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There's something really wrong with that. A lot of people are reporting they get a day and half of battery life. I certainly can't recall anyone else complaining they have to charge the watch twice a day. Maybe you had a defective unit?
With os2 and at least an hour of workout daily. I am at 50-60% after 15 hours of wearing. That is every day. Even the older os version was 40-50%.

Some of his points were valid and some were just dumb. Who can't read texts on the watch? No one. It's easy, raise, read and there it is. Reply with canned response or use Siri. Notifications are the best feature

Definitely apps were slow but the ones working natively are very fast on my watch. Instant load or as fast as the phone.

Fitness needs work but with native fitness apps coming, I see a lot of improvement. GPS is out but if you calibrate it is spot on.

Like I said, some valid but when someone says they can't read messages, the rest becomes invalid and battery last days easily now.
 
For one the fitness tracking is great for me..when taking the dogs out I can see exactly how long I've been out for, what miles i've done, heart rate and speed. I like the fact I can see how long i've been walking while giving me the time too.

love the look of the stainless steel and having the 6S plus i couldn't do without my apple watch. My phone is too big to keep taking it out my pocket every time i get a notification. So the watch is worth it along for notifications.

controlling my music when in the gym is perfect as well. So all in all I love the look of my apple watch but i've also learnt I NEED IT as it's required for my day to day usage.
 
Then he wouldn't know the batter drained or the time on most screens. :) but who knows. I didn't read it as it was too small or he changed the font size.

Actually, the time in the digital watch faces is in a larger font than the font used to display messages.
 
Now some of you are are just being facetious. Yes, I can read messages but it's so fiddly I found it impractical.

And regarding the sports sides of things, my iPhone 5S does all the tracking I need automatically with the steps. If I want more details (for example when going for a run), I start Strava and that does the GPS tracking and I wear my $30 Garmin HR strap.

Additionally, like many people, I don't use Apple's music software. I found their Apple Music subscription to be a poor choice against Spotify with an over-complex UI and a poor choice in music. The only reason I trialled it was on the off-chance I would get some of the compilation albums available in iTunes Store but apparently they're not for Apple Music subscribers. I also thought it would work well with my BMW iDrive but it doesn't. However in short, Spotify does not work on the Apple Watch, so the music controls are of no use to me on the Apple Watch.

However I digress. The point I was trying to make, based on my lifestyle, it's nothing more than a fashion accessory and based on the time pieces I already have, not a good one at that.
 
Some of his points were valid and some were just dumb. Who can't read texts on the watch? No one. It's easy, raise, read and there it is. Reply with canned response or use Siri. Notifications are the best feature.

One of life's pleasures is being able to disconnect at times. I deliberately silence my phone or hide it away because I don't want to be notified of messages. I know I can do that with an Apple Watch but it's another poxy device that I need to silence or put away...and then I'm left without a watch (which I dislike).

And regarding the replying of messages; What I suggested is not dumb. I don't want the world listening into my conversations (which is how Siri works). Canned responses work for kids, but 99% of the time, I tend to reply with a proper message. That's impossible with an Apple Watch. Again, I have to pull out my phone defeating the point of it.

Look, I get why some people like them, but for the 95% of the population, it's nothing more than a gimmick in its current incarnation. Perhaps it'll evolve but I don't see us ever doing away with our phones.

Or....let me put it to you like this. Would you rather take a $15k top of the line Apple Watch or a Zenith?
 
One of life's pleasures is being able to disconnect at times. I deliberately silence my phone or hide it away because I don't want to be notified of messages. I know I can do that with an Apple Watch but it's another poxy device that I need to silence or put away...and then I'm left without a watch (which I dislike).

And regarding the replying of messages; What I suggested is not dumb. I don't want the world listening into my conversations (which is how Siri works). Canned responses work for kids, but 99% of the time, I tend to reply with a proper message. That's impossible with an Apple Watch. Again, I have to pull out my phone defeating the point of it.

Look, I get why some people like them, but for the 95% of the population, it's nothing more than a gimmick in its current incarnation. Perhaps it'll evolve but I don't see us ever doing away with our phones.

