Hands-On First Impressions of the New Apple Watch

[Medic311]

The kool aid you're drinking man...get that tin foil ready!

no he's right. the Koreans are well known for not only copying, but going into overdrive development mode just to get something out for the sake of getting it out. they'll throw in all sorts of bells and whistles, none of which work very well and some that don't even work at all. that is what they do, the Koreans. they copy. along with the Chinese. i'm not being racist, i'm stating the facts. the Koreans did it with Hyundai, and they did it with Samsung. once the Chinese have an established smartphone brand, count them in too. all they do is copy copy copy and that is speaking from a little over a decade of product development experience directly working with a Chinese supplier. we caught them trying to copy our stuff and they play it off as they were trying to work on a new design for us. we ditched them and went to another company. but over there in China, they are all the same and the "people's republic of china" protects them. we cry communism that obama bailed out GM, yet we are perfectly content with Chinese manipulation. i don't get it

Apple would have invented this category as they did with previous categories, if it wasn't for the rumors that Samsung and other reacted to. if Apple ever wants to invent a new category, they need to eliminate the rumors and eliminate the leaks. they need to ditch Samsung and its associated partners as parts supplier and become completely independent. otherwise, Apple will always be late to the game on everything even if they came up with the idea years prior

 

[liven2]

To top it off, Apple made the most un-Apple move and previewed without releasing. Yeah, they did it with the Mac Pro, but that was a professional level device which sales were not dependant on hype, but instead relied on a solid base of tested and supported apps, which the lead-time allowed for. This watch is a consumer product, and Apple have taken a (bad) page out of all other tech companies' books and previewed miles before the release. To top it off, nothing irritates me, and I'm sure others, more than when a company says "Spring 2015" and releases on the last day of the season, it just looks bad and Apple made that error with the thin iMacs and the Mac Pro; I fear they will do it here too.

UM NO!... Almost all "new major product" announcements have come out many months before being released. Please do you homework before spewing ill-informed statements. For example: The iPad and original iPhone all were shown up to 6 months prior. One is because they need to give developers time to develop for them. Two it is a new product category and takes time to get it right. ...

This will be huge and all negativity on here is amazing. Is was exactly the same thing when the iPhone came out and the iPad. People were announcing in droves how ugly they were, how they would fail, how Apple got it wrong and so much more. I can confidently say everyone saying this about the Apple Watch will be proven wrong... If you doubt me then just spend 10 min doing a google search of past history around the announcement of those products and you will see they were all claimed to fail.

 

[yaxomoxay]

seems everyone is having menstruations today, one way or another.

Watch will sell, and it will sell good. Watch 2 will sell even better, with a lot new functionalities.

 

[b0nd18t]

i will most likely wait for a redesign in both hardware and software. Apple got it as wrong as Samsung and LG. I honestly think the technological limitations are holding back smart watches right now, how else could they all be failing so hard? Moto 360 was the closest, if not for its half day battery life.

 

[Mitch1960]

Yes it will sale because it's an Apple product.
However, I can see the street mugging rate increases stacking up.
It also reminds me of looking like a modern version of a 1977 Sinclair watch calculator but made by Swatch.
I think the apple design team has lost a lot of its earlier innovation and need a refresh.

 

[hackjo]

That Moto360 is actually very nice.

As to Apple Watch - I like the look of it. Give it time. Ultimately the market will decide.

Here's some pearls of wisdom from Jobs around the time the iPad was launched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-xohGtbiaI

 

[chumpy34]

steve jobs died again today

Please explain the features it's lacking and once you do so, how these would work from a technological aspect, how they would fit into the design you prefer and what else you think is wrong with it? Talk is cheap.

 

[bpfesq]

I'm not sold, but the video demos look pretty cool. I just can't get over how thick it is. Sure, that'll get better with time. I think the dial is pretty slick. I see a lot of potential here. The tap idea is cool. How many times have you been out and about and need to get someone's attention covertly, or in a loud room from afar?

For those complaining about the delayed release--this was done on purpose. The key to this device will be apps. Developers can't release apps on a device that nobody knows about. They HAD to announce this first and then release it later.

Big questions:

(1) how good will the HR monitor be? EVERY heart rate monitor in the form of a watch is absolutely horrible. I'll be interested to see if they go this right.

