I gave my first impressions of the Apple Watch on Friday. Three-and-a-half days in, and halfway into my one-week experiment, it’s time for an update. You may want to get a cup of your preferred hot beverage before reading this piece: it’s a long one!
It appears I was entirely alone in my uncertainty over whether or not the watch would win me over. Strangers commenting here, and friends commenting on Facebook, spoke with one voice: I was, they all confidently predicted, going to keep it.
Are they right? Let’s begin by updating my first impressions …
Looks
Several readers pointed out that while I considered it chunky, it isn’t actually particularly thick by conventional watch standards. I went out and compared it to a number of standard watches, and they are absolutely right. Perhaps I’m influenced by the slimness of my iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, expecting the Apple Watch to compete. Put up against other watches, I have to admit my characterization of it is unfair.
In fact, compare it with many fitness watches, and it’s pretty slim. Ok, this isn’t a fair comparison, as my friend’s Polar watch is several years old, but it’s still not too atypical of similar fitness watches today.
The look of the Apple Watch has grown on me quite a lot. I opted for the Sport mostly to avoid spending too much on a first-gen product if I decided to keep it, but as someone whose liking for anodised aluminum borders on a fetish, I think I might actually prefer it.
I’m not the sort of person who generally cares what other people think of the things I own, but I confess to a certain amount of self-consciousness over the white strap. Not that it’s ugly – it isn’t – but with it a lot of people immediately recognized it as an Apple Watch. Wearing it on launch day, and over the weekend, it attracted attention. A lot of attention.
That, though, is a temporary issue – both because it won’t stand out when everyone has one, and because it will be a lot more discreet when my black strap finally arrives if I end up keeping it. By the way: remember this photo, I’ll return to it.
Feel
I mentioned last time that, as someone who hasn’t worn a watch for around a decade, having something on my wrist again felt very strange. In 12 hours of wearing it on day one, it didn’t stop feeling strange. It reminded me of the xkcd cartoon:
By the end of the weekend, though, I was no longer aware of it. My wrist had apparently dredged up dim and distant memories of watch-wearing, and decided it was ok.
User-interface
As I predicted, the user-interface already feels very familiar. There are still times when I find myself unsure whether I tap or Force Touch to initiate a particular action, but most of it makes sense within the first day or two of use. In particular, Glances are very nice: start with the weather, for example, then swipe through the detail – like the percentage chance of rain on an hour-by-hour basis, above. Everything feels very well thought through.
There are a lot of nice touches. For example, put your iPhone into Do Not Disturb mode, and the watch mirrors it, displaying a crescent moon symbol. Cancel that on the watch, and it cancels it on the phone. (This behavior can be changed in settings if desired.)
One thing I did find very counter-intuitive at first was time-zones. I could see no way to change these on the watch, nor in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone. It turned out you have to set these up in the original Clock app on the iPhone, and they then become scrollable when setting up the complications on the watch face.
However, while this wasn’t obvious to me, I do think it’s the right approach. By default, the watch mirrors what you do on the phone, and this is a logical extension of that.
Notifications
I thought notifications might be the one thing that would sell it to me, and the watch is indeed a great way to check these – if you’re wearing a short-sleeve shirt. With a long-sleeve shirt, jumper or jacket on, it immediately loses the benefit of the instant glance.
In the photo I asked you to remember from earlier, I was keeping my jumper scrunched up to keep the watch visible, and that felt like I was showing-off that I had an Apple Watch. Slimfit shirts tend to have cuffs that are snug, and make uncovering the watch a very deliberate act, rather than a casual glance.
Cycling in British weather, I’m wearing a cycling jacket more often than not, so my hopes of casually glancing at my wrist while cycling were immediately dashed. So while I was liking watch notifications a lot at first, it’s not quite the effortless glance it had first appeared. Maybe watch guys buy shirts with looser cuffs?
Apps
By default, the Apple Watch loads watch versions of all of your iPhone apps (where available, of course). I initially switched this off, thinking I’d want to be selective about which apps I wanted on my wrist, but again soon realized that Apple knew better than me what I wanted.
I first realized this when in a bar, wondering what the song was. I asked Siri on my watch to open Shazam, only to find it wasn’t installed. I flipped the switch in the iPhone app to switch automatic app downloads back on.
Activity
I’m not a fitness kind of guy. That’s not to say I’m not active – I cycle just about everywhere – but I’m not that interested in stats. I cycle and walk because I enjoy it and because, in London, cycling is by far the fastest and most pleasant way to get around.
I’ve never bothered with the Activity app on my iPhone, but because I’d added the activity complication to my watch face – and could see those three little circles every time I looked at it – I did find myself drawn in. I also tried the Workout app on a 26-mile cycle ride – this was the cake-stop a little under halfway.
Think that carrot cake cancels out … ?
I was comparing the Workout data against my Garmin Edge 810 cycle computer in terms of both distance and calories burned, and the two were in almost perfect agreement. Again, the Workout app works like Glances: start with a summary and then swipe for the detailed data.
I wasn’t sure whether the hourly reminders to stand up would be welcome or annoying. So far, they are welcome (except when I’m already standing), but they can always be switched off if they become irritating.
Apple’s human interface lead Alan Dye is absolutely right about it being an instinctive human desire to close those Activity circles, and it was the same with those nudges to stand up.
Communications
iMessages and SMS messages are very easy to read, using the digital crown to scroll. I used Siri to reply, as I do with the iPhone, and that worked equally well.
I of course had to try a Dick Tracy style phone call on the watch, and I have to say it worked perfectly well. That, though, falls well into novelty territory for me – I can’t ever see me doing it in real life.
Finally, fellow 9to5Mac writer Benjamin got his watch at around the same time I did, enabling us to test Digital Touch, the watch-to-watch comms that allow you to send taps, drawings and your heartbeat.
All worked well, but we both felt this was something you’d only ever use in real life with your partner. Since my girlfriend is at the complete opposite end of the tech scale to me – she only swapped her Nokia featurephone for an iPhone a few weeks ago – I don’t think I’ll be using this anytime soon.
Battery-life
To be honest, I have to say all the fuss about battery-life seems overblown to me. I suspect most of those complaining about it have used their Apple Watches straight from the box (mine arrived with a 66% charge), spent the entire day playing with it and then apparently been surprised when the battery died in the evening.
In real-life use, my watch comfortably made it through a full day on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a pretty tough test as I was using the Workout app for a 4.5-hour bike ride (which forces continuous heart-rate monitoring, rather than sampling every ten minutes), and I was regularly checking its data against my Garmin. I also demonstrated it to several interested parties in addition to my own more-than-normal use on day two of ownership. With all of that, it started the day with a full charge at 8am and still had 17% power left at 11pm.
Benjamin found his watch switched to reserve mode in late evening, and theorized that might be because he has the 38mm model with its smaller battery.
While the Bluetooth connectivity presumably has some impact on iPhone battery-life too, I’d expect this to be more than offset by using the phone less as the watch picks up some of its duties.
Conclusions
There is much to commend the Apple Watch. It’s a very cool gadget. The user-interface is extremely well-designed. Being able to simply glance at notifications while wearing a short-sleeve shirt is extremely convenient. The Activity stuff does motivate me to be a bit more mobile while working from home (though the calories probably cancel out as I make more cups of tea). The watch makes a handy remote for the Music and Podcast apps when my iPhone is in my pocket. It provides more convenient access to apps like Shazam. In short, what the Apple Watch does, it does very well.
