I’m a self-confessed smartwatch skeptic. Early attempts like the original Pebble just seemed to me an extremely ugly solution in search of a problem. Some of the later models, like the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R (as well as the rather familiar-looking latest Pebble), overcame the ‘ugly’ part, but I still couldn’t see a reason to want one. I haven’t worn a watch for more than a decade, and smartwatches weren’t showing me any reason to change that.
Then along came the Apple Watch. It’s far and away the best smartwatch I’ve seen to date, and for someone deeply embedded into the Apple ecosystem, it would also be the most logical smartwatch to go for if I were to go for one at all. Yet I’m still not seeing a compelling user case–and as Benjamin observed in his own recent opinion piece, Apple doesn’t appear to be doing much to help me.
However, I’m not ready to join the ranks of those dismissing it, and there’s one very good reason for that …
The iPad.
When the iPad was first announced, there was a great deal of skepticism about the device, many dismissing it as “just a big iPod touch.” I can’t poke fun too much as I must confess that, while I could see it had a market, I was pretty confident that market wasn’t me. I was wrong: the iPad turned out to be one of my favorite gadgets.
Notably, the vast majority of the dismissive comments about the iPad were made before anyone had used one, and we’re in a similar position today with the Apple Watch. Even those at the Spring Forward event got no more than about 15 minutes hands-on time with one. Given limited time and the range of functionality on offer, it’s perhaps not surprising that it has been described as clumsy and confusing.
Even after “two long sessions with the watch,” NY Times reviewer Farhad Manjoo said he still wasn’t sure why anyone would want one.
Should you really spend hundreds of dollars, let alone thousands, on a gadget to free you from the inconvenience of accessing your $650 smartphone? That remains the deepest unanswered question about the Apple Watch.
That remains my question right now. Will the convenience of not having to remove my phone from my pocket to check notifications outweigh not just the cost, but also the hassle of another thing to charge, and put on/take off each day? So far, I’m not convinced.
But: the iPad. I bought one only because I loved my Kindle. Being able to carry hundreds of books around with me, no matter where I happened to be, was a delight. Having been so taken with that, I thought it would be cool to be able to do the same thing with movies. Which was the sole reason I bought the very first iPad.
I didn’t bother with the 3G version: I was only going to use it to watch movies. I realized I was wrong within days of buying it, and almost immediately swapped it for the 3G model. I’ve been through the original iPad, iPad 2, iPad Air and now iPad Air 2. Throughout those generations, I’ve rarely left home without it.
I do indeed use it for movies. But it also quickly replaced my Kindle as an ebook reader, simply because I couldn’t see a reason to carry two devices. I use it for email and web when out and about. I use it as a recipe book in the kitchen. I use it for FaceTime and Skype. I write on it (with a keyboard). I use it as a second screen for my Mac. I use it to do the shopping when I’m on the train. I use it as a moving map when hot-air ballooning. I use it as a WiFi-connected large screen for my compact camera. And more besides.
This device, that I initially thought was not for me, then thought would have just one role, has become an incredibly flexible tool I use every day for a wide range of tasks. So when I look at the Apple Watch as something I think I probably don’t need, I’m careful to stress the ‘probably.’
Zac discussed the reasons for the lengthy gap between Apple first announcing the watch and making it available for sale. I’m beginning to suspect there’s another reason. The more I think about the Apple Watch, the more appealing it seems.
Don’t misunderstand me: I still don’t think I want one. But on day one, I was ‘Meh, I don’t need this.’ I was planning to check that the 14-day return policy applies to the watch, then buy one just for curiosity’s sake, confident I’d be returning it afterwards. Looking at the range of options, I thought I’d try the steel model with link wristband. At a cool thousand bucks for the 42mm one I’d need, there was no chance of me choosing to keep it.
Since then, however, doubts have crept in. I mean, it would be kind of handy, when I’m walking down the street and hear a bleep from my trouser pocket, to merely glance at my wrist rather than dig out my phone. And that ‘communicate with your partner by taps and drawings and heartbeat’ is kind of sweet. And I do already charge my iPhone, iPad and MacBook every night, so is one more device that big a deal, especially as I don’t even have to plug it in?
So my plan now is to buy instead the aluminum Sport model with the black sport band. Because $400 is a little more reasonable than $1000. Not that it matters, you understand: I’m not going to keep it. But … y’know … just in case.
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For the greater public I would say yes this will need to be in the wild before it really kicks off. For me I dont need to use one I know I want one.
I fully expect the Apple Watch to be just like the original iPhone, and iPad. People will want it, but can’t justify it. It will be talked about how its not really different than your current Apple products in functionality (the iPod/iPad comment and the Watch/Phone comparison). It won’t be overly well received, but when they announce the 2nd generation and all its tweaks and additions to the watch is when they’ll draw EVERYBODY in. And then, and only then can we truly see how many people will use the Apple Watch.
I agree with Cory. I simply can’t justify the cost of the Apple Watch because I see no value in it – right now. But I fully expect the next generation to provide that “a ha!” feature or features that makes people want to jump onboard.
Difference is that (using your point of iPhone as an example) is that when iPhone came out, the general public *desperately wanted it*. Folks were going crazy over it. It’s amazing how we all have short termed memory.
None of this is true with the Watch. Even when compared against the iPad.
Exactly my thoughts… In The Netherlands unfortunately the Apple Watch won’t be for sale 24-4 but we’ll see when it comes.. I’m returning it too… i think….i’m sure…sort of…
I’m surprised that no one seems to have mentioned how convenient the watch will be for a woman with her phone buried in a brief case or hand bag. I can’t count the times I have missed a call or notice rummaging around in my hand bag trying to locate my phone or just didn’t hear it ring, bing or vibrate at all. I am going to try the Watch.
I think Apple really nailed it in this respect. They’re the first company to actually think about the half of the population that every other smartwatch maker has ignored.
Smartwatches will never take off until they can make them appealing for *everyone*, not just men who are comfortable with a hunk of geeky looking tech on their wrist. That’s why Apple’s fashion approach is so important.
