so it can be checked for accuracy before sending. Only trouble is, it's not easy to always convert voice to text. I have Filipina friends that have a hard time with Siri and Google Now. Your friend on the other end, with their human brain and familiarity with your accent and voice, can currently do a better job understanding what you say versus the voice recognition engine in your phone. But that will eventually change and then you'll have a choice which to send.
  • Reply 27 of 66
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,900moderator
    Maybe it's just me, but I'm not the kind of person who usually has a fully formed sentence ready for transcription. Voice for me is only useful when in a quiet environment and for short comments.

    You'd get accostomed to this form of time shift voice conversation very quickly once you start doing it. Just as a live voice conversation begins to flow easily after it is initiated, so too does a text conversation and so too will a voice text conversation. The time shifting actually helps the flow as it takes away the burden to immediately respond before collecting one's thoughts for a second or two. Things flow smoother when time is stretched out.
  • Reply 28 of 66
    I don't think I have setup my voicemail since I switched to AT&T when the iPhone 3G came out.... Voice Text Messages definitely aren't a make or break deal for me but I have used them a fair bit in the last month.


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by WonkoTheSane View Post



    It would be cool if the recipient could chose to have either the audio or convert the message to text.

     

    You can still use the microphone button next to the spacebar to dictate a text message.

  • Reply 29 of 66
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member

    Who wants to wear anything on their wrist?

  • Reply 30 of 66
    notscottnotscott Posts: 247member
    Divorced parents are going to use the f@ck out of this.
  • Reply 31 of 66
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    The new radial menu seems to be a very specific design decision and has me wondering if this hints at a potential watch display form factor.
  • Reply 32 of 66
    carthusiacarthusia Posts: 585member

    The idea of voice messages as an alternative to text is a good one. The demo at WWDC was pretty cool, but I don't think I'll be that comfortable making even a brief voice message speaking into my wrist.

  • Reply 33 of 66
    carthusiacarthusia Posts: 585member

    Let's not get ahead of ourselves....this analyst was just GUESSING that such a feature MAY be used in an "iWatch" product that was not announced, hasn't shipped, and may not even exist. What we do know is that it WILL come to iPhone this fall with iOS 8.

     

  • Reply 34 of 66
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    crosslad wrote: »
    I cannot see the point in this feature, why not just call someone and have a conversation? If the are not available to take the call leave an answer phone message.

    Lmao. No.

    As already pointed out, there was surely someone 10-15 years ago that said, "text message?" Why not just call someone and have a conversation.

    No.
  • Reply 35 of 66
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by pmz View Post

    As already pointed out, there was surely someone 10-15 years ago that said, "text message?" Why not just call someone and have a conversation.

     

    That’s not even remotely an answer.

  • Reply 36 of 66
    mac-sochistmac-sochist Posts: 675member
    So the idea of texting, I guess (never done it, never will), is to get someone on the phone and then [I]type[/I] at them. Nothing regressive about that. :rolleyes:

    And everybody nowadays says they don't need a watch: "I can just use my phone." So they've reinvented the pocket watch, except without a fob, so they have to fish around in their pocket for it, and then drag it out to hold it up and look at it.

    Now this voice messaging is recreating the walkie-talkie. At least that's only going back to WWII instead of the 19th century.

    Seriously, it seems like every advance in technology is accompanied by a regression (and by a century and a half in some cases) in convenience and usability. Why even call a phone a phone if you're going to use it as a teletype machine?
  • Reply 37 of 66
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    So the idea of texting, I guess (never done it, never will), is to get someone on the phone and then type at them. Nothing regressive about that.

    Why am I getting them on the phone before sending a text-based message? Do you have to get someone to pick up their phone to read to an email or even read this forum? Of course not.
    Now this voice messaging is recreating the walkie-talkie. At least that's only going back to WWII instead of the 19th century.

    The messages are received by the device, like an email or posts on this forum, and then the user reads them when they choose to. With a walkie talkie the messages have to be received in real time which is closer to a phone call.
  • Reply 38 of 66
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Maybe it's just me, but I'm not the kind of person who usually has a fully formed sentence ready for transcription. Voice for me is only useful when in a quiet environment and for short comments.

    And in between bites of your sandwich. ;)
  • Reply 39 of 66
    diegogdiegog Posts: 135member
    Not at all. Chinese can easily text as fast as any.

    It's a generational thing. 20's/30's and below like to voice message.

    I'm in a class right now with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and several other nationalities. During class they text. On break they mostly voice message. Same with my students in the states.

    Think of it as a turn-based conversation. The convenience of a conversation without have to dedicate blocks of time to the conversation.
    wizard69 wrote: »
    Might this be language related in China? Not being an expert here but I have to imagine keyboard "text" entry in Chinese would be difficult. I'm not convinced there is a universal need here.
  • Reply 40 of 66
    cutykamucutykamu Posts: 230member
    They are using wechat app. I'm in china and dealing with many Chinese for business so that's why I know what they are using.
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