But … the convenience of the casual notification glance is somewhat nullified when wearing a long-sleeve shirt or jacket. This might sound like a dumb complaint, but honestly, it’s one of those tiny things that makes a big difference. With a shirt and cycling jacket on, for example, I can actually slip my iPhone out of my pocket more easily than I can uncover the watch. And it doesn’t actually do anything I can’t already do perfectly well with that same iPhone.
The $64,000 question (ok, $516 question in UK pricing) is whether I’ll keep it. On any rational basis, the answer should be no. It’s a non-trivial sum of money for something which, in truth, adds little value to my life. There are probably better things I could do with five hundred bucks.
But human beings are not rational creatures. Most of the early reviews concluded that nobody needs an Apple Watch, but many will want one – and I think this is spot-on. I’m a gadget guy, this is a very nice gadget, and while $500 isn’t trivial, neither is it a fortune.
If I had to predict now, I’d say there’s a 70% chance I’m going to keep it. So yep, I’m far less of a smartwatch skeptic than I was on Thursday. But that other 30% of me is wondering just how long it will take for the novelty factor to wear off. Will I wear it for a few weeks then stick it in a drawer? I have to admit that’s a real possibility.
But I don’t have to decide today. I set myself an arbitrary experimental period of one week, so I’ll make my decision on Thursday and post the final diary piece then. Place your bets …
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Great read! Thanks for that.
I’m still waiting for my sport edition but with the space grey finish.
Would love to have your final opinion when the week is over.
Cheers Stan
Ben – Great write up, Thank You!
I have not seen a battery comparison between the 38 mm and the 42 mm – can you spec it out?
And – just for the record – I’m in the camp that bets you keep the watch!
Bet you keep it, otherwise I´ll take it!
Heh, I’ve had several ‘name your price’ offers :-)
So, what’s your price? -_-
Very fair stuff I think. I’m glad you revised your thoughts on it’s fatness a little: I’m not sure Apple’s photos helped, they did make it look a bit chubby! It certainly looks pretty slim on the wrist, a nice surprise for me.
Re the stand up prompt, I’m only getting that if I haven’t stood up within that hour – so only a couple each day when I’m sat at a desk – I’m really liking that feature.
Interesting – it doesn’t seem to be able to tell while I’m standing, though it may be that’s because I’m not moving at the time
We still know you’re going to keep it! I absolutely love mine.
That does appear to be the consensus view, Cameron :-)
I returned my Watch. I’m happy to share more insight into my decision if you wish but this is your blog so I won’t fill the comments with a 4,000 word rant. Bottom line, I was (and still am) extremely disappointed in the product itself.
Note: I’ve been a very satisfied Apple product user since Mac OS X 10.0 until yesterday.
I personally would be interested in hearing more about it.
Would be interesting to hear
Ben Nice read, But Jasheldo’s comment above is very doubtful about returning the watch… if he had said that he sold it, i would have believed him because he would have made double or more than RRP for the watch. So his story is hard to believe…. bottom line, its not true
Certainly if I don’t keep mine, it will be going straight onto eBay …
I did return mine straight to the Apple Store on North Ave in Chicago. If you’re really that skeptical I’ll be happy to post the return receipt that’s sitting in my inbox. But your guilty-until-proven-innocent point of view is incredibly rude maGwafa.
I sold the second Apple Watch I bought online on eBay and did make a handsome profit in case you’re curious. But I returned the Apple Watch Sport I was wearing to Apple because I wanted to tell them first hand about my dissatisfaction.
Ben – I emailed you my reasons for return.
Are you still a satisfied Apple product user otherwise?
Yes. I’m a very satisfied and happy Apple product user otherwise. I have my dream computer at home: 27″ iMac with retina display. But the Apple Watch is extraordinarily disappointing in ways I never dreamed I’d be saying about an Apple product.
Jasheldo,
If it’s not to much trouble I’d be interested in your comments about the Apple Watch.
It’s a bit of a tease saying how much you really don’t like it, and then not sharing why. :)
I’m all ears, man!
Fort the record, I’m not buying one. I’d like one, but it’s too much cash for the less than added value to my lifestyle.
I would be interested to hear some of your main reasons to be dissatisfied, and I think I’m not the only one. It’s relevant to this topic so please don’t hesitate to drop a few bullet points on the matter.
I sent the full list to Ben. Again, out of respect for his blog in not going to start a firestorm of what I’m sure will be nothing but irrational hate-or-ade. He’s more than welcome to publish any of my comments/thoughts about Watch. Even with more time having passed and more thoughts about it I’m glad I returned it.
To me, the thing that stood out from your email is that you’re a serious fitness guy, so absolute accuracy with things like heartrate is vital to you, and you found it fell short there. To be honest, given my experience (*really* accurate distance) and Consumer Reports’ lab test on heartrate, I think you may simply have a duff example.
Here’s what I had to say. Too much to summarize. Along with most everyone else I was up at 3:00am EST to order the watch for a 24/April/2015 delivery. I excitedly got home, unpackaged the watch and started the setup process. That was exceedingly slow but a one-time thing so it was very easy to overlook. After syncing the Apple Watch to my iPhone 6 I then went through the Apple Watch iPhone app to set up some small things. And I was off.
The look and feel of the watch is wonderful. Like you I thought it was going to be a clunker based on the photos but I was surprised how small it actually was. In fact, one of my critical assessments was the 42mm Apple Watch is too small. I’m not a guy with fat fingers and can easily type on my iPhone since the first one in 2007 so that wasn’t an issue. It’s just too small for my aesthetics.
I found running and the fitness parts to be especially frustrating. To be clear, I’m a 2x Ironman triathlete and have run close to two dozen marathons among many other cycling and running races. And most of my training I’ve spent paying attention to heart rate zones, VO2 max, etc. I’ve trained with Garmin Forerunners, Polar HRMs and a few TomTom watches so I feel like I know what I’m talking about. Bottom line, on both a treadmill run and an outdoor run it measured the distance and my average heart rate wrong. Embarrassingly wrong. To be fair, I totally understand how the indoor run would be wrong because it’s measuring based on arm swing which doesn’t change all that much whether I’m running at 8:00/mile or 10:00/mile so I can (sort of) give the Apple Watch a pass here. But the heart rate was way off too. By more than 20 BPM on average. I was using my Garmin Forerunner 310XT at the same time, which I do trust, and had unacceptable variances in measurements. I normally wouldn’t care but this is Apple. Their job is to delight their users. And from my point of view we were sold a pig with lipstick. I was (and still am) very upset with this level of, in my opinion, amateur execution.
Another frustration is the need to have an iPhone. It reads the data from the iPhone with a lag. I find the slowness of the watch annoying and I find the need for an iPhone annoying. In 2007 I paid $500 for an iPhone which, at the time, was a totally revolutionary device. And it was. I almost teared up with how happy I was to be using such a wonderful device. Now, in 2015, I’m paying very close to that same $500 for a device that’s, more or less, crippled without an iPhone. That’s maddening. In fact, it’s downright criminal in my eyes. An Apple Watch is, essentially, just an extension of my iPhone. I don’t need an extension for my iPhone. I need and want something stand alone and magical. In fact, because of the lag, it’s no more convenient to watch my wrist for a few pieces of information to load than it is to pull my iPhone out of my pocket and just check it. It’s also still just as rude to use the Apple Watch in company because I’m still diverting my attention down and away from my guests, regardless if it’s my wrist or my hand.
