Review for those on the fence

[BlueMoon63]

I got the 42mm version. I'm fairly sure it's because I walked about 3.5 hours with it as the biggest drops happen when I'm moving. I plan to disable the heat rate stuff the rest of the week and see how well it fares (though I don't feel I should have to).

I agree that Apple Music is poorly designed too and buggy, but that's a whole other thread. It does seem like they're dropping the ball lately in the design department though. Yes, you can learn the UI after a while but you shouldn't have to as Apple products used to be fairly intuitive (especially to those of us who grew up with tech).

WaterProofing will be big for many people, though I can see how people who don't swim don't care. I happen to swim 2-3 times a week so for me it'd be great.

Glad some of you enjoyed the review and as I said, I'll update briefly later in the week.

I typically use the workout app other for 2 hours per day with a average drain of 8-10% per hour consistent for three months. I lift weights, swim 50 laps, golf and run. Usually finish each day with 6 hours of usage and 30%+ battery life every day. So I don't believe your numbers at all. Same version and size options without knowing the usage on your watch and standby. Without those you can't be taken as a review. Maybe you play games all day or during a 1 day review you were playing all day? No idea without usage.

I don't get the waterproof remarks completely. I trust the rating and have swam 50+ laps at least 30 times without fail or issue or concern.

Workout other burns about 8-10% per hour without fail. Period. 42mm SS.

 

[BlueMoon63]

As I am sure you know Reminders Nano is an excellent 3rd party replacement. One way to think about it is that having an App Store for 3rd parties is designed to fill the gaps Apple leaves?

Agree with this and I use 2Do and Fantastical for all reminders, calendars and to do's and use SIRI to create and add to reminders on the phone that show in Fantasical and I can edit as well. Free apps to $3 do way more than stock reminders anyway.

 

[Gregintosh]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I notice quite a few percent drain when I'm not wearing it. Not sure if it's normal but it went down around 10% while it was off my wrist a 3 hour period.

Im not constantly playing with it and since it's the weekend the number of notifications has been fairly low compared to what it will be come Monday. I did walk for about 4 hours with it but I had it in exercise mode for only an hour or so. Unless it automatically turns all that on when it detects activity.

Apple says you shouldn't swim with it so I'm basing my comments on the "official" stance they take. Glad to hear that it seems universally accepted its fine for swimming. I suppose worst case scenario you use an AppleCare incident on the off chance you damage it.

This makes me feel like version 2 might just have waterproof as an official feature, which would be nice.

My plan for this week to try to make it work better is to:

1. Disable heart rate monitoring. I feel like I shouldn't have to but I'll give it a shot to extend battery.

2. Download 3rd party podcasting app. That will take care of that complaint, though it'd be nice to have official native support as I prefer the native apps usually.

I agree that it's a nice 1st gen product, but I feel if they released it with the software completed it would be a lot better. The software omissions from podcast app to missing reminders and calendar being for current month only are really obvious things that should have been included day one. Hence my initial comment that this is still essentially a beta.

 

[BlueMoon63]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I notice quite a few percent drain when I'm not wearing it. Not sure if it's normal but it went down around 10% while it was off my wrist a 3 hour period.

Im not constantly playing with it and since it's the weekend the number of notifications has been fairly low compared to what it will be come Monday. I did walk for about 4 hours with it but I had it in exercise mode for only an hour or so. Unless it automatically turns all that on when it detects activity.

Apple says you shouldn't swim with it so I'm basing my comments on the "official" stance they take. Glad to hear that it seems universally accepted its fine for swimming. I suppose worst case scenario you use an AppleCare incident on the off chance you damage it.

This makes me feel like version 2 might just have waterproof as an official feature, which would be nice.

My plan for this week to try to make it work better is to:

1. Disable heart rate monitoring. I feel like I shouldn't have to but I'll give it a shot to extend battery.

2. Download 3rd party podcasting app. That will take care of that complaint, though it'd be nice to have official native support as I prefer the native apps usually.

