Apple Watch Series 2 Reviews: 'The First Real Apple Watch' Thanks to Fitness and Processor Upgrades

[MacRumors]

Following the publication of reviews for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus yesterday, now the first official reviews for the Apple Watch Series 2 have begun hitting the web. Apple announced its second-generation Apple Watch alongside the iPhone 7 last week, and both devices will launch this Friday, September 16.

While there are varying opinions among reviewers, the consensus on Apple Watch Series 2 is epitomized in TechCrunch's straightforward headline, calling it "the first real Apple Watch." Reviewers think that the 50 percent faster processor, improved durability in water, and fitness-focused features have elevated the second generation of Apple Watch to become a more sensical purchase option, going beyond its previous status as a simple luxury item and into functional usability.

Image via The Wall Street Journal​

The Wall Street Journal refers to Series 2 as a product you still don't "need," but it may now be something you "want." As many have focused on when testing Series 2, the site spent a lot of its review on the fitness features of the Apple Watch, referring to the new on-board GPS as the device's "greatest strength and greatest downfall." This is because while being able to leave an iPhone behind while running is a major plus, it comes at the cost of battery life.

This new wireless freedom is the Apple Watch's greatest strength and greatest downfall. A 20-minute run with music playing knocked out 20% of my watch battery's juice. While there is a bigger battery inside this slightly thicker watch, those who plan to use GPS for a daily jog won't get longer battery life. (Apple says it designed the GPS on the Apple Watch to last through a marathon.) On days where I didn't use GPS, I went to bed with nearly 40% of the battery left. That's strong, though the Fitbit Blaze lasts four days, so you can even wear it to track sleep.

The Series 2 is what the first Apple Watch should have been--a more advanced Fitbit with the good looks and features to justify wearing it all day, every day. It's speedy, helpful and able to go where you can't--or won't--take your smartphone.

TechCrunch's reference to the Series 2 as "the first real Apple Watch" comes from the site's idea that a wearable should be able to accomplish little tasks throughout the day in 1-3 seconds, which the original Apple Watch struggled with due to long app loading times. But thanks to the additional processor speed, and bright display, TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Matthew Panzarino says he has "already found myself using the Watch for interactions more often."

The Apple Watch Series 2 is the first real Apple Watch. It delivers on the promise of a mostly passive device that can accomplish simple tasks in 1-3 seconds. There is now built-in GPS which allows for exercising without having to lug along a comparatively heavy iPhone just to get accurate tracking. And it's completely waterproof, as any decent sport watch should be.

The screen is noticeably brighter now, making text, especially on activity summary screens, much easier to read. Because of the speed and brightness, I have already found myself using the Watch for interactions more often. This had already started happening a bit with Apple's WatchOS 2 update last year, which improved performance significantly, but it's incredibly apparent now with the faster processor.

While a similar fan of the new fitness abilities, The Verge reminded potential buyers that "familiar hassles remain" with Apple Watch Series 2. These include raise to wake not working consistently, troubles with syncing music into the 2 GB of storage, and the consistent fact that you have to charge the Apple Watch every day, particularly if you use it during workouts.

Although these are all qualms that can be dealt with for most people, the site argues that any professional athlete, or someone more serious about fitness, might become frustrated with the device.

But for all of the improvements, some of the hassles from the original Watch remain. Apple still has a lot of work to do. I've noticed the display still doesn't wake every time I raise or twist my wrist, which is annoying. For whatever reason, I've had trouble syncing my iTunes to the Watch, which can support up to 2GB of music.

Finally, the battery life: the new Watch has a bigger battery in it to compensate for the GPS and the brighter display. And it's definitely better than the first Watch: a couple days ago I put the Watch on first thing in the morning, popped the display up to full brightness, went through a day of notifications, used GPS during an hour-long bike ride, and still had 20 percent battery left later that night. But it's still a charge-every-day kind of thing if you work out, which is one of my least favorite aspects of smartwatches.