The Apple Watch uses Bluetooth to talk to the iPhone. That’s fine. Except when it doesn’t connect and I have to pull out my phone to figure out what the problem is. But now I have my phone out and in hand. How is that helpful? Because instead of just looking on my phone to see what wants my attention I’m now having to spend time resolving a connection issue in addition to checking the notification. That is in no way more convenient or useful.
Lastly, I used it to walk to a few known locations so I could check out the taptic feature. On one walk it worked out great and I can totally see the benefit to it. But that’s as far as the usefulness went. I was on the second walk with my 11-month old son and never got the taptic feedback when I was at a turn I knew I had to make. I looked down at the watch and saw that the directions still showed me � of a block back from where I actually was. Further investigation showed that my iPhone jumped onto one of these open Wi-Fi networks that require a webpage login in order for any data transfer to happen. So, my directions when from LTE to a dead-end Wi-Fi network. This sort of thing was annoying with the just the iPhone but a complete and utter deal breaker for the Apple Watch. I know there’s a button to change this dynamic in the WiFi settings on the iPhone but why should I have to do that? Again, this is Apple. Their JOB is to delight their users. I hold Apple wholly responsible for this happening. How hard can it be for the iPhone to follow this logic:
“Hey, I just found an open Wi-Fi network. Yay! Let me join it and just try to send a packet out to make sure data is actually being transferred… Oops, I got my packet back. No actual data transfer. Sorry, I’m going to jump off this network now and go back to LTE so you don’t have to bother pulling out your phone to do it yourself.”
Bottom line, I found the Apple Watch too little, too short and too pricy for what it is. Apple chose form over function and I find their decision here to be utterly embarrassing. Apple should be ashamed for putting this thing out.
@jasheldo,
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you turn off “promiscuous mode” for wifi. Can’t understand why anyone would enable this – it’s really bad for security (any wireless point can MITM your requests by impersonating a wifi point you had previously visited) and it causes the kind of issues you see walking/driving around (hell, my near-unliimited LTE plan and coverage on TMobile is good enough so I don’t even enable wifi @ work – they throttle apple store connections).
Even if you have wifi promiscuity turned off, I’d FORGET any network that required sign-in. Those are an abomination.
Even android hasn’t solved the crappy wifi problem, it’s not an iOS or Apple specific issue.
I appreciate jasheldo posting his review, but I truly do not think you gave it enough time. 3 days for a product that is so new to the market isn’t enough time for a fair assessment. There will always be bugs with new products. More than anything, I think you just may have had a defective watch. Never once have I had connection issues between my phone and watch. Maybe you should have worked with tech support to further prove your issues. Or, maybe its just better to wait on the next gen. As for mine, I couldn’t be happier. Aside from some 3rd party app bugs, if thoroughly impressed.
A genius did look at both my iPhone and the watch. No problems on either. And I cannot accept the first gen argument. thats not how Apple operates. If it’s not ready for consumption then it doesn’t get released.
Well I meant the “1st gen” statement more for the people seeking perfection on the 1st experience. Me, on the other hand, feel majority of the bugs will be ironed out within the 1st couple of software updates. I understand the incredible amount of work it takes to develop hardware/software, as I am a programmer myself. So to feel like it all should be perfect from day one is unrealistic. I think majority of the experience with this watch are positive from what I’ve read anyway.
jasheldo: Thanks for your summary – very interesting and well worth reading. Great comment about the wifi – I also have found that to be very frustrating on many occasions.
I recall reading on the apple watch site under fitness and sensors, that the sensors need to be snug against your arm in order to give accurate readings. Also, they mentioned that there are a few people for whom the sensors will just not work well. It is not clear from your summary whether and how much troubleshooting you did – I am hoping you did very little, since the main reason I would get an apple watch is for fitness and I am hoping it will work really well. So I am appreciative of your comments as a possible warning to be extra careful!
Also, I read somewhere (not in an apple site I think) that the accuracy of the distance from the watch is initially enhanced greatly by having the iPhone along with you. After some time (a week?), the watch learns your movements and is supposed to provide fairly (I hope it is very) good accuracy by itself – so you could leave the phone at home. I could handle a week of running with my phone in my SPI Belt, but I would balk at doing that forever.
It would be interesting Ben if you biked everywhere with your iPhone and then tried a ride without the phone to see if the watch has any accuracy riding on its own. For me, that is more theoretical, since I always carry my phone with me when riding for emergency contact (I’d probably leave the phone behind if I were to bike a duo or triathlon).
Also, when you talk about frustration with the lag from iPhone to watch, was that mainly when running/biking or was that at all times?
The Apple Watch was very snug against my wrist at all times. If the band were any more tight it’d be uncomfortable to wear. When I shook my wrist it didn’t loosely bounce around. The lag was unacceptable at all times. When opening any app on the watch it was no more quick than to just reach for my phone and open it there.
I still hold firm that returning it was the right decision. I also had the opportunity to share my experiences and thoughts with some Apple engineers. I’m hopeful that didn’t fall on deaf ears.
Nice review! I’m in Day 4 and it’s definitely a keeper, but I’ve worn nice watches most of my life. I opted for the stainless steel with Classic Band. It is very inconspicuous. From a distance it looks just like a nice tank-style watch. $649 isn’t cheap, but it isn’t outrageous compared to nicer “regular” watches sold in mall jewelry stores.
Thanks, Kpom. That’s an attractive combo. And, as you say, not a crazy price.
Exactly.. I think most folks who complain about the price are the people who don’t understand watches very much, or production. If you compare it to a nice dumb watch, it’s actually a steal. I have a very nice Swiss made Hamilton that cost $380 and only tells time and date. Sure, it’ll outlast the Watch by decades, but that’s not how we should judge the pricing of it TODAY. The Hamilton might be replaced by another watch and end up in a drawer in a few years anyway. Then there’s high end mechanical “heirloom” watches. Like the 1969 Omega Speedmaster I inherited and restored. It still runs great and looks fantastic and might be running and looking great in another 45 years when I’m dying and passing it on to my kid. But the non gold version of this watch new today is between $4000 and $5000. And a stainless steel OEM Omega band, which is not much nicer in terms of quality and craftsmanship than the Apple Link bracelet, is around $800 alone! So when people freak about the Link bracelet from Apple being $450, they don’t understand that is actually a good deal. There’s a lot more “by hand” going on with a fancy watch bracelet than a super mass produced device like an iPhone, not to mention economies of scale (they sell so many iPhones, the price goes down, FAR fewer bracelets). I think the Watch is priced quite reasonably given the competition doesn’t have the exact same degree of quality, selection, feature set, or the fact they get their software from Google essentially for free while Apple has to spend millions developing it’s own. Lots of factors at play.
And the things you are talking about is peanuts compared to automatic wristwatch fanatics. Entry level Breitlings are $10K and leather bands are $1K.
Great Read Ben….
I think you have it spot on. People keep asking me why i need one and what does it do, i simply say i don’t but gadgets are my thing and what i like to spend my disposable income on. Non-Gadget folk just don’t get it. Im sure ill love it and I cant see my opinion changing when mine arrives in a couple of weeks.
