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iMarkypad

macrumors member
Original poster
May 3, 2022
45
13
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
 

ericwn

macrumors G4
Apr 24, 2016
11,993
10,749
I bet you some folks feel the same but certainly not all. Many just get the watch specifically for notifications on their wrist. What use case did you have in mind other than notifications and why would that all of a sudden change?
 

iMarkypad

macrumors member
Original poster
May 3, 2022
45
13
I bet you some folks feel the same but certainly not all. Many just get the watch specifically for notifications on their wrist. What use case did you have in mind other than notifications and why would that all of a sudden change?
To be honest, it looked really cool - apple is too good at marketing. I guess everything about it just doesnt seem that useful. Cool but not helpful.
 

bricktop_at

macrumors 65832
Apr 4, 2017
1,504
4,843
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
I wear a watch since I was a kid, so that's a given for me anyway.

The Apple Watch added useful stuff like health data and workout tracking (which are the features I appreciate the most), notifications, being able to quickly pick up a call, set timers for cooking.... at least for me there's no reason at all to stop wearing it, the opposite is the case ;-)
 
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BlackBun

Suspended
Oct 20, 2020
248
842
Wokingham U.K.
I turn notifications off except the incoming phone call hepatic thing as I never hear the phone tone. However, my watch serves one purpose and that’s the activity and work out without these I’d not wear a watch of any description.
 

Basic75

macrumors 68010
May 17, 2011
2,002
2,346
Europe
To be honest, it looked really cool - apple is too good at marketing. I guess everything about it just doesnt seem that useful. Cool but not helpful.
So you bought something that you don't need and are now saying it's a problem of the device? Sorry, but LOL.

For the record, I find the Apple Watch to be relatively ugly, but I like silent notifications and the workout features.
 

Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,454
5,338
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?

You can return it if inside the window. Otherwise you can sell it on the second hand market, trade it to Apple, or just leave it in a drawer and not wear it.
 

russell_314

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2019
6,157
9,219
USA
To be honest, it looked really cool - apple is too good at marketing. I guess everything about it just doesnt seem that useful. Cool but not helpful.
I wouldn't recommend buying anything because it looks cool. I guess if you're a teenager this is OK but as an adult, this is just a recipe for buyers remorse. I've done it so that's how I know 🤣

As to useful, it depends on what your needs are. A hammer is very useful to some, but if you don't build things then maybe as a paperweight? The Apple Watch can do a lot of things.

Notifications are important to me, because I'll miss calls and messages that were important and needed an immediate reply. You may have zero need for this, so maybe not useful for you.

Measuring my activity throughout the day is important to me. It lets me know if I'm trending down, so I need to pick it up. It also logs my exercise. My health is very important and it is part of a system that keeps me on track.

On a similar topic, monitoring my health is very important. To be honest, I thought that was kind of silly till my watch notified me that I was having a problem. Hopefully you don't ever receive a notification saying something is going wrong but it's good to have something checking it.

One thing I use in my day-to-day activity is the controls for pausing and playing a podcast or music or whatever. If I forget to wear my watch that day, I notice that and it's kind of annoying. Sure it's not that hard to pull my phone out of my pocket but it's less convenient. First world problems I know LOL

The feature that I can just make my phone ring in case I can't find where I set it down is important to me. I'm a bit disorganized sometimes and that helps.

Also, it's a watch so a quick glance and I can see the time. I use this multiple times a day

I'm sure I could list more but my point is these are features for me that are very helpful. Some or maybe none of these could be useful to you, but only you would know that. I think part of the problem is you bought something because it looked cool without even thinking how you would use it. Then when you got it, you couldn't figure out what to do with it. Maybe it's not useful for you or maybe it is and you just haven't thought a purpose for it?
 

russell_314

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2019
6,157
9,219
USA
I turn notifications off except the incoming phone call hepatic thing as I never hear the phone tone. However, my watch serves one purpose and that’s the activity and work out without these I’d not wear a watch of any description.
That's the first thing I do when setting up mine. My phone gets so many notifications and I only want the important ones tapping my wrist. I think like my banking apps, some of my messaging apps, and phone calls is all I have on.
 
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izzle22

macrumors 65816
Jul 13, 2004
1,253
811
Kansas City, MO
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
It really depends on how you use it. If it's just worn along side your phone and you look at your phone all day it can be less useful.