Early adopters of the Apple Watch Series 2 will be able to check out the wearable device for themselves beginning this Friday, September 16, when it launches to the public. On that day, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will also debut, and so far reviews for the smartphones have generally noted that while the devices might not be essential upgrades, they are nice advancements and form an important foundation for the iPhone's future.

Check out more reviews for the Apple Watch Series 2 at these websites:

- Mashable
- The Independent
- USA Today
- BuzzFeed
- Daring Fireball
- The Loop
- Pocket-lint
- CNET

Article Link: Apple Watch Series 2 Reviews: 'The First Real Apple Watch' Thanks to Fitness and Processor Upgrades

 

[jmh600cbr]

i love my aw1, as someone that works out in a gym, i dont need standalone gps. watchOS 3 is enough of an upgrade to make me happy.

 

[LordQ]

Indeed seems like a great upgrade from Series 1 and I can't wait to get my Series 2 SS, too bad it launches until October 7th in Mexico though.

 

[sdornan]

Anyone spotted any reviews of the Series 1? Curious if the processor upgrade by itself makes much of a difference.

 

[zorinlynx]

I honestly don't understand the point of standalone GPS on the Apple Watch. Why not just use the phone's GPS? I can't see any situation where you'd have your watch but not your phone with you.

 

[simbo123]

I still really want to know if:

• The touch screen is more responsive
• If the heart rate sensor is changed or improved at all
• If the new speaker is any louder
• If the haptic have been improved

 

[maverick2007]

Oversmart watch is killing battery life. I have to wait till Watch series 5 so that apple can fix Watch OS battery leaks. So far happy with my fitbit blaze. I hate charging watch every hour.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I still don't want it. I am sure the world wanted to know.

 

[MacBAir]

Apple will make a killing with these new devices (Airpods, Apple watch, iPhone) but we still want matte black refreshed macbooks.

After seeing what the A10 is capable off, bring a friggin' 80W A-series SoC for the Macbook Pros.

 

[Rogifan]

I find it interesting that Apple got rid of the 'Sport' branding just as they're basically turning the Watch into a fitness device. If you don't swim or run might as well keep series 0 or get a cheaper series 1. I wish Apple would split the line rather than just turning it into a fitness device. I'd rather have a thinner device than GPS or additional water resistance.

 

[SMIDG3T]

I still really want to know if:

• The touch screen is more responsive
• If the heart rate sensor is changed or improved at all
• If the new speaker is any louder
• If the haptic have been improved

The processor will help in that regard so, yes.

No. I read somewhere it's the same.

Not sure.

Yes, feels better apparently, again, can't remember who said that, I've read almost every review so far.

 

[MrGimper]

I honestly don't understand the point of standalone GPS on the Apple Watch. Why not just use the phone's GPS? I can't see any situation where you'd have your watch but not your phone with you.

Swimming the Channel/Atlantic. There's one example

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

I honestly don't understand the point of standalone GPS on the Apple Watch. Why not just use the phone's GPS? I can't see any situation where you'd have your watch but not your phone with you.

Peole who swim, bike, and / or run want this feature.

 

[simbo123]

The processor will help in that regard so, yes.

No. I read somewhere it's the same.

Not sure.

Yes, feels better apparently, again, can't remember who said that, I've read almost every review so far.

Thanks

Im surprised the processor will help with like swiping issue and stuff but i guess better performance is always welcome. I guess for most of my questions to be answered I'll need to wait till people get hands on

 

[nagromme]

Glad it's fast now (Series 1 is the deal!) but what does it actually DO? I was at a loss to come up with more than the following:

TIME
- Quickly and easily customizable (bands, face styles, what info to show)
- Very accurate time with no drift, sets itself, automatic time zone changes/daylight savings, able to display a chosen number of minutes fast while still staying accurate for timed reminders

- Lights itself in the dark when raised, no button needed, automatically dimmer in a dark room
- Nightstand alarm clock mode with large numbers
________________
INFO
- Live weather/radar/hyperlocal rain alerts
- Calendar event reminders (can be totally silent, invisible until you look)

