Hands-On First Impressions of the New Apple Watch

[Dontazemebro]

What is interesting is the Every Single Concept Mockup that all the 'designers' presented to show off their skills, were *exactly* what Cook said they did not want to do and that was take an iPhone, shrink it down and stick it on your wrist.

Once again Apple have come up with solutions that nobody else thought of and once you see them you think, 'how obvious'. That is the hallmark of genius design.

Yet they're mostly gimmicks and unnecessary. Had this been any other company, people would be pointing out how useless and trivial the features are. Now because it's Apple, it's the hallmark of design genius. I mean really, let's call a spade a spade.

 

[Keirasplace]

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.

Right.. Its all a conspiracy... Maybe Apple sells tin foil with a nice logo on it, just for you.

 

[spinedoc77]

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...

Sad to say, but you are 100% correct. This atrocity will fly off the shelves and make Apple billions.

 

[Trapezoid]

My thoughts, I think it's too expensive. I'm sure it looks great in person, I'm sure it'll be better than any watch out there, and I'm sure it'll sell like hotcakes. The other thing I noticed is its not left handed friendly. As a left hander I'm offended lol

 

[tjl3]

Compared to this, what do you guys think of the UI comparison. is it night and day?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFi-QpuZfXs

Image

Surprisingly, the companies reversed their roles. Moto releases a very sleek device. Apple releases the one w/ more features and utility...

 

[cdmoore74]

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.

It appears that the cheaper Apple Watch will not have Sapphire glass. Look at the Watch sport. It says Strengthened Ion-X glass. What ever that is.

http://www.apple.com/watch/overview/

I can only imagine how much the other 2 will cost.

 

[kappaknight]

Much better device than I'd hoped. Can't wait to see what third parties do with this.

Dark Sky, Clear, and a great podcast controller for starters. A tip calculator and Shazam (or the like) would not go amiss. But the stuff nobody has even THOUGHT of yet that's exciting.

For input we have:

- Touchscreen swipes, scrolling and taps

- Screen presses

- A wheel for scrolling and zooming and cycling options

- A button (well, two, but I'm assuming a press on the wheel is entirely OS-controlled)

- Voice mic

- Proximity sensor (since it can silence a call by putting your hand over it)

- Tilt control (not sure about a magnetometer?)

- Heart rate monitor

- GPS relayed from the phone

- Notifications relayed from the phone, with custom actions and "glance" panels

- Live camera view relayed from the phone

And for output we have:

- Screen that doesn't need a "shake" gesture (but sadly can't be "always on"--that's physics for you) and doesn't cut off the useful display corners for the novelty of "nearly round"

- Speaker

- Silent haptic taps in different patterns (you can tell who a message is from) with no annoying audible buzz

- Round trip back to the phone: automatically bring up the same email (or whatever) you were already looking at.


That's a lot for devs to work with. Throw in 34 different watch models at launch (not counting third-party bands) and I'd say we have a winner. Even if I myself would rather wait until generation 2. Everything new gets better--and cheaper--with time!

Actually one of my questions is - in order for the watch to track your workout, would you have to run with your phone too? That'd be an interesting thing to clear up.

 

[3282868]

Just my personal take, I'd rather the one on the left.

 

[winston1236]

This looks like a concept design. For a digital watch from 10 years ago. Seriously disappointed in how bad this watch looks.

 

[Keirasplace]

Actually one of my questions is - in order for the watch to track your workout, would you have to run with your phone too? That'd be an interesting thing to clear up.

Seemingly its cleared up on the web site (from someone uptread) and no you don't need to run with your phone unless you want GPS tracking.

 

[Gritzo]

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.

Agreed...needs more time and development.

 

[nagromme]

However, I can see the street mugging rate increases stacking up.

Thieves can probably sell a NON-smartwatch (expensive and popular for centuries) more easily than one of these (which needs an AppleID, iPhone and the charger to be useful). Both would be a target of course, so be safe! You don't want to flash your valuables--or even your phone--in many places.

Actually one of my questions is - in order for the watch to track your workout, would you have to run with your phone too? That'd be an interesting thing to clear up.

I'm assuming not, because it has (some of) those sensors built in, and because it's designed to do SOME things (Apple mentions music whils jogging) when your phone is left behind at home. So I'm assuming the phone wouldn't be needed for exercise tracking either. (Although if you do have it with you, you'd have extra benefits such as GPS and communication.)

