Apple Watch - Why, I get it!

[FrankySavvy]

First and foremost, I wear a Watch. So I do not mind having something on my wrist. For those who do, I don't know what to tell you.

Okay, now you can read on.

At the moment, my analog watch is mostly for fashion. I hardly look at it to tell me the time. I do not wear any other jewelry or piercings, so the watch is really that to me. A fashion accessory.....

But I know it could be so much more!

Since I wear a watch that only tells the date and time, I would rather something smarter on my wrist. I am very intrigued by the thought of a smart watch. A dumb watch is really a waste of wrist space.

I pull out my phone to reply to a text message, check the weather, track my calories and set reminders. Pretty much everything. I would love to not have to do that.

The wave of smart watches that came out last year were sort of smart. They did notify there users of text messages, calls, alarms and calendar alerts. They could track your fitness. I was intrigued.

However, Android wear looked very clumsy to use. I hated the flat and cartoon like U.I and I also hated the pane type management. I know the stand-alone fitness trackers were good, but I didn't want to manage another electronic that only did the "fitness" things.

I was seeking that all in one, simple, intuitive experience. A watch that would gently notify me of a text message or news headline. Not with a loud chirp or ring, but a vibration.

I keep my iPhone on vibrate, I hate text message pings and call rings.

I wanted a watch that could track my walks, calories throughout the day. A watch that not only told me the time and date but told me what was on my calendar. A watch I could use as a timer or alarm.A watch that could tell me the temp outside with a simple glance and with a simple tap give me a five day forecast.

As of today to do everything above I need to reach into my pocket, unlock my phone, hit the appropriate app and tap through a set of options. Seems alot for just a few simple tasks. I know.....first world problem.

As of April 24th, 2015 with the Apple Watch I could just lift my wrist, tap or swipe up and use the digital crown to do all the above. No fumbling around in my pocket, no unlocking.

But thats not all. I believe theres an epidemic.

A zombie epidemic, but not the science fiction kind. When you walk down the street what can we see. The blue glow of the faces of smartphone users walking with their head down. Walk into a restaurant, what do we see? A family of four, or a group of friends glued to their smartphone screens.

Maybe they pulled their smartphone out to just take a call, or to check a text message, but then what happens?

They have their phone unlocked and all their lovely tempting apps just staring right at them. They might check Facebook, their twitter feed, Instagram feed, snapchat etc.

Everyone reading this knows what I am talking about!

Now I know what some are saying. The smartwatch is just another gadget that will be notifying you and drawing your attention in all different directions.

But....

If you get a text message on your watch, it just requires a flick of the wrist. It prevents you from pulling your phone out of your pocket. It stops you from being tempted to cycle through all your social media apps.

Like flies to a light, we are drawn to our smartphones, and once they are out, we can't stop starring.

The smartwatch can get us back to life, we can be gently notified of our busy lives right on our wrist, we can go about our day and not have to think about fitness tracking, it will just gently remind us of our progress.

It will be the vaccine to cure the smart-phone zombie epidemic.

This to me is the watch's killer feature and I get it!

The Apple Watch, I believe is the first to do it right. Not the first to do it.

Thanks for listening.

 

[douglasf13]

Nailed it.

 

[FrankySavvy]

Nailed it.

Thank you!

 

[Lloydbm41]

First and foremost, I wear a Watch. So I do not mind having something on my wrist. For those who do, I don't know what to tell you.

Okay, now you can read on.

At the moment, my analog watch is mostly for fashion. I hardly look at it to tell me the time. I do not wear any other jewelry or piercings, so the watch is really that to me. A fashion accessory.....

But I know it could be so much more!

Since I wear a watch that only tells the date and time, I would rather something smarter on my wrist. I am very intrigued by the thought of a smart watch. A dumb watch is really a waste of wrist space.

I pull out my phone to reply to a text message, check the weather, track my calories and set reminders. Pretty much everything. I would love to not have to do that.

The wave of smart watches that came out last year were sort of smart. They did notify there users of text messages, calls, alarms and calendar alerts. They could track your fitness. I was intrigued.

However, Android wear looked very clumsy to use. I hated the flat and cartoon like U.I and I also hated the pane type management. I know the stand-alone fitness trackers were good, but I didn't want to manage another electronic that only did the "fitness" things.

I was seeking that all in one, simple, intuitive experience. A watch that would gently notify me of a text message or news headline. Not with a loud chirp or ring, but a vibration.

I keep my iPhone on vibrate, I hate text message pings and call rings.

