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I built an iMessage app that allows my wife and I to easily send goal updates from our daughter's football matches. Typing who scored what goal, or even keeping track of the score to send to each other when you're standing on the sideline in the cold and rain on a Saturday morning wasn't fun. This works so much better.

The right app, in the right place can make a lot of sense

by WorldMaker8 hours ago|

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The built-in "Check In" app is really great (it automates the "text my parent/friend/relative when I get home" flow, including texting obvious delays from GPS tracking data). iMessage apps are a good idea in general even without a "deep bench ecosystem". Though obviously when it was added Apple was hoping for something like the ecosystem seen in the Asian messenger app space where WeChat and others became the primary app stores and "everything" became a messenger app for a while. (Even in Europe there have been points where WhatsApp had a huge app ecosystem.)

Arguably part of why those app ecosystems worked so well was because they were a cross-platform app experience and iMessage only working for Apple devices and most iMessage apps only capable of strong experiences in "blue chat" iMessage user only streams was always a hiccup for why Apple didn't see a larger uptake in the iMessage app ecosystem.

by kridsdale33 hours ago|

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CheckIn IS great, I use it daily since "when are you coming home" is otherwise something I'd be asked.

Infuriatingly though it appears to have zero data saving of preferences. I have to manually type my home address and select driving mode, every single time. It's like 30 taps when it could be 1. I sent them a Radar. I'm sure it will never be looked at.

Just now, I realized I can just vibecode my own version.

by etempleton10 hours ago|

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Yeah, as long as there is a way to cast video to the device I think it works...some consumers may struggle with that as they are used to apps being on device, but it works for me.

The battery issue, I agree it is kind of a single room device, but I could see wanting to move it around the room I am in. If I am say, washing dishes versus cooking at the stove, versus doing prep work. Right now I move an iPad around with me in the kitchen. Also, for when there is a facetime call being able to best position it for what I am currently doing verus having to move to the device and face it.

by jonhohle9 hours ago|

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Unless made for a square display, video will not be ideal on this device. Even SD NTSC content is 4:3 and would require cropping or matting. Anything modern would be tiny on this display.

I think the aspect ratio makes sense for the form factor, recipes, FaceTime, music, etc. but it won’t be a very good video device.

by etempleton8 hours ago|

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Yeah, and the screen is just 7 inches to begin with. I just don’t know if I would get enough utility out of this device… I think it would be more interesting if it was a MagSafe dock for an iPad and that put the iPad into home hub mode or something.

by troupo8 hours ago|

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> to the point where they even tried putting an app store in iMessage

Wveryone tried to put app atores inside messages because that's what all messaging apps in South East Asia do.

However, none of western companies ever actually understood how that works.