content
near
If you were using Pocketnow last month, you may have come across my article about wanting to go back to your Apple Watch after trying the Galaxy Watch 4 for a few weeks. Well, this move isn’t due to the difference between health and wellness tracking, but to how good Apple wearables are in terms of being smarter. And with upcoming watchOS 9 updates, Apple is likely to increase this lead even further.
In this article, we’ll talk about extending the CallKit API to the Apple Watch and see how it works to improve the user experience.
What is CallKit?
Before delving into the assumptions of deploying the CallKit API on the Apple Watch, what is this software anyway? First introduced in iOS 10 in 2016, the CallKit API is a structure that allows developers to integrate the calling capabilities (VoIP) provided by their applications into the iPhone’s native UI.
This means that calls from third-party applications use the same interface as the default iPhone Phone app and work seamlessly with other features such as silent.
Some of the features enabled by CallKit are:
- Ability to make VoIP calls via the phone app.
- Phone app[最近]Access the call details for VoIP calls in the section.
What does the CallKit API unlock on the Apple Watch?
In my eyes, the key to making a device like the Apple Watch an attractive purchase is to allow users to disconnect themselves from their smartphones. And over the last few years, wearables have done a great job in accomplishing this task!
Therefore, CallKit for Apple Watch is an exciting update for me as it further facilitates this “convenient disconnect” by allowing developers to easily integrate VoIP services into the Apple Watch. In the WWDC 2022 keynote, Apple introduced Webex using the API and how active conference calls on the platform appear on the Apple Watch using the native interface. The OEM also mentioned CallKit’s ability to allow developers to start, end, or mute VoIP calls. This part is the most important.
Currently, the only VoIP calls you can make, close, and interact with on your Apple Watch are those made via FaceTime Audio. With this decision, apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and even Facebook Messenger have no way to initiate calls or notify users wearables.
My family sometimes chooses to use WhatsApp instead of their regular cell phone, so I missed a lot of calls on my iPhone while riding my bike. With the availability of CallKit, third-party developers can improve the app’s capabilities and further improve the Apple Watch.
This latest push improves the overall connectivity between your Apple Watch and your iPhone and its applications. That’s one aspect of my admiration for the Apple Watch compared to the Galaxy Watch 4, making it a fascinating gadget that owns Apple’s wearables.