 

[Qfic]

Disappointed

The shape of this thing is awful. It looks like a bulbous version of the Galaxy watch. Not what I expected from who I consider to be one of the best design artists in the world. When I think of a watch I think of an elegant piece of jewelry and I'm sorry, that it is not. A circular shape goes a long way to recreating this experience and I wish I could combine the Moto360 form with the software of Apple.

The watch will undoubtedly sell as there are plenty of Apple 'enthusiasts' to take the first plunge, but there is no way this will be replacing my beautiful swiss watches. Poorly envisioned design IMHO.

 

[mikerr]

One of the few times the fake mock-ups have looked better than the release:

 

[chabig]

Apple probably should've just let this one go. It's a stupid product category to begin with.

Yep. It's right up there with the iPad, which we all know is just a big iPod Touch.

 

[winston1236]

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.

Fail? No, but this watch will. I predict a total redesign to be released within a year.

 

[Keirasplace]

It appears that the cheaper Apple Watch will not have Sapphire glass. Look at the Watch sport. It says Strengthened Ion-X glass. What ever that is.

http://www.apple.com/watch/overview/

I can only imagine how much the other 2 will cost.

Its the same glass reinforcement as in the current Iphone. But, of course, you could have looked it up hey! It is harder to shatter and a newish techonology.

 

[HKPDW]

I cant belive how many ignorant and disrespectful morons there are in this forum.

Please, everybody read your own posts again, think about what are you saying, think again and edit your ********.

It looks like an over-priced POS...

How's that?

 

[apolloa]

I don't think I have EVER seen someone go into soooo much detail about a rubber watch strap!

I think that sums APPLE Watch up really....

 

[Gritzo]

It appears that the cheaper Apple Watch will not have Sapphire glass. Look at the Watch sport. It says Strengthened Ion-X glass. What ever that is.

http://www.apple.com/watch/overview/

I can only imagine how much the other 2 will cost.

Sapphire coated! What does that even mean?

 

[iPadCary]

Haters will hate.

For the love of God, will you PLEASE stop with the "haters" nonsense.
What are you, 12? EVERYTHING must be loved & "amazing"?!?

I've been an Apple guy since the Ben Franklin ads in Omni and I wanted so much for this to be an instabuy.
But it's ugly, non-intuitive, overpriced AND IT NEEDS A PHONE TO WORK.
This is a massive fail across the board.
As was stated beautifully earlier: if you didn't tell me that this was an Apple product, I'd've never known it.

Unless it changes to a standalone device in future versions, if there are future versions,
and the crown & "friends" button are gotten rid of so it's taptic enabled only,
then I see this as Tim Cook's albatross/epitaph.

 

[jfischer]

I think it looks alright, I'd definitely consider getting one if only as a fitness tracker.
Pity there isn't a left handed version though.

You don't suppose that you will be be able to simply flip it around 180 degrees and have the buttons on the left? Should work OK.

 

[Keirasplace]

Surprisingly, the companies reversed their roles. Moto releases a very sleek device. Apple releases the one w/ more features and utility...

A sleek (debatable) design with crud function. You do need both.

 

[lewisd25]

Ok. Initial thoughts:

- I wish it was circular.

- I love the quality of materials, but the overall design is too feminine. I would have preferred if the 42mm case had harder lines, less curves.

- Disappointed in the lack of health sensors, I was hoping for more than just heart rate monitoring, and motion. Sleep sensing??

- The home screen is WAY too crowded.

- Tap communication has potential, but drawing messages screams Nintendo/Fisher Price

- The included watch faces leave much to be desired. I hope third party developers will be allowed to create new ones and release them on the App Store. Perhaps that fellow who designed the Moto 360 watch face could make one....

Despite my first impressions, I'll keep an open mind. I will probably buy one for the gym, but I won't be selling my other analog timepieces anytime soon.

 

[chumpy34]

Hilarious posts. All of you armchair inventors and industrial designers who spew ridiculous comments about the Apple Watch but have never seen one in person, barely know how it works since it's only just been released, and compare it to all of the rumored renders that were never even a possibility since some were as flat a piece of cardboard. Why not "wait on the hate" until you can actually go test one out and see it in person.

And, I bet, 80% of you will own one come early next year.