(And the 38mm size)
I agree with the sentiment, but it’s hard not to make squinty eyes at someone who is suggesting that the Apple Watch *isn’t* a “hunk of geeky looking tech on the wrist.”
It looks better than the rest IMO and it will no doubt get better looking with each iteration, but in the 38mm Watch is “chunky.” Both sizes are far thicker, and much larger on the wrist than almost any traditional watch you want to mention with one exception. That being the super chunky, thick, “manly” watches that have been popular in the last decade or so.
A traditional “woman’s watch” for instance has typically been about 26-30mm.
Apple is going in the right direction, but they aren’t actually there yet. It won’t be long before we look back on the original Apple Watch as some kind of monstrously huge and clunky thing.
You have a great point, and IMO the male centric design has been a blind spot for Apple for years. The iPhone 6 has partially been such a big hit because it has offered iOS users the “same thing” (a bigger screen) that Samsung’s users have had for 4 years. For guys a huge screen is often not as attractive because we don’t have purses to put a smartphone in, but for women that isn’t a problem. The first people I noticed to break away from the Apple smartphone pack were mostly women. What will be interesting is to see if the Apple Watch drives more sales of the iPhone 6 Plus. If I don’t have to dig my phone out of my pocket I might go with the Plus sizing vs sticking with just the iPhone 6 sizing.
not sure why you suggest a bigger iPhone screen is something that appeals to women because they don’t have a problem putting it places… that means the smaller screen should’ve been appealing too.
Because tech blogs are so male dominated. :)
Excellent point, great use case!
Bingo! Every time I read about someone being too lazy to get their iPhone out of their pocket, I wonder how they’ve missed the fact that half of the population — at least — is female. Most ladies’ slacks/skirts don’t have pockets. Short of wearing a pouch hanging around the neck (not convenient, not practical, definitely not fashionable ), how are we supposed to keep an iPhone handy?
Yes
The iPad comparisons are a little off based. The iPad won because it was a larger screen to consume MORE stuff. Big Battery inside to use it longer. The watch is to be used conservatively through the day with a tiny screen to consume less. The watch has no keyboard so you can not be productive on it resulting in people still pulling out their phones most of the time when Apples impersonal suggested replies dont apply (and they wont). If you are a heavy texter, emailer, or social media browser then the watch is rendered useless as your phone/iPad is likely already in your hand enough of the day to never need the watch for notifications. The only scenario I see the watch being “handy” on a large enough scale is for high school students who arent supposed to be on their phones during class so they can still surreptitiously flick through facebook and twitter in class undetected.
For me, the comparison is apt, as I used my MacBook when out & about far more than I used my iPhone.
I guess I could see a heavy MacBook user getting more mileage indeed due to that a closed MacBook wont get notifications.
@chrisl84 – closed MacBooks definitely get notifications. A million popup on the screen when I open mine! It’s just unfortunate that the notifications are all old and I already saw them on my phone, not sure why apple hasn’t fixed this yet.
I think people get into trouble when they compare using the Apple Watch to devices that already exist. You’re not going to use it like anything else you already own. If people could just sit and think about the potential…you’re going to have a tiny internet-connected computer with voice recognition, motion tracking, and haptic feedback strapped to your wrist. It opens up a world of possibilities…very few of which involve browsing facebook.
What I don’t see is anyone (especially Apple) offering what those possibilities are. The advantage over owning an Apple Watch with an iPhone vs no watch/”dumb” watch and iPhone seems trivial at best.
Just want to say that I love your opinion pieces from you Ben, and the other staff, they’re by far the main reason I follow this site :) I agree completely, and the more I look, read and think about it, the more I want it. I think Apple might be lacking a solid use case for this reason, people are going to work out and decide on their own reasons for buying it and Apple is just showing us what it can do. I think the previews in store are such a good idea and will sway a lot of people, probably myself included.
Thanks, David, I appreciate the comment.
No… I need to use an Apple watch because I’ve been in a core reactor meltdown since last Sept. when they announced it was coming. lol
not sure how a smartwatch could fix a core reactor meltdown… am I mission a reference?
I think a lot of the intended value of this watch was lost when (I believe) Apple had to drop biosensors because they weren’t ready for primetime. For me, ResearchKit is confirmation of that and I do believe Apple had since struggled with how to actually market this watch because frankly I do think the marketing has done a poor job of compelling me to buy one.
The oversized iPod Touch that is the iPad was a valuable product for me because it legitimately created a better and in some ways exclusive user experience that I couldn’t get on an iPod Touch or iPhone. It’s legitimately better for reading books and webpages, watching movies, taking notes, pre-processing photos, drawing sketches, composing documents/presentations, referencing sheet music while playing an instrument and more. Those are all experiences that are meaningfully enhanced and some of which you simply cannot get on an iPod/iPhone. Are you seriously going to take handwritten notes or sketch a design on an iPod?
The Apple Watch, in its current form, is does not tell the same story to me. There is very little value the device provides me that I do not already get from my iPhone. And the value of the user experience its functions offer me is more generally more of a novelty than a true enhancement, and frankly, I don’t recall the lack of those novelties being a issue for me in the past which the exception of quickly changing music tracks while jogging with my dog (which I’ve solved with a quality arm strap). I’ve watched the keynote twice and the second time I paid particular attention to the demos shown off and asked myself two questions during:
“Can I achieve that with my iPhone?”
“Am I happy with how I would achieve that with my iPhone?”
I answered yes far too many times for me to justify any feelings of compelled to buy an Apple Watch. Personally, an impressive set of biosensors (those I believe were meant to be a companion to ResearchKit’s unveiling) and health tracking functions would’ve sold this watch for me, easily. And without them, this watch feels very much like a fairly crude rev.1 product that I will look back at and tell myself “I’m happy I didn’t bother with that one” once improved revisions are unveiled.