Or....let me put it to you like this. Would you rather take a $15k top of the line Apple Watch or a Zenith?

Um, what is a Zenith?

Anyway, I think a day could come when everyone will have a smart watch that served as the "phone". When you wanted a larger screen, you just tether your iPad.

I mean, the smart phone is pretty small, but there are plenty of times when I don't want to carry my phone. If the watch could be my main link to the Internet, that would be a dream come true, for me.
 
It sound like you like high end quality products, good for you!

The battery life worries me a bit that needs looking at I think.

Is also a shame your boss didn't gift you the 42''

I must say I would struggle with the 38'' & life with a phone ringing would be unbearable for me now. My phone and watch are on 100% mute.

I have invested in the least expensive 42'' apple watch sport in space grey.

I hope you get the chance to wear a 42'' with a strap you like on 100% mute because I remember you mentioning your hectic, crazy life. please read this ladies post you may find interesting (I did) from another thread-

I think part of the problem here is that you are expecting the watch to be something it's not. You have to think about it differently than you would a phone, iPad, iPod, computer, etc.

It isn't something you spend a lot of time doing, it's something that frees up time, manages time, enhances time.

I look at mine hundreds of times during the day. It is synced with work calendar and personal calendar, and believe me, i have a zillion things on both calendars. I get probably 50 or more texts per day, and I can read them on the watch, choose to respond right away with a short answer, a recorded answer, or if it's something that requires a larger amount of time in which to reply, I know pull out my phone to text back. Or possibly even call the person. But I do NOT have to pull out my phone and look at it every time I get a text notification.

I particularly love the ability, when I do get phone calls, to decline to answer them on the watch. Because that shuts my phone up as well. And then I can listen to the voicemail that comes through on the watch, to decide if I do want to get back to the person or not!

When the stress of the work day is getting to me and I decide to make myself a cup of tea, I can go ahead and set it to steep and simply tell Siri to set my timer for however many minutes it requires for the tea to steep. And I do that almost every day.

I take medication at weird times during the day, so I have reminders set up to remind me to take my medication. With my job, I would forget the day time dose almost every day if it wasn't for that reminder.

I use the activity app and the workout app because I try to fill up those rings every day.

I use Dark Sky pretty religiously, since I live in Florida. I do NOT like lightning so if a storm is coming I bail out of the office before it hits.

I have a playlist synced to my watch because I fly frequently and it is just really convenient to be able to pop on a pair Bluetooth headphones and listen to music without having to carry anything else with me or pull anything else out of my carry-on. And it's really cool to have your boarding pass on your wrist!

Maps. I use Maps ALL the time, both for driving and walking directions. I particularly like using it for walking directions when I'm in a city that I've never been to before, since I really don't want to have my phone out looking like a tourist.

Apple Pay. Oh how I love Apple Pay. I don't carry money very often, so when I need something from the vending machine at work it's really nice just to walk over and wave my watch in front of it. I don't even have to have my phone with me. I bought groceries at Trader Joe's the other day. Wave the watch and boom, I'm done.

I could go on a lot longer, but I think you get the point. It's all these little nuances that really make the watch indispensable to someone like me. I wear it every day. And I totally would feel naked without it on. I have been known to drive back and get it if I forgot to put on that morning!
 
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Thought I would address some of your points one by one here.
It's slow. OMG it's SLOW! It's not silky smooth, reboots take so long and updates took hours. Even installing a basic app is painful.
Sure these could be faster. But you received your watch right in the middle of the watchOS2 release. I've had my watch since June and I can count the number of times I've rebooted it on one hand. And those were mainly because I was playing around with installing the GM and then the subsequent update. If I hadn't been doing that then I would have needed to reboot exactly two times. Having to install an update and reboot twice in three months is not a big deal, and is easily something that can be done right before going to bed if it really bothers you that much.

The only useful app I found was my banking app, but it took so long to open and retrieve my balance, it was quicker to grab my phone and open the app on my iPhone.
Again, you're dealing with a new device going through an API transition. This situation will improve over time. The native apps I've installed are much faster.