Ben – I’m just like you! I love new tech and gadgets and that’s where some of my disposable income goes.
No Kids – Good Investments – Good Salary – Yes, tech gadgets are my weakness and since I’m so plugged in to the Apple ecosystem, I’m down with the Apple Watch!
Which is, in my world, a perfectly valid reason to own one. :-)
But . . . . Not the Edition watch! My investments are NOT that good! ;)
a fair answer that must be annoying that others can’t figure out.
Reblogged this on weblablog.
You will sell it after one week cuz you are too rational.
I’m glad there’s at least one person viewing it as something other than a foregone conclusion. :-)
I predict Ben will keep one and sell the other one on eBay when it arrives.
I don’t have a second watch coming, only a black band.
That was a really well written article. Love how you remain as candid as possible even though you’re a skeptic. Most people would purposely look for flaws rather than be fair and unbiased. Awesome read, my bet is you’ll keep it. It’s the little things in life that we appreciate. I see the apple watch as providing a bunch of little things that’ll simply make us smile enough to love it.
Thanks, Joshua. I’m aiming to be completely fair. And your bet is the same as everyone else’s – I think there’s been exactly one person to predict I won’t keep it. :-)
Add me to the list saying you will sell it. I expect you will decide the cost/benefit ratio is not there for you, even though it’s a fun gadget.
Great review. Only question — Why did you ask Siri to open Shazaam when you could’ve just asked Siri what song was playing?
Ben might have wanted the extra features? The ‘in sync’ lyrics are pretty fun!
More habit, to be honest, but yes, I agree that the Karaoke-style lyrics are a fun feature.
I would’ve expect our cheesy-Siri to step forward with a “I can name-that-tune for you as well Ben, but ok, Wham-Bam-Shazam – I’ll open that app for you” type of response.
Nice writeup! Looking forward to your final decision. I have to admit that I did not order one, as I don’t think it has the value to add to my life. I will be reading your final decision and seeing how much of “now that I have it, I guess I’ll keep it” factors in, vs. “Is it really worth spending the money in it?”
Yes, there is indeed an inertia factor, especially once the money is gone from the account and mentally spent. However, as I could stick it on ebay for a profit, I suspect the two factors more-or-less cancel out.
“But human beings are not rational creatures. Most of the early reviews concluded that nobody needs an Apple Watch, but many will want one”
I think it’s the best conclusion for all that. ;) We live well before technology, and we live well since, not really better, not really worse, just gadgets to simplifie life, as well as Apple Watch, and homekit. ;)
Great update. Thank you.
Honestly, though, I think you may need more than a mere week to decide whether it’s worth $500 ($400 here in US). Personally, however, I’m waiting for the second generation, restraining my desire for such ‘gadget’ at this time.
Thanks – I’ve set a week as an arbitrary decision point as I’ll have a good sense of how I use it by then.
Its interesting that people come up with uses for Apple products that they didn’t know about prior to owning one. Personally, I’ll definitely rely on my Apple Watch for fitness tracking. Being diabetic, that’s important. I can also picture myself making a receiving calls with it, in the car. The Apple Watch can also hold 2 GB of music on its own, and pair with a bluetooth headset. This makes it great for mowing the lawn (when I would not carry my iPhone). Finally, using voice dictation to answer an iMessage is going to be nice, since I usually keep my iPhone 6 at my desk when I am home.
I honestly think if you want a fitness watch, the Sport at least might justify the price just for that, simply because it’s such a nice one.
How’s the white strap holding up? My green picks up some grubbiness but seems to clean well
Seems fine – pick up a little dirt but wipes straight off.
I would recommend keeping the watch even if you are on the fence for one reason alone if nothing else. How much would it mean to one to have the first iPhone now as a great collector’s item possibly in pristine condition, etc. You can always say I had the first generation, as soon as available, and here it is in perfect condition.
Really enjoyed following your usage of it.
I think with so many sales, the entry-level watch isn’t going to be much of a collector’s item – greatest profit would be selling now, I’d say.
I’m thinking of returning mine also…
(I bought the 42mm Stainless Steel Watch with Milanese Loop)
I just find my iPhone 6 so much more useful.
The watch doesn’t do much without the iPhone near it.
I travel a lot and I dread carrying another power adapter. The included adapter is very long.
I also find it odd that I wanted a larger screen iPhone but I want a small screen watch.
My poor eyesight…
I’m sure after the novelty wears off there is going to be a lot of Apple Watches sitting in drawers.
The included charger is 2 meters long, presumably because it’s meant to be parked in a bedroom where outlets might be behind a bed or nightstand. You can get a shorter 1 meter charger for $29, though I’d like a Lightning to magnetic adapter for travel.
No need to use Shazam, Siri can regognize songs on her own now.
Yeah, that was just habit on my part.
I predict you are going to keep it, you are going to find new and exciting things to do with it.
But…. after 2 or 3 month the novelty factor will wear out and you will grow sick and tired of charging it every day.
Then you will sell it for $80 less and will wait with great anticipation for Watch 2 when Apple figure out that people want longer battery life.
Such cynicism. :-) But battery-life seems completely fine to me.
I think the battery life (42mm) is much better than I expected, but you have to admit that 72 hours would be the holy grail (to get through a full weekend without the charger). Also, a suggestion to Apple here (if at all possible) – make a recharging puck with the lightning connector – eliminate the need for one more charging cable in your kit.
@ dksmidtx,
I have a Pebble, and I constantly forget to charge it because it’s not a daily habit. Sad to say, multi-day charge could lead to frustrating situations where had to charge my Pebble at work or on my drive home.
In pebble’s case it’s compounded by the proprietary charger and I couldn’t even get a 2nd charger early on because they simply couldn’t build em fast enough.
I’m with you on this. Any device that needs charging daily, I do reliably. Things that need charging only occasionally (like Bluetooth keyboards) tend to get charged only when they run out of power, which is a pain when it’s while using them out & about.
As a 60+ year old, I have always worn a wrist watch – from my first Timex – through the first LED watches (and they were upwards of $500 back in the mid-70’s when they first came out – and did NOTHING but tell time on some very tiny little red digits) – then the LCD watch faces – and back to mechanical movements (currently the Citizen Blue Angel edition of an atomic-synching watch).
First thing I do when I get home is to take my wedding ring and watch off. I have already ordered the Apple 2 Meter charging “puck” and have a Nomad Space Grey Apple Watch Stand on order, so charging it will be a no brainer for me; Walk in the door, take my ring and watch off and just place the watch on the stand.
There is something to be said for forming patterns in life.
YMMV
nice article! very specific im glad everthig works perfect.
the worst problem are the long sleeves lol!!!! come one! most time when your raise your wrist, sleeves comes down and for cycing just use short sleeves or leave the sleeves a little higher than your wrist.
getting your phone out of your pocket need one hand, same as gettting your sleeve up, only difference you have to unlock iphone put a code or use your sweaty finger good luck with that, the watch is right there.
You’re not very familiar with British weather, are you? :-)
lol ohh yeah i dindt thought about that I live in Ecuador warm all year.
