Apple touts iOS 8 voice messaging in new iPhone 6 ad

Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2014
One day after delivering two iPhone 6 ads highlighting Continuity and gaming performance, Apple on Wednesday continued with a spot demonstrating voice messages, a new-for-iOS 8 feature that lets users send audio via Messages.




Titled "Voice Text," Apple's latest iPhone 6 commercial once again stars Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, who have become unofficial spokesmen for Apple's new handset line, this time offering humorous examples of iOS 8 voice messaging capabilities.

Fallon, calling the feature "voice text," says the iPhone 6 powered by iOS 8 puts a new spin on traditional text messaging and confers innuendo normally lost in translation, like sarcasm. He also points out that voice text is a great way to deliver messages without having to worry about spelling, offering a long-winded example containing multiple sesquipedalian words.

Timberlake, as per usual, sings.



Apple introduced voice texting in iOS 8 as a quick and easy way to shoot out audio clips to fellow Messages users. The mechanism works by using a press-and-hold gesture on the new microphone icon located to the right of Messages' text input bar. Users can playback their clip and send it off through a popup radial menu. Apple employs the same gesture control for video messages, which has not been showcased in a commercial. Yet.

Apple is apparently conducting an ad blitz ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season beginning later this week with Black Friday. Just yesterday the company released a pair of short spots featuring the iPhone 6 as gaming device and iOS 8 and OS X Continuity capabilities.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    I don't use it all that much, but it's a nice feature.

    Good commercial overall. These are improving.
  • Reply 2 of 35
    Too bad the sound quality of the voice messages sucks. You'd think Apple would use a higher quality sound file since the message gets deleted in 2 minutes anyway. I'm still using Voxer until it improves.
  • Reply 3 of 35
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

    I don't use it all that much, but it's a nice feature.

    Good commercial overall. These are improving.

    I've been treating it like a novelty - I usually just forget and send a "finger text" (I think that's what Fallon would call it).

    Then too, as with calls, there are plenty of times when a voice text would be indiscreet, or impolite.

  • Reply 4 of 35
    I played with the feature a couple of times, but it's not better than either a text or a phone call, IMO.
  • Reply 5 of 35
    Ugh.

    Those grating voices have as much appeal as a Samsung ad.
  • Reply 6 of 35
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post



    Ugh.



    Those grating voices have as much appeal as a Samsung ad.

     

    Yet, still infinitely more appeal than predictable and pathetic trolls like you. I've yet to see anything Apple has done that you don't feel the need to bitch, whine about, or mock. 

  • Reply 7 of 35
    I love this feature and I'm glad they are shining some light on it but I am not a fan of these ads.
  • Reply 8 of 35
    palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
    grblade wrote: »
    Too bad the sound quality of the voice messages sucks. You'd think Apple would use a higher quality sound file since the message gets deleted in 2 minutes anyway. I'm still using Voxer until it improves.
    Yeah exactly! I've tried it a little, and I love the idea, but wtf? Why keep the quality this low? I mean they could easily get a great quality at like 48kbps AAC or even less. Currently it sounds like a old school compression type, at a very low bit rate/ sample rate. I don't get it. I guess messages are typically below 30 seconds. They'd be smaller than a typical Snap, even with great audio.
  • Reply 9 of 35
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by grblade View Post



    Too bad the sound quality of the voice messages sucks. You'd think Apple would use a higher quality sound file since the message gets deleted in 2 minutes anyway. I'm still using Voxer until it improves.



    The voice quality is just fine.

  • Reply 10 of 35
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post



    I love this feature and I'm glad they are shining some light on it but I am not a fan of these ads.



    And Steve is dead too. The past seems to suit you.

  • Reply 11 of 35
    lkrupp wrote: »

    And Steve is dead too. The past seems to suit you.

    "There is another."

    700
  • Reply 12 of 35
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by palegolas View Post





    Yeah exactly! I've tried it a little, and I love the idea, but wtf? Why keep the quality this low? I mean they could easily get a great quality at like 48kbps AAC or even less. Currently it sounds like a old school compression type, at a very low bit rate/ sample rate. I don't get it. I guess messages are typically below 30 seconds. They'd be smaller than a typical Snap, even with great audio.



    Apple has hit the balance right between sound quality and the file size. I'm glad it was very quick to send.

  • Reply 13 of 35
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    I played with the feature a couple of times, but it's not better than either a text or a phone call, IMO.

     

    They all have a different purpose. If your transmitting just info, then text is better. If you want something live, a call is better. If you want to convey emotion AND info, then voice text is better.

  • Reply 14 of 35
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post

    Ugh.

    Those grating voices have as much appeal as a Samsung ad.

    Yet, still infinitely more appeal than predictable and pathetic trolls like you. I've yet to see anything Apple has done that you don't feel the need to bitch, whine about, or mock. 


    Which has pretty much come to describe your response to all his posts...

    Are you really that bitter about his opinions?  Is there really no better use for your time?

    Have you really not mastered "blocking", or is this your mission in life now?

  • Reply 15 of 35
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by grblade View Post



    Too bad the sound quality of the voice messages sucks. You'd think Apple would use a higher quality sound file since the message gets deleted in 2 minutes anyway. I'm still using Voxer until it improves.

    So, just don't send any singing birthday cards...

    Problem solved.

  • Reply 16 of 35
    solipsismy wrote: »
    "There is another."

    700

    OMG... The nightmare that ate Thanksgiving!
  • Reply 17 of 35
    foggyhill wrote: »
    They all have a different purpose. If your transmitting just info, then text is better. If you want something live, a call is better. If you want to convey emotion AND info, then voice text is better.

    Yes, I know it's a middle-ground service. I personally haven't found it very useful. Your experience may be different.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    Yes, I know it's a middle-ground service. I personally haven't found it very useful. Your experience may be different.

    I love it. I used to use HeyTell for sending a quick voice message. I wouldn't say it was a good app, but it got the job done. iOS 8 just makes that experience so much better. I can retrieve a text and instead of dictating back something that is poorly understood by Siri I can instead of speak. This is very handy right after a run when I'm still breathing heavily.
  • Reply 19 of 35
    solipsismy wrote: »
    I love it. I used to use HeyTell for sending a quick voice message. I wouldn't say it was a good app, but it got the job done. iOS 8 just makes that experience so much better. I can retrieve a text and instead of dictating back something that is poorly understood by Siri I can instead of speak. This is very handy right after a run when I'm still breathing heavily.

    The iOS 8 improvement I'm most impressed with is speech-to-text dictation. It has gotten really, really good.
  • Reply 20 of 35
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post

     



    The voice quality is just fine. And you should be banned for spamming. Please go jump off a bridge somewhere, hopefully a high one.




    Excuse me? I should be banned for giving my opinion, meanwhile you tell me to kill myself and that's ok?? Ok dude.

Sign In or Register to comment.