The simple act of looking at the watch for the time requires a tap or movement. There's no simple glance at my wrist for the date and time which I do often with my traditional watches.
Every time I need to check the time I have to move my wrist anyway. There have been very few times that I've actually needed to see the time that I needed to touch the watch.

The apps are incredibly fiddly to use. The digital crown is not easy to use (perhaps I'm cack-handed), but in my office (full of developers), I'm not alone in these thoughts.
I quite like the digital crown. Regardless, in most situations you don't have to use it. Just use your finger on the screen if it bothers you that much.

I found the strap very grim. It didn't allow my skin to breathe so it became sweaty which I hate. A leather strap or steel strap would be miles better but unless I was going to keep it, I don't plan to invest €100's in a strap.
You clearly have never worn plastic/rubber straps on other watches. This is the best one I've ever seen. Very comfortable for a rubber strap. It seems silly to dismiss the Apple Watch for this when there are other options available.

Following on nicely from this is fitness. This I thought was going to be the winning formula for an Apple Watch, but no. Both Runkeeper and Strava (which I pay for), require me to have my iPhone with me along with the watch. What's the point?! I don't like running with a watch but I figured if I could wear it without carrying my phone, great. I might as well just wear my HR chest strap. It's just as accurate and pairs with my phone beautifully. The iPhone also gives me GPS, steps and everything the AW gives me.
Again, you're dealing with a transition period right now. Strava has already announced that they are going to release a watch app. So many of the complaints about the fitness aspects of the watch comes from runners. Not everyone runs outdoors for their fitness. I have back issues which prevent me from running, even on a treadmill. The Apple Watch works great with ellipticals.

Additionally, music. Spotify don't have an app for it and I see why. Even if I could use the watch as a standalone item, I still need a pair of bluetooth headphones. Utterly horrific to run with as they weight a lot and are usually quite bulky. Fine for sitting down but again, I've spent a small fortune (over $500 on a pair of Shure earbuds), so why would I want to buy a pair of bluetooth headphones is another reason to avoid the Apple watch.
I don't get what you expect when it comes to headphones. I don't know what you're thinking of when you think of bluetooth headphones, but I don't know how you can get any more unobtrusive than these:
Jarbird X2 Sport
These run around $150, but you can find the older generation on Amazon for $100 here. There are lots of similar designs from other brands as well that you should look into. Otherwise I don't know what your expectations are. Are you wanting a headphone jack on the watch? Now THAT would be cumbersome. Regardless, if you want to use Spotify you'll have to have your phone with you anyway. See the end for more thoughts on this, but the Apple Watch is not meant to replace your phone.

Notifications are the next point. I appreciate the tips given to me, but if I remove the notifications, what's the point it? I can't really read message on the Watch and I certainly can't reply. I might as well just pick up my phone.
You're misunderstanding my point, and I don't know how I could have been more clear. I didn't say to disable notifications entirely, just the ones that can wait until later. Do you really need EVERY email notifying you on your watch? What about every sport score or Facebook mention? Like I said, the watch is a great triage device.

Taking calls next. I felt like a complete berk talking into the phone like Dick Tracey. It worked reasonably well in the car but it was definitely hard to listen in. Plus, I have a fully integrated bluetooth system with my car so I don't see the point. Why listen through a tinny speaker when I have a 5.1 surround system built into my car? I don't get it. I suppose it works if you don't have this, but isn't that illegal?
Taking calls has its moments, but I agree that it's not the main point of the watch. It is nice if my phone is on the other side of the house to not have to run to grab it before it goes to voicemail.

Next there's the battery. I found myself having to charge the watch at work all the time. Twice a day was the norm which got annoying. Constantly having to carry the charger around and if it's not on my wrist, again, what's the point? It becomes like my phone on the table, albeit with a longer battery life and much more powerful.
This is the big one. While the 38mm doesn't have as much battery life as the 42mm, it should be better than that. If you're not even making it to the end of the work day without having to recharge then there is something wrong with your watch and you need to exchange it for a new one.