I hope sleeve doesnt make you ditch the watch, again great review
Thanks for doing this Ben. While your wrist seems to have dredged up some muscle (or maybe nerve?) memory for watch wearing, your bicep and elbow seem to have forgotten the elbow pop + wrist flick motion that people use to propel their watches out from under their shirt sleeves. I admit that there are two complicating factors for you: (1) the problem with slim fit shirts was not as much of an issue back when most of us did not have the deep pockets to afford custom tailored shirts and “slim fit” was not commonplace for off-the-rack dress shirts; and (2) the cycling jacket is an issue, and the workaround (shoving the cuff of the jacket under the watch dial) does not work when you have a watch that needs to be in contact with your skin.
Even so, the pop + flick motion should help with the notifications in other situations.
I look forward to hearing how this little story ends, Ben. Thanks again.
Yeah, I have a couple of older shirts with wider cuffs, I think this is a slimfit cuff issue.
Ben… From CalorieKing:
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting…
1 serving, 1/6 cake (2.9 oz) = 300 calories
Calories from fat 144
To burn 300 calories, you could do any of the following:
78 mins Walking
34 mins Jogging
25 mins Swimming
40 mins Cycling
Heh, thanks, good to know I was ahead of the game
Looks like it: 577 vs. 300
You’ll keep it on Ben
So everyone tells me :-)
Excellent review. I think the “under the sleeve/jacket” issue is a bit overblown, considering that even my Seiko Solar is often hard to just move my wrist to get it out from under my sleeve. It is a bit inconvenient, but still much easier than fishing the iPhone 6+ out of my pants pocket. I also find that I really like the anodized aluminum (but my space gray sport is MUCH better looking than yours!).
As above, I think this is a slimfit sleeve issue.
“I can’t see the watch through my sleeve.” COME ON
Ben, will you do me a return favor? (I did support your book on KS after all) :)
I have a Watch on preorder and can not find any info on the one thing I really want to know. I’m left handed and wear my watch on the right wrist. I want the crown to by on the left side of the watch so I don’t have to reach across the face to use it.
So, the $434 (Sport Space Gray for me) question for me is…Can the watch be turned ‘upside down’ like the iPhone with the display correcting itself?
Thanks in advance.
Yes, one of the first questions it asks you on setup is which wrist you plan to wear it on.
I don’t think I can determine that without doing setup from scratch, but certainly it is designed to be used on either hand. I do have a personal setup call arranged for later today though (just to see what they are like), so I’ll try to remember to ask.
Ok, I asked, and the answer is yes: if you tell the setup that you will use it on your right wrist, you put the watch on ‘upside down’ and the display will flip,
Thanks to the three of you for confirming this for me.
yes it can.
Got my watch Friday and after 3 days i would not want to be without it now. I’m using it in ways i did not think i would. When in my home i do most of my texting from the watch now, its so much easier. At work my phone stays at my desk and as i roam around the site any calls or texts still come to my watch as its the same wifi. My list app (todocloud) works with it, and i can use one note on it for glancing at my shopping lists. When I’m out walking i can change track without getting my phone out and getting the headphone cable tangled up again. Love it, and its only the start, things can only get better with it.
Ah, that’s an interesting point – with site-wide WiFi, you don’t actually have to be anywhere near your phone.
How can a company so obsessed and skilled with design aesthetic possibly crap out a product as awful looking as Apple Watch. Thats what I want to know. Moto 360 is still king of the hill to me.
You obviously know nothing about design and Moto 360 is for you. You can pick it up now very cheap as they dropped the price after the release of Apple Watch realizing how crappy Moto 360 actually is
“handy remote for the Music and Podcast apps” There is no Podcast app? Do you mean simply that you can pause/play podcasts from the now playing screen ? I presume you can’t change to another podcast series ? Also when out cycling in the rain how well does the touch screen work when wet/wet hands ?
Yep, it’s a very convenient way to play/pause/skip forward/back. Unusually for the UK, and despite Saturday’s forecast, I haven’t yet used it in the rain. But just ran some water on it from the tap and the water runs right off – touchscreen works perfectly.
Thanks for the speedy reply…..and if your finger is wet … as it would be in the rain on this side of the pond ! I wouldn’t consider one until there is a full podcast app…but it has to work well outdoors cycling/hiking
Certainly seems to cope fine with water.
Ben, appreciate the insight. Definitely like the opinions of a skeptic, although I am not one. My prediction is that after a month even your wife might want one.
I think some of the issues with clothing will be taken care of by clever designers.
I agree with the heart beat comments, not for me. But my daughter uses SnapChat and I have no clue or interest so I think that’s something that will find a niche. For my son, I could definitely see him exchanging scatological and similar icons with his friends.
The cherry on the top is Apple Pay through your watch. It would be great if you could preview that especially in a market that has high penetration of contactless. The growth on this side of the pond has been amazing but it started from a very low state.
Believe me, I am waiting extremely impatiently for Apple Pay to hit the UK!
Loving the diary so far and watching out for each entry with interest (pun intended of course!) Sounds like your experience has been close to mine so far, what do you think about the sensitivity to bring the watch to life? I found when riding my bike I either had to tap watch with my non watch hand or bring my watch up quite high, both not great when you just want to glance at it for a either a direction or progress. An option to adjust sensitivity as you can with brightness would be a great addition as for the last 2 days i have only used 45% so plenty of room to play with. I have to agree with the sleeves (In the UK too), great for the summer but how practical will it be in the winter? Especially when Apple Pay finally hits the UK (or if). Have to say I will be keeping mine as i am keeping hope of further development over the coming months.
Yep, agree on the sensitivity – this was something I mentioned in the first diary piece. It seems to be that it needs a fairly sharp, fast movement rather than a high one.
Just curious how a bluetooth earbuds react to it. I find I use them constantly to read and respond to texts and do most of the features the watch accomplishes. How does the speaker/microphone react to earbuds?
I’m a wired man when it comes to headphones – I do draw the line at having to keep headphones charged too. :-)
I leave a Bluetooth set in my car charging all the time. That is the only time I use them – When I am driving. The I phone is mounted on the windshield for quick glances. So with wired head phones does the Watch override the mic/sound settings?
Not sure what you mean by ‘override’? It controls the volume when you change it on the watch.
Sorry. Let me clarify that reply. Does the Apple watch turn off the head piece or can you hear the apple watch through the head phones? Question 2: Do you need to pair the Bluetooth headphones with the watch or the iPhone? (I realize that you are a wired person.)
The watch is essentially just a phone accessory. When you play something, you’re playing it on the phone, and the watch is just a controller. Q2 I can’t help with, as I don’t use Bluetooth headphones.
lol. Wait, you’ll recharge your WATCH. Every night but not headphones?
I recently got Plantronics BT phones and they are awesome. I’ve used them for hours without needing recharge.
Given that in less than a year, there will no doubt be a rev. 2 Apple Watch, I actually suspect that you’ll seriously consider returning it for that reason. $500 isn’t a great deal, but doubling down so soon after seems like a waste. My impression is that the Apple Watch isn’t quite ready for prime time, and your review confirms that for me so far.
I’m not so concerned about that – I’ve always got a decent resale price when I’ve upgraded Apple kit: http://9to5mac.com/2014/03/21/opinion-why-the-upgrade-cycle-means-the-apple-tax-is-lower-than-it-seems/
I seriously doubt there will be much resale value on the gen.1 Sport Watch once 2.0 is out. I expect the revision will make the first one very undesirable. Just my opinion.
