The Apple Watch is many things: a communications device, a portal to receive and act upon notifications and, of course, a means of telling time. But the plethora of apps available on Apple’s App Store opens up the door for the Apple Watch to be many more things — including and most notably, a gateway to entertainment.
In the Home
Besides the standard phone, mail, photos and music apps that come bundled on every Apple Watch, Apple has included a pre-bundled app called Remote. Remote has been available for a few years on the iPhone and iPad App Store, but the Apple Watch marks the first time that Apple has pre-installed the Remote app.
As you might expect, the Remote app on the Apple Watch enables users to control their TV from their wrist, if they have an Apple TV. As the watch remains on your wrist throughout the day, using the device to control your TV’s volume and content makes good sense. It’s more fun and convenient than pulling out an iPhone or reaching for a giant remote. When Apple releases its Web TV cable-replacement service by the fall, the Apple Watch will be able to control even more of your TV, including the ability to change the channel and order new subscription-based content.
The Apple Watch also supports a couple additional in-home entertainment apps, ranging from ones that work on Samsung TVs and universally across many modern television sets. Recently, the SamMote Apple Watch app was released, and it includes a large keypad for users to tap in channel numbers of their choice. More broadly, the Pronto Apple Watch app can tap into screens and even plugged-in devices like DVD players and digital home appliances.
On the Town
When it’s time to leave the house, the Apple Watch’s App Store can help you organize a trip to the movies and find cool new places to check out. Take a look:
With the Fandango app, users will be able to use the watch’s GPS and Internet connection to find a local theater and movie times. You can even store your digital ticket with Passbook, so you can skip the ticket window.
Finding local nightlife and restaurants is easy with apps like Foursquare, AroundMe and Yelp. All three use your Apple Watch’s built-in positioning system to suggest places around you. FourSquare can also show you reviews from your friends who have been to those places, and Yelp can organize nightlight and other entertainment establishments by ratings from their large pool of users.
While many App Store apps can assist you with these tasks, the Apple Watch’s built-in Maps application integrates with various services to suggest local establishments. You can even raise your wrist, say “Hey Siri,” and ask your watch to navigate you to the closest restaurant, club or movie theater.
What’s Next?
Over time, the Apple Watch’s functionality will expand, thanks to software upgrades from Apple and thousands of new applications from developers across the globe. With new sensors and Internet technologies, one day your Apple Watch will be able to provide notifications for nearby events just by using the GPS. Apps for finding movie tickets will even let you buy your tickets on the fly, with you never needing to pull out your phone.
As a wrist device, the Apple Watch is truly the future gateway to entertainment, both inside the home and out.
