I Apple, but not my Apple Watch

[kinster]

As much as I love apple. I gotta give props to Microsoft. They have been trying and succeeding after they got a new CEO. The last one was an idiot. They are making some great stuff lately. Their new holographic computer sounds awesome! Even tho I would never buy their surface tablets because they are so heavy. The latest models are great tablets/laptops for business or college students.
In the end. It's all good for the consumers. More competition drives more innovation.

Hope you're not slagging off Balmer. He was a class act.

 

[ZombiePete]

Hope you're not slagging off Balmer. He was a class act.

He is missed.

 

[gijoeinla]

After 9 days of living with it I am beginning to turn more pessimistic. In the real world the thing just doesn't work as advertised. It's so slow, awkward, and inconsistent that it becomes an added nuisance instead of a convenience. I love the promise of what it can do but the execution is poor, to me at least.

I'll probably keep it as I hope software updates will fix a lot of the issues, but I'm beginning to think that V1 of the watch isn't going to improve dramatically. I am shocked at times that Apple released it in it's current form. How could they not see the same issues after years of development and testing?

My biggest gripe is Siri and voice dictation. So often nothing happens, just sits there doing nothing, and multiple attempts are needed to send a simple text. The screen then starts shutting off to save battery and has to be awakened again. Terrible.

I tried making a phone call today on my home wifi, the phone was upstairs and I was downstairs, and it took multiple attempts to do it through voice dictation. This is one of the main reasons I bought the watch, so I wouldn't have to lug the 6 Plus everywhere. What's the point if I can't make a simple phone call?

The 3rd party sports apps are terrible. All I want is to be able to check a quick score without taking out the phone. The Score wouldn't even load, I had to remove it from glances. ESPN requires multiple taps to refresh the scores of my favorite teams. By default it will open up to the score of whenever I last used the app. At this point grabbing my phone and swiping down to the widget is faster and less frustrating.

I could go on, but the point is that Apple has a lot of work to do. For me right now the watch is only useful for the watch faces and fitness aspects (I'm a casual fitness person and the HRM and workout app I find quite good). Is that worth the $600 I paid? I'm afraid not. I want to love this thing but it's just not there yet. I couldn't recommend it to anyone who is not a hard core Apple enthusiast, which is almost everyone in the general public.

Oh ok. So the fact you receive phone calls, texts, voicemail, "I" could go on and on to call you out on your post being BS.

I've had mine a week and while there's some issues - what device doesn't have any? Name one. As an eeat adopter I'm actually VERY impressed how well it DOES function and how many settings it offers. In fact I really believe the watch is TOO ADVANCED for its first generation.

Funny you don't even touch on Siri on your watch. The accuracy is ten times better on the watch than the phone - widely reported. And the speaker phone - the quality is amazing and works better than advertised.

Bottom line you sound like a Same-song shill.

Oh -- you forgot to POINT OUT about the MAPS feature. When you add a location to your MAPS app on the phone - the watch automatically and perfectly alerts you to your path and it too WORKS AS ADVERTISED.

----------

Yes he would have.

That is the problem with todays Apple. It's only about squeezing every last dime out of a product for the shareholder. Apple was something when it was Apple Computer. Now as Apple Inc we have started down the slippery slope of gadget maker.

Kudos for having the balls (gender assumption) to post this. Don't feel anything toward the hordes of Hipster Watchaphobes in here. Most carry a mirror to watch themselves taking selfies of their AW, being stimulated at others staring at them while they hold their AW up to a Coke Machine, and wearing sleeveless shirts.

Those who hoped it would actually be something to increase their productivity, quality of life, or worth the money have either returned it or are waiting for V2. Something that can run without having to own another Apple product.

Of course with the current race back to proprietary everything, we know how that will go.

There are tens of millions who have been dreading this point after Steve passed. Be strong. Everything eventually comes full circle.