Perhaps it'll evolve but I don't see us ever doing away with our phones.

This statement alone speaks volumes. I think your expectations are too high. You're expecting the watch to be a phone replacement, which is not it's intended purpose. Until you stop looking at it from that perspective you won't ever really understand it. It's meant to compliment your phone and work WITH it.
 
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Um, what is a Zenith?

:)

You just proved my point. I think the Apple Watch is for a specific group of people.

It doesn't fit my bill and as many have already mentioned, I probably missed out with the smaller version, but I have no desire to invest into something I haven't enjoyed using. And it would take some serious investment to enjoy it.

That's the other issue with my headphones. @parseckadet mentioned why not use a pair of $100 Bluetooth headphones from Jarbird. I reasonable answer, however having invested $500 on a pair of Shure earbuds with a custom fittings, why would I want to buy another pair of earphones? It's just another expense I don't particularly want.

It's not the fault directly of the Apple Watch per se, however to me it proves this gadget simply adds more expense to my life and more things that I have to buy to maintain it.

Going by the way this thread has gone, I'd have to buy a 42mm Apple Watch. (OK, I can sell mine). I then have to choose one with a leather strap. (I don't like the metal ones). That's over US$900! And then I have to buy a pair of bluetooth headphones. I hate listening to crap quality music so that's a minimum of $250. Most likely more.

So lets say I get US$300 for my old one. That leaves me with a bill of US$850 for something that simply replicates everything my iPhone and current gear does and, at this stage, has no real use.

On top of that, it'll be out of date within a year. (My iPhone's stick with me for two years usually).

:eek: <-- Says it all.

I like expensive stuff. If anyone understands what I've posted above, you'll know that; But I also don't like to waste my money.

I sincerely am very happy that some people enjoy their Apple Watches, but it's really not for everyone and certainly not for me.....

....just to add, a large group of us were gifted these watches. Only two persons are using theirs. Everyone else has placed them back in the boxes and into their drawers. (I would have rather got an Apple voucher!)
 
Its exactly a week since you were gifted the watch.

I am sure if you said to your boss 'can I swap it for a 42mm & I'll pay the extra $50' or what ever he would say 'yes' of 'course'. I really dont think its rude or ungrateful to do this.

The watch you have is faulty from what you say and should be returned _anyway_ it has a 14 day return policy.

I would swap it out for a 42mm and give it another 2 weeks with a larger screen and proper battery life.

You may find, with everything on mute, life is better :)

cheers
 
I don't think the original poster understands the concept of the Apple Watch and was expecting it to be something that it wasn't and he just did not want to take the time to learn how to use something. I just got my Apple Watch last night, 38mm and so far I have been wearing it all day since about 9:30am and it is now exactly 2pm and my battery says is at 96%. Now granted, I did play with it a lot last night, setting things and watch faces up, but so far today, in what I would consider "normal usage" it is still at 96% battery. The original poster was against the Apple Watch from the get-go and no matter what it did it would not be sufficient.

On top of that if someone had gifted me a $350 Apple watch and I didn't like the band, I would have no problem buying a new band for it.

I hope his employer sees the ungratefulness of these employees and stops the gifting altogether. In addition to that the original poster sounds like a snob to me.

I know the Apple Watch is not for everyone, and that's most likely why he didn't purchase it, but he didn't even give a gift a chance.
 
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I don't think the original poster understands the concept of the Apple Watch and was expecting it to be something that it wasn't and he just did not want to take the time to learn how to use something. I just got my Apple Watch last night, 38mm and so far I have been wearing it all day since about 9:30am and it is now exactly 2pm and my battery says is at 96%. Now granted, I did play with it a lot last night, setting things and watch faces up, but so far today, in what I would consider "normal usage" it is still at 96% battery. The original poster was against the Apple Watch from the get-go and no matter what it did it would not be sufficient.

On top of that if someone had gifted me a $350 Apple watch and I didn't like the band, I would have no problem buying a new band for it.

I hope his employer sees the ungratefulness of these employees and stops the gifting altogether. In addition to that the original poster sounds like a snob to me.