I don’t see the watch being too different to other first-gen Apple products – there’s always a secondary market from people who can’t afford or justify the cost of the latest & greatest model.
And if you do keep it, I think it will be more to do with a feeling that you should know what the watch does and doesn’t do for people now and moving forward given that you’re not just a techie, but a 9to5 journo.
Yep, that will be a factor for sure, but one I’m aiming to discount for now – I’m trying to keep this as typical as possible.
AMAZING read. Thanks for your candor.
Thanks, Tyrone.
I’ve ordered the white Sport and am looking at a black leather replacement band. Suggestions?
I am in the UK and have the Sports version in blue. It is lovely. I didn’t think that I would be speaking on my watch, but when I had a call today about arranging a delivery, I didn’t miss it as I usually do by struggling to find my phone in my bag. I think it’s great to answer a call on, and then if you need to speak more than a few words, just transfer to the iphone.
Yep, I can see that.
“Cycling in British weather, I’m wearing a cycling jacket more often than not, so my hopes of casually glancing at my wrist while cycling were immediately dashed. So while I was liking watch notifications a lot at first, it’s not quite the effortless glance it had first appeared.”
There are already cycling jackets with transparent “windows” in the sleeves for just such a “problem”.
Modern life has you covered.
Heh, I’ll have to keep an eye out for a Gore Active version …
Agree on the digital touch. I wouldn’t use it with a friend but for my gf and I, sending quick sketches / heartbeat whilst we are at work is a nice touch and works so quickly and well! Loving the watch so far. Keeping me motivated and training more. Disappointed by the big guns not having apps yet (Facebook / WhatsApp) but excited about the potential blood oxygen hardware found onboard!
Like most gadgets, we never NEED them, but always want them, the analogy passes down to smart phones as well though, as you don’t really need them either, they just make life so much easier and as a result we think we need other gadgets in the same way…
At what point will we stop…? I am not into sports etc, but i have wireless scales, wireless BPM Apple Watch etc etc…
This finally makes it all easier to put all the data together with the added heart rate monitor etc…
As for the standing over 12 hours Ben, i found that i wasn’t getting reminders if i was walking, but if i was just standing and hadn’t moved in the previous hour, then i would still get them. I guess the idea is to get you to move, as this starts your circulation again and helps in numerous ways, rather than actually just standing up… ;)
Just curious for those who love the watch and Apple tech (I have iPhone and iPad but PCs). Do you envision any time in future iterations where you won’t need the phone to carry around because all of that will be in the cloud or in some kind of network? Kind of hoping that at some point that becomes the future of the tech (although my phone is never really away from me candidly).
Ben, what iPhone model do you use with your watch, and how’s the drain on your phone? Thanks
iPhone 6, and no noticeable drain, but then I work from home and it’s on charge while I’m in the office.
Nice couple of articles Ben! In today’s environment of over-the-top polarized tech journalism, you’ve written two very nice, unbiased informative articles. I too am on the Apple Watch fence. My household is a complete Apple ecosystem, and I know the Apple Watch would compliment that ecosystem, but as a watch enthusiast already I’m not sure it would get enough wrist time to take advantage of its features. Unlike owning a collection of middle-range mechanical and other interesting quartz/electric/solar watches where you can change your timepiece multiple times a day (and/or also based on occasion), the Apple Watch is meant to be on your wrist pretty much all of the time in order to really be useful. At least that it is MY perspective. In the “watch collecting world”, $400, even $1000, is not a large sum of money for those that are into that sort of thing. In my case, I try and stay below the $500 mark unless it’s a “grail” watch, and more often than not, even lower than that. And most of those watches are only worn 1X a month or so, sometimes even less. So plunking down $400 for something neat that is worn maybe 10X a year isn’t completely going against my past behavior; however, the Apple Watch is different. It’s NOT just a watch – it’s a personal communication, data consuming, music playing search tool that just HAPPENS to sit on your wrist and present the time – if you want it to! With the wrist already reserved for a collection of timepieces that got rotated daily, how does the Apple Watch fit in?
To make my decision even harder, I have a milestone birthday coming up in less than a month, and my wonderful wife wants to buy me an Apple Watch for that event. So how can I say no?? Like you, I am sure I will get it to at least try it out, and work comes to worst, sell it for possibly even more than I bought it for; or in the worst case, lose maybe $50 after having it for months. Can’t beat that!
Read my comment below…may help with your decision. It happens to tell time…but I would call that a very, very minor feature. It’s a watch only in that it goes on your wrist…and has a clock function. Beyond that, it’s all about convenience and delivering essential information…which changes the role your phone plays, substantially.
The custom faces (especially Modular) are great. I’ve wiped all but three faces (can always bring them back…but I don’t need Mickey Mouse or Butterflies). Two are the “Modular” face – where one is focused on work (Date/Time/Schedule/Time Zones)…and the other is focused on Fitness (Activity Circles/Time/Calories etc/Temperature/Battery).
For all of the analog faces however, it’s kind of kitsch in my mind…it’s faster to read numbers. And the fact that the screen is off most of the time, it isn’t like others can see the watch face. I would prefer more digital face options.
Yep, agreed: it’s about info, and Modular can display the most.
Yes, I suspect it probably isn’t for you as you like to swap watches so often. As you say, the Apple Watch is really intended to be worn all the time.
I’m with you. I finally got my Grail watch (Breitling Navitimer) and the idea of replacing it on a daily basis with an Apple watch doesn’t even compute.
The greatest value so far is in the ability to disconnect physically from the phone (as long as you’re on wi-fi, or close enough for bluetooth when away from wi-fi).
Up until last Friday, my phone was with me sun-up to sun-down…in pocket or in hand – primarily because I run a couple companies and the communication demand is pretty high for me. Much of that however is me being cc’d on emails that I need to see, but don’t always have to respond to. Same thing with my schedule…I live by calendar (alerts). Generally an unhealthy (but necessary) attachment to the phone. And my work and family uses Messages for just about everything that doesn’t need to be an email. I use Siri a lot on my phone, so transition to the watch is pretty seamless on that front. I don’t have a problem talking to these things. Socially, maybe it’s weird…but it’s efficient.
As of this weekend, at home or in the office, I haven’t bothered grabbing my phone much at all (I was in the office this weekend a good bit). My phone sat on my desk most of the weekend at work…and wasn’t with me at home unless I had to leave the house. This was strange for a few hours, but once used to it…you don’t even think about it. I now see why they allow you to ping your phone from the watch…you WILL begin to forget about the phone and leave it somewhere.
Aside from the first few hours of being a zombie, learning the watch and messing with apps and settings…it isn’t a device you zombie into in general. Which is good.
While there is some novelty to it – the watch hasn’t been like getting a new iOS on iPhone and the time/novelty associated. You get it, and connect it to your phone, and it works and you kind of go about your day. So you miss that needing out a little. It’s a passive device in that sense…it’s there, but everything on it is abbreviated enough that you don’t feel the need to keep it in your face as with a phone.
Overall, I like how it changes the relationship with technology. This is the real value.
Hey Ben, nice article. Needed something a bit indifferent to read while I patiently await my delivery in the coming weeks. Noticed you’re in London. I’ve made an app for the watch that keeps track of the time of your last tube home; maybe you’d like to give it a go. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/leave-london-never-miss-your/id646741968?mt=8 message me if you’d like a promo code for it.