I agree that it's a nice 1st gen product, but I feel if they released it with the software completed it would be a lot better. The software omissions from podcast app to missing reminders and calendar being for current month only are really obvious things that should have been included day one. Hence my initial comment that this is still essentially a beta.

You should try shutting it off completely and turning back on. I wear mine to bed at night and it goes from 100% to about 93% after seven hours. I've seen 94% and 91-92% after 7 hours with the silent alarm set and raise wrist off and DND. Every once in awhile I wake up and see 85% and I shut it off never figuring out what app I loaded last.

If you don't use it, it seems to burn about 1% an hour. Give or take a percentage. Workout app other seems to burn about 8-10% an hour with minimal usage other than checking notifications and heart rate.

Next time you charge and then do nothing, check the usage to see if a third party app is causing th problem. The heart rate monitor will only check every ten minutes if it detects no movement on your arm. You can always check the health app on your phone and look at heart beat to see if it is even measuring your heart rate.

Cold start it and I bet it works better or else check any third party apps you added.

 

[JohnApples]

As I am sure you know Reminders Nano is an excellent 3rd party replacement. One way to think about it is that having an App Store for 3rd parties is designed to fill the gaps Apple leaves?

Yes I do use that actually, and it is great! I still have a gripe with Apple though for not inlcuding their own app. It's already built-in; it gives you the notifications and you can use Siri to make new reminders. Hell, they even have the Apple Watch a Reminders ICON already made.

It's just something that makes so much sense to put on a smart watch, I can't believe they didn't include it. It's not something a 3rd party should HAVE to fill, in my opinion anyway. Especially when the app is already basically built into the watch, just no way to access it. Plus you lose more integration with 3rd party apps...

Alright, I'm just rambling now. But I'm still baffled that we get a dedicated Photos app but not a Reminders one.

 

[nickkrumors]

2. Download 3rd party podcasting app. That will take care of that complaint, though it'd be nice to have official native support as I prefer the native apps usually.

If you haven't tried it before, Overcast is a fantastic third party Podcast app and from everything I've read has a phenomenal apple watch component to it

 

[Gregintosh]

Ok so I had a few more days with the watch. Here are my observations.

1. I turned off the pulse monitor and that helped the battery. I also took the advice to restart the watch. Now after a day I still have 50% to 60% left, which is very good.

2. I downloaded Overcast for podcasts and its watch app and glance are alright. It'll do for now but I still think Apple needs a well designed original solution.

3. I miss a few notifications once in a while but I catch 90% of them. This is I guess acceptable but I wish the taptic would work even harder (and yes I already have the prominent setting on).

Though I guess no matter what it's set to if I'm moving and really focusing on something else I may miss a tap. That's more my body's fault than Apples. As a practical matter, I find its notification delivery services acceptable.

4. I already forget I'm wearing it sometimes. This is good cause I never wore watches in the past so I thought this would be a big adjustment... but it wasn't.

5. I still find myself taking out the phone to do stuff. Skype is big for my business and the reply button is hard to push on the watch. Email app can't view many types of messages again requiring the phone. And if someone on Skype is writing a bunch of messages in a row, the notifications keep coming in rapid fire. Wish there was a way to limit number of notifications to 1 per app per minute or 2 minutes.

The fact I still have to take out my phone often is a ding though, especially when it's for stuff the watch is supposed to do. I feel like mail should be able to extract the text out of fancy formatted emails and show it as pure text versus saying it can't read the message. This is going to be a problem that won't be addressed in watch OS 2 it seems.

6. Dictating messages, while pretty accurate, has the drawback of being tacky to do in public settings. Also awkward to do in public and quiet settings if you have private business to discuss. I realize a tiny keyboard wouldn't work here, so Siri is the best we can do input wise, though maybe the watch form factor just wasn't meant to be good for input (and that's ok but it does limit its usefulness a bit).