I wanted a watch that could track my walks, calories throughout the day. A watch that not only told me the time and date but told me what was on my calendar. A watch I could use as a timer or alarm.A watch that could tell me the temp outside with a simple glance and with a simple tap give me a five day forecast.

As of today to do everything above I need to reach into my pocket, unlock my phone, hit the appropriate app and tap through a set of options. Seems alot for just a few simple tasks. I know.....first world problem.

As of April 24th, 2015 with the Apple Watch I could just lift my wrist, tap or swipe up and use the digital crown to do all the above. No fumbling around in my pocket, no unlocking.

But thats not all. I believe theres an epidemic.

A zombie epidemic, but not the science fiction kind. When you walk down the street what can we see. The blue glow of the faces of smartphone users walking with their head down. Walk into a restaurant, what do we see? A family of four, or a group of friends glued to their smartphone screens.

Maybe they pulled their smartphone out to just take a call, or to check a text message, but then what happens?

They have their phone unlocked and all their lovely tempting apps just staring right at them. They might check Facebook, their twitter feed, Instagram feed, snapchat etc.

Everyone reading this knows what I am talking about!

Now I know what some are saying. The smartwatch is just another gadget that will be notifying you and drawing your attention in all different directions.

But....

If you get a text message on your watch, it just requires a flick of the wrist. It prevents you from pulling your phone out of your pocket. It stops you from being tempted to cycle through all your social media apps.

Like flies to a light, we are drawn to our smartphones, and once they are out, we can't stop starring.

The smartwatch can get us back to life, we can be gently notified of our busy lives right on our wrist, we can go about our day and not have to think about fitness tracking, it will just gently remind us of our progress.

It will be the vaccine to cure the smart-phone zombie epidemic.

This to me is the watch's killer feature and I get it!

The Apple Watch, I believe is the first to do it right. Not the first to do it.

Thanks for listening.

Well, I can tell you that you are wrong. Those of us that already have smartwatches can tell you this. Why? Because the majority of people do not use their smartwatch to type emails, or texts or post updates to social media. Nor is a smartwatch used for media consumption. Some watches do have the ability to do these things, but unless it is a canned response, you aren't going to type to respond on a tiny watch. You also aren't going to surf the web or look at a map on a tiny screen. The phone and the zombies attached to it are here to stay... for now anyway.

P.S. I do look at my notifications on my watch as they come in. Some of the time I can igore the email or text, which saves me from having to pull my phone out. But that is only about 15% of the time.

 

[Zeebedy]

Well said Sir,

I agree, fir instance at my work (local charity shop) I leave my phone in my zipped pocket in the clock room at the back...and to have a device for notifications etc.. at the end of my arm without messing about and back and fourth for an email or text...

man, i can't wait!



RTJ

 

[jafingi]

Great! Which version will you get?

 

[FrankySavvy]

Well, I can tell you that you are wrong. Those of us that already have smartwatches can tell you this. Why? Because the majority of people do not use their smartwatch to type emails, or texts or post updates to social media. Nor is a smartwatch used for media consumption. Some watches do have the ability to do these things, but unless it is a canned response, you aren't going to type to respond on a tiny watch. You also aren't going to surf the web or look at a map on a tiny screen. The phone and the zombies attached to it are here to stay... for now anyway.

P.S. I do look at my notifications on my watch as they come in. Some of the time I can igore the email or text, which saves me from having to pull my phone out. But that is only about 15% of the time.

Even if it saves you that 15% of the time, it has succeeded in saving you time. Time is money.

It also depends on your lifestyle.

I am also not advocating using the watch as a media consumption device, as this is not for what it's intended.

For me, this will save me about 75% of the time.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Zeebedy]

Great! Which version will you get?

I myself, am going to get the Sport SG 42mm with black band. Its reasonably priced and without sounding biased, one of the best looking combos they offer, IMO.



RTJ

 

[FrankySavvy]

Great! Which version will you get?

Apple Watch with Black Sport Band - 42mm

 

[Southern Dad]

I use my Pebble just Lloyd mentioned. It is my quick look at messages and notifications. Look and clear. I check the temp outside and how far I am from my next meeting. A smart watch isn't going to be convenient for sending messages or writing blogs.

 

[Armen]

Excellent Sir.

----------

A smart watch isn't going to be convenient for sending messages or writing blogs.

I have a Pebble watch and dislike that I have to pull our my phone to reply to a text message with a yes, no or Ok because the Pebble has no means to interact with a notification. I'm glad the Apple watch can and that is why I'm getting one because a dummy monitor like the Pebble isn't good enough for me.

