Fall detection is the only feature I don’t trust. I was at a convention, sitting in a comfortable armchair, turned my wrist over, and the detection went on and I quickly had to tell it not to dial. I immediately turned it off.
i don’t know if this was a one off error or not, as reviewers tried to set it off with fake falls, and they couldn’t. But I don’t want to take the chance it will fall off a bedside end table, end up under the bad, and before I get to it, call emergency services.
I've had a couple false alarms (and one real one!). The latest false alarm was last night while shooting hoops with my grandson -- I was simply standing beside the basket when my phone tapped me on my wrist asking if it should call 911.
I wish Apple would change that notification to both tap the wrist as well as a noticeable audio signal because the tap on the wrist is just too easy to miss which could trigger a call to 911 for no reason.
I love the fall detection feature and that it will automatically call for me -- but they need to do more to prevent false alarms. The Watch is perfectly capable of a verbal question such as: "Did you fall? Should I call 911?" and would be a valuable (but easily implemented) enhancement.
Yes, that’s a problem. I get calls on my phone and watch, and if I’m active, or it’s noisy, I won’t notice. That’s another reason I have it off. But if Apple improves that in some way, though I think it’s difficult, I’d likely try it again.
i’d like to point out that this feature is mainly aimed at people who have problems, not at people who don’t. It’s meant for people who might fall, but won’t be able to call. Yes, I know, it’s. Always possible for anyone to fall so that they can’t call, but that’s really rare.
I think a significant determinant might be how much, how often, one is alone -- along with a propensity to fall (which could be triggered by either frailty or an active lifestyle). That is, even a frail, older person living with another person who is always with them would have less need for it. But, any person living alone could fall, hit their head and be unable to call.
But the biggest benefit is for the darn thing to be on your wrist so it is available when the unthinkable happens.
Basically, yes. But this is similar to the devices that people use on those commercials where some infirm person falls and calls that they fell and can’t get up. While I won’t argue that it’s not more widely useful, it’s really mostly for those people.
That was over a year ago and it doesn't look like it called anyone. Sure, that's an odd message since it couldn't have detected a wrist if it was actually charging on a nightstand, but that seems more like an atypical bug over the intended effect you assume it is. Is there anything else to back up your claims?
Comments
Basically, yes. But this is similar to the devices that people use on those commercials where some infirm person falls and calls that they fell and can’t get up. While I won’t argue that it’s not more widely useful, it’s really mostly for those people.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/9kpghv/last_night_my_watch_feel_off_my_nightstand_and/