Why chatbots could save the Apple Watch before it’s too late

It’s going to take more than a Volvo to save the Apple Watch.

Yes, you can use the Watch to start your XC90 and adjust the climate settings. With a swipe, no less. Unfortunately, as IDC reported this week, sales have slipped on the device that was going to become the next iPhone-caliber hit but ended up being more like the Newton.

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It’s amazing how many people are holding out for this one, and I’ll admit I want to see where this all leads. Apple recently announced some radical design changes — most notably, the interface will look more like cards than tiny little icons. Yet, there’s only one thing that will save the Watch from certain failure, and it could provide an amazingly rich experience.

I’m talking about chatbots, of course. These personal assistants, which normally run within a messaging app (like Facebook Messenger or another client), can have a conversation with you about the weather, your schedule, or even what you want to order for lunch. They can become trusted companions, reminding you about events and feeding you stock quotes. I used one recently to help me arrange a flight, and another to find restaurants that serve cheese curds. There are 11,000 chatbots on Facebook Messenger, with more to come.

Apple hasn’t really been playing along so far, though. SiriKit is a step in the right direction, since it allows app developers to support the voice assistant on the iPhone. Messenger already shows what can be done with chatbots. Unfortunately, there isn’t a native iMessage bot platform.

In the case of the Apple Watch, a chatbot is a perfect match for the interface, especially if it uses buttons. For example, if the Watch supported native chatbots, you could engage in a quick discussion about your favorite band and even have the bot monitor ticket prices at concerts when it connects to an iPhone app. Chatbots could do all of the work of an app without the confusing interface.

On your Watch, you’d ask “ConcertBot” to look for venues. You’d teach it to understand that you like Frightened Rabbit and The National. You’d ask it to remind you when bands in that genre are playing nearby.

The entire app model is a bad fit for the Watch or any smartphone. The screen is too small. The Watch isn’t really powerful enough. Yet, if a chatbot can look for restaurants or check fuel prices, remind you about meetings, and even look for photos on your iPhone, the device will suddenly become much more powerful and useful. I can imagine having chatbots for a home security system, for my car, or for eating establishments. If they existed, I’d install a dozen of them (or, ideally, one that can do multiple things and connect to multiple services).

What will it take to make this happen? Apple will have to see the light. The company will have to understand that Facebook Messenger now has one billion users for a reason and that chatbots are solving problems for many users. And Apple will have to make it all possible from a coding perspective, with an interface that emphasizes quick interactions on the Watch so you can choose options and easily type in simple questions, synced with iPhone apps and native to iMessage. The chatbot interface already works for smartphones, and all of the heavy lifting is done by the bot.

It also means the Watch would become what Apple intended it to be in the first place. You’d interact with bots instead of trying to find tiny little options in an app and swipe them. I’d even like a chatbot for the Watch itself, and voice support would be ideal. Siri does some of these tasks already, but it’s not nearly as powerful as it should be. Also, Siri serves only the needs of Apple and the consumer. I want bots for the Watch that can help with business chores, connect to my Dropbox folder, and everything in between.

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Besides, we don’t like talking to a watch. I’d like to see a text interface similar to Messenger — with all of the Apple wizardry related to UI design, use of color, and backend processing, and all of the app integration. It should just work.

Native chatbots would make me want to buy an Apple Watch. Without them, I’ll take a pass.