I have to agree here. The Apple watch will not be about the inconvenience of removing your phone from your pocket or handbag. It will be about your health, alerts about your medical condition, notifying your doctor of an impending heart attach and for research kit.
I believe that $400-$1,000 for an Apple watch to monitor your health, heart condition or you diabetes, etcetera would be well worth the cost. In addition, you would have a health coach in your pocket. How much would a full-time coach cost you?
Taking calls, receiving messages, finding where you left your car in a stadium-size parking lot, telling time or following the stock market at a glance is icing on the cake.
Every Apple product has its place and I believe that the Apple watch will keep The World healthier than they have ever been, if Apple continues to improve it as they have evry other product. Don’t be mundane and just think of it as an extension of the iPhone, that’s only required for the extra storage, so that you can trend your health data with time.
spot on with the sheet music! That is all I use my iPad for!
Perhaps you should offer the counter points to those general purpose publication quotes, the quotes that come from ignorant, in terms of technology, columnist who don’t understand the wonderment of WatchKit or how Apple Watch will change communication, mobile payments, keys, home automation etc… The developers that actually worked with the watch (not 15 minutes to play) don’t share the same opinions and feelings Bloomberg or NY Times had, “No Refinement” quote proves they just wanted people to read it.
As an avid 9to5mac reader I fervently enjoy your insight and opinion articles Ben, but I feel you are incredibly short sited when speaking about the watch. I question weather you watched the Keynote in it’s entirety, although I am sure that you did.
And finally, $400 isn’t a lot of money for a miniature computer made with precision engineering that WILL re-sale for 60% of the original price 1 year later. The whole Apple Tax whine only makes sense if the person believing it doesn’t understand basic arithmetic, this is a fact. In terms of pricing, I remind you of the universal truth that “nice things are cheap and cheap things aren’t nice.
I did indeed. It’s very clever. It’s very pretty. I still wasn’t seeing a compelling reason to buy. But, as I say, am somewhat less confident now that I won’t keep it …
my pebble is my treo
There are people still now, buying their first iPads having only recently realised a use-case for them. Discussions like this seem to be forcing an issue which doesn’t need to be forced.
If you aren’t compelled to run out and buy one, don’t feel bad. Apple can’t physically make enough of them fast enough to put 400 million units in everyone’s had immediately anyway. That doesn’t make it a marketing issue. It just means that apple will help to seed a market which will double next year, and again the year after, as these things invariably do.
I have wanted my iPod Nano 6G with after-market watch band to have SOME kind of connectivity, even if only bluetooth, since 2010. I LOVE the idea of a smartwatch. The entire (current) smartwatch market exists because apple put a watch face on the Nano, and accessory makers made bands for it. Since then, samsung, sony, pebble, etc have just been obsessed with beating Apple to market.
So there *is* a market out there, and plenty of people *do* see an immediate compelling use case for it. You don’t have to be one of them. It doesn’t necessarily make you visionless, so don’t feel too bad about it :P
You mention ecosystem. Here’s mine:
— I have 5 AppleTVs that I use regularly. 2 of them at home, another 2 at work, and one at a friend’s place. I send content to them several times a day.
— I’m an avid cyclist, and I would love to be able to ditch my expensive Garmin cycling GPS which cost me more than an Apple Watch itself, and instead get some haptic feedback when I need to make a turn, while at the same time logging my entire route and heart rate, etc.
— I own a gorillapod with an iPhone mount… so I’ll get plenty of use out of the camera remote trigger, while helping me frame the shot I’m in. Usually I’m not in my own photos, but this is about to change in a big way. My friends will stop thinking my wife holidays alone.
— I own a small business, so I’m getting emails, texts, notifications over a hundred times a day. With filters I can choose which of those to prioritise, and even then only glance at my watch, rather that feel like I might as well reply, since I’ve got my phone in my hand already — which invariably triggers ANOTHER damned text.
— There are times when I don’t glance at my calendar, because I JUST had my phone in my hand a moment ago, and forgot to look, so I feel like if I pull it out for a 3rd time in a row, I might just bloody scream. This is what watches are for. They tell you what time it is. A calendar is a natural extension of that, because it doesn’t just tell you it’s 3pm, it tells you it’s time for that 3pm meeting.
— When I take a minute to cook myself dinner, you bet your life that’s when the phone rings, and of course I’ve left it at my desk in the home office… I could ignore the call, but remember I own this stupid little business, and ignoring calls hurts me more than taking them. It’s also nice to be able to “hey siri” my watch to set a kitchen timer, without having to leave my phone plugged in on the kitchen counter.
— It’s nice to be able to rinse my food-covered fingerprints off the IPX7 rated watch. Can’t do that with my phone. It’s also nice to listen to the morning news on the radio (Tune-In app) in the shower. Shower radios cost a buck or two as well.
— I have a house full of WeMo light switches on the walls. I can use them manually, of course, but it’s nice to be able to flip on the back yard lights, pick up the kitchen trash, and take it outside. (no WeMo app announced yet, but it’ll come)
— I’m even going to get some use out of the silly heartbeat messages. I love my wife, but we both work hard don’t see enough of each other. It’s a new marriage, and we don’t have kids yet, so we’re both burning the midnight oil to try and push our careers to the next level before we take that step. Is it cheesy? Sure, but it’s cute too. A little love tap and a finger painting is a lot nicer than a template text message. — apple knows this particularly, and it’s going to get a LOT of use.
I haven’t even bothered to list numerous ways in which wrist-siri will triple the number of reminders I set for myself, nor have I even begun to scratch the potential app catalogue.
I get it, you probably don’t do any of these things, or not enough of them to warrant dropping $400. That’s fine, but to me it’s a no-brainer.
I have to say though, writing an article essentially pleading to be convinced says a lot in itself.
Excellent points
Love this. :-) Especially the last line.
You’ve eloquently stated what I’ve ‘felt’ about the watch for myself. Except, I run and will be training for a marathon, instead of cycling. But the remaining points are all spot on for me as well.
