Haptic vs (others) Taptic: Did Apple get it wrong?

[Julien]

Apple’s version of Taptic on the Watch is fundamentally different than other versions used, including Apple’s own use in the iPhone.

Taptic is usually a vibrating/oscillating experience that is a real attention getter. Apple has chosen a single ‘knock’ to differentiate itself and to make unique ‘knock’ patters. I understand that Apple’s goal was to be able to send unique ‘knocks’ for different needs like left/right navigation.

However most find the single ‘knock’ to be almost imperceivable, even set to high. If doing any activity (running with my Garmin 620 is noticeable, but I almost never feel my Watch) or preoccupied in any way most people can’t feel or don’t notice it. Even just moving the wrist around and the watch strap slipping/twisting slightly can seem to be a phantom Taptic ‘knock’.

In gen 2 of the Watch should Apple move back to the traditional vibrating/oscillating feedback motor or stick with the single ‘knock’ feature and hopefully use a more pronounced/stronger motor?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Agreed.

I have to admit that my haptic engine is not strong enough for me to feel at times.

WORST unless I am in a quiet room I can not hear the "ding"

I have both set to maximum but still not enough at times. I have to look at my watch all the time to see if the red dot is there.

Hopefully Apple will give notification some more user adjustment. I would like to extend the haptic for like 5 seconds and change the "ding" to another sound.

I know Apple is trying to keep it notifications descrete so others are not disturbed but if the wearer of the watch can not detect it . . . . .

 

[xraydoc]

Apple’s version of Taptic on the Watch is fundamentally different than other versions used, including Apple’s own use in the iPhone.

Taptic is usually a vibrating/oscillating experience that is a real attention getter. Apple has chosen a single ‘knock’ to differentiate itself and to make unique ‘knock’ patters. I understand that Apple’s goal was to be able to send unique ‘knocks’ for different needs like left/right navigation.

However most find the single ‘knock’ to be almost imperceivable, even set to high. If doing any activity (running with my Garmin 620 is noticeable, but I almost never feel my Watch) or preoccupied in any way most people can’t feel or don’t notice it. Even just moving the wrist around and the watch strap slipping/twisting slightly can seem to be a phantom Taptic ‘knock’.

In gen 2 of the Watch should Apple move back to the traditional vibrating/oscillating feedback motor or stick with the single ‘knock’ feature and hopefully use a more pronounced/stronger motor?

While Apple's tactic engine is more subtle than a conventional vibrating motor, I prefer the fact that no one else can hear it, unlike the buzzing from everyone's phones.

 

[solarguy17]

I found that I could barely feel the tap. It feels like the "tap" preview in the settings app is much stronger then the actual tapping. However when I turn on Prominent Haptic, it's a shaking for about 1/3 sec instead of a tap.

 

[Smurphy Gherkin]

I agree that without Prominent turned on, you miss a bunch of things when your arm is moving around.

But with it on, it is sensational, simply the best thing about the Watch. Notifications that only I can hear - is just a revolution.

Now when my Wife's phone goes off in the kitchen it sounds like 1990's tech.

 

[ThaRagingAsian]

your tapping it wrong.

 

[Julien]

your tapping it wrong.

No, it is tapping me wrong.

 

[jmmo20]

I like this kind of vibration over the traditional phone ones. However, they do need to tweak it up a little to make it more obvious.

say, 50% stronger.

Even with prominent haptic on, I can't really tell apart the vibrations when using map directions.

Also, as someone already mentioned, you can feel almost nothing if you are driving, due to the vibrations of the car itself. Maybe it should gauge background vibrations using the accelerometer and accommodate for those situations by increasing the vibrator power.

 

[Aniseedvan]

Having a garmin watch which buzzes, I'll take the apple method any day. Lost count of The number of times I've been in a meeting and my watch has buzzed to either tell me to move, or a text, and people have either stared at me, or everyone else does the phone fiddle to see if it was theirs...

 

[flur]

In gen 2 of the Watch should Apple move back to the traditional vibrating/oscillating feedback motor or stick with the single ‘knock’ feature and hopefully use a more pronounced/stronger motor?

There's no need for either a different motor or to wait for gen 2. Prominent haptic is a vibration, so clearly the phone can do vibration. Apple simply needs to let us control that and that taps - what we assign prominent haptic to, if it's a short or a long vibration, how many taps we get, if we get a vibration-tap, or a tap-vibration, etc.

 

[foxkoneko]

you must be joking. This is one of the best feature of the watch

 

[iamasmith]

I actually quite like it.

The chime sound and the notification makes it seem like the case is a bell that was struck at the exact moment.

Yes, I think it's rather good

 

[Julien]

There's no need for either a different motor or to wait for gen 2. Prominent haptic is a vibration, so clearly the phone can do vibration. ....

Are you sure? The Watch uses a linear actuator while most Taptic use Piezo actuators. So you are saying a linear actuator can duplicate a Piezo actuator motor?

 

[flur]

Are you sure? The Watch uses a linear actuator while most Taptic use a Piezo actuators. So you are saying a linear actuator can duplicate a Piezo actuator motor?

I'm saying that the watch both taps and vibrates, and it has whatever innards make that happen.

You don't have to believe me, just turn on prominent haptic and feel the vibration for yourself.