Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Watch Review Roundup: The 'World's Best Smartwatch', But 'Not For Everyone'
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Lots of people said that Nokia, BlackBerry, etc. had nothing to worry about since the iPhone didn't do much. Steve Ballmer quite famously predicted it had "no chance" to get more than a couple of percentage points (perhaps he meant to say "Windows Phone").
The iPad was the butt of merciless jokes for weeks at launch. It had the same "what does this do that the iPhone doesn't" criticism.
It's clear, and it's been clear that the Watch isn't the next "big thing," but I think it will still be significant. It will get enough people interested in wearables to encourage new entrants.
There is a famous review and quote saying something like "Nokia and Sony will not be worrying about the iPhone as it is a niche play at best". It was a common theme for a few years and now look what happened to Nokia.
----------
Thank you for your well stated response and opinion.
Samsung already applied for the patent for your smart phone on the wrist idea: http://www.techradar.com/us/news/we...smartphone-that-bends-into-a-bracelet-1290491
There are a lot of questions about notifications... was hoping this review from techpinions.com would help...
Notifications Done Right
Ive been using smartwatches since the first Pebble. I had always been attracted to the idea of notifications delivered to my wrist but most smartwatches to date just duplicated the notifications on my phone. Its been said by many smart people that a notification that just tells me to take out my smartphone is useless. It is in this area the Apple Watch sets itself apart from the smartwatch pack. Apples implementation delivers on the promise of notifications done right.
Unlike many other smartwatches, the Apple Watch lets you take action in a simple and efficient way directly on your wrist. For example, when a text message comes in, you can respond with pre-set answers, an emoji, by voice dictation via Siri or a voice recording. Interestingly, the pre-set text answers are contextual and change based on what the Watch understands of the content of the conversation. Meaning, it is trying to predict the types of answers you will need and bring those to the top for quick, easy replies. I found this to be incredibly useful and efficient.
The Apple Watch became my primary notification panel/dashboard. It is not only the most natural place to be notified and to decide what action needs to be done but, because the entire user experience was built for quick interactions, notifications may have found where they were destined to exist.
Apple allows for a tight filtering of the notifications you want to occur. By limiting what I want to be notified of, I ensured only the most important things from email, to texts, to calls, and even relevant app notifications are exactly what I want to be notified about. It ensures each notification is meaningful.
Notifications Done Right
Ive been using smartwatches since the first Pebble. I had always been attracted to the idea of notifications delivered to my wrist but most smartwatches to date just duplicated the notifications on my phone. Its been said by many smart people that a notification that just tells me to take out my smartphone is useless. It is in this area the Apple Watch sets itself apart from the smartwatch pack. Apples implementation delivers on the promise of notifications done right.
Unlike many other smartwatches, the Apple Watch lets you take action in a simple and efficient way directly on your wrist. For example, when a text message comes in, you can respond with pre-set answers, an emoji, by voice dictation via Siri or a voice recording. Interestingly, the pre-set text answers are contextual and change based on what the Watch understands of the content of the conversation. Meaning, it is trying to predict the types of answers you will need and bring those to the top for quick, easy replies. I found this to be incredibly useful and efficient.
The Apple Watch became my primary notification panel/dashboard. It is not only the most natural place to be notified and to decide what action needs to be done but, because the entire user experience was built for quick interactions, notifications may have found where they were destined to exist.
Apple allows for a tight filtering of the notifications you want to occur. By limiting what I want to be notified of, I ensured only the most important things from email, to texts, to calls, and even relevant app notifications are exactly what I want to be notified about. It ensures each notification is meaningful.
Interesting! I had no idea there was a term for that. Plus, I've been trying to figure out if it is a deliberate verbal affectation, or if it is learned, like an accent.
Because I have the term now, I was easily able to look this up. (It is deliberate.)
Oh, and for the record? I absolutely hate it too. Like nails on a chalkboard.
Ah, that is better than what Android Wear does, it lights the screen up and vibrates (not counting theater mode).
Oops, I was supposed to quote BlueMoon63. My bad.
Hold it. WUT!?