Also, there is an awful lot of assumed desire/need for Apple to convince people why they need the watch. Says a lot for the power of Apple’s brand, but I don’t think this device will be for every regular schmo for quite some time. It will take a much sleeker and ‘prettier’ device to appeal to the masses, and probably require being stand-alone from an iPhone at some point. But it will get there. In the meantime, I’m very happy to ride the wave of wearable tech a little early, as it will fit in my small business-oriented life.
“In the meantime, I’m very happy to ride the wave of wearable tech a little early, as it will fit in my small business-oriented life.”
Exactly how I feel, Ricky…. This is an area of tech that I would like to see explored, developed, and refined to the point where it feels like we were supposed to be born with it. I see great potential value in wearable computing, and so I don’t mind being an early adopter, and investing in something comparatively clunky.
Especially since I have a use-case for it from day one.
Thanks for your reply.
While all the things you describe are “firstworldproblems” I agree with all of them. Of course we can survive without an Apple Watch … but why do if we don’t have to ;-)
So yes, I like it and will most probably get one because it adds convenience to a lot of things throughout the day – and I am willing to pay for that convenience.
If anybody doesn’t want to I would say he is also right. As Tim Cook said: “The most personal device ever” … which means the reasons pro or contra maybe very personal too!
This is an excellent post Harald! … especially your closing point. Apple isn’t banking on as many sales with Apple Watch to keep it viable, hence the inflated margin. This product will remain part of Apple’s offering, even if it doesn’t break sales records.
Firstworldproblems certainly. Apple watch (and really smartphones in general) aren’t about need, they’re about desire. People on average incomes have more money than time. Firstworldproblems isn’t about the super-wealthy who have personal assistants, it’s about the average joe, who already burns most of his day attending to the needs of his employer.
Clawing a little time back is worth a few bucks.
I find it hard to understand why so many big tech “heavyweights” have come out saying the Watch UI is “confusing.” it seems very straightforward to me.
I do find it very frustrating however that Apple hasn’t simply made a web based simulator of the UI and put it on their site so we can all play with it. I intend to buy this thing, but I have zillions of questions specifically about the UI. It is a brand new product after all.
The few abbreviated demos we’ve seen that were recorded are enlightening, but I don’t see any reason why they don’t let us see the *whole* UI, now, *before* we buy it. I want to know what options are available on what watch faces, what the basic programs are that you won’t be able to remove and a hundred other things. These are all things that Apple knows and *could* show us right now, but they haven’t.
This is just one of the many reasons I don’t think the Apple Watch launch is really going smoothly at all. They are misfiring all over the place IMO.
That would indeed be handy
If nothing else, they certainly got people to talk about it. Every Apple Watch article out there is bursting with comments. At first, most of them were “I don’t get this thing. Why do I need it?” But those voices are changing as time goes on and people actually think about how they can use it.
They’ve generated a ton of buzz for something that you won’t be able to get your hands on for another few weeks, and won’t be able to own for a couple weeks after that.
I do see the benefits in the Apple Watch. I had a FuelBand and 6th gen nano; both products I absolutely loved! This seems better than the combination of both. But $349 is a steep price to pay plus I really want this thing to be waterproof. Keeping my eyes open for 2nd Gen.
IPX7 is waterproof enough for everything but swimming. You can shower with it on. You can was your hands, and the watch safely. It’s rated up to 1 metre for 30 minutes — still, dunking it isn’t recommended, but the rest you can do.
You can read about the IPX7 spec at your leisure. Apple has confirmed it’s rated to IPX7 on their website.
That is great news. Thanks! The more I find out about this thing, the more I like it.
I’ve been reading around that the ipx 7 rating is for a stationary device. Moving it underwater can cause water to leak in. On apples web site it says nothing about showering with the device, so I’m a little worried about that. But Tim did say he showers with his so..
@ peteostro: I think the easiest way to understand the rating is to think about pressure. The reason for the line about 30 minutes submersion is that once something is fully immersed, it’s the pressure of the water surrounding it that makes the water (eventually) force it’s way in.
As long as the device isn’t actually immersed, water should “flow off of it” (or out of it) and not damage it. So having your watch in the shower should be okay, but holding it right under the shower head (water under pressure) for even five minutes, might make the water force it’s way in. So while you can probably wear it in the shower it’s still probably best to avoid it anyway.
My question is why would anyone *want* to wear their watch in the shower? Is it that difficult to take a watch off for ten minutes? Generally speaking if you are having a shower, you are at home and relaxing. I don’t see any need for notifications, health monitoring, or having to know the time.
Peteostro what Gazoo Bee said is mostly right, which is why the cautionary note that submersion isn’t recommended is valuable. That said, there’s less pressure when moving your hand around in a sink than there is under 1 meter of water. Caution is indicated, but a shower is NO problem.
“but holding it right under the shower head (water under pressure) for even five minutes, might make the water force it’s way in.”
This is incredibly unlikely. 1m of submerged pressure is ONE METRE of water pressing on the device from all sides. There’s no way in hell that a droplet from a shower nozzle has that much mass even at speed. If it did, the droplets would injure you. — Don’t take my word for it though, research IPX7 in the shower, before allowing fear to rule your day.
@ Gazoo Bee “My question is why would anyone *want* to wear their watch in the shower?”
Because sometimes you want to zone out under the shower, but still want to keep an eye on the time if you shower before work. I would think a lot of people do this. In this case, having some music, or being able to listen to the morning news via app makes it even more relevant.
Also, I’ll be purchasing the first Homekit-compliant front door lock that has an Apple Watch app, I can tell you that much.
@ Gazoo Bee “Is it that difficult to take a watch off for ten minutes?”
How do you know it’s 10 minutes if you haven’t got your watch on?
@ Gazoo Bee “Generally speaking if you are having a shower, you are at home and relaxing. I don’t see any need for notifications, health monitoring, or having to know the time.”
Your life is very different to mine. I go to work in the morning.
@ gazoo bee. Sports people who shower away from home can keep their valuable Apple Watch on.