- Breaking news/tweets on chosen topics
- Astronomy info/events
________________
ASSISTANT
- Voice dictation of quick notes
- Timed reminders (feed parking meter) and reminders at locations

- Driving/hiking directions, voice or silent
- Find your parked car
________________
CONTROL
- Play music/podcasts/books
- Movie/TV/presentation remote

- Control computer remotely
- Smart home controller (lights, locks, garage, view security cameras)
________________
PHONE
- Send/receive calls/texts (spoken or handwritten), stickers/doodles, and Facebook/whatever IMs
- Share current location between friends at events or when driving to meet

- Phone camera remote
- Phone finder (and phone can find watch)
________________
HEALTH
- Advanced fitness tracker using heart rate, motion, phone altimeter, GPS
- Automatically adapting goals/rewards

- Reminders to stand and move during desk work
- SOS calls 911 and/or texts your location to family with one button
________________
WALLET
- Apple Pay with existing credit cards
- Electronic flight and event tickets

- Medical alert shows blood type etc. to responders
- Use as ID to unlock computer without password
________________
APPS
- Calculator/tips/conversions
- Detect currently-heard song and display title/lyrics

- Find nearby businesses with ratings
- Amazon product prices/ratings

+ Many other apps, installed automatically for iPhone apps you already have

 

[TimUSCA]

Oversmart watch is killing battery life. I have to wait till Watch series 5 so that apple can fix Watch OS battery leaks. So far happy with my fitbit blaze. I hate charging watch every hour.

Either you clearly haven't spent much time with the Apple Watch or your watch is defective. It's never died on me during the day, often times going from 6am to 2am. Charging daily is the trade off for having significantly more functionality than a fitbit. If that means casually dropping it on the dock while I sleep, then so be it. I've never once considered it an inconvenience, especially since I hate sleeping with a watch on to begin with.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Thanks

Im surprised the processor will help with like swiping issue and stuff but i guess better performance is always welcome. I guess for most of my questions to be answered I'll need to wait till people get hands on

In the videos I've watched, as soon as the app loads you can swipe immediately, no waiting for it all to load.

Apps take no longer than 3 seconds to open FIRST, after that it's almost instant.

 

[TimUSCA]

Glad it's fast now (Series 1 is the deal!) but what does it actually DO? I was at a loss to come up with more than the following:

TIME
- Quickly and easily customizable (bands, face styles, what info to show)
- Very accurate time with no drift, sets itself, automatic time zone changes/daylight savings, able to display a chosen number of minutes fast while still staying accurate for timed reminders

- Lights itself in the dark when raised, no button needed, automatically dimmer in a dark room
- Nightstand alarm clock mode with large numbers
________________
INFO
- Live weather/radar/hyperlocal rain alerts
- Calendar event reminders (can be totally silent, invisible until you look)

- Breaking news/tweets on chosen topics
- Astronomy info/events
________________
ASSISTANT
- Voice dictation of quick notes
- Timed reminders (feed parking meter) and reminders at locations

- Driving/hiking directions, voice or silent
- Find your parked car
________________
CONTROL
- Play music/podcasts/books
- Movie/TV/presentation remote

- Control computer remotely
- Smart home controller (lights, locks, garage, view security cameras)
________________
PHONE
- Send/receive calls and texts and Facebook/Meetup messages
- Share current location between friends at events or when driving to meet

- Phone camera remote
- Phone finder (and phone can find watch)
________________
HEALTH
- Advanced fitness tracker using heart rate, motion, altimeter, GPS
- Automatically adapting goals/rewards

- Reminders to stand and move during desk work
- SOS calls 911 and/or texts your location to family with one button
________________
WALLET
- Apple Pay with existing credit cards
- Electronic flight and event tickets

- Medical alert shows blood type etc. to responders
- Use as ID to unlock computer without password
________________
APPS
- Calculator/tips/conversions
- Detect currently-heard song and display title/lyrics

- Find nearby businesses with ratings
- Amazon product prices/ratings

+ Many other apps, installed automatically for iPhone apps you already have

Is that supposed to be a small list? Because that looks huge to me.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Oversmart watch is killing battery life. I have to wait till Watch series 5 so that apple can fix Watch OS battery leaks. So far happy with my fitbit blaze. I hate charging watch every hour.