I know the Apple Watch is not for everyone, and that's most likely why he didn't purchase it, but he didn't even give a gift a chance.

snob or condescending?


Um, what is a Zenith?
:)

''You just proved my point. I think the Apple Watch is for a specific group of people.''

i.e. plebs who dont know what a Zenith watch is!

I'm sure you are a hard working decent enough guy OP but the more I read your comment above I cant help but have the word condescending come to mind. Perhaps you didn't mean it to be.
 
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snob or condescending?

Isn't a snob somebody who is condescending? :confused:

And I do agree that the OP probably isn't the target audience for the Apple Watch. Because if he were, he'd realize that some people value the utility of a smart watch over Zenith or Rolex or whatever watch that only tells time, and they'll gladly chose an Apple Watch over Zenith.
 
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snob or condescending?


Um, what is a Zenith?
:)

''You just proved my point. I think the Apple Watch is for a specific group of people.''

i.e. plebs who dont know what a Zenith watch is!

I'm sure you are a hard working decent enough guy OP but the more I read your comment above I cant help but have the word condescending come to mind. Perhaps you didn't mean it to be.

I never called anyone a "pleb" as you put it so I ask you not to put words in my mouth, thank you. That's just trolling. And I have a friend who collects Casio watches. He too decided against the Apple Watch too after wearing one for almost two months. This is the kind of people I mean.

As somebody mentioned, I was convinced from the start not to like it, but I had exactly the same attitude with the iPhone. Unfortunately I can't find it but I thought the original iPhone (1st generation), was a terrible phone with some great innovations but ultimately rubbish compared to the competition at the time. It wasn't until the 3GS, that I purchased an iPhone. Today I love my iPhone and couldn't be without it. I'm on my third and will shortly have my fourth.

Either way, I'm just judging something I think is not a great product. I don't think for one second Steve Jobs would have allowed the Apple Watch to enter production.

Finally, to state I'm ungrateful is yet again putting words in my mouth. I was indeed very grateful but frankly it's something I didn't want. What would be ungrateful would be to return the watch and ask for another. That is plain rude. But I work insane hours and make a lot for the company so an Apple Watch is the very least I deserve. I'd much rather a cash bonus IMHO, but it does mean I don't have to buy my bro-in-law a crimbo gift so I suppose it saves me a bit of money.

Finally, I'm glad some people love their watches but that simply makes it all the easier to overlook the flaws they genuinely have. Perhaps a couple of generations down the line, the Apple Watch will be something that looks and runs better.
 
I apologise if you feel I was putting words in your mouth, I didn't mean to do that. Its just how it came across, it seems you didn't mean it to sound the way it did.

I still do not think its rude to ask for an exchange esp. with potential faulty battery.

Peace
 
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One of life's pleasures is being able to disconnect at times. I deliberately silence my phone or hide it away because I don't want to be notified of messages. I know I can do that with an Apple Watch but it's another poxy device that I need to silence or put away...and then I'm left without a watch (which I dislike).

And regarding the replying of messages; What I suggested is not dumb. I don't want the world listening into my conversations (which is how Siri works). Canned responses work for kids, but 99% of the time, I tend to reply with a proper message. That's impossible with an Apple Watch. Again, I have to pull out my phone defeating the point of it.

Look, I get why some people like them, but for the 95% of the population, it's nothing more than a gimmick in its current incarnation. Perhaps it'll evolve but I don't see us ever doing away with our phones.

Or....let me put it to you like this. Would you rather take a $15k top of the line Apple Watch or a Zenith?

Honestly, I think your expectations are too high for a device like this. Wearables are coming, and they aren't meant to be full featured computers like our iPhones, which can entertain us all day. The Apple Watch is simply an iPhone viewing window on our wrist, which isn't much different than the convenience of moving to wristwatches a century ago. I replaced analog wristwatches that simply tell the time (and sometimes date) with something much, much more functional.

I wouldn't buy a gold Apple Watch, but I do have a drawer full of Rolex, Omega, etc., watches that hasn't seen the light of day since I bought the Apple Watch, and I certainly couldn't go back.
 