Do you mean to say you actually have the device in your hands when it's not even out in the market yet? OR are you one of these name-credited journalists that wrote one of the listed reviews?
You're either projecting with a delusional lie, defending the The Company With A Raised Nose or you're one of the people who had early access. I recommend you prove it to the mods here to prove who you say you are.
You're essentially advertising that you have the Apple Watch prior to the actual release date. So which one is it?
That it's the best watch - not best smartwatch, but best watch - or best fitness tracker, or best... well, best anything useful. All I've seen so far is that it's "good" for getting notifications, but so far any smart band can do that, but better.
Will the apps make or break this thing? Who knows... I'm really very curious to see how it sells.
I wonder if it should be qualified, in terms of Apple compatible smart watches. Versus smart watches in general. Because being able to respond to a text/hangout is something Android Wear does as well (albeit only on Android).
I'm not saying no one needs it. I'm not everyone, how would I know what they need. It just struck me as a little funny
Yea probably true. I just wanted to help by posting a review for all the notification questions and concerns.
I wonder if I will get an apology? Those were some strong words and he looks like a jack@ss who doesn't read the words. LOL
Last edited:
I am 26 and I use my phone heavily and frequently. All the more reason to keep it totally silent whenever I'm not using it.
Th biggest feature of the Apple Watch is convenience. It should make us use our smartphones less. The problem I see is..that Love my phone and I do want to use it all the time. I don't need a distraction that will make me use it less..
Smart watches in their current incarnation are useless.
Smart watches in their current incarnation are useless.
Here's the non-emotional summary:
It does what they say it does, some 3rd party stuff is slow. As Im a dev, I know *why* this is and expect post launch updates to improve the issue it isnt the watch per se. It is quite a different experience to develop for and certain flows require optimizations that arent apparent the first round.
Some of the 'dramapress' is basically the reviewer's style choices in how they report. What I perceived is a pushback against Apple Marketing Hype this is a good thing. Apple should probably tone it down a little, but Apple is Apple.
The most important thing they ALL agreed that it was in fact best in class, but the problem was more of a do I need this? one, which is a legitimate question. Not everyone lives in the Valley, such as myself and people have had *7 years* of getting used to smartphones and the behaviour around them in general.
For a device that is meant to give you only the most important blah blah blah, Apple dropped the ball on the companion app UX. The default should be EVERYTHING off, turn on what you want, not the way it is now.
No reviewer had the it isnt quite ready impression. The claim was generally it isnt perfect, but it is the most perfect to have been created thus far.
Someone pre-disposed could construe these reviews to prop up their own confirmation biases, but someone who is either way would see a balance.
It does what they say it does, some 3rd party stuff is slow. As Im a dev, I know *why* this is and expect post launch updates to improve the issue it isnt the watch per se. It is quite a different experience to develop for and certain flows require optimizations that arent apparent the first round.
Some of the 'dramapress' is basically the reviewer's style choices in how they report. What I perceived is a pushback against Apple Marketing Hype this is a good thing. Apple should probably tone it down a little, but Apple is Apple.
The most important thing they ALL agreed that it was in fact best in class, but the problem was more of a do I need this? one, which is a legitimate question. Not everyone lives in the Valley, such as myself and people have had *7 years* of getting used to smartphones and the behaviour around them in general.
For a device that is meant to give you only the most important blah blah blah, Apple dropped the ball on the companion app UX. The default should be EVERYTHING off, turn on what you want, not the way it is now.
No reviewer had the it isnt quite ready impression. The claim was generally it isnt perfect, but it is the most perfect to have been created thus far.
Someone pre-disposed could construe these reviews to prop up their own confirmation biases, but someone who is either way would see a balance.
The market for the Apple Watch are those who own an iPod, an iPhone, a Mac laptop, an iPad, a Mac desktop, and who lean toward or already own Google Glass.
Because every other mobile product is on an annual cycle. We now return to our regularly scheduled MR denialism
Now I want to do this too. To be honest, I don't want to know about anything most of the time unless it's an "emergency", and having my phone vibrate at the slightest Facebook Like is just so wrong.