Don't bother. It looks good in photos but the engineering and attention to detail have nothing on the Apple Watch. Just sold my 360 and got a SS AW. The hardware of the AW is far superior in both form and function. 360 screen is low res, scratches easily and is laggy as hell. It also made me realise that square is better than round for a smartwatch face.
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My day with an Apple Watch
- Thread starter beanbaguk
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I think many people expected it to be a device that operates independently and replaces the iPhone. I don't think the AW will be able to replace the iPhone for years (or potentially even ever).
I do expect the AW to eventually be an independent device. By independent, I mean being able to (with Wifi) check the weather, ask Siri questions, use Maps (to do things reasonable on such a small screen), check Yelp reviews, etc without being connected to the iPhone. Some of these things are already implemented, and I would hope that many others would come in future hardware/software updates.
Of course, connecting the iPhone to the AW would bring even more functionality. But the AW should (hopefully) become an independent device in the next few years.
I'm sure it will with a future revision although I think it may be a few years before we see that. I think the main stumbling block right now is battery life. The more independent the watch is the more battery power it's going to require.
Yeah, that and the simple fact that people still want a reasonably sized screen and keyboard to deal with some things. If the iPhone had 3G, great battery life, and all of its features worked without an iPhone, I'd still want an iPhone in my pocket nearly all of the time.
"Nearly" being the key word here. If the watch was totally independent of the phone, I'd still want a phone-sized or larger device with me about 95% of the time. But the 5% of the time when I'm able to leave everything behind except for the watch will feel so freeing.
Sure thing. The question is, at what cost in size, battery life and price? I wouldn't want a Watch any larger than my current 38mm, and I guess I'd spend another $100 on the 3G option.
The new Samsung Gear S2 3G is a couple of millimeters thicker than the non-3G version, which I wouldn't want.
I've gone on to try the bigger one from a friend. Only for a few moments mind so not exactly a test, but to see if it looks much better on my wrist.
But it's still the same problem. Bigger or smaller size, it still has no purpose to me. It brings no tangible value to my life like an iPhone does...
For a watch with cellular radio, I'd be willing to pay a $100 extra, just like I pay extra for my iPads with cellular. As for thickness, I hope the next gen watch will get slimmer, eventually allowing a cellular watch to be about the same size as the current, non-cellular watch.
Oh, and one way I expect the watch to become more useful is as a way to control connected devices. Things like smart locks, smart lights, Nest thermostats, etc. As those things get more common, people will appreciate having a controller that is always on you, i.e. the watch.
I agree with the op that the watch isn't that useful TODAY. But I think eventually, everyone will have one. It'll take several generations to get there, though.
I'll always keep a close eye on the development of the Apple Watch, but I don't ever see myself wearing one until they've address some of the issues below:
- I has to be faster. It's painfully slow and apps suffer from a lot of lag.
- The battery life has to be better. I'm talking serious use throughout the whole day with plenty left to spare. I like to keep my watch on my wrist. Not on a charger.
- I simply don't like the look of it. I hope newer designs will look more appealing to me.
- It needs to be completely stand-alone as many have already mentioned.
- It needs to have some real value in my day to day life. My favourite looking Apple Watch was the space black steel strap for US$1099 (US$1,444 where I live), and I shudder at the thought of spending that much knowing it will only last a couple of years with almost zero value at the end of that time. Horrific!
- Even my 2 year old iPhone 5S has sold for just under half the value I paid for it, but it's brought me significant value in my life. My 2009 MacBook sold 5 years on for 40% of the original value. Will the Apple Watch have the same return?
- Following from the above, some sort of future proofing. When Apple bring out the new S2 chip, can they offer an upgrade program for your watch? (Not a trade in).
I think the big divide is what people expect out of a device like this, whether they wear a watch already, whether they appreciate the design, and whether the price doesn't bother them.
For me, the current Watch already does way more useful things than my current watches, it's way less expensive than my current watches, and I like the design of it, so it was a no-brainer. I initially bought the sport model, because I wasn't sure if I'd find the Watch useful, but, I found it so useful that I traded up for the link bracelet model a week later. I haven't taken it off since (except to charge at night, which is no big deal to me.)
For me, the current Watch already does way more useful things than my current watches, it's way less expensive than my current watches, and I like the design of it, so it was a no-brainer. I initially bought the sport model, because I wasn't sure if I'd find the Watch useful, but, I found it so useful that I traded up for the link bracelet model a week later. I haven't taken it off since (except to charge at night, which is no big deal to me.)
There really is something wrong with the battery on your watch. The battery on my 38 lasts all day with plenty left to spare. And that includes the times I forgot to stop a workout so it was running workout for more than an hour (running workout is the most battery draining thing you can do on the watch). You said you were planning on gifting your watch, right? Perhaps you should get it swapped out before you gift it, or let the giftee know they should get it swapped out right away.
Sorry to hear that the watch didn't quite fit your needs and thanks for sharing your honest opinion.
It's still a first gen product and as such comes with limitations, some of which you have highlighted above.
Having said that, I believe you went in with very high expectations (as can be expected from a 1000+ gadget) and these obviously are not being met by the current product. The iPhone and Mac that you have mentioned are at a mature stage in their product life cycle and hence the dollar to satisfaction ratio will be quite high as will their resale value.
Regardless, there are people who have 'tailored' their expectations and are quite happy with their watch (like me!)
I hope that future generations of the Apple Watch will appeal more to you (as it currently does to us) and tempt you to buy one.