Sure, I rarely take the tube (Brompton is my usual London transport!), but happy to try it.
I am interested can Apple Watch serve as a hand’s free in a car for taking calls while driving?
Yes, but nothing like as well as a proper handsfree setup, which is not expensive these days.
Nicely written, is it possible to expand the watch strap so it would fit over your cycling jacket? Seems like a low-tech fix.
Interesting: I thought it would want the passcode every time without skin contact, but having just tested this, it only wanted it the first time, so yes, that could work for me as I don’t really mind losing heartrate data.
I was confused by how a short-sleeved pullover dress could interfere with viewing an Apple Watch but I guess it depends on where on your body you prefer to wear a watch.
Nice read! I have a question that I can’t find an answer for anywhere. How does the “turn-on-screen-automaticly” work when your in a different position? (like laying down on back or on your side watching TV or whatever)
Seems to work in any position – it’s the wrist-turn motion that triggers it.
I was surprised when mine showed on Friday (Canada, 42mm Classic Buckle) even though was displaying as “Ship in June” when I ordered.
I must say it is lots of money ($1,100 with AppleCare) and you can get very nice ‘real watch’ for it. I’m not a fan of smartwatches and thought of them as gimmicky.
After 4 days of use I must say I love:
1. The look. Great look once you have it on. It is less bulky than originally thought (I think Apple used wrong focal length lens for their promotional material imo). Start looks and feels great!
2. Notifications: my phone is always on Silent. I don’t like reaching out to it when I get a message, email or even phone call, yes I am weird that way. But having those notifications on your wrist is great. I can set granular control on what and how watch notifies me.
3. Phone calls: yes I used ‘Dick Tracy’ style calling. Even though other party had hard time hearing me, it is great ability to answer a phone without having bluetooth piece in my ear (always found that weird)
4. The best so far: navigation! Driving with watch on my wrist is my top feature so far! Watch gently taps you when you have to turn and quick glance on your wrist, which is in my vision area while steering, is pretty amazing.
Cons:
1. So far only the price. Yes $1K is a bit too much for this type of watch. I prefer mechanical, crafted watches, and you can get pretty good Movado, Gucci or Burberry watch for even half the price.
I really hope Apple will offer ‘internals swap’ as an upgrade option to keep this $1K piece of jewelry current for years to come.
So far I am about 40% for keeping it.
Interesting that you seem to have more genuine justification for it than me, yet estimate a lower likelihood of keeping it.
It’s all about putting value to those features and seeing if it will total close to the price paid.
Let’s say:
Notifications: I value that functionality at $20 – I will pay extra $20 to have it
The Look: $400
Phone calls: $50 – price of the functioning bluetooth earpiece. I wouldn’t spend more than that.
Navigation: $100
So $570 for the version I have vs $1,100 paid… another $500 to go… will see…
Perhaps I have finally met someone with a more pragmatic approach than me to these things!
The real test is to leave it at home for a day and see if you miss it.
That’s a good idea – though I work from home. I could not wear it tomorrow evening, though. Thanks for the thought!
On the flip side, how many have noticed significantly better battery life on there iPhone…??? I know a few people are having issues with watch and iPhone not working correctly together, and i feel for them, but i think my battery life is now significantly better…
When i look at the usage today, my Watch is showing as 3% of usage on my phone, and my messages are up due to background usage, but the battery itself would normally be at around 50% on my phone at this point, and it is currently at 73%…
Worth keeping an eye on to see how your own usage changes i think… ;)
Nice article, as usual.
I like the faith you have in your readers to produce an article with a bit of length to it. We’re definitely reading everything you have to say. It’s also not just a pro- or anti- Watch wankfest, which is nice. It’s nice to get a “real life”version of the pros and cons from someone not using an Apple freebie (which definitely influences authors’ published views).
For myself, the watch doesn’t possess much added value to justify the expense. I’m definitely a gadget guy and would love having one, but there’s not enough to it, as I can see right now, to have enough impact on my daily routine/ Maybe next time.
I feel your sleeve/watch pain. This is why, as a lad, I hated wearing watches: I couldn’t read them 3/4 of the time!
Lastly, whether you’ll keep it or not isn’t the real issue. The question is whether keeping it means it’ll get dusty in a drawer within 5-6 months. I expect it won’t (because you have nothing else to replace it with), but I also expect it won’t be moving any mountains for you by wearing it, either.
Tech evolves or expands. While tech evolution is real, fundamental change (i.e. iPhone), expansion is just moving tech around. This is a nice looking expansion of tech. It’s value is unproven and at the moment it’s a product still in a trending phase. We’ll see if it’s made to last 2-3 years from now.
I’d like one, but I’ll wait for v.2 to buy in.
Thanks, Chris, I appreciate it. And yes, you’re right that the ultimate test is whether, if I keep it, I’m still wearing it in six months’ time.
Question: if you set your phone down will the watch help you find it?
Yes: go to the Connected glance (by default, at the far left) and the large button lets you ping it.
Again, great article Ben. I like to go out on bicycle as well and those sleeves (or cuffs in particular) may be an issue. However, I use sleeveless t-shirt on my bicycle and when I use one with long sleeves, it has loose cuffs :) I think you’ll keep the Apple Watch. I would love to get one as well, however I still have an iPhone 4S so at the moment I’m looking forward what will the new iPhone will be like and would like to get that one. I’m looking forward to read the last article of your ‘trilogy’.
Thanks, Miroslav.
You’re welcome. I have a little question thou. When you got them and opened the box, was the watch already on or you had to turn them on? Thank you.
You have to start it up and pair it with your phone before it will do anything.
Thank you for your answer, Ben :)
It seems that after 1 week of discovering and thinking about the watch, and deciding, you should start the most important test:
The first week of real-normal-standard-use and decide again after the 2nd week!
Heh, I think the discovering phase is mostly over, and the rest of the week will be just normal use.
Has your steel watch scratched yet? Is it easy to buff out? Anyone with knowledge is the Sport better than the Watch?
The stainless steel scratches easily, but is a simple fix: http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/26/apple-watch-fix-scratches/. The Sport finish disguises scratches better. Choosing between them will always be personal taste.
Ben,
Have you started using any 3rd party apps except for Shazam?
The reason why I ask is because it appears to me that about 70-80% of all so far announced apps for the Apple Watch don’t bring any additional value on a watch. Apps like Instagram makes no sense to me with such a small screen.
Apple is saying that interactions with the Apple Watch should not take longer than 10-15 seconds and yet they are promoting games for the watch.
Most apps I think mostly make sense for notifications, though Siri makes them useable for input too. Apps like Uber make a lot of sense as that’s basically one button ‘Send me a car.’
Ben, don’t you think a week is too little to understand wether you actually wants to keep it or not?
I think it would take a month to really test it.
More than a week would feel very indecisive. Most gadgets, I know pretty much immediately I use them.
“I of course had to try a Dick Tracy style phone call on the watch, and I have to say it worked perfectly well. That, though, falls well into novelty territory for me – I can’t ever see me doing it in real life.”
Interesting. And, while I don’t have an Apple Watch (yet) this is the #1 reason I’d get one: for making and taking calls in the car.
I have an installed hands-free system in the car (via Bluetooth to the Parrot car stereo).
