Love My Watch but...

[Glene]

I must use the countdown timer at least 5 times a day, for cooking, in the workshop for curing times and other things. And when on my home wifi, I don't have to run get my phone to set/cancel. This was the biggest surprise for me.

The least fav item I thought would be good and was not, is boarding passes at the gate, too much hassle to get your wrist under the scanner and too much time to focus the QR. So out comes the phone for that.

 

[silverblack]

Today I use the watch for:
- time, weather, appointment reminder
- notifications for calls, texts, emails
- Siri to do the odd things like sending a quick text
- Apple pay and displaying barcodes for Starbucks or airline checkin

In the future, I hope to use my watch for:
- unlocking doors (home, work, hotels), starting my car
- pay for everything, no more cash
- store all my IDs including passport, no more wallet
- recognize where I am and remind me to do certain things (buy something, check out something)
- recognize every person in vicinity to remind me their name
- Siri will be able to be everything including buying plane tickets and hotels, ordering my lunch when I don't know what I want, reminding me to go to the dry cleaner because a business trip is coming up, tell me my to see my doctor because it senses the presence of irregularity in my blood...

 

[iBreatheApple]

Mine is 100% okey. Nothing happen wrong.

Same here. What I mean to say is that I really love it. But I just wear it and do not use it very often.

 

[Blakjack]

I don't use it. It sits on my wrist and I use it for nothing but the time. I thought for sure I'd always be on it. I think this is one of the reasons that my battery life is 'so good'...

I'm not sending it back or anything, but I just don't use it. Anyone else surprisingly feel the same?

You need to start working out.

 

[iBreatheApple]

You need to start working out.

Tell me about it.

 

[Blakjack]

tell me about it.

lol

 

[usmcchet]

Ive had mine for a little over a week and I do appreciate the notifications, quick reply's to texts and tracking my activity. Not using it for much else right now.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

Clock
Calendar
Notifications
Health
Stocks & Weather
Music remote
Taking phone calls
Siri for making reminders
Map directions
CNN headlines

CNN is the only 3rd party app I use.

It's enough value for me.

 

[CrAkD]

i kind of feel the same. I mean I'm always wearing it and I do use it but i thought i would be touching it more. i also have a bad habit of just sticking my phone in my pocket without locking the screen. so i hear a text go off but since the screen is unlocked it doesn't go to my watch so i have to take my phone out anyway. i use it most for notifications, changing tracks on pandora/ipod, apple pay/starbucks barcode scan.

 

[Aluminum213]

I don't use it. It sits on my wrist and I use it for nothing but the time. I thought for sure I'd always be on it. I think this is one of the reasons that my battery life is 'so good'...

I'm not sending it back or anything, but I just don't use it. Anyone else surprisingly feel the same?

It's a watch and a fitness band with notifications


People expecting anything more will be disappointed

 

[YakAttack]

I understand what the OP is talking about. Yes, the watch is not meant for extended interactions. But there's a sense that the watch contains so much untapped potential.

One of the areas that is waiting to be mined is apps that help the user in situations where a phone is impractical. There are a couple of small apps already taking advantage of this concept. For example:

-Shopping lists: you won't drop your phone in the store or risk it being stolen from your basket.
-Cooking recipe lists w/ instructions: don't have to worry about spilling ingredients on your phone.

These are such great app concepts but won't become painless until native apps come. Moving forward, one can't help but think that there are hundreds of other uses that take advantage of the watch' small form factor and convenient use. But when you browse the App Store, there is a serious lack of innovative apps. I think app companies are probably holding back until the native SDK.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

Yeah, I'm feeling the same way about my watch. I don't do any of the health stuff, don't really use any apps. It's just all about notifications and maybe the occasional phone call when my phone is buried somewhere in my pocket.

I wish there was an option to turn on the watch face all the time. I would gladly shut off any other features for that.

 

[Teach4]

It's a watch so time is the primary purpose.

Notifications are cool and well integrated.