 

[jafingi]

Apple Watch with Black Sport Band - 42mm

Great choice! I am choosing the Watch Sport in space grey. Would have loved the Watch Space Black with a sport band, but it's too expensive for me to spend on a first gen watch.

So the Sport it is, and if I like it (I don't wear a watch now), I will buy the steel version when second or third generation comes out

 

[FrankySavvy]

Excellent Sir.

----------



I have a Pebble watch and dislike that I have to pull our my phone to reply to a text message with a yes, no or Ok because the Pebble has no means to interact with a notification. I'm glad the Apple watch can and that is why I'm getting one because a dummy monitor like the Pebble isn't good enough for me.

Thanks!

 

[eagleglen]

Excellent post. And I agree that the synergy with the iPhone is the key to what distinguishes the Apple Watch from other smartwatches.

For me, I had a difficult time choosing between the iPhone 6 and the 6 plus, and have owned both for a couple months each. Where the Plus excels is with media consumption and during extended periods of use; where as the 6 was better suited to single handed use and easier access while on the go. I believe the Apple Watch will greatly reduce the number of times I will have to "somewhat struggle" to remove the Plus from my pocket, when all I need is read a notification, adjust the music playing though my headphones, or set a timer or alam. An even bigger convenience will be not having to get it out to use ApplePay while standing at a register; it's awkward and I always fear dropping it. The Apple Watch will definitely enhance the appeal of owning a lager iPhone, while adding its own functionality, particularly the fitness tracking, at least for me.

 

[KauaiBruce]

Even if it saves you that 15% of the time, it has succeeded in saving you time. Time is money.

It also depends on your lifestyle.

I am also not advocating using the watch as a media consumption device, as this is not for what it's intended.

For me, this will save me about 75% of the time.

Thanks for reading.

I am a concierge and cannot pull my phone out in front of guests. I love that I can glance at my pebble and quickly know if there is something I need to deal with immediately. One time my alarm texted me that the wrong code had been put in so I was able to quickly call home and make sure it was an error before the alarm company called. I avoided the police coming when there was no need. My clients totally understood me grabbing my phone out of my pocket when the alarm went off.

The apple watch also inspired me to look more closely at my notifications. I never realized I can tell it exactly which email accounts to monitor instead of getting spammed from all of them. My messages have cut down a LOT.

 

[fitshaced]

if the purpose of the Apple watch, or smart watch is to move us away from constantly looking at our phones for facebook/twitter updates or to check for new email/text messages, we should recognise that we are letting technology control our habits instead of encouraging us to be more proactive. Smart phones were to make us more productive and time efficient. Yet, we spend more time working than ever. Is the world more productive? Sure, in the sense that companies are growing in valuation and the divide between the rich and the poor is growing faster than ever.

The real fix for smartphone addiction is to apply self discipline and leave it in your pocket. An alert can mostly be ignored until later. If your wife is pregnant, she's not going to tell you via facebook that sh'e gone into labour. If your boss needs you to drop everything and get back to the office, he can forgive the occasional missed call. Somethings don't need to be 'fixed'. Somethings need to go back the way they were.

There is a big importance in the mobile phone. Being contactable or being able to contact others at any time really makes a difference. But, most of everything else offered by a smart phone is just frills that make Apple the richest company ever and Google/Samsung their competitors for your 'disposable' income. Enjoy your money, but don't give yourself gadget fatigue. Things you 'need' should be determined by you.

It's too easy to buy into the latest tools for this era and make a use case for them. You need to have silent alerts on your wrist, you need to have the lightest laptop, you need to have a tv with the thinest bezel, you need to have connectivity everywhere. You need some of that, you want the rest until you have it and realise it's more gimmick than useful.

If everyone focussed more on what they need and spent far less on refreshing their phone every 1-2 years or things like that, we'd realise that we helped create the massive problem that would become Apple. They would plummet and create a massive employment problem for us. They grew too big on the expectancy that you and I would continue to buy their products excessively.

 

[FrankySavvy]

Excellent post. And I agree that the synergy with the iPhone is the key to what distinguishes the Apple Watch from other smartwatches.

For me, I had a difficult time choosing between the iPhone 6 and the 6 plus, and have owned both for a couple months each. Where the Plus excels is with media consumption and during extended periods of use; where as the 6 was better suited to single handed use and easier access while on the go. I believe the Apple Watch will greatly reduce the number of times I will have to "somewhat struggle" to remove the Plus from my pocket, when all I need is read a notification, adjust the music playing though my headphones, or set a timer or alam. An even bigger convenience will be not having to get it out to use ApplePay while standing at a register; it's awkward and I always fear dropping it. The Apple Watch will definitely enhance the appeal of owning a lager iPhone, while adding its own functionality, particularly the fitness tracking, at least for me.