Like alot Apple products, I believe that the watch won’t truly become useful til its second or third iteration.
I dunno…there’s at least a dozen things off the top of my head I’ll be using mine for right out of the box.
Too expensive for me! The cost of upgrading my iPhone every 2 years is already expensive, and as much as I love regular watches I’ve never spent more then 250$ on one and yet they’re still in perfect condition and wiil be for years to come… the Apple watch will not. It’ll probably be unusable in 4 years tops.That’s my biggest gripe! I love the idea of an Apple Watch, I just can’t afford one! If it would come at a 50$ premium to my 250$ iPhone upgrade on contract every 2 years I’d seriously consider it, but I have trouble believing that would ever happen!
Ben – you scare me because I started out wanting the space gray Sport Watch, and I keep reading so many of you “switching” to it as your backup decision that I won’t be able to get one at launch!
Yes, $400 is still as steep penalty for a watch, but as a confirmed Pebble Steel junkie, I can only say once you start getting notifications on your wrist you won’t turn back, even with the abysmal battery life (my bet is few of us will ever see 18 hours wear time). I love the battery life of the Pebble (and the upcoming Pebble Time Steel) – BUT – the ability to have real notifications and REPLIES on your wrist, the closer integration with my iP6+, the already growing app ecosystem, and the flashier color screen, have led me to cancel my Pebble Time Steel pre-order and will be waiting (impatiently) to get in my pre-order before all you geeks snap up the supply of space gray Sport models….
Don’t worry, mine will be the silver aluminum, not Space Gray :-)
Is it possible to get the silver sport with the black band? (I hope so…it’s the one I want too.)
Thanks! On another site there was a very unscientific poll, and 30% of 17,500 respondents plan to get space gray with black band – way ahead of all other choices…
No. I don’t to try before I buy because I don’t want one. I have an iPhone 6 and an UP24 that meet my needs. I can take my phone out to do the things the watch will notify me of, as I likely would anyway with the watch, and the UP24 does all my fitness tracking. I love Apple products and will continue to buy them, this one just happens to be not for me. I just don’t see the value in it. Not that it has no value to others, I just don’t see it.
Just like it was for the iPhone and the iPad, so will it be for the Watch. People will end up saying, “It’s the apps, stupid!” eventually — for the app ecosystem is what will drive truly, widespread adoption for the Watch. Mark my words.
For about a year I’ve imagined owning a smart watch! Glancing at my wrist to dismiss the circa 70% of unimportant notifications. I can’t wait. And notifications is just one part.
Apple have been smart allowing it to function in so many ways – it looks unfocussed and is drawing a lot of criticism. But I think they know people will use it in very different ways. Some Siri dictators, some predictive responsors, some dick tracy callers, some remote controllers, some just time checkers!
If you think of the Watch as an extension of the iPhone experience, it makes a lot of sense.
re cost, my iPhone 24 month cost is about £1000 (phone and data etc) – £340 on top doesn’t seem crazy to me.
I do wish it had gps though!
I think, like the iPhone and iPad ways to use it evolve with use. It takes a bit of time. As an early adopter and day 1 iPhone owner, I’m willing to do that. Like the iPhone, great uses will come with great apps. These will come and be useful in ways that we can’t imagine now. I’m also a deep believer in supporting gen 1 to help get to gen 2 etc. (thank goodness for great resale value. Great article Ben.
No, we need to wear one to know HOW MUCH we want one ;)
I cycle frequently during warmer weather, thus the Sports version makes sense. My business colleagues like to wear stainless steal watches, it’s a big deal in the business/social world… Of course the very rich all like the same things, thus the Edition makes sense. So there you go…
My experience with the iPad was the opposite. I waited until last Fall to buy one. I’ve used it to watch movies and to read books, and I’ve taken it on a couple trips. I was planning to get work done by using Word while I was away. However, it turns out that iOS Word is crippled in ways that made it impossible for me to do much. Lack of an actual mouse cursor also interfered. Plus, I needed to do some data analyses that are Mac only at this point, so of course the iPad was useless there too (on one trip I did keep my laptop turned on and accessed it remotely, but it was so. slow. Plus the tiny screen and bizarrely lacking bluetooth keyboard also interfered. Bottom line: I am now trying to decide between the new MacBook and an 11-in MacBook Air as replacements for my iPad. I’m in discussion with my wife to take mine (iPad Air) in exchange for her mini, but she is reluctant because mine is “too heavy”.
Bottom line: the iPad did nothing for me and I want to get rid of mine.
So, to the extent that experience with the iPad might inform one about whether they should get a Watch, I probably shouldn’t get one. However, I’m still interested, because in fact, the Watch is not an iPad. I got the iPad thinking that it could do everything necessary when I was away from my MBP, and it wasn’t. But that’s not the logic of the Watch.
The Watch isn’t a replacement for anything, it’s more like an intelligent peripheral for the iPhone. So to me the question is more whether its benefits as a peripheral will sufficiently enhance the whole iPhone experience to make it worth the price.
I’m still considering it. The benefits appear real, but the price is hefty.
It sounds to me like you were making the mistake of trying to use the iPad in the same way as a laptop. I use an iPad mini for writing and am in the middle of writing my second book on it.
I don’t use an external keyboard though and I use Pages instead of Word, which although currently missing features, has much better control over the cursor in particular, than ANY other Word processor on iOS, MS Word included.
So good to read a thread where people don’t just fall into pointless and rude arguing.
I am so glad that there is now a model of apple
Product where the one I objectively would like happens to be the cheapest in my desired size! I’m a sucker for matte black. Black Sports for me please.
I’m really looking forward to being able to reliably tell the time on a watch that works! That and doing all of the mini jobs it can offer.
I’m looking at the watch as the inverted iPad. The iPad offers so much. Movies, drawing and General productivity etc on a nice large screen. Full size. Full use. The Apple Watch to me is going to be for exactly how it was put together. Micro data, glances, notifications, setting timers, alarms etc.
