Re/code Analyst Halts Apple Watch Use to Investigate Usefulness

[Dennison]

After wearing the Apple Watch for 85 days straight, Ben Bajarin takes it off for a week. Can you live without it? What's life like without it (after having used one for this long)? How useful is it?

http://on.recode.net/1gpn2gr

This largely focused on the basic uses for the Watch. I found this article to be quite insightful and agree with the results and his conclusion (as an Apple Watch wearer myself). He didn't even highlight some of the best features of the Watch, such as Apple Pay (which I have yet to experiment with myself due to my current bank).

What do you think, Apple Watch owners? How long have you owned yours, and have you tried going on with your day without wearing it?

How about those of you who are waiting to buy one (either for the next generation upgrade or a lower price), or are still questioning its overall usefulness?

 

[thelookingglass]

Fair assessment. I've only had mine for a week, but there are definitely times when I've felt the Watch was super convenient. It's also made me hyper aware of upcoming appointments (a good thing). I'd sometimes miss certain events because I either didn't hear or feel my iPhone. Can't happen with the watch since it buzzes on my wrist.

The software is still too green, but this thing has legs for sure.

 

[Dennison]

Fair assessment. I've only had mine for a week, but there are definitely times when I've felt the Watch was super convenient. It's also made me hyper aware of upcoming appointments (a good thing). I'd sometimes miss certain events because I either didn't hear or feel my iPhone. Can't happen with the watch since it buzzes on my wrist.

The software is still too green, but this thing has legs for sure.

Too green? Care to elaborate? (I only have a slight guess.)

 

[Mac2me]

Interesting article but didn't tell me anything I didn't know having had my Apple Watch for over a month now. Wonder if he did other things with it. Kind of would have liked him to commented on other aspects that I haven't explored, but then again I don't think Apple Watch users were his intended audience. Maybe this will be a series of a few articles. I pretty much concluded after my first week (being a purse carrier) that the Watch was going to be my favorite jewelry item because of the notifications along with so many other things I could do with it and leave my cell phone in my purse or in the house. I will add that on a few mornings that I left the house without putting the watch on, I found myself looking at my wrist for the time. And sometimes at night in bed I had the sensation that it was still on my wrist although I knew it was on the charger.

Hubby just flew into town a few minutes ago on a flight and getting the little buzz on my wrist with his IM that he had landed was great. Somehow it was a more pleasurable way to receive the message (no comments on the vibrations please ). The personal "touch". Might be hard for those who don't have a Watch yet to really appreciate.

 

[Dennison]

Interesting article but didn't tell me anything I didn't know having had my Apple Watch for over a month now. Wonder if he did other things with it. Kind of would have liked him to commented on other aspects that I haven't explored, but then again I don't think Apple Watch users were his intended audience. Maybe this will be a series of a few articles. I pretty much concluded after my first week (being a purse carrier) that the Watch was going to be my favorite jewelry item because of the notifications along with so many other things I could do with it and leave my cell phone in my purse or in the house. I will add that on a few mornings that I left the house without putting the watch on, I found myself looking at my wrist for the time. And sometimes at night in bed I had the sensation that it was still on my wrist although I knew it was on the charger.

Hubby just flew into town a few minutes ago on a flight and getting the little buzz on my wrist with his IM that he had landed was great. Somehow it was a more pleasurable way to receive the message (no comments on the vibrations please ). The personal "touch". Might be hard for those who don't have a Watch yet to really appreciate.

Well said! I understand. I think it just depends on the person. Some find getting notified by wrist an annoyance, and others feel more endeared by it like you and I. I love seeing or feeling messages from friends and loved ones on my watch, it feels more personal (and less technical or busy like when you receive them on the iPhone).

I'll have to add that it's quickly become a favorite fashion or jewelry item for myself as well, even as a male. I not only enjoy the variety of functionalities, but also the look of the larger space grey aluminum with the shiny milanese loop.

 

[OriginalClone]

I've had mine for two months and I think it's a waste of money. I may or may not keep it, but I'm definitely not buying one in the future.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

In addition to the time and notifications I am finding the fitness tracking a killer feature. Calendar is super useful during the work week. Music remote control is good. Answering phone calls is convenient. Navigation is good. Weather is nice although can be slow.

Everything else is meh.

That said, I get sufficient enjoyment and value to not want to live without my Watch.