Very well said!

 

[douglasf13]

if the purpose of the Apple watch, or smart watch is to move us away from constantly looking at our phones for facebook/twitter updates or to check for new email/text messages, we should recognise that we are letting technology control our habits instead of encouraging us to be more proactive. Smart phones were to make us more productive and time efficient. Yet, we spend more time working than ever. Is the world more productive? Sure, in the sense that companies are growing in valuation and the divide between the rich and the poor is growing faster than ever.

The real fix for smartphone addiction is to apply self discipline and leave it in your pocket. An alert can mostly be ignored until later. If your wife is pregnant, she's not going to tell you via facebook that sh'e gone into labour. If your boss needs you to drop everything and get back to the office, he can forgive the occasional missed call. Somethings don't need to be 'fixed'. Somethings need to go back the way they were.

There is a big importance in the mobile phone. Being contactable or being able to contact others at any time really makes a difference. But, most of everything else offered by a smart phone is just frills that make Apple the richest company ever and Google/Samsung their competitors for your 'disposable' income. Enjoy your money, but don't give yourself gadget fatigue. Things you 'need' should be determined by you.

It's too easy to buy into the latest tools for this era and make a use case for them. You need to have silent alerts on your wrist, you need to have the lightest laptop, you need to have a tv with the thinest bezel, you need to have connectivity everywhere. You need some of that, you want the rest until you have it and realise it's more gimmick than useful.

If everyone focussed more on what they need and spent far less on refreshing their phone every 1-2 years or things like that, we'd realise that we helped create the massive problem that would become Apple. They would plummet and create a massive employment problem for us. They grew too big on the expectancy that you and I would continue to buy their products excessively.

Maybe for you, but, as a business owner, my life is much less structured than that, and notifications on my wrist actually frees me up to worry less and waste time on my phone less. Part of the reason that my business was successful in the first place is that I value figuring out ways to save time or streamline things.

 

[FrankySavvy]

if the purpose of the Apple watch, or smart watch is to move us away from constantly looking at our phones for facebook/twitter updates or to check for new email/text messages, we should recognise that we are letting technology control our habits instead of encouraging us to be more proactive. Smart phones were to make us more productive and time efficient. Yet, we spend more time working than ever. Is the world more productive? Sure, in the sense that companies are growing in valuation and the divide between the rich and the poor is growing faster than ever.

The real fix for smartphone addiction is to apply self discipline and leave it in your pocket. An alert can mostly be ignored until later. If your wife is pregnant, she's not going to tell you via facebook that sh'e gone into labour. If your boss needs you to drop everything and get back to the office, he can forgive the occasional missed call. Somethings don't need to be 'fixed'. Somethings need to go back the way they were.

There is a big importance in the mobile phone. Being contactable or being able to contact others at any time really makes a difference. But, most of everything else offered by a smart phone is just frills that make Apple the richest company ever and Google/Samsung their competitors for your 'disposable' income. Enjoy your money, but don't give yourself gadget fatigue. Things you 'need' should be determined by you.

It's too easy to buy into the latest tools for this era and make a use case for them. You need to have silent alerts on your wrist, you need to have the lightest laptop, you need to have a tv with the thinest bezel, you need to have connectivity everywhere. You need some of that, you want the rest until you have it and realise it's more gimmick than useful.

If everyone focussed more on what they need and spent far less on refreshing their phone every 1-2 years or things like that, we'd realise that we helped create the massive problem that would become Apple. They would plummet and create a massive employment problem for us. They grew too big on the expectancy that you and I would continue to buy their products excessively.

So I guess you won't be getting the watch?

 

[fitshaced]

Maybe for you, but, as a business owner, my life is much less structured than that, and notifications on my wrist actually frees me up to worry less and waste time on my phone less. Part of the reason that my business was successful in the first place is that I value figuring out ways to save time or streamline things.

But that problem was already solved for you before the Apple watch. As a business owner, would a Pebble not make more sense? It's cheaper and offers notifications. Why waste more money on a frilly smart watch? Is that good business sense?

----------

So I guess you won't be getting the watch?

Correct.

 

[douglasf13]

But that problem was already solved for you before the Apple watch. As a business owner, would a Pebble not make more sense? It's cheaper and offers notifications. Why waste more money on a frilly smart watch? Is that good business sense?.

I had one. It sucked. It dropped connection all the time, it didn't allow even canned responses to texts, and it was ugly and made like a bargain bin watch. As usual, Apple products work best in a Apple ecosystem.