Oh ok. It's not like the computing market, the telecommunications market, and the content distribution channels having changed 20 fold in recent years. I mean what the hell are you talking about ? The Steve Jobs of today would in NO WAY be able to just sit there and ignore the constant iterations happening with Apples COMPETITORS .. While I'm a 26 year Apple Customer and forever grateful to Steve Jobs Apple was TOO SLOW in reacting to changes in the marketplace because of his leadership - that's a fact. LONG gone are the days of "dreaming" of product exclusivity and dominance for years to come. It's now down to months. Get a grip things have dramatically changed and so should your thinking. I'm thrilled that finally -- finally Apple is getting its head out of the sand and improving its ****** service businesses that were an utter embarrassment. That's a factiod

 

[Zeos]

I think Apple is on the right path. A very personal device that helps you help yourself. This first iteration is ok, but not amazing. However, I do see the potential long term.

I will be returning mine, waiting to see what the next couple versions can do. For now, the price far outweighs the benefits.

 

[J.gerbes]

My point is this product feels like something Steve wouldn't have launched in its current state. It's a product for the sake of a product, rather than offering something new.

I think this may be (at least in part) to the physical limitations, given today's technology. E.G. lack of sensors due to them being unreliable.

Also, there is a lot of room for improvement. Once Apple opens the SDK up for developers, I think we will see a ton of new ways to use the Watch.

 

[Mtmspa]

I think the biggest issue with the watch is whether someone can come up with more useful functionality to it before it gains in popularity. Much like the appletv when it first came out. Everyone viewed it as a failure. Now that you can stream Netflix, ESPN, HBO etc. it has taken off. So we wait, till someone finds a more practical use for the watch. If no one does, it will go away. They will move on, and invent something else.

Also no matter what Apple does with the watch, it will only sell so many anyhow. I would say that 80-90 percent of the population may not have any desire for a watch. So even if the watch spit out $100 bills every day. Only a certain segment of the population will actually buy it. Which is a small percentage to begin with.

Name one product that doesn't sell only so many? Computers, cars, milk, etc only sell so many. 90 percent of the population may drink cows milk, but that doesn't mean there isn't a strong market for almond and soy.

Sounds like you are upset that you bought a android watch and Apple sold more of theirs in a day than android did in a year.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

Name one product that doesn't sell only so many? Computers, cars, milk, etc only sell so many. 90 percent of the population may drink cows milk, but that doesn't mean there isn't a strong market for almond and soy.

Sounds like you are upset that you bought a android watch and Apple sold more of theirs in a day than android did in a year.

I think you missed my point. In which there are not many watch owners. So I don't see this being a big seller for Apple. If you take the small percentage of watch owners let's say in the U.S. Only a certain amount of those may switch to an Apple watch. I don't know what that translates into real sales. That's yet to be determined at this point.

 

[Charlesm3030]

I feel like a lot of people who got the watch are not using it for its most important feature. I got it to work out with and it's AWESOME! I have an iPhone 6 plus, which is difficult to run with. The apple watch gives you goals to achieve and makes working out fun. Not to mention it's quite stylish. I personally find more use for my Apple Watch than my iPad. Not to mention Siri on the wrist is cool. But to each their own.





Unboxing the Apple Watch Sport Space Grey:
http://youtu.be/MweNzTtiMbU

 

[bjdraw]

I really think this comes down to did you always wear a watch? If pulling your phone out of your pocket is convenient enough when you want to tell the time, then you don't need a watch. And the Apple Watch, as cool as it is, is just a watch.

I love mine and feel it fills a void that the iPhone has always had, glance-able information.

As for the "would Steve have made this" question. I think this photo pretty much sums it up; "some people wear watches, some don't."

 

[Antiloop]

I think you missed my point. In which there are not many watch owners. So I don't see this being a big seller for Apple. If you take the small percentage of watch owners let's say in the U.S. Only a certain amount of those may switch to an Apple watch. I don't know what that translates into real sales. That's yet to be determined at this point.

The U.S. is not the only market though. Cultural attitudes are different towards watches in Europe and Asia. And it isn't just the attitudes towards wearing a watch but how it affects social interaction. Some people like to be connected but don't want to pull out and be looking at their phone all the time. For them this is an ideal product. Some people see it purely as a fashion statement. Again, this works nicely for those people.