"Charging every hour"? Wow. If so, you have a defective battery. Mine has NEVER dropped below 30% since I've had it and I used it a lot.

 

[nagromme]

I find it interesting that Apple got rid of the 'Sport' branding just as they're basically turning the Watch into a fitness device. If you don't swim or run might as well keep series 0 or get a cheaper series 1. I wish Apple would split the line rather than just turning it into a fitness device. I'd rather have a thinner device than GPS or additional water resistance.

They did split the line the way you wanted: the new Series 1 is both faster AND cheaper than the original, being the line with the more limited (still very useful) fitness capability, and without the exact two things you say you don't want.

Series 2 adds those fitness-focused things (GPS and added waterproofing)--plus something that matters more (for me): brighter screen to improve outdoor use.

They still use Sport branding for the fluo bands (and of course the Nike line is a sport-related branding).

Thinness vs. battery life vs. speed (ready for devs to leverage!) is a matter of physics, so there's no free lunch there. But the Apple Watch is till more compact that other full smartwatches, and similar to many mechanicals.

 

[BootsWalking]

My god that thing is ugly. Such a contrast to the beautifully-crafted iPhone.

 

[TimUSCA]

I find it interesting that Apple got rid of the 'Sport' branding just as they're basically turning the Watch into a fitness device. If you don't swim or run might as well keep series 0 or get a cheaper series 1. I wish Apple would split the line rather than just turning it into a fitness device. I'd rather have a thinner device than GPS or additional water resistance.

They got rid of it because the aluminum model now offers a woven nylon band as an option. So now it's "Aluminum with Sport Band" instead of "Apple Watch Sport".
[doublepost=1473863107][/doublepost]

My god that thing is ugly. Such a contrast to the beautifully-crafted iPhone.

To each his own, but I find it to be beautiful. So many people seem to want a round watch, but that's only better when it's displaying an analog clock or when it's off. For using a smartwatch for what it's designed to be used for (reading information), square is always better.

 

[stubbornapple]

Some of my best friends have had an apple watch for a year, and I still can't be convinced to get one. The fitbit does all I need of a wearable device, and will probably end up getting the new fitbit charge 2.

 

[Dwalls90]

i love my aw1, as someone that works out in a gym, i dont need standalone gps. watchOS 3 is enough of an upgrade to make me happy.

Couldn't agree more. I'm always happy to pay up and upgrade my phone annually, but really cannot justify buying the Series 2, as an owner of the original AW.

WatchOS 3 makes the original AW feel much more responsive and usable, which was my real only gripe with the AW from day 1, and it's improved with every software update. I'm glad the Series 2 is even faster, but I don't sit on my AW, opening and closing apps all day, so a dual-core processor isn't earth-moving for me.

Tim Cook said he showered with his original AW when it launched, and I have since done the same, in addition to swimming and getting it soaked. Claiming the Series 2 is now "more waterproof", to make this a selling point, seems a little sly.

I don't understand the purpose of dedicated GPS, probably because I'm not a runner, but it seems like this functionality destroys battery life anyways - not interested.

When it's all said and done, I would have to sell my original AW for about $200 (note: it's stainless steel, so cost me over $600 a year and a half ago), and take more than a $400 loss for a measly few 'upgrades'?

Definitely will hold out for AW2 or Series 3. If Apple wanted to sell more of these, it should have instituted an upgrade program for early adopters. Everyone I know with an original AW isn't even considering upgrading. This is a problem.

 

[cliffster82]

I honestly don't understand the point of standalone GPS on the Apple Watch. Why not just use the phone's GPS? I can't see any situation where you'd have your watch but not your phone with you.

Running. There may be some other situations (swim,hike,walk,etc.), but for a runner having GPS is a life-changer. I can't wait to get this.