I use mine a lot without my phone. To make/receive calls, check messages, open the garage door(MyQ), turn on lights(Hue), apple TV remote, skip songs(Apple Music), check my heart rate, check the weather, directions, for working out etc. It's much easier to check notifications without taking your phone out every time.

I have the cellular plan on mine so I go places leaving my phone behind at home. It works as a less cumbersome device without the added weight of a phone.

Everyone will use their Apple Watch in different ways being more or less useful to the individual. Same with almost any product. To some people a toaster is useless to others it's used everyday to cook/toast with.

I have deactivated some redundant (to me) notifications such as stand and breath reminders as they are a bit annoying to me.
 
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Tozovac

macrumors 68040
Jun 12, 2014
3,023
3,231
I wouldn't recommend buying anything because it looks cool. I guess if you're a teenager this is OK but as an adult, this is just a recipe for buyers remorse. I've done it so that's how I know 🤣

Seems to me the biggest complaints about the AW Ultra are from those who bought it not to apply its extra features to a specific activity for which the AW Ultra really offers a benefit, but to have the latest/greatest/best/biggest.

Same topic applies to this thread: AW is pretty great to those who bought it to serve a specific function or functions:

- notifications/texting ability without having to pull out your phone (including using it to answer certain calls, which is super helpful at times)

- for specific exercise/training (either during exercise or post-exercise for the data)

- health monitoring


On a similar topic, monitoring my health is very important. To be honest, I thought that was kind of silly till my watch notified me that I was having a problem. Hopefully you don't ever receive a notification saying something is going wrong but it's good to have something checking it.

This is good to hear. This is partially why I finally broke down and bought one. Friend of mine had 2 friends die from irregular heart activity, one of whom possibly could have been given a warning from an AW.
 

Wando64

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2013
2,224
2,885
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?

No.

I bought the watch to do what it does (Fitness, Health monitoring, remote control, SIRI on my wrist, timers and alarms, and yes of course notifications and telling me the time) and it does all of it very well.

Sounds to me that you bought it because it “looks and feel cool”.
Doesn’t it look and feel cool anymore?
 
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ConcernedCitizen

Suspended
Jan 12, 2023
54
94
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
For you this is a problem, for me it's literally why I wear an Apple Watch
 

BugeyeSTI

macrumors 604
Aug 19, 2017
6,936
8,792
Arizona/Illinois
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
I use my Apple Watch for a lot more than just notifications. If it was something you bought because you thought it made you look cool then I'd say you made a poor decision purchasing one..
 

dwaltwhit

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
1,189
2,203
Tennessee
The watch, I feel is similar to microsoft word. Word has tons of features at capabilities, but each person uses it for different things. Everyone uses the watch to tell time. Some use it for fitness, some for health tracking, some for messaging, some for notifications, some for music, some for weather, some for tap to pay, and most use it for more than one of these.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
10,570
27,667
SoCal
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
there is no "problem" with the AW, unclear why you bought one and depending on the model you have, there are many more use cases than you are describing, just read thru this thread, and there are plenty others: If you were to stop wearing an Apple Watch, what feature/s would you miss most?
 

doolar

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2019
634
1,096
The Apple Watch is my training buddy, helping me for years to achieve my goals, next goal is my first marathon in June. It replaces my phone and wallet often, no more "hiding" things in my shoes at the beach as it is fooling anybody. Timers, alarms, and music. Keeping track of the weather at a quick glance. I can easily see my next calendar appointment. Navigation when in a new city for a walk. I do not have any other notifications than iMessage, phone, calendar and FindMy. One of my most used and appreciated pieces of tech I own.

Oh and it also tells time.
 
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Tdude96

macrumors 6502
Oct 16, 2021
451
687
One of the first things I tell people if they ask about getting an Apple Watch is that it's not for everyone, and that's okay. They can buy it, try it, and return it for a full refund in the return window if it's not doing what they want.

I bought my first Apple Watch almost on a whim. Didn't think I needed it for any particular reason, hadn't worn a watch for decades. Had no idea what my use case really was. It was 100% a vanity purchase. And I found I didn't like it at all. It was just an unnecessary piece of tech to charge and keep track of.