Here's my opinion on keeping versus returning or waiting for version 2:

1. It really isn't a bad overall purchase as is. That doesn't mean it's a good value or deal. I still feel you're getting a beta product with raw software. It will satisfy your inner geek and add some value to your life, but it isn't a game changer the way having a smart phone was.

2. I'm still leaning toward returning mine and waiting for version 2. But it's close. I may still end up keeping it. We will see how much and if I miss it at all once I stop wearing it (my plan is to wear it all day the rest of the week).

 

[coldsweat]

I'd agree with most points here; I've kept my garmin due to the fact if I do long walks I'll take that, plus also swimming. The Watch app on the phone is very inconsistent and feels like it's been written by a team that's never seen the settings app on the iPhone!
That said actionable notifications and now Apple pay are enough for me to keep mine, given the prevalence of contactless in the UK already, this is such a convenient method to pay.

For me, Apple Pay is the 'Killer App' - here in the UK contactless is prevalent & most(ish) shops have it. Apple Pay on the phone is almost useless (other than no value limit) as it's far slower than using using our contactless cards, however the watch is super convenient & ready to pay within a second.

My battery life was also poor to begin with, but found that it was using certain 3rd party apps that caused it.

 

[Aniseedvan]

For me, Apple Pay is the 'Killer App' - here in the UK contactless is prevalent & most(ish) shops have it. Apple Pay on the phone is almost useless (other than no value limit) as it's far slower than using using our contactless cards, however the watch is super convenient & ready to pay within a second.

My battery life was also poor to begin with, but found that it was using certain 3rd party apps that caused it.

Can you shed any light on these errant apps? I've just done a purge of quite a few, and have left dark sky, omnifocus and fantastical (the latter essential given my corporate outlook calendar repeatedly loses meeting invites so the calendar complication and glance are useless at the moment)

 

[nickkrumors]

I just got a 42 mm sport two days ago after having used a Pebble since January. I really like the feel and look of the watch, but don't know if I'll be keeping it past the 14 day return window.

I do enjoy the Activity/Workout features of the watch, but seeing as though I am rarely using the reply feature, it doesn't do too much more than my Pebble did as far as giving me notifications on my wrist. We will see though, early on in the return window.

If I went places that supported Apple Pay, I think the watch would be much more useful, but the places I shop (Wal-Mart, Target, Publix) don't support it yet.

 

[jaymc]

Maybe you got a defective battery or something. I don't even bother checking the battery percent anymore because I never got close to killing it in the first 2 months.

Looking at my watch right now, I have 46% left after 18 hours of wearing the watch.

Edit: 20 hours in and have 40% left

Everyone I know with the watch, including myself have turned off the battery life complication in favor of something else. Basically determined it wasn't needed.

 

[jasie02]

AW is a accessory item, as an extension of iPhone. It is not to replace iPhone, but it could replace watch, if one wear watch daily. Definitely of accessory from Webster, "something added to something else to make it more useful, attractive, or effective", and AW does it incredible well for anyone looking for additional need beyond what is currently exist with iPhone.

If one does not wear watch and does not like to wear watch now and in future, AW is not for you.

If one have to justify why one SHOULD-NOT buy it, instead of justify why one SHOULD buy it to fulfill current need as "accessory". One should not buy it. If one can't justify for one single positive but significant thing it will bring to one's daily life, like never missed important notification with phone not in sign and does not have to unlock to check, but is looking for a perfect smartwatch before buy it. It does not exist, and keep waiting until hair is gray, or continue with old Rolex.

If one is 1,000,000% satisfied with iPhone, and there is obsoletely zero additional need beyond what iPhone could offer, then AW is not for one also.

Like everything in life, it is never about getting what one's want, it is always about choose best option existing on the table to fulfill need, completely or partially, or continue waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting…….

