Comment: Going from a skeptic to an every day user with Apple Watch Series 2

Following the release of the Apple Watch Series 2, I wrote about my initial first impressions of the device. Essentially, I explained that the first-generation Apple Watch had never truly won me over. I often went through phases where I would wear it for a while, but then go weeks without even charging it. I noted, however, that the Series 2 model may have righted enough wrongs to keep it on my wrist…consistently.

Four months with Apple Watch Series 2, however, and I’m officially sold…

As I explained back in September, a few things about Apple Watch Series 2 were immediate improvements over the original model. This included software features such as Auto Unlock, Apple Pay, Scribble, Activity Sharing and more, as well as design factors like the cheaper price options of the Space Black model. After four months with the device, it’s those features plus more that have won me over.

Of course, features like Auto Unlock and Apple Pay on the web authentication have become less important to me with the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID, but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing it every day.

I was very much a sporadic Apple Watch user up until last September. This was due to a variety of factors. For one, I was annoyed with the device’s battery life and I dreaded the idea of having to charge another device every day that didn’t offer any direct benefits to me. I also thought the Apple Watch and its square watch face design was rather geeky and it seemed bulky on my wrist, but the more I’ve grown used to it, the less I worry about those things.

Much inspired by Zac’s own journey, I’ve started to fully embrace the fitness features of Apple Watch. With Activity Sharing, I’m consistently motivated to fill my rings every day and complete my workouts to 100 percent fulfillment – or more. I’m also motivated to best my Activity Sharing friends and if I look and see I’m trailing someone, I just might go the extra mile to leapfrog them.

Furthermore, Scribble has made the Apple Watch a more practical solution for quickly replying to messages as it’s insanely easy to quickly jot down a few words with it.

It hasn’t been an entirely perfect 4 months, however. There have been a few instances where I’ll simply forget to put on Apple Watch – and those cases are largely due to battery life.

In the four months since I purchased Apple Watch Series 2, there have been a few instances where my Apple Watch has died at an odd time and I’ve forgotten to charge it for a couple of days. For this reason, I think that battery life is where Apple should direct its focus for future generations to come. If I could consistently wear Apple Watch for multiple days at a time, it would undoubtedly always have a spot on my wrist.

Now, I personally believe that battery life has significantly improved with Apple Watch Series 2 and watchOS 3, but there’s still room to go.

As for specific hardware changes between Series 0 and Series 2, the biggest change for me has been speed improvements. I found the original model to be painfully slow, but with the new chipset, the Series 2 is actually a reasonably quick device. Waterproofing is also something I’ve really grown to appreciate, while the GPS, albeit a bit buggy, is solid as well.

The biggest question in my mind at this point is what does the future hold for Apple Watch? In addition to the battery life improvements I mentioned earlier, there are a few other features that I’d love to see.

For one, I’m assuming Apple is working on a design refresh for Apple Watch. It’s hard to know what changes are coming to the design, but a few things jump to mind. For instance, many have called on Apple to make the device thinner with a smaller footprint, which I would definitely welcome.

I’m skeptical about the practicality of changes like a camera, but if Apple can convince me of how it would be useful, I’ll undoubtedly give it a try. Cellular connectivity, however, is something I would welcome with open arms.

There are also new software features in the pipeline for watchOS, including things like Theater Mode. Continued stability improvements are also welcome.

Just over a year ago, I posed a question a question eight months following the release of the first-gen Apple Watch: “Are you still wearing your Apple Watch every day?” At the time, some 71 percent of readers responded that they wore it everyday, while 16 percent said they never wore it and the remaining 13 percent claimed they wore it “occasionally.”

Back then, I was very much a part of that occasional category, but with Apple Watch Series 2 and watchOS 3, I’m most definitely wear it every day. What about you? Tell us your journey in the comments.