(2) how accurate with the calorie burn monitor be? If this thing continually tracks your HR and you just input your physical attributes, i don't see how this will be anything better than a decent guess. Everyone's metabolism is different--and i'm not sure we have the technology to determine calorie burn with any degree of accuracy.

(3) how well will this track activities other than running/biking/walking. I don't do those things--i lift, do plyo and other activities in the gym. Current devices are horrible at measuring anything other than typical running/biking/etc. activities. The videos DO seem to show tracking people doing burpees, etc.--which is encouraging. We will see how well it works.

(4) What about sleep tracking? And if it does track sleep, when do you charge it?

(5) battery and charge time are obvious open questions.

(6) HOW tethered to your phone are you? Can i work out without having my phone with me? I'd really like to have it store some limited amount of data and hold it until i reunite with my iphone an hour or two later.


I think it is a decent start. Apps will determine the fate of this product. Not everyone is into fitness tracking like i am--so the developers better get creative. It's gotta get thinner. In the end, my bet is that the naysayers will be proven wrong. We all saw what horrible prognosticators they were when they were ripping the "maxipad" for being a useless device. We shall see...

 

[inscrewtable]

I must say, that I am really enjoying the hate. It makes me smile because although I don't wear body furniture, I can see, against all my previous expectations that this watch is going to be absolutely monumental. It will be every bit as big as the iPod, iPad, and iPhone. And that is because people will buy it because it's brilliant.

 

[The Barron]

Lots of people will.

This thing is gimmicky.
Who the hell is gonna draw on that tiny screen?
Who's gonna send 3 taps to message to someone else that they are out?
Why not just use a phone and call or text someone?

Who would have imagined just 10 years ago people would actually send a text message to a person rather than just call the person. OMG!

Things change. I say do not buy the Apple Watch until you're ready to take the next step in technology. Better yet, maybe stop texting & just call people & leave a message. Innovative, I know.

Go Apple! Things always get better with each revision. Just look at the original Corvette compared to the 2015, to the Mac computer, the...

 

[chumpy34]

.


I can NOT believe how cheap that thing looks.

Especially after:

1. Jony I've says: watch out Switzerland (hahaha)
2. They hire the Burberry lady

I was actually expecting a beautifully designed, iconic watch... not even close.

Cheap? The folks who have seen them in person all say how well they are made and constructed. So wtf are you talking about?

 

[iPadCary]

Incidently, to those who point out that fans, like me, who are smashing this POS
are so wrong because professionals, like Verge/Engadget/Gizmodo/etc.,
are praising it, should remember that it's those self-same professionals who have
a vested interest in kissing Apple's ass so they can stay on the Apple Event® invite list
and get pre-release "review" hardware to play with.

 

[allanfries]

Meeh! Have many watches that I never wear, so for me nope, nada, Pass.

 

[spinedoc77]

So weird, I can't navigate to page 4 of this thread. Macrumors time to change the hamsters?

 

[chrisbru]

What if you have to have your arm in the same position, like while riding a bicycle or motorcycle?



With sunglasses? I don't know about you, but I very often have sunglasses on in a bright sunny day, and I won't like having to take them off just to see what time it is.

I assume the display will stay on if you're in an app, or there will be a setting to allow the app to stay on if you are in motion or something.

And yes, with sunglasses on. Is your vision poor? I have polarized sunglasses, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[nagromme]

It has to be paired with an iPhone. How close? A room or two away? When you leave your phone at home?

Good question. I assume Bluetooth range? In my experience that's a few feet.

But it does have SOME standalone functionality too (and obviously telling time!) because Apple's site mentions that you can listen to your music on it (Bluetooth headphones?) even when you leave your phone home for a run. (It must have storage in order to have apps, so apparently it can store music too. And probably photos--not all need to be on your phone and streamed in.) I'd also assume it can still give you timed reminders/alarms, and track your exercise when away from the phone (and the re-connect later to sync the data automatically).

So for athletic/exercise/water activity, it does sound like it would have some value without your iPhone being present.

