You know I try not to buy tons of Apple stuff. But this company's got a way of extracting money out of your pocket, you gotta admit.
I have several watches in the $200-$800 range, and I've worn them in rotation for years, mostly Seiko and Citizen Divers. I remember thinking it would be cool to have a smart watch years before smart watches came out. When I was a kid I had a Casio Data Bank watch that had a calculator on it, and stored 50 phone numbers with names! This was awesome, and I didn't understand why everyone didn't have one of these watches.
When I got my first cell phone in 1994, it was a Motorola flip phone, I think it was called a MicroTac. It stored 10 phone numbers without names. You had to remember what speed dial number was for which contact. My Casio watch allowed me to have 50 numbers on me, and I used the phone and watch together to be able to call anyone I wanted. So I guess you could say I was ready for smartwatches...
I think the problem with the Apple watch and people in general is the disparity between what you expect, and what it actually is. I know that was the problem for me. Remember in the movie 40yr Old Virgin where the virgin's coworker is telling him his problem is that he's "putting the p*ssy on a pedestal"? That's what I did. I had put this watch on a pedestal, and it didn't deserve it. However, I don't think I'm entirely at fault here. Apple's marketing is incredible! They made this watch look like it could do anything! I guess that's what good marketing does, it makes you want to buy the product. Problem is, when it's not everything you expected, people tend to return them or sell them, and tell their friends about the experience. Perhaps if they downplayed some of the features and benefits of this watch, it could have done even better. Historically, that's what Apple does on some of their best selling products. When I walk into my local Apple Store, the place is packed with people looking at the iPhones, MacBooks, iMacs, etc, but nobody is at the watch table. Nobody. This is telling.
Anyhow, I bought my first Apple Watch and tried it for a few days. At $470 Canadian plus tax, I could not justify the price for what it did. So it notifies me of texts, and emails. My phone is in my pocket! Do I really need a remote control for my phone that's right in my pocket? The whole smartwatch idea in my mind was crumbling. Yeah it's kinda cool, but seriously, is that it? I know it's got other features, but it's so easy to do without it, and I don't have to charge yet another device every day. So I returned it.
You know, the darn thing stuck in my head. It was pretty cool having the weather on your watch. It was super incognito to receive notifications during times when it would be inappropriate to pull out your phone. And step tracking, and silent count down timers were great when BBQing, etc. It was nice to walk around the house and not have to carry my phone, and not miss any calls or notifications. Even though I had to find my phone to properly respond to someone, at least I knew what was going on even when my phone was somewhere else in the house, or office.
Anyhow, I went through this process of trying to figure out if this watch is worth it for what I'll use it for. I bought and returned 1, bought a used one and sold that, and now I'm on my 3rd. I think it's a keeper this time.... I think.
So if you're wondering if you should buy one, all I can say is this: Be prepared that it won't be everything you expected, and you probably won't use 80% of the features it has. However, it does do things no regular watch can do, and over time you will see subtle benefits that really grow on you. I now see the value, but I can also see why it's been a hard sell for Apple. I'm excited to see where smart watches go. I can see in 10yrs they will penetrate the market the way the smartphone has. They'll just be too useful to not own one.
I have several watches in the $200-$800 range, and I've worn them in rotation for years, mostly Seiko and Citizen Divers. I remember thinking it would be cool to have a smart watch years before smart watches came out. When I was a kid I had a Casio Data Bank watch that had a calculator on it, and stored 50 phone numbers with names! This was awesome, and I didn't understand why everyone didn't have one of these watches.
When I got my first cell phone in 1994, it was a Motorola flip phone, I think it was called a MicroTac. It stored 10 phone numbers without names. You had to remember what speed dial number was for which contact. My Casio watch allowed me to have 50 numbers on me, and I used the phone and watch together to be able to call anyone I wanted. So I guess you could say I was ready for smartwatches...
I think the problem with the Apple watch and people in general is the disparity between what you expect, and what it actually is. I know that was the problem for me. Remember in the movie 40yr Old Virgin where the virgin's coworker is telling him his problem is that he's "putting the p*ssy on a pedestal"? That's what I did. I had put this watch on a pedestal, and it didn't deserve it. However, I don't think I'm entirely at fault here. Apple's marketing is incredible! They made this watch look like it could do anything! I guess that's what good marketing does, it makes you want to buy the product. Problem is, when it's not everything you expected, people tend to return them or sell them, and tell their friends about the experience. Perhaps if they downplayed some of the features and benefits of this watch, it could have done even better. Historically, that's what Apple does on some of their best selling products. When I walk into my local Apple Store, the place is packed with people looking at the iPhones, MacBooks, iMacs, etc, but nobody is at the watch table. Nobody. This is telling.
Anyhow, I bought my first Apple Watch and tried it for a few days. At $470 Canadian plus tax, I could not justify the price for what it did. So it notifies me of texts, and emails. My phone is in my pocket! Do I really need a remote control for my phone that's right in my pocket? The whole smartwatch idea in my mind was crumbling. Yeah it's kinda cool, but seriously, is that it? I know it's got other features, but it's so easy to do without it, and I don't have to charge yet another device every day. So I returned it.
You know, the darn thing stuck in my head. It was pretty cool having the weather on your watch. It was super incognito to receive notifications during times when it would be inappropriate to pull out your phone. And step tracking, and silent count down timers were great when BBQing, etc. It was nice to walk around the house and not have to carry my phone, and not miss any calls or notifications. Even though I had to find my phone to properly respond to someone, at least I knew what was going on even when my phone was somewhere else in the house, or office.
Anyhow, I went through this process of trying to figure out if this watch is worth it for what I'll use it for. I bought and returned 1, bought a used one and sold that, and now I'm on my 3rd. I think it's a keeper this time.... I think.
So if you're wondering if you should buy one, all I can say is this: Be prepared that it won't be everything you expected, and you probably won't use 80% of the features it has. However, it does do things no regular watch can do, and over time you will see subtle benefits that really grow on you. I now see the value, but I can also see why it's been a hard sell for Apple. I'm excited to see where smart watches go. I can see in 10yrs they will penetrate the market the way the smartphone has. They'll just be too useful to not own one.