£340 (UK) is a lot but not a lot. Any really nice watch would be between £100 and £500 for a non watch madman. So the price point fits in well for anyone looking for a decent watch.
Real shame it doesn’t have its own GPS.
Do you have kids? I ask this because trying to get ahold of my wife while home is next to impossible. She is paying attention to our child. Which is great and fustrating @ the same time. That’s why I’ll be getting one, and the one for Her birthday a few months later. This is not the only reason though. I hike, bike and kayak. It’s extremely hard to take out my iPhone in theses situations. I usually have it in my water pack. I record my trips with Gaia Gps app (awesome topo maps, amazing tool) they are making an apple watch app. I will no longer worry about dropping my iPhone in the water while I try to look where I am on an unfamiliar river. Mt biking too, I can download gpx files of trails and make turn points and have the watch tap me to take a left or right (that’s the dream) you know incredible that will be, not having to stop and take out a map to look where to go. I really don’t understand the hate on te device. $350 is a little pricey, but not much more than android watchs. And yes I wish it had gps built in. But I can see it being very useful for me.
Yes, some people will need to use at least one kind of wearable to know the answer to this question, not necessarily the Apple Watch.
The technology creates needs, it creates difficulties for facilities that did not exist before. Currently there are three main types of wearables that can be used in our arms, the common watches, the fitness trackers and the smartwatches. Apple may be fusing all these categories in a single product, the Apple Watch.
Anyone making use of a device of this type will be involved in the temptation to buy a better product. Obviously those who do not are even wearing a watch will have fewer needs and desires not only for the Apple Watch, but in relation to any other device.
For those who already use wearables the Apple Watch will be the right thing step to. For iPhone users no other product overcomes the Apple Watch in terms of quality, beauty, utility and synergy. If Plato was fond of technology he would say that Apple Watch is the other half of your iPhone. Nothing in the market will be more integrated and complementary from one another, thus one it is soul mate of the other.
It’s about people’s stories – what kind of stories they have made up about (smart) watches; not least because those are then probably the stories the Watch needs to show them are no longer relevant.
I think Ben’s story about the iPad is a great case in point of just how this works: myself, I know I want the Watch, but first I had a phase where it felt like Meh, before I remembered 1) I’ve been wanting a nice-looking watch for a looong time but couldn’t find one (and when I oogled the awesome Braun watches, it seems they lacked something… electronic), 2) I love glowing watch faces and, 3) I’m really sick of pulling up my phone the whole time – it breaks my flow and is clumsy, compared to the liberty of wearing, say, my bluetooth headphones: nothing to carry. The fitness features finally put me way over the edge.
So first it appeared like a sucky micro-iPad that I expected, but then it reappeared as an awesome exemplar of something that I want – a watch. It’s all about what beast you’re expecting … and looking for.
I saw absolutely no point in the iPad at first either, but then gradually I warmed to the details of what using it looked like in the videos. It was actually good because of what it was not (no multiple-window interface, no distracting desktop metaphor, just a tool – one at a time). I fully expect the same to happen with the Watch – freedom from the rest of my messy tool setup.
By the way, I think the Watch is a lot like the new MacBook – it’s a flawed messenger from the future… It’s probably going to look ridiculous technically in a few years, but it will indeed work great for some already.
I won’t be able to get the watch, not because I don’t want it or can’t afford it but because none of the bands are large enough. My wrist is 220mm and the largest band is only 215mm. Ill stick with my Nike Plus that fits until Apple decides to provide larger bands.
You’re just a BEAST!
I also have a 220mm wrist. I’ve been using the term “yeti wrist” as shorthand… a couple of small points:
The Link bracelet can be infinitely sized. The only question is where to get the links from. On April 10 I’ll be asking the genius bar if spare parts are available for this expensive product. If not — smaller men can be coerced into parting with their spare links, for a few bucks on ebay, considering how expensive the link band is.
Also, 3rd party (cheaper) stainless steel bands have already been announced as after-market accessories. The easy interchange means you can buy an elastomer watch, and then use a 3rd party stainless band. The 3rd party ones are unlikely to be long enough either, but the ones available for the iPod Nano sold for $70 each. I bought two, and cannibalised the second one for spare links.
This is a ritual I have to deal with for any watch, the only difference is jewellers all carry spare links. If apple is serious about treating this watch the same as any other, then they will also.
Thanks for a very entertaining opinion piece Ben. I wasn’t sold on the watch idea immediately, but over time have seen the benefits. Last week was the clincher for me: Type 1 diabetic, hypo, iPhone and iPad downstairs and me upstairs. No way to contact my partner. Managed through the crisis without support, but it occurred to me that the Apple Watch could solve an important and more serious problem for some people, a wearable communication device that’s always with you.
I don’t know what the big issue is, the need or want / user case is so obvious to me. It’s simple, you fall into one of three camps:
A) You already like to wear a watch because having to pull your phone out just to check the time is annoying and inefficient (not to mention additional risks of dropping said phone).
Reasons for getting the Watch:
– You also really want to get wrist notifications so you don’t have to grab your phone for every
notification you get.
– You use fitness bands and now you can wear one that does so much more! (or want a fitness band)
– You carry a purse and don’t want to have to dig into it to find your phone for each notification or phone
call.
B) You don’t wear a watch or fitness band and don’t want to because you have an aversion to anything touching your wrists.
– The Watch is probably not for you.
C) You love Apple products and must have the new toy just because (and it’s only $350-$400).
I’m (d) None of the above. :-) I have no aversion to anything on my wrist, just haven’t seen a point in having the time on my wrist for the past decade or so given that there are clocks on everything I use (phone, iPad, Macs) and clocks everywhere around when out & about.
What about when your in a cave? No clocks there.
You’re not your (unless you own a cave- then the whole word order is wrong)
What about when you’re in your cave?