Cheers !
My only thought is, how does an $800 watch you got for free and that can do a ton more, have less "value in your life" than a $10,000 (or more) mechanical watch that just tells time? The only answer is to impress other people and I'm not sure how that adds value to ones life.
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This thread is comical. It's as almost like it was purposefully posted as a fake review its so bad.
I am a new Apple Watch owner, 42mm. I went to update to OS 2.0 and found it was already updated, my battery lasts at least 1.5 days. I put it on in the morning and don't put it on the charger until like midnight. It's usually still over 50%. And I am playing games like lifeline, etc on it all day.
I have never had to reboot the watch. I can use it while I am working out, riding my bike, at movies in theater, I am missing less alerts, canned responses are awesome and fast, I get a lot of text messages and lifting my wrist to see them is awesome, it lets me respond to important ones and ignore less important ones, instead of looking at your phone and realizing you missed an important text. A lot of my friends have the watch so I get to send them drawings, and generally bug or annoy them. I have several band colors(sport) and they go with different attire well, especially team colors for football.
I have no problems controlling movements, screen, etc. and I'm 6'2 200lbs.
Love this thing. Not going anywhere.
I am a new Apple Watch owner, 42mm. I went to update to OS 2.0 and found it was already updated, my battery lasts at least 1.5 days. I put it on in the morning and don't put it on the charger until like midnight. It's usually still over 50%. And I am playing games like lifeline, etc on it all day.
I have never had to reboot the watch. I can use it while I am working out, riding my bike, at movies in theater, I am missing less alerts, canned responses are awesome and fast, I get a lot of text messages and lifting my wrist to see them is awesome, it lets me respond to important ones and ignore less important ones, instead of looking at your phone and realizing you missed an important text. A lot of my friends have the watch so I get to send them drawings, and generally bug or annoy them. I have several band colors(sport) and they go with different attire well, especially team colors for football.
I have no problems controlling movements, screen, etc. and I'm 6'2 200lbs.
Love this thing. Not going anywhere.
Since when was it fake? The only comical thing on this thread is you with such presumptuous remarks.
Agreed I got it for free, so that's fine, but as we've already established, the 38mm is too small for me, so I would have to purchase a larger model. I also don't like the rubber strap (mine is a horrific white), so the steel strap costs even more.
Then, we've already established to listen to music on the device I need a pair of bluetooth headphones, but as I also don't use Apple Music, I need a subscription to that too if I were to listen to music through the watch.
The reality is it's not an $800 device, and what's more, it has near zero value after 2-3 years. A $10k mechanical watch will hold about 75-85% of it's value after that same period, and then depreciate incredibly slowly thereafter.
Anyway, since it's been suggested this thread is comical, I felt it fell below my comical standards so here's a little something to prop that up....
We have no idea what the product cycle of the Watch will be, and I doubt the Watch will be worth nothing in 3 years. Even old iPods still command a bit of money on eBay.
FWIW, Swiss mechanicals have been in a bubble for a while, and, if smartwatches catch on over the next few years, I could see that bubble popping. It's one of the reasons I may go ahead and start selling my Rolexes and whatnot now.
I imagine all who own the watch will also have the iPhone so if people don't want to use Bluetooth headphones & want to keep the existing ones they can just plug them into their phones whilst using the watch to control the music, I do that & also whilst the phone is connected to a speaker playing music & I'm elsewhere in the house I can still can control the music, pretty handy...
And you don't need Apple Music to listen to music with the watch. It plays playlists just fine and podcasts and audiobooks.
Yep, I do the same. I also control my various Apple TVs from the watch, which is handy.
Yes, but I don't want to carry my watch AND my phone when I'm out running. If I had a watch, I just want to carry that....if you get what I'm saying? Also (weirdly), I don't have a music library. After not touching my music collection for over 3 years, I decided to finally ditch it and delete over 750GB of MP3's, FLAC files etc...and move over to Spotify 100%, so perhaps I'm in the minority but until Spotify (and sync) is supported on the Apple Watch, I don't actually have any music to put on it! I expect this situation will become more and more common with newer generations of users....why store GB's of music when you can stream it on the fly and cache what you need at that time.
Interestingly I think the best purpose I've seen for this watch so far is for fitness junkies IF they can remove the dependency from the iPhone.
I also found the ATV controller on the Watch, but by the time I opened the app, and got it ready, my wife had already taken charge of the movie choice on Plex with my old-fashioned controller (I actually have a Logitech Harmony set-up).
It's a bit of a gimmick to be honest. Again, it's too slow like many of the apps on the watch.
But since most of us carry our phones in our pockets all the time, is it really $800 handy? Again, just giving the counter argument....I already have a much more practical and way more powerful controller through my phone, and moreover, it also works my Harmony set-up. (Not available for Apple Watch).
I'm sorry for being so negative in all my replies, but is it really a truly life-changing reason to own an Apple Watch?
I've yet to hear about a truly revolutionary app that would make the watch worthwhile.
So far I think it works for fitness junkies, and it serves as a great reminder tool for people who take medication at regular intervals (but I can think of much cheaper solutions), although the taptic engine is admittedly very good.
But that's it so far. Not much value on a $800 gadget.
It's not. It's a $350 device (for the 38). Anyone who pays more is paying for the fashion aspects of it.
$350 is about how much the original iPods cost. I also had a high-end Walkman that cost around $400. So compared to those, $350 feels about right to me for a gadget like the Apple Watch.