 

[Armen]

If Apple waterproofed the Apple watch the only thing Siri would ever hear from you s

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I notice quite a few percent drain when I'm not wearing it. Not sure if it's normal but it went down around 10% while it was off my wrist a 3 hour period.

Im not constantly playing with it and since it's the weekend the number of notifications has been fairly low compared to what it will be come Monday. I did walk for about 4 hours with it but I had it in exercise mode for only an hour or so. Unless it automatically turns all that on when it detects activity.

Apple says you shouldn't swim with it so I'm basing my comments on the "official" stance they take. Glad to hear that it seems universally accepted its fine for swimming. I suppose worst case scenario you use an AppleCare incident on the off chance you damage it.

This makes me feel like version 2 might just have waterproof as an official feature, which would be nice.

My plan for this week to try to make it work better is to:

1. Disable heart rate monitoring. I feel like I shouldn't have to but I'll give it a shot to extend battery.

2. Download 3rd party podcasting app. That will take care of that complaint, though it'd be nice to have official native support as I prefer the native apps usually.

I agree that it's a nice 1st gen product, but I feel if they released it with the software completed it would be a lot better. The software omissions from podcast app to missing reminders and calendar being for current month only are really obvious things that should have been included day one. Hence my initial comment that this is still essentially a beta.

If Apple waterproofed the watch the only thing Siri would hear you say is "mmmhhpphhh". Same goes for speaker playback.

 

[zetaplus93]

For me, Apple Pay is the 'Killer App' - here in the UK contactless is prevalent & most(ish) shops have it. Apple Pay on the phone is almost useless (other than no value limit) as it's far slower than using using our contactless cards, however the watch is super convenient & ready to pay within a second.

My battery life was also poor to begin with, but found that it was using certain 3rd party apps that caused it.

Nice to hear that Apple Pay (and other wireless payment options) being useful in the UK where contactless payment systems are prevalent.

Hopefully the US gets to be in similar shape by end of 2016 or so. I've found it very useful as well, just wish more places support it.

 

[rxd]

I've had the 42mm Sport for a week and like it a lot more than I thought I would. For me it's a keeper, though I do wish it was waterproof.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Why do people keep saying it's not waterproof? It's indeed waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes (as it's rated IPX7).

I take it you want it to be waterproof to 100 meters and not have it hear you or speak to you (like a conventional watch), defeating the very purpose of the Apple Watch?

 

[nickkrumors]

Not sure what you need it to be more waterproof for. I never take mine off for showers or the rain or similar situations and its completely fine - especially considering its water rating of IPX7. Wouldn't want to use it at the beach or pool with all the hard tiles and sand anyway

 

[VFC]

Ok, so *some* people exercise that long!

Turning off heart rate monitoring is one solution. Or you could recharge the watch after you exercise. The point is, when Apple said the watch will have all-day battery life, that didn't include people using it to monitor heart rates for 3-4 hours a day. I think it's somewhere in the manuals and guides that if you do that, the watch battery won't last all day.

I wonder why the AW heart rate monitor drains the battery so fast. The heart rate monitor LED on my Surge flash 10 times per second constantly. I get at least 5 days of battery life.

 

[Aniseedvan]

I wonder why the AW heart rate monitor drains the battery so fast. The heart rate monitor LED on my Surge flash 10 times per second constantly. I get at least 5 days of battery life.

Remember the display is different; my vivoactive lasts that long and has an inbuilt GPS, but a much simpler screen.

 

[Gregintosh]

If Apple waterproofed the watch the only thing Siri would hear you say is "mmmhhpphhh". Same goes for speaker playback.

Well, if its already fairly waterproof that means that little speaker/mic combo must not be that leaky. Perhaps there is some bit of engineering that can be done to make sure it doesn't damage the watch. I wonder how covering those with a piece of tape while swimming affects the water proof rating....

Why do people keep saying it's not waterproof? It's indeed waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes (as it's rated IPX7).