Of course, Apple's got a few months to answer two important questions that they may even still be working on:

- Battery life? Must be AT LEAST a full day (not 9-12 hours which some companies call a "day") in spite of Apple's huge battery disadvantage: this thing does so much more than the competition, that people will actually be USING it.

- Can you see it in sunlight?

 

[chumpy34]

You'd have to be a real tool to wear that thing. Fugly.

I guess there will be millions of "tools" wearing these things then....Beautiful in my opinion.

 

[MrX8503]

I admit that the Moto360 looks better, but it doesn't do health and it has a 4-5yr old processor in it. The iWatch also has a sapphire glass cover.

 

[MacFinnley]

I just can't believe that everyone says how cheap it looks. Did anybody see the same product? It looks very impressive and polished.

 

[Keirasplace]

(6) HOW tethered to your phone are you? Can i work out without having my phone with me? I'd really like to have it store some limited amount of data and hold it until i reunite with my iphone an hour or two later.


I think it is a decent start. Apps will determine the fate of this product. Not everyone is into fitness tracking like i am--so the developers better get creative. It's gotta get thinner. In the end, my bet is that the naysayers will be proven wrong. We all saw what horrible prognosticators they were when they were ripping the "maxipad" for being a useless device. We shall see...

I'm betting some functions don't need the phone and some do. GPS need to phone since there's none on this. But, it surely can collect its sensor data and show it to you without the phone.

 

[ellsworth]

I also feel that Apple are just jumping on the band-wagon. Samsung has a smart watch, Motorola has a smart watch. Google are releasing one.... So Apple are just filling the gap.

It's cool. But not for $350.

Bandwagon? The only reason those other companies came out with their crappy watches (except for Google's Gear Watch) is because they were fully aware that Apple was working on this watch for quite some-time now.

I'm curious to see how this Apple Watch performs outside in bright situations.
Also, Apple should have considered using/barrowing Citizen's Eco-Drive technology or some type of solar charging feature.

Also, what's the range between the Apple Watch and the iPhone. Can I be in the John while my phone is outside in the car? What's the connectivity? Bluetooth? Wifi? Unicorn Breath?

I didn't see/hear anything about storage for the Apple Watch which means Health stats won't be stored on the phone but rather an iphone app? I'm also curious to know how functional this watch is without owning an iphone.

 

[cdmoore74]

I already have a few concerns:

There is a dial that you have to twist. Too much interaction. I would have to use 3 fingers on my right hand to twist. Twisting with 3 fingers is harder vs one finger tap or flick.
Left hand individuals are screwed.
Then you have a button right below the dial which is not needed in my opinion.
Next you have another button press with the dial.
Then you have the touchscreen which should have been the sole way to navigate. I do like the light touch and heavy touch which should have been the primary interaction.

That's just the freaking navigation.

The OS looks like a qlusterfuk from the home page. A bunch of floating dots and then you use the wheel to magnify. It reminds me of playstation vita.
Navigation looks confusing.
I also noticed lag in the verge hands on. It just sat there for a second or two after tapping the screen.
No mention of battery life.

Out the box it looks like Android wear is faster with just one finger navigation. And with multiple watches at different price points I'm not sure if Apple will beat Android in the watch arena. Android wear can be used on round and square watch faces. And Google still has a good 3 to 6 months to fine tune Android Wear. Apple is giving the competition too much of a head start. 6 months from now we could have a Motorola 360 killer.

 

[chabig]

$299... maybe. $349 ? Nope...

If it cost $299, you'd say, "249 maybe, $299 nope".

 

[chumpy34]

I thought with all the hype they had pulled something major off. But this looks laughable. The only thing funnier are the mac journalists trying to find something nice to say.

What were ives and cook thinking?

Haters will hate. I will be laughing as this thing takes off and sells millions of units and becomes the ones of the hottest selling Apple products...

 

[Kwstas]

Some people compare iPhone and iPad to Apple Watch. Big mistake.

iPhone and iPad where truly innovative because they they offered plenty of screen space, easy interface and lots of applications in a relative small device.

Apple watch is the opposite. Small screen, few apps (because of the useless tiny screen) in a bulky rectangle device that is not so important as a phone or a super mobile computer (what is a tablet).

The usability of this thing is far worse to your $5 hands-free earpiece.

Apple is going to fall.