I'm 65 and never thought I ever buy an Apple Watch. I bought the Sport 42 mm Space Gray yesterday and returned it today for the Space Black Stainless Steel and added the black leather loop band. I got tired of constantly pulling my iPhone out every time to check an email or text message, or even looking at a call that I just as soon send to voice mail. I'm now a convert. The main use comes in on my photo shoots. I shoot for the American Cancer Society and find it darn near impossible to listen to a phone call to tell me to go someplace during an event to take pictures because the DJ got the music cranked up to high. Now I can have them just send me a text message, which I can quickly check and act accordingly. Most of the emails I get don't require an immediate response. For those that do, I just pull out the phone. Same goes for text messages, and if a response is needed I can quickly send a canned response. I guess it depends how much you are willing to accept compromises to embrace new technology.
 
My company gave me an Apple Watch today. Nice little gift to find on my desk I thought.

So I spent the morning setting it up, updating it to Watch OS 2 and getting my apps on there.

That took just under 3 hours (2 hours to download Watch OS 2!!!), but nevertheless, it was fairly straightforward.

So my first impressions. Very fiddly. I was given the 38mm bezel which I found a bit small with a white sports strap. Hey it's free! I found the touch screen next to impossible to interact with. For example, the pass-code is almost impossible to enter with my big chunky fingers. I managed it but only after 2 or 3 failed attempts.

I also found the digital crown very sensitive to use and quite frustrating. Again, chunky finger syndrome perhaps but it was not a great experience rolling past my selections and having to be ever-so-delicate with my choices!

Using the apps was interesting. I liked my Barclays banking app. Having my balance at a glance was helpful but not exactly necessary.

Messaging was useless. Getting short messages was frustrating as I couldn't reply. Selecting a smiley was a tedious process thanks to chunky fingers again, and while the functionality of Siri was excellent, I felt like Dick Tracey (the latter part more-so), talking into my wrist while walking about the office and into town at lunch.

I then tried TuneIn Radio. I use this app all day long and it's my favourite thing since sliced bread. I launched the app and....oh, I have to launch it from my phone too. Well that's a bit pointless. I might as well just pick up my phone. Hmmmm.....

And this was the case with most apps. Perhaps this will change with OS 2....

Another mega flaw is the ability to not be able to simply glance at my wrist to check the time. Weirdly, I do this with a watch. It tends to be the core feature in these devices! ;) But not, I couldn't do this with the Apple Watch. A very positive flick of the wrist was needed to bring up the time and I found this annoying.

So it's not been a great start with Apple Watch, but it's not over yet....

I like running so the next test will be while running and using the watch as a sports device. Pretty expensive for this but lets see how well that works. The heart-rate monitor was great but I'll also pair up my Garmin chest strap to see how they compare.

But there are already downsides in sight. I still need my iPhone for my music, so if I need that, what's wrong with my HR strap? If it measures my heart-rate, my iPhone will do the rest. Steps, music, GPS, etc....

Put simply, there is still no "wow" factor yet with the Apple Watch.

In the meantime, I'll put my mechanical watch back on my wrist. I know it doesn't read my message, have Siri, or give me my bank balance, but it does give me the time. When I want, however I want. And as an added bonus, it'll also measure time and it'll never run out of juice with it's very clever mechanical gibbons.

For the rest of my stuff, I'll just pick up my iPhone.... :)

Im firmly in your camp too.
The wife offered to get me one and it was a resounding "don't bother" thanks.
 
Whilst you're completely entitled to come on here & post what you have I really do not & never will understand the need to post such negativity about a product you never wanted or didn't really give much of a chance to at the start, you can disagree with me all you like but it just comes across as someone else who wants to bash the watch because they don't like it. Some of your reasons for disliking it are incredibly poor in my eyes. What purpose this thread has served I don't know, you'll say it's to give people who are undecided your take on the watch but one persons opinion cannot reflect how someone else may feel about it until if & when they decide to give it a go themselves, it's really that sort of product...
 
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