After several weeks of pondering and being on the fence, I have decided that I will not be getting an Apple Watch version 1. Let me preface by saying that I'm a huge Apple fan and have nothing but Apple products in my home: 3 Apple TVs, 3 Macbook Pros, 1 Macbook Air, 1 iMac, 3 iPads, 4 iPhones, and an Airport Extreme.
Honestly I am shocked at the number of people forking out good money for the first version of the watch that is, for all intents and purposes, flawed and not ready for primetime yet. Here's how I arrived at my decision:
1) The Watch is dependent on the iPhone - this is a deal breaker for me. This should really be a standalone product. Marrying it to an iPhone pretty much narrows the consumer market to only iPhone owners. It seems strange that Apple would restrict their market like this. Before you say that Android users won't be interested anyway, let me remind you that Android does control the market share in smartphones. That is a huge consumer base that Apple is ignoring. And, I know several people who have Android phones, but own an iPad. So for them to buy a Watch that is a standalone device is not out of the realm of possibility.
2) Many reviews have pointed out the lag time in loading maps or other data as well as just bringing up the watch face when turning your wrist. That is unacceptable to me. Seems like Apple has a ways to go as far as performance. The S2 version next year might help in this area.
3) Lack of integrated GPS. This is puzzling considering that other watches such as Garmins already have this.
4) Lack of purpose - Everything that can be done on the watch, can be done better with the iPhone. Does not having to pull your phone out to read an iMessage justify the cost? I would say no. Besides being able to measure your heartbeat, I don't see a whole lot of value in this device. Fitbits can tell you to stand up and move around and track your steps and calories at a fraction of the cost.
5) 2nd generation Apple products tend to be much better than the original. Look at the iPad 2 and iPhone 3G as examples. They were both significant upgrades, both in form factor and functionality.
6) Battery life - the book is still out on how much battery life is used, especially as more and more native apps are developed. Not to mention the drain on the battery of the iPhone itself.
The watch really doesn't buy you much considering the premium you pay for it and the fact that it will be obsolete in only a year. Remember that the watch was announced in Sept., so the hardware is already at least 7 months old before it even hits your wrist. It really comes down to being a novelty item that is basically an iPhone accessory. I am really curious to see what the return rate is once the return windows start to expire. It's a nice gadget to have and play with for a couple hours, but is it life changing in its current version? I am skeptical about that.
Honestly I am shocked at the number of people forking out good money for the first version of the watch that is, for all intents and purposes, flawed and not ready for primetime yet. Here's how I arrived at my decision:
1) The Watch is dependent on the iPhone - this is a deal breaker for me. This should really be a standalone product. Marrying it to an iPhone pretty much narrows the consumer market to only iPhone owners. It seems strange that Apple would restrict their market like this. Before you say that Android users won't be interested anyway, let me remind you that Android does control the market share in smartphones. That is a huge consumer base that Apple is ignoring. And, I know several people who have Android phones, but own an iPad. So for them to buy a Watch that is a standalone device is not out of the realm of possibility.
2) Many reviews have pointed out the lag time in loading maps or other data as well as just bringing up the watch face when turning your wrist. That is unacceptable to me. Seems like Apple has a ways to go as far as performance. The S2 version next year might help in this area.
3) Lack of integrated GPS. This is puzzling considering that other watches such as Garmins already have this.
4) Lack of purpose - Everything that can be done on the watch, can be done better with the iPhone. Does not having to pull your phone out to read an iMessage justify the cost? I would say no. Besides being able to measure your heartbeat, I don't see a whole lot of value in this device. Fitbits can tell you to stand up and move around and track your steps and calories at a fraction of the cost.
5) 2nd generation Apple products tend to be much better than the original. Look at the iPad 2 and iPhone 3G as examples. They were both significant upgrades, both in form factor and functionality.
6) Battery life - the book is still out on how much battery life is used, especially as more and more native apps are developed. Not to mention the drain on the battery of the iPhone itself.
The watch really doesn't buy you much considering the premium you pay for it and the fact that it will be obsolete in only a year. Remember that the watch was announced in Sept., so the hardware is already at least 7 months old before it even hits your wrist. It really comes down to being a novelty item that is basically an iPhone accessory. I am really curious to see what the return rate is once the return windows start to expire. It's a nice gadget to have and play with for a couple hours, but is it life changing in its current version? I am skeptical about that.
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