I guess it depends on your lifestyle or line of work. If the times of day when the time of day actually matters, find you sitting in front of a computer all the time, or in the car, then I guess you never need a watch. I still think most people around the industrialized world wear watches. A watch industry statistics website states that 1.2 billion watches are sold annually around the world. Sounds crazy, but I’ve heard of such a large stat before so I tend to believe it.
Can I be A and C please?
Yes you may. :)
D) None of the above.
E) Both A and C (the most fun choice!)
I understand why many people can’t visualize a need for it and I couldn’t until I heard that we’ll be able to accept and make phone calls through it via an iPhone that doesn’t have to be out. Using the Apple Watch for telephony while driving is the killer app for me. If it works well for that I’ll buy one in year one as I hate bluetooth earpieces and in my state using a phone while driving is illegal (as it should be).
Of course, it’s possible that someone in our (Connecticut) state legislature will want to make using the Apple Watch or any smart watch illegal when driving. Hopefully that will get worked out before I buy one. But, if it can do the telephony thing, hands off, that’s going to make it extremely useful to me.
It’s a feature I’m looking forward too as well.
I’d like to open the can of worms that is the ‘killer app’ idea. It runs parallel with the ‘innovation’ question. I love tech and am a fan of the Apple philosophy but I’m worried about the pressure the tech community live under.
My 4s was a sterling phone and did all that was asked if it and did it well. I moved on because it made of electronics and electronics fade away and die. My 6 is great. It does some new stuff and some old stuff better but I got it because it was time to replace not refresh.
The killer app thing bothers me because its a watch. The killer app is telling the time! It’s good to have pressure on these companies to pull their finger out so that new stuff can be discovered / invented but I don’t only eat dinner because the potatoes have been cooked in a brand new way that has never been done before. I eat them because I need food.
As a tech fan I am always impressed with new developments but being able to check my email on a beautiful black rectangle in my pocket will always blow my mind.
I’d like to see us fans remember to appreciate the simple cool stuff. Our kids are already numb to it.
I agree with everything you say. I may have misused “killer app.” What I really meant to say was: the functionality that will tip me into considering getting one sooner than later.
I wear analog watches. One of the ones I wear costs close to what an Apple Watch sport will cost so I’m not against buying a nice watch that will do a few more things. But, I would probably not buy an Apple Watch just as a watch. I’d want it to do a bit more (for me) than that and given that I’m old enough so that my eyesight is going to make looking at text on its screen problematic, talking to it is something that I can see (pun intended) doing immediately.
All of that said, I will not be pre-ordering it, I’ll want to see it in a store and try it out first.
Great article!
The other question is that does the watch justify attaching it to your arm. The iPhone made me put away my watch. I do not like the idea of putting something on my wrist now, could feel like a handcuff.
I would be more interested in the watch if it didn’t look so chunky and square, and if an iPhone in your pocket wasn’t required to use the best features. I’m hoping that by version 2 or 3 of the Apple Watch, you’ll actually be able to make calls and send text messages directly from the watch without an iPhone. Now THAT would be very, very handy.
Nice article, left me with a knowing smile :)
Heh, thanks, James
Obviously haven’t used one, I want one, I know I don’t need one, but I won’t be getting one anytime soon. Maybe in a year or so.
For me it has nothing to do with “function” or “possibilities” – I will buy one and I will like it just because that is what I do with most of the things that I own. We are way past the “needing” of most of the things we buy and why can’t it just be fun to have and own something and not have to justify it’s existence all the time. It seems so simple – if you do not want one do not buy one and if you want one buy one – why does there have to be all the massive amount of going back and forth looking for all these reasons to justify it or reject it. I work and I make money and it is fun to spend my money on things that I enjoy having. I will have a big smile on my face when I purchase my apple watch for no other reason that I just want one. There are plenty of $10K plus watches on the market that do nothing but tell time – what does a $50K ring or necklace do for you other than you feel good that you bought it and like to wear it. Who cares about function or possibilities – if it feels good buy it and enjoy it until something else new comes out that feels good to buy as I know my purchasing of fun things will not end with the Apple watch… : )
No truer word has been said.
This is great! I don’t know how I missed it until now.
It questions the validity of the purchase while simultaneously admitting the draw to make the purchase nonetheless. It’s an entertaining read that shows how the Apple Watch splits Apple fans down the centre, to the core of the problem: I don’t think I need it, but I know I want it. It’s that simple, and I love it for that straightforward honesty.
Other Apple blogs tend to fawn over Apple, producing totally unrealistic pieces which don’t permit an iota of shadow to cross whatever Apple does. But here we have the real conundrum for those of us that know Apple produces quality: we don’t need it, but we want it.
But in the case of the watch, it comes with crossing a few hurdles of justification because unlike apples, money doesn’t grow on trees. But still: “my preciousssss.” And it is only money. And you only live once.
That said, I’m still not buying it.
Great piece!
I never bought a first generation Apple device. iPad 1 is just 12 month older than iPad 2 but is almost useless now (how many apps can you find for iOS 5??) while iPad 2 still receives iOS updates. The first iPhone was very expensive and didn’t have the App store. Both devices didn’t have a front facing camera, and that was a shame for iPad since it was perfect for video calling.
I guess it will be the same with Apple Watch, I’ll wait a couple of years and maybe I’ll buy a second or third generation Watch, so I’ll get a mature product with more features and more apps.
Besides, since I’d go for the 42mm the lowest price is 449 euro. Way too much for that kind of gadget.
I am not sure you guys are right about the failing to give a compelling reason, and this goes back to the iPad comparison again. They don’t have to give a compelling reason, they sell a device that enables, it doesn’t do all you want with its limited use base software, that comes later with the secret sauce: the unlimited CREATIVITY of apps. It is this boundless wonder that creates the LUST factor that draws people in to buy and that is why the apps are showcased by Apple all the time. Samsung does NOT do that, neither does Microsoft, for them it’s just really about the device, oh and Office 365. This is a big difference that others don’t always get at first blush. This is likely why a lot of people return cheap tablets after buying – they just don’t get it to fit them and so they don’t see a use for it.
