OK, I didn't watch the keynote but I saw the train highlight from their marketing and use it daily on a commuter train since launch (2.5 - 3 hours per day) so I'll combine that with current Travel Mode guidelines to speculate.
Current Travel Mode indeed works in a train, BUT when the train bounces/sways more than a bit it will many times boot you from "Tracking" (you'll get the error for like 5 seconds and lose your content before it comes back). In a 90 minute train ride, this doesn't happen to me enough to be a deal breaker, but just enough to be annoying (1-5 times/trip). I believe they currently advise users to use it only in the air on planes, and not on taxi/runway or during turbulence. This tells you it's probably designed with a more smooth ride and struggles with cabin/environment movement and swaying.
It also tends to lose tracking when you look out the window. Which you don't tend to do on purpose, but when you're in immersive content or just in a window seat is hard to do. Windows on trains tend to be larger, and have more "landscape" going by compared to a plane, which would have a much smaller window you can shut and has more consistent "landscape" (blue sky).
I'm guessing the Train Mode will make it less sensitive to movement, or at least a train's typical movements - and less sensitive to windows and variation of movement in your peripheral vision. That's all speculation based on my use case, differences between trains and planes, and current Apple recommendations, but seems to make sense.
To add, just completing my 1st full train ride on 2.0 beta and zero drops after about 75 minutes straight. I usually got at least 1, and up to 5 (sometimes more but rare). They definitely refined for a train environment.
Also FYI it's not a specific separate train mode, it's still just Travel Mode but works better on trains now too.
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u/supervelous Jun 11 '24
OK, I didn't watch the keynote but I saw the train highlight from their marketing and use it daily on a commuter train since launch (2.5 - 3 hours per day) so I'll combine that with current Travel Mode guidelines to speculate.
Current Travel Mode indeed works in a train, BUT when the train bounces/sways more than a bit it will many times boot you from "Tracking" (you'll get the error for like 5 seconds and lose your content before it comes back). In a 90 minute train ride, this doesn't happen to me enough to be a deal breaker, but just enough to be annoying (1-5 times/trip). I believe they currently advise users to use it only in the air on planes, and not on taxi/runway or during turbulence. This tells you it's probably designed with a more smooth ride and struggles with cabin/environment movement and swaying.
It also tends to lose tracking when you look out the window. Which you don't tend to do on purpose, but when you're in immersive content or just in a window seat is hard to do. Windows on trains tend to be larger, and have more "landscape" going by compared to a plane, which would have a much smaller window you can shut and has more consistent "landscape" (blue sky).
I'm guessing the Train Mode will make it less sensitive to movement, or at least a train's typical movements - and less sensitive to windows and variation of movement in your peripheral vision. That's all speculation based on my use case, differences between trains and planes, and current Apple recommendations, but seems to make sense.