I could use my phone for everything I cared about the watch doing. Sure, it was nice to see notifications or heart rate at a glance, but unnecessary. Nonetheless, I committed myself to wearing it for a full week. After a bit more than a week, my use case for the watch finally clicked. The value wasn't in the watch or how I use it, but in how much less I have to touch, pick up, or carry my phone.

Even with the GPS version, I found I wasn't touching my phone as much or sometimes at all throughout the day. I could view emails and messages from my wrist, even respond when needed. I could take calls, check projects, set timers, listen to music or audio books without needing the phone constantly in-hand. That's its value to me. The phone can be left on my nightstand or desk, and I can go about my day freely, staying connected without being chained to the phone. That extra freedom is what changed my mind about keeping the watch. Since then, the watch has become absolutely indispensable as I've found new use cases and reasons to love the watch.

Trying out the watch turned out to expose value I wouldn't have imagined. Certainly, the watches aren't worthwhile for everyone, but they are easy to return in that event.
 

arc of the universe

macrumors regular
Jan 11, 2023
209
241
One of the first things I tell people if they ask about getting an Apple Watch is that it's not for everyone, and that's okay. They can buy it, try it, and return it for a full refund in the return window if it's not doing what they want.

I bought my first Apple Watch almost on a whim. Didn't think I needed it for any particular reason, hadn't worn a watch for decades. Had no idea what my use case really was. It was 100% a vanity purchase. And I found I didn't like it at all. It was just an unnecessary piece of tech to charge and keep track of.

I could use my phone for everything I cared about the watch doing. Sure, it was nice to see notifications or heart rate at a glance, but unnecessary. Nonetheless, I committed myself to wearing it for a full week. After a bit more than a week, my use case for the watch finally clicked. The value wasn't in the watch or how I use it, but in how much less I have to touch, pick up, or carry my phone.

Even with the GPS version, I found I wasn't touching my phone as much or sometimes at all throughout the day. I could view emails and messages from my wrist, even respond when needed. I could take calls, check projects, set timers, listen to music or audio books without needing the phone constantly in-hand. That's its value to me. The phone can be left on my nightstand or desk, and I can go about my day freely, staying connected without being chained to the phone. That extra freedom is what changed my mind about keeping the watch. Since then, the watch has become absolutely indispensable as I've found new use cases and reasons to love the watch.

Trying out the watch turned out to expose value I wouldn't have imagined. Certainly, the watches aren't worthwhile for everyone, but they are easy to return in that event.
great analysis and reply.
the apple watch does provide the opportunity to not carry the iPhone with you. this usage case may be the most overlooked benefit of the watch. at least for me.
certainly people in the medical community understand this exact benefit of the watch.
for persons who have never felt it necessary or useful for them to carry their iPhone all the time, then the watch makes less sense for them.
it took me a while to understand the relationship of the watch and the tethered iPhone with respect to to how notifications are affected by the timing of when you last used the other device. gradually apple has been making the watch into a productivity enhancement device. (two factor approval; unlocking yr mac, etc).
the watch really gives me freedom and control of how/if/when i respond. factor in all the immediate fitness benefits, as well as emergency/spur of the moment things (apple pay; express transit card) etc, and it makes it indispensable for me. the watch has become my most favourite apple device.
 
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H57

macrumors member
Sep 17, 2019
49
46
Apple watches look and feel cool however when using it the watch isn't very useful. Usually I stop wearing the watch because it just turns into a notification watch. Does anyone have the same problem?
Nope. Next.
 
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Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
565
552
I still wear mine most days as a watch and for the timer. That's about it but thats about all I really have ever used it for and I've worn them for 5 years now.
 

Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
565
552
And five years of health data?
I don't really pay attention to it all that much. I do use Auto Sleep though but sometimes it decides not to work. Even then I just barely glance at how much I slept during the night. Mostly like I said, it's used for the timer.
 
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Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,454
5,338
I don't really pay attention to it all that much. I do use Auto Sleep though but sometimes it decides not to work. Even then I just barely glance at how much I slept during the night. Mostly like I said, it's used for the timer.

Not to kill you by numbers, but there’s a huge amount of data there whether you look at it or not. Even if it’s only periodic it’s better than no data at all. It could provide context for future issues. Hopefully not too soon, but you never know.
 
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