It says a lot about the human mind that many people are waiting to have a reason presented to them on a platter instead of doing it for themselves. In time that will happen, but it’s almost as if some of you are disappointed… well you shouldn’t be.
People did go around gleefully shrilling “who needs a giant iPod touch” and Apple was NOT saying the iPad would do any killer thing or even anything new before launch. Surf the net, run some games, etc. but you could do that with your Intel Atom cheapo notebook too. The convenience factor of this modified iPod touch, that that killed off the sub notebook class of laptop pretty quick, was something which developed in consumer minds AFTER launch and after they wrapped their heads around this tool that looked like it came off Star Trek – more so than the touch ever did. The novelty factor brought lots in at the beginning, but the benefits of the product gradually developed as apps start to bloom and showed the myriad ways it could fit into your life – it was the continued sales from people gradually seeing more and more uses or scenarios that fit them that ensured its success. Everyone has different desires and needs, the apps, as they continually profligate, make the one device a custom device for so many as there’s now myriad needs and desires being met. Not by the device, the iPad is just the ENABLER in all of this. It is all this creativity with apps that provides the broad appeal to such a wide audience as more and more ideas for apps come forward. Each iPad is UNIQUE to its owner, but they come out the factory exactly the same.
For myself, the fact it is parked by the couch and I can check the web or mail for 2 mins and put it down again, the always on feature is what drives me to love it. But Apple never pushed that once. No more getting up to fire up a PC for the mundane tasks. I found my own reasons to justify it. That is why I like it, it fulfills MY PERSONAL (relatively simple) need. I don’t need to sample tunes or make art – but that may be YOUR need.
The watch will be the same. Initial orders will be driven those fans who must have it all and those that are more geeky. The continued sales stream, which is what will make it a success or not, depends on continually finding new customers, and those are average people, not from the geek world, who gradually get to see more and more uses for the device. Apple generally seeds ideas for what YOU can do in its marketing, this is what draws YOU in even more. So the compelling reason is something YOU have to find on your own. The compelling reason, since YOU gave it to yourself is far more believable than bog standard marketing where they feed it to you on a plate. This is how the mind works, your decisions are far stronger and likely to be acted on than anyone else’s.
Launch sales really don’t say too much for Apple product, the preorders and such are always exceeding demand, it’s the continuation of the sales that the company relies on for success and stock price. So this initial mulling and forming of opinion is exactly what the company wants. Once you grab their concept for this new tool, the watch (and that’s the phase we are at now) and grab a handle on what it can do or not do – and then get beyond the fact that they have one in the range you cannot afford – then and only then you start looking for ways that the watch will fulfill a need, you are no longer waiting to have it presented to you. This is why Apple is really, really clever, the initial sales pitch transforms in little time as you are doing a lot of it for them. That is why they announce it early and seed you with enough info to start looking for a compelling reason. They don’t ever give you one, but it takes time for you to find one, some take much longer than others.
Half of you think you want one already, you’re just looking for the minor justification in your mind that allows you to go out and buy. So in essence your minds are already largely made up. In time, the rest of you likely will buy as you see what others have done and what they do. The much debated price of entry will be an obstacle that matters no more, your own mental justification will override it as soon as you have thought of one.
In two/three months I bet one third of you have one and will sing its praises. yet they never gave you a compelling reason to buy. You gave that to yourself.
PERSONAL, ENABLING, UNIQUE/EXCLUSIVE, LUST, CREATIVE, FULFILLS NEED: key marketing themes. The watch does offer them already, or it at least promises them. So just like the iPad, it’s already sold before they make it.
Oh I just wrote an essay… but yeah, Apple won’t give you a compelling reason, they just prod you enough to think of one for yourself. They do indeed ‘think different.’ But perhaps you should too!
I believe its price is the only thing that makes people go iffy on owning the watch. Most (recognizable) smartwatches on the market (if not all) cost less than the basic sport model, and only goes up from there. Apple knows that and that’s not the group of customers who question the price. Apple’s main target are their own fanboys and pioneers who promote their watch FOR them, regardless of the price or any disadvantages to the hardware. Those are the ones who lined up for every generation of Apple products.
General public will start to feel like the watches are worth it once those promoters start to spread the word, despite their inconveniences. Fruthermore, there will be tonnes of 3rd party accessories (ironically, the watch is an accessory of the iPhone) that will attempt to solve most of the watches’ shortcomings. That’s really the success of Apple: people never really NEED to use their products, they FEEL like they need to have them.
On the price front, if you really consider the Apple Watch as a technology device, then it might be overpriced to the general public. However, if you start to consider the Apple Watch as a Watch, the $599 model with a leather band is VERY competitive. Considering that “regular” watches really only tell time, does countdown, or for a few, you get a barometer. But for the Apple Watch, you get a steel casing, sapphire glass front, ceramic back – just these three things alone should allow the Apple Watch considered more seriously as an every day item, let alone its other non-related functions that I will hardly use.
Yes, I will get one – probably the black DLC coated with steel links.
I ride a bicycle a lot. A watch that shows not only time but directions and messages would be a great improvement over having to stop and take my phone out to look at it.
I’ll be interested, if apple bring out a 1Phone 4 sized phone (which fits nicely in my pocket) to go along with it. Otherwise the uncomfortable, broken iPhone in my pocket, won’t work with it.
“Do we need to use the Apple Watch to know whether we want one?”
– NO. It is the “Apple effect” :)
there are lot of smart watches out there right now. some of them are compatible with iOS, others not.
– to have a smart watch right now is not that important to me to go with Android wear …
cause apple did go that kind of “luxury pricing” i will just go for the smallest offer – sport watch, 38mm white.
– good for notifications on my wrist, instead of missing notifications in my pocket (from the phone! :D
BTW: did someone remember the app “I am rich”?
– isn’t the Apple Edition just the same but on hardware level?
(blown up luxury gadget) – when did they remove that from their stores (or retake the banned app into store:)
((no, i am not the dev nor related in any way to the product))