 

[Mac2me]

I've had mine for two months and I think it's a waste of money. I may or may not keep it, but I'm definitely not buying one in the future.

Curious which watch you bought and what did you expect it to do that it doesn't?

 

[Aniseedvan]

My personal favourite is being able to accept meeting notifications straight from the watch. This does lead my biggest bug annoyance in that outlook meeting invites from others aren't shown unless I force a data refresh (and even then that doesn't work all the time). Not being able to rely on the calendar complication for my 'up next' in my working day is really starting to get on my nerves...

 

[NotSafeForWork]

My personal favourite is being able to accept meeting notifications straight from the watch. This does lead my biggest bug annoyance in that outlook meeting invites from others aren't shown unless I force a data refresh (and even then that doesn't work all the time). Not being able to rely on the calendar complication for my 'up next' in my working day is really starting to get on my nerves...

This will get fixed in Watch OS2 - either with a code fix from Apple or the inclusion of 3rd party complications - Fantastical shows you the correct calendar today but it can't replace the appointment complication on the Watch face ... until Watch OS2 is released and they update their app.

 

[foxkoneko]

Ive had it almost since week one and when I take it off, I still find myself raising my hand to check time (like at nighttime)

 

[Night Spring]

I don't have to take it off to know it's useful to me. I try to fill up the Activity circles every day, so that is how I know it's being used.

 

[anez]

I've had mine since release day, and I'd be irritated going without mine for a week since it would be a big gap in my activity history. I've got a week's holiday coming up in a little while where wearing the Watch will be unlikely/difficult, and while I'm looking forward to the trip, I'm not looking forward to being without my wrist buddy for most of the time!

I haven't done a long-term experiment, but here's what I notice I miss while mine is off for whatever reason, or simply on the charger:

- email notifs
- weather at-a-glance
- activity tracking
- quick timer/count-down

It's not a perfect device, but I'm still very glad to have it.

 

[Bobajobbob]

I took mine off today for the first time since launch. So far today I can't say that I miss it. Its a nice gadget and the notifications are convenient and I miss a few less calls when it vibrates but it doesn't yet have a killer app for me. I like it but I don't love it like my iPhone or the watch I am wearing today that I have owned for 20 years. For me from now on it will be a fashion watch that I wear on certain days or situations on rotation with my other watches. I expect a software update or app will give it more value in the future but that is where I am today.

 

[John6Plus]

I miss mine very, very quickly if I take it off. By far the number one slam dunk reason is silent notifications - it is SUCH a relief not having anything beep, ding, or vibrate. It makes it much easier to have an affair!



Seriously, that combined with turning down how many things notify me in the first place has made a huge improvement in my daily life. I got interested in the fitness tracking aspect first when I got a Fitbit, and that is nice, but I would miss silent notifications so much it's the real killer app for me. Also, with prominent haptic on, I finally know when my wife texts me to get more bacon when I'm in the grocery store. I always used to miss it.

So now... MORE BACON!

 

[ivandr]

I've got a week's holiday coming up in a little while where wearing the Watch will be unlikely/difficult, and while I'm looking forward to the trip, I'm not looking forward to being without my wrist buddy for most of the time!

Not sure exactly the type of vacation you're heading out to, but I recently went camping (in a location without cell service) and so I turned my phone off and put it in my bag, left my watch in airplane mode and wore it throughout the weekend. In airplane mode it will still capture activity and movement to fill your rings... and as a bonus the battery life is really solid without any wireless communication happening between watch and phone: Over 3 1/2 days, I had my watch charging for no more than 2 hours from my USB battery and I never ran into power reserve.

Obviously everyone's circumstances are different, and you may truly be doing a vacation where wearing it isn't feasible (diving? rock climbing? etc) but the watch is pretty rugged and able to keep up for a lot of things in my opinion...

 

[OriginalClone]

Curious which watch you bought and what did you expect it to do that it doesn't?

42mm SGS. After using it for almost 3 months I have actually grown to like it. The notifications are very useful for me because I'm using my hands often (in gloves) and it is inconvenient to take them off constantly to check my phone. My biggest complaints are battery life, which I knew would be an issue before buying, and sluggish software. I see potential for this device in the future as technology advances though. Would I buy one in the future? Not sure , but leaning towards no. Since the notifications are useful to me, I can't say I feel like it's a waste of money now.