I take it you want it to be waterproof to 100 meters and not have it hear you or speak to you (like a conventional watch), defeating the very purpose of the Apple Watch?

Because Apple officially keeps saying you can't use it for swimming (even though some people do). This puts it in a kind of weird spot where you can get away with it but you aren't sure if it will get damaged in time as if it was 100% safe Apple would say so.

Not sure what you need it to be more waterproof for. I never take mine off for showers or the rain or similar situations and its completely fine - especially considering its water rating of IPX7. Wouldn't want to use it at the beach or pool with all the hard tiles and sand anyway

I would like to be able to take it swimming to measure my laps, swim time, heart rate potentially, etc. while swimming. Also maybe if I had some water proof bluetooth headphones I can even listen to music from it/control it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Because Apple officially keeps saying you can't use it for swimming (even though some people do). This puts it in a kind of weird spot where you can get away with it but you aren't sure if it will get damaged in time as if it was 100% safe Apple would say so.

It's just a scare tactic to discourage people from taking it deep diving, etc. Most would just see the "waterproof" part and do anything they want with it.

 

[rxd]

I would just like to not keep taking it off every time I go in the pool for a swim. But measuring laps and swim time would be cool too.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I would just like to not keep taking it off every time I go in the pool for a swim. But measuring laps and swim time would be cool too.

And some don't, with no ill effect so far.

 

[Night Spring]

I would like to be able to take it swimming to measure my laps, swim time, heart rate potentially, etc. while swimming. Also maybe if I had some water proof bluetooth headphones I can even listen to music from it/control it.

Capacitive touch doesn't work when wet, so you wouldn't be able to use your watch to control music while swimming.

 

[Bromeo]

I think of Beta software not as missing some minor features, but more along the lines of "may crash and burn all your data - not for production or critical use." It would be a real stretch to call Apple Watch a Beta in that sense. On the contrary, my Moto 360 crashes a couple times a week with the message "Android Wear has stopped responding" (and to add insult to injury, the screen stays on with that message until I tap OK or the battery runs dead). VivoFit, which is an Android Wear app I was trying has a slick mode to detect reps when doing weightlifting. It is in Beta, and true to definition, I lost my saved data with it, but that's the price for playing with Beta software.

If anything should have been called beta, it would be Apple Maps (people lost time going to places that didn't exist, or trying to cross active runways at small airports), and perhaps Apple Music, but those are other topics.

Semantics aside, many points in the OP's post are salient. What might change over time for people in the OP's position is the pros vs. cons balance. In my experience, the Apple Watch sort of infiltrates itself into one's life, subtly, over time, such that when you try to go a day without, you suddenly miss all the nifty little conveniences you've acclimated to.

I've gone on multi-hour hikes with my 38mm AW, and indeed, the constant HR monitoring of an "Outdoor Walk" workout will run the battery down faster. The remedy is to either charge the watch after such a long Workout session, or enable "Power Saving Mode" for the Workout app when you know it's going to be a long one. The only caveat is "calorie burn calculations may not be as accurate." I would hope calculations made without the heart rate data would be calibrated on previous similar workouts with heart rate data. Another option is to use a BLE compatible chest strap to take some of that load off the watch during a long workout.

Personally, I like to take a nice long shower after a long workout, so that's a perfect time to top up the watch if I had it on workout mode.

UI will undoubtedly be tweaked, and some things like Reminders may show up some day. Perhaps Apple had something really cool in its place that ended up not in the final product because it wasn't ready. It does seem like an odd omission. Nevertheless, I find adding reminders using Siri to be a killer feature... just run out of milk? Add it to the grocery list right then and there.

I remember enjoying my iPhone 1 in 2007. Soon enough, I was hearing rumors through friends of friends of friends who worked at Apple of the next OS version and how much they wanted to release in 1.0, but couldn't get it ready in time. 1.0 was "a mess" according to one source, but it was rock solid for what it did. Everything else was left out.