The watch is a shift for Apple in that it is a product that has pulled further away from techno-nerd appeal then any other Apple product too date. The last time Apple made such a dramatic shift was with the iPod. They are appealing to a different demographic with the watch. And it may not be big in your circle, in your country, but I can see so many other places where this will be a smash hit.

 

[TEBnewyork]

I really think this comes down to did you always wear a watch? If pulling your phone out of your pocket is convenient enough when you want to tell the time, then you don't need a watch. And the Apple Watch, as cool as it is, is just a watch.

I stopped wearing a watch about 10 years ago. I wasn't sure that I would like the Watch. I didn't like the Pebble for many reasons. I absolutely didn't buy it to wear a watch. I looked at my phone enough to know the time. So there had to be other compelling features.

For me I quickly got used to wearing the watch and am really enjoying the functionality. There are a lot of "me's" out there.

Pulling out my phone WAS convenient. For me this is better.

 

[bunnicula]

I think you missed my point. In which there are not many watch owners. So I don't see this being a big seller for Apple. If you take the small percentage of watch owners let's say in the U.S. Only a certain amount of those may switch to an Apple watch. I don't know what that translates into real sales. That's yet to be determined at this point.

People said the same thing when the first iPhone launched. They were in love with Blackberry.

 

[bjdraw]

I stopped wearing a watch about 10 years ago. I wasn't sure that I would like the Watch. I didn't like the Pebble for many reasons. I absolutely didn't buy it to wear a watch. I looked at my phone enough to know the time. So there had to be other compelling features.

For me I quickly got used to wearing the watch and am really enjoying the functionality. There are a lot of "me's" out there.

Pulling out my phone WAS convenient. For me this is better.

That makes sense. I think there are plenty of people out there who don't wear a watch that would appreciate a more convenient experience -- no matter how convenient something is, it can be more convenient, right?

 

[abluehaze]

I don't have my apple watch yet but in many ways I can see that this product more than any other in recent memory for Apple is a case of them needing a new product category to sustain momentum of the company.

I am a die hard Jobsian (former Apple fanboy) but I can tell that since Steves passing Apples products and focus have changed. What made Apple products so great was Steve's obsessive attention to detail and perfectionism. Say what you will of him but he was a visionary that obsessed over the smallest of details and it showed in the products.

I have a strong suspicion the watch will fail ultimately at least until they find something that it can actually do that all of the other devices don't already do better.

 

[bluecow]

I think it is interesting that many say Apple isn't innovative enough since they hadn't launched a new product in years, and now people here are saying that Jobs would not have launched this. I think this is absolutely a category he would have dabbled in, but to each their own.

I knew I was buying a product I didn't need. I bought it as a toy, an expensive one at that. I enjoy it when it works, but it is quite buggy, so I hope a software update will come soon.

 

[bjdraw]

I have a strong suspicion the watch will fail ultimately at least until they find something that it can actually do that all of the other devices don't already do better.

It already can, it provides glance-able information better than any other device. Every review (even the ones people thought were bad) said it was the best smart watch available. I'd go one step further and say it is the best watch available.

 

[abluehaze]

People said the same thing when the first iPhone launched. They were in love with Blackberry.

I don't remember anyone saying the iPhone was going to fail. It was clear from the moment the iPhone was launched that it was something revolutionary and game changing.

 

[bjdraw]

I don't remember anyone saying the iPhone was going to fail. It was clear from the moment the iPhone was launched that it was something revolutionary and game changing.

You have a short term memory or weren't following it closely. Plenty said it would fail and that Apple had met its match trying to enter the phone business. No 3G (which was a big deal at the time), no physical keys (others had tried it, unsuccessfully) and no replaceable battery that only lasted one day. There are plenty of other reasons people predicted the original iPhone's demise.

 

[bunnicula]

I don't remember anyone saying the iPhone was going to fail. It was clear from the moment the iPhone was launched that it was something revolutionary and game changing.

Search this site.

Also? Look for all the "why would anyone want an iPad?" threads.