I think that is still Illegal, you ate only allowed to interact with things physically attached yo tge car. Also i sudpect the watch speaker not to be loud enough
Sorry, but too much of this was dedicated to you trying to figure out how to use a WATCH, not an Apple Watch. Difficulty reading it with long sleeves? Really? Don’t you think that a couple billion wristwatch owners over the past century have figured out how to do this?
I’m sorry, but Apple has completely missed the target as far as power management goes. Automatic watches use the motion of the user’s wrist to keep the mainspring wound. The wristwatch will run forever as long as the user is wearing it.
Apple requires the user NOT to wear the watch to recharge. That is nuts.
it’s a very interesting read, but I don’t understand why you would complain about the sleeves… no matter what watch you’d wear it would have the same issue – hence why people either used the other hand to glance at the watch, or stretch their arm out to pop the watch out from under the sleeve – either way, you are still able to glance at your watch much faster than pulling a phone out from you bag or pocket, unlocking it, then reading your notification.
Many potential owners, including Ben, are going from no watch to Apple watch. So the sleeve issue is relevant. In the last 40 years, the only time I have worn a wrist watch is when I an running. I carried a pocket watch for 20 of those years and a cell phone for the last 20.
Is there a screen protector on your watch or is it just the light reflection?
Just reflection.
Hi Ben, nice review. Look forward for the last part and your final decision :)
I have a question: haven’t you tried Apple watch as a smart alarm to wake you up in the mornings? I know that they should be charging during the night time, but still is there any chance to use them like that if charged just before going to bed. Tried to find any information on that and found nothing.
The watch needs to be charged overnight, but having tried the alarm, I’m not entirely convinced it would wake me – I’m a fairly deep sleeper.
You write for an Apple fan site, I’m guessing the odds of liking the watch were well above 70% from the get-go….Is everyone on the edge of their seats yet?
I received my watch today.I started playing with the music and remote features, the heart rate monitor, setting alarms, the interface with my calendar and made my first call from it today. I loved watches with huge complications and started thinking to myself…”James Bond didn’t ever have a watch THIS cool.” I am keeping mine. Already figured out there is going to be so much more to come. I will have to say that the user guide on-line has already started to show me how this is going to expand….and yes, there will be a day when this becomes obsolete, but I will never forget the first time I type a letter and used a mouse…and that was cutting edge tech back then. I forget how many vocal commands can be given now. Love what your observations were…and I hope you play more with your watch.
Glad you’re enjoying it, Marilyn. There’s no doubt at all that it’s a very impressive piece of technology.
”But that other 30% of me is wondering just how long it will take for the novelty factor to wear off. Will I wear it for a few weeks then stick it in a drawer? I have to admit that’s a real possibility.”
I doubt you will do this, and here’s why:
It’s highly likely that in a few years time we will be using Apple Pay to pay for things. So you will stick your wallet to the drawer. And while you could use Apple Pay with your iPhone as well, it will be much more comfortable to do so with the watch. And I’m sure that sooner or later all the keys will be in there too. So you will be unlocking your doors with these devices. Assuming that the doors wouldn’t open automatically as you get closer.
Again, I’m not an Apple Watch owner, but I would like to think that those who do own an Apple Watch will turn off the ringtone of their iPhones. Whenever you get a call, Apple Watch will let you know with its subtle vibrate/tap thingy, so there is no need for you to actually hear your phone. This would make the world a lot more peaceful place. No-one else needs to know that your phone is ringing, so there’s lot less pointless noise around. Especially when you are in the restroom and your phone is ringing nonstop at your table – pissing off your co-workers. :))
In London, contactless payment is everywhere, so I could use it today if we had Apple Pay
What interests me more is how does these kind of wearables can influence productivity?
I wouldn’t say it’s boosted my productivity, more that it has added a certain amount of convenience. But there will be many more apps to come, so who knows how that may change in the future.
My battery lasts 2 days!! The watch is freaking awesome, love it more and more every day… Works flawlessly!! Very happy!!
I can see how two days could be possible with light use. I don’t think many people will see this, though. Are you putting it into standby mode overnight?
Nice review. Can’t wait to get the Space Grey sport one.
Thanks, hope you receive it soon.
Why not put the watch on over the cuff of your shirt while cycling? Won’t it fit?
This is indeed something I am testing. :-)
Loved the article! I wonder if you might be able to answer my question. I want to know if a) I am using a third party app like Nike or MapMyRun to set intervals, b) can the watch vibrate instead of beep, say every five minutes. I can never hear the chime properly on my Garmin, so this would be a great feature for me to have. Anyway, thanks in advance if you answer…
Thanks, Anne. I don’t use either app, and I’d guess it would depend on the individual app, but I’d be very surprised if haptic feedback wasn’t an option with any fitness app that supports the watch.
I just tested with the Workout app, and that gives haptic as well as auditory feedback of goals achieved.
Great article I really enjoyed your perspective on the Apple Watch.
Thanks, NJ
I’m waiting with baited breath right now for UPS to deliver mine.
Good to hear some sense from someone about battery life! The internet has gone bonkers about battery life these days and I’ve been using my 42mm Sport all weekend and so far have made a full day every day from 7am to 9pm. It’s low by bedtime, but not a problem. The day I used it for exercise, where it tracks non stop, was the worst but still made it. The issue overblown as usual because people always forget that when you get a new gadget, you play with it three times as much as you will after the newness is gone and you just use it normally. Same panic happened when the Moto360 came out, and then it settled down, there was a software update, and now those folks are all high and mighty claiming fantastic battery life.
So for the first few days, maybe first week or two, it’s going to seem like the battery won’t last, but it will once you stop molesting the thing constantly and checking the time every 10 minutes just to see it light up.
For instance, I’m using it like normal, average day today, and by lunch time (12:43pm CST now) I’m at 74% on the Watch and 79% on the iPhone 6. Both came off their chargers around 7am this morning.
I wanted to commend your music taste. A Fine Frenzy is an excellent choice…
Yes, one of my favorite artists
I was thinking of buying an iWatch, for no apparent reason to honest. I have watches I wear on separate occasions and this will just be another watch I probably won’t wear regularly. I am curious about the bluetooth feature because I do wear Jay Birds wireless earbuds any time I leave my house but I’ve never tried connecting two devices under bluetooth. Is that even possible?
Yes, you can have a Bluetooth connection to the watch and Bluetooth audio at the same time.
“Will I wear it for a few weeks then stick it in a drawer? I have to admit that’s a real possibility.”
If that’s the case, then the answer is you don’t really want it. On receiving my first iPod/iPodTouch/iPhone/iPad I knew it was love for life. Come to think of, it was the same sensation with my Macintosh 128K in 1984…
Looking forward to the next iteration when Apple Watch looks less like a Calculator Watch – i.e. around 65mm rather than 105mm thick
6.5mm isn’t going to happen. Not next year at least. The Apple Watch is already much smaller than its competition despite having more power, radios, a speaker and more packed into its small body. going from 10.5 to 6.5 is unreasonable. 9mm would be quite an accomplishment within a year, and it would make for a dramatic difference.
My Macintosh was definitely love at first site (actually, the LISA was love at first site so with the Mac it was love in advance :-)). The watch is cute and I like it, but I don’t love it.
Nice web sight. (lol)