Price is relative. Honestly, the $1100 I'm about to drop on the Apple Watch isn't much of a big deal to me, I own a business, and I have no debt. I'll could sell one mechanical watch and it will more than cover the cost. You don't need to question my business decisions.

 

[fitshaced]

I had one. It sucked. It dropped connection all the time, it didn't allow even canned responses to texts, and it was ugly and made like bargain bin watch. As usual, Apple products work best in a Apple ecosystem.

But there is no proof that the Apple watch will work better, yet. Plus, the look of the Pebble watch doesn't really fit into your business requirement. Unless you believe it makes you look like a poor salesman to your clients. There are other cheaper options to the Apple Watch though but glances on a wrist doesn't save you much time and would actually make you look distracted in a meeting just like looking at a phone would. People feel like they need to rush or move on if the person they are speaking with is checking their watch.

If you need to respond to messages, you're most likely going to do that on the phone (which you will need to have on you anyway).

 

[FrankySavvy]

I had one. It sucked. It dropped connection all the time, it didn't allow even canned responses to texts, and it was ugly and made like a bargain bin watch. As usual, Apple products work best in a Apple ecosystem.

Price is relative. Honestly, the $1100 I'm about to drop on the Apple Watch isn't much of a big deal to me, I own a business, and I have no debt. I'll could sell one mechanical watch and it will more than cover the cost. You don't need to question my business decisions.

There's a watch for everyone, I hate when people complain that $350 is alot for the apple watch, its a great price point when a Moto 360 is around $300. Plus, $350 will get you the same watch as the guy who bought the $10000 gold edition.

 

[Supermallet]

if the purpose of the Apple watch, or smart watch is to move us away from constantly looking at our phones for facebook/twitter updates or to check for new email/text messages, we should recognise that we are letting technology control our habits instead of encouraging us to be more proactive. Smart phones were to make us more productive and time efficient. Yet, we spend more time working than ever. Is the world more productive? Sure, in the sense that companies are growing in valuation and the divide between the rich and the poor is growing faster than ever.

The real fix for smartphone addiction is to apply self discipline and leave it in your pocket. An alert can mostly be ignored until later. If your wife is pregnant, she's not going to tell you via facebook that sh'e gone into labour. If your boss needs you to drop everything and get back to the office, he can forgive the occasional missed call. Somethings don't need to be 'fixed'. Somethings need to go back the way they were.

There is a big importance in the mobile phone. Being contactable or being able to contact others at any time really makes a difference. But, most of everything else offered by a smart phone is just frills that make Apple the richest company ever and Google/Samsung their competitors for your 'disposable' income. Enjoy your money, but don't give yourself gadget fatigue. Things you 'need' should be determined by you.

It's too easy to buy into the latest tools for this era and make a use case for them. You need to have silent alerts on your wrist, you need to have the lightest laptop, you need to have a tv with the thinest bezel, you need to have connectivity everywhere. You need some of that, you want the rest until you have it and realise it's more gimmick than useful.

If everyone focussed more on what they need and spent far less on refreshing their phone every 1-2 years or things like that, we'd realise that we helped create the massive problem that would become Apple. They would plummet and create a massive employment problem for us. They grew too big on the expectancy that you and I would continue to buy their products excessively.

I don't think Apple wants you to use your phone less. I think they want you to be locked wholly into their ecosystem, and the watch is another avenue for that.

And you know what? It'll probably work. I can already imagine planning a trip and getting my ticket in my passbook, which is on my watch. Then getting to the hotel and checking in through the watch, with the watch also acting as my key to unlock the door. Is any of that necessary? No, but it's damn cool and will be very convenient. And it's an experience I can only get in Apple's ecosystem.

 

[douglasf13]

But there is no proof that the Apple watch will work better, yet. Plus, the look of the Pebble watch doesn't really fit into your business requirement. Unless you believe it makes you look like a poor salesman to your clients. There are other cheaper options to the Apple Watch though but glances on a wrist doesn't save you much time and would actually make you look distracted in a meeting just like looking at a phone would. People feel like they need to rush or move on if the person they are speaking with is checking their watch.

If you need to respond to messages, you're most likely going to do that on the phone (which you will need to have on you anyway).

You obviously have no idea what it's like to work in TV production, so please don't infer what my clients expect or perceive, or give me business advice, unless you're Tim Cook trolling. :roll eyes:

The bottom line is, I want some of the features of a smart watch, I want it to work well with my iPhone, and, as a watch collector, I want it to be well made. The Apple Watch is all there is that meets that criteria, and I don't mind spending a grand on one.