The next feature of course is the health but. Do more of that and you will feel more involved with it (and you will feel better).

It's not for watching videos on, you would get tired of that quickly on a small screen.

It's not for video games... ditto.

It's for brief interactions, even when the native watch apps come, the fully involved ones will fail because it's designed for brief interactions.

Use it like a watch that has some great extra features but don't expect something unrealistic.

The beauty of this thing I see in many ways that people report they are irritated about... it doesn't stay on long enough, it doesn't do x - so forth. The Watch timings and features have been scheduled around what is useful once you have accepted what it does and not a glory period of toying with it.. then getting bored and looking for something else..

Keep using it let it be and it will reveal itself as worthwhile.

I agree, let it be and you will see you use it more and more. I have been able to respond to texts very quickly, use notifications and even to quick check and delete email, use the fitness and have even answered some calls when I couldn't pull out my phone. I love it. I have convinced three people this week to get one.

 

[spriter]

Time, notifications, weather, activity tracking, calendar. These are my every day staple functions and expectations. I always need the time when working and often missed calls and notifications, as in failed to respond at the next opportunity, when my phone was on silent. So I regularly wore a traditional watch for glancing at the time and a Vivosmart for notifications and fitness tracking on the same wrist.

I've been looking and trying activity trackers and smart watches for an all-in-one solution.

Tried the Vivosmart. Great at activities; poor for time telling and reading/acting on notifications; looks like tech. Low price.

Tried the 360. Didn't like: the flat tyre; clock-on-a-wrist look; cheap feel; AW not optimised for circular faces. Low-ish price, though.

Tried the Urbane. Better watch-like appearance but just too big for me. Better build but plastic back and still AW/circular face issues. £259 outlay - almost Apple Watch territory.

Tried Watch Sport. Nice strap, shame about the Alu look and feel; feels like tech first, watch after in terms of materials; rectangular face definitely works better; Watch OS is much more polished than AW. £339 is too much too have reservations.

Result: upgrade to Watch SS ML. Looks good; feels good; does everything I need without 3rd party apps; combines those needs into one device.

I can accept the price as I've often wanted a 'nicer' watch but could not really justify £500+ on a watch that 'just' looks nice but only tells the time. So £500+ for a SS ML is more functional and useful, and I'm 100% happy as opposed to being 'somewhat' happy with the others I've tried.

 

[cosmic68]

I agree with OP to a certain extent.

I had to return my SS Link as was faulty and promptly went to the back of the line for a replacement. In this time I've been thinking about how useful it was.
I realised, for me-not £859 useful. I cancelled my replacement and downgraded to a Sport model as its use didn't justify its cost for me personally. Actually, I say downgraded-I still haven't got round to ordering the Sport, so I'm a bit meh still.

 

[gusping]

I agree with OP to a certain extent.

I had to return my SS Link as was faulty and promptly went to the back of the line for a replacement. In this time I've been thinking about how useful it was.
I realised, for me-not £859 useful. I cancelled my replacement and downgraded to a Sport model as its use didn't justify its cost for me personally. Actually, I say downgraded-I still haven't got round to ordering the Sport, so I'm a bit meh still.

Same as you! Took back my 42mm SS Classic Buckle. For £600 it was awful. £200 maybe, plus the sapphire screen & oleophobic coating was terrible. Debating if a sport is durable enough though...

 

[Thiagordc]

Also have the 42 mm classic buckle and thinking to return it as well. Have time till the 5th of June to do it.

 

[TangoCharlie27]

No useful Apps yet and the only one I wanted lags.
BUT early days.
I had the iPhone 1 and it was limited in its performance until the Apps caught up.
Im hoping the Watch will progress and change on a weekly basis.

 

[DerekS]

I don't use it. It sits on my wrist and I use it for nothing but the time. I thought for sure I'd always be on it. I think this is one of the reasons that my battery life is 'so good'...

I'm not sending it back or anything, but I just don't use it. Anyone else surprisingly feel the same?

Yes. This is the first Apple product that has delivered less value than I expected it to.