An Alarming Wakeup

I travel a lot for work. And rather than deal with the learning curves of different alarm clocks in every hotel room and then re-familiarizing myself with my own when I get home (not to mention my own impromptu personal getaways), I use my phone as my alarm. It’s always with me. It’s consistent. 

Unfortunately, I have an iPhone. 

With all the innovation and UX design that goes into Apple mobile products, I’m surprised this one basic feature is so…basic. 

I can’t turn off the vibration nor can I set an ascending volume for a given tone or song. And trying to snooze after being jolted awake from a deep sleep by the rumbling of my phone on the nightstand next to my bed is like trying to get the Writer’s Cramp piece from Operation out without touching the sides. It’s damn near impossible. 

I know there are their plenty apps out there that address this, but iOS doesn’t let them function on the lock screen like you would expect. And half the hotels out there didn’t put enough forethought into accessible plugs next to the bed, so leaving the screen on and unlocked all night just isn’t an option. 

In a world where sleep is so important (especially for those of us starting to get up there in years), why do you think Apple – in its “leading innovation” role – still hasn’t figured this one out yet?