If you think Jobs wouldn't have sold this gorgeous piece of hardware and spun it like fine silk, I have one thing to say:

"You're holding it wrong."

Hehehe. I loved him. He could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.

 

[abluehaze]

It already can, it provides glance-able information better than any other device. Every review (even the ones people thought were bad) said it was the best smart watch available. I'd go one step further and say it is the best watch available.

It's "the best smart watch available" isn't exactly a flattering compliment. Smartwatches have yet to prove their viability. All of them have been gimmicky at best, no one appears to want them or be interested.

The only reason I am even interested in the apple watch is because I'm a former Apple fanboy that's deeply ingrained in the Apple ecosystem and I live and work in the valley so I like to keep up with the latest tech. Living in the valley though it's oddly quiet regarding the watch. I rarely hear anyone talking about it or wanting one.

I really feel this will be Apples first large product failure in many years. Will it be the doom of Apple, no, but it could be a sign of troubles to come.

 

[sjperformance]

I don't have my watch yet. I have a June delivery. Been an apple convert since iPhone 4s. I get every iPhone since. I went from a 6+ to a 6. I love apple and their iOS ecosystem. I'm a contractor who sometimes can't grab my phone from my pockets to see a message or call. I'm constantly washing my hands before I grab my phone as I hate to get it dirty. I'm a watch guy. Have over 40+ watches. I wear g shocks for work. To tell time and day/date. I do look forward in using my apple watch. I believe for my scope of work it will truly be beneficial to me. I got a SS 42mm with black sports band. I'm still waiting for it. I plan to get a nice metal band when I go out and what not. I got nice time pieces in my collection. I have 1 Cartier passed on to me my grandfather and a Rolex datejust II. Yeah I'm a watch guy. Can't wait to my apple watch...

 

[bunnicula]

It's "the best smart watch available" isn't exactly a flattering compliment. Smartwatches have yet to prove their viability. All of them have been gimmicky at best, no one appears to want them or be interested.

The only reason I am even interested in the apple watch is because I'm a former Apple fanboy that's deeply ingrained in the Apple ecosystem and I live and work in the valley so I like to keep up with the latest tech. Living in the valley though it's oddly quiet regarding the watch. I rarely hear anyone talking about it or wanting one.

I really feel this will be Apples first large product failure in many years. Will it be the doom of Apple, no, but it could be a sign of troubles to come.

Give it a minute. Lots of people are still waiting for their orders.

 

[JoEw]

I really feel this will be Apples first large product failure in many years. Will it be the doom of Apple, no, but it could be a sign of troubles to come.

That is quite a jump to make, did you get the 1st gen iPhone? It was actually awful in many ways. While you could tell it was in the right direction not everything was there. Heck, even my iPhone 3G couldn't do video or even receive MMS :roll eyes:

 

[bunnicula]

That is quite a jump to make, did you get the 1st gen iPhone? It was actually awful in many ways. While you could tell it was in the right direction not everything was there. Heck, even my iPhone 3G couldn't do video or even receive MMS :roll eyes:

Buying a first gen iPhone required:

Cash up front
No 3G (most phones already had it)
Inability to send MMS (most people were used to having MMS)
A mandatory data/text plan that was 20 dollars
A buggy phone that got more and less buggy with every update

I swear. Kids today.

 

[abluehaze]

That is quite a jump to make, did you get the 1st gen iPhone? It was actually awful in many ways. While you could tell it was in the right direction not everything was there. Heck, even my iPhone 3G couldn't do video or even receive MMS :roll eyes:

Point is though it didn't really matter what the iPhone was lacking, it was obvious that it was changing computing and internet consumption as we knew it. It was taking something we all used on a daily basis (a phone) and turning it into an internet communications device all controlled with a type of touch screen most of us had never experienced before.

The watch is taking that iPhone like experience we're all very accustomed to and in many cases bored of and shrinking it down to our wrists while adding delay because the info is actually loading from the phone consequently making the whole experience slower and more cumbersome.

The iPhone was an improvement in just about every way. From what I have seen thus far the watch is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, a watch that displays info from the internet. Most people don't wear watches anymore so the point is moot.