Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
So why aren't you guys recomending the Watch?
- Thread starter enderg
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I've been wearing mine over a month and love it. Bought one for my wife, she loves it. My kids weren't interested.
Went to REI to buy hiking shoes, cashier asked "is it worth it?" I paused, then said he'd be better off using his money on something else.
Played golf at a friend's country club. I raved about the watch, he bought one for himself and for his son.
It's a luxury item for sure, and so I didn't want to rave about it to the cashier. For someone who can easily afford the Watch, it's great. For someone who isn't already wearing a watch, it's probably also more valuable than it would be to someone who is already wearing and enjoying a watch. So there's a very subjective value proposition for the Watch, and it's not a universal recommendation.
Went to REI to buy hiking shoes, cashier asked "is it worth it?" I paused, then said he'd be better off using his money on something else.
Played golf at a friend's country club. I raved about the watch, he bought one for himself and for his son.
It's a luxury item for sure, and so I didn't want to rave about it to the cashier. For someone who can easily afford the Watch, it's great. For someone who isn't already wearing a watch, it's probably also more valuable than it would be to someone who is already wearing and enjoying a watch. So there's a very subjective value proposition for the Watch, and it's not a universal recommendation.
The Apple Watch as everyone in the industry understands is like the entire smartwatch ahead of it's time by a few years. As the Internet of Things comes online (and it will, this is not some silly idea like the integrated multimedia living room as one poster tried to make out), the smartwatch will come into it's own. In typical Apple fashion they are getting in early and shaping the market (like they did with Android, etc). The Watch is a luxury item for people who don't get lots of texts and emails to filter through, or don't have situations where using a phone is a problem (like driving). For people sitting in class in college or just put-zing around at the mall, you don't need it.
For working adults, particularly for people like myself in IT working remotely, it's a god-send. I no longer pick up my phone (saving time and the hassle of keeping it right on me at all times), I can triage calls, emails and texts quickly and more efficiently, and even handle short calls (and voice mails) while driving or doing other things without again running around for the phone if it's charging, etc. Added benefits are notifications for appointments and meetings, and even news alerts and health information. Then there is the unnecessary but oh-so-convenient use in stores supporting NFC. Already I saw with Lexus an app to remotely start your car, and I am sure by the time I buy my next car I will be able to do so from my Watch, then there is boarding planes (something I do frequently relative to most folks) and soon access to a lot of hotels and other facilities will use smartwatches and phones.
If you have a lifestyle similar to mine, it makes a lot of sense. As I wrote this two emails dropped in, neither requiring a response and took half the time to check relative to my phone just inches away.
Oh, and using Apple maps while driving, the added benefit of getting tapped to keep you from missing turns.... it really is useful, especially if you get distracted talking or driving.
It is a niche product, but in time it will be something the majority of folks will opt for. But then again, I have no use or desire to own an iPod, so naturally many folks won't get a Watch, that doesn't make it useless or a bad idea.
For working adults, particularly for people like myself in IT working remotely, it's a god-send. I no longer pick up my phone (saving time and the hassle of keeping it right on me at all times), I can triage calls, emails and texts quickly and more efficiently, and even handle short calls (and voice mails) while driving or doing other things without again running around for the phone if it's charging, etc. Added benefits are notifications for appointments and meetings, and even news alerts and health information. Then there is the unnecessary but oh-so-convenient use in stores supporting NFC. Already I saw with Lexus an app to remotely start your car, and I am sure by the time I buy my next car I will be able to do so from my Watch, then there is boarding planes (something I do frequently relative to most folks) and soon access to a lot of hotels and other facilities will use smartwatches and phones.
If you have a lifestyle similar to mine, it makes a lot of sense. As I wrote this two emails dropped in, neither requiring a response and took half the time to check relative to my phone just inches away.
Oh, and using Apple maps while driving, the added benefit of getting tapped to keep you from missing turns.... it really is useful, especially if you get distracted talking or driving.
It is a niche product, but in time it will be something the majority of folks will opt for. But then again, I have no use or desire to own an iPod, so naturally many folks won't get a Watch, that doesn't make it useless or a bad idea.
Last edited:
I'm totally with you. I have only the most critical notifications sent to my watch.
Sure I could do the same on my phone but I like to get things like notifications from Instagram, too. I don't need that on the watch.
System status, slack channels, ping reports, email VIPs. The watch is both a time and sanity saver. It's a filter that helps me be both more connected but spend less time online.
No. I want hr monitor to work all the time. I don't expect to be chained to Apple's rather limited fitness apps. I use runkeeper, mapmyride, strava and others. HR monitoring should "just work".
For those who are into running and bicycling the watch is great. I told my friends that IF your into cardio related sports the watch is great, just for that use case alone. Once adjusted to your stride length it really is accurate without the phone. It shows 6.08 km where the real Distance is 6.00 km. for cycling I have my phone with me anyway so the distance travelled is as correct as it could be. The heart rate sensor is very accurate too. So for me there is no reason not to recommend the watch to my friends. I would not recommend d it to my parents because they just don't have iPhones, my brothers either.
If your not into sport at all but you feel the need for instant notifications from your out of reach iPhone than the watch again is a nice thing. If your into tech gadgets an again... and so on.
The sample size of 52 is way to low. How much people do have a apple watch now? More than a million I assume so the error is above 10% if they opted for 2 sigma.
(For those calculating the real error - I just guessed and am certain that the real error is higher).
Usually you ask ~1000 people.
But if you would ask the forum members here you won't get useful data either.
It's a nice watch that's for sure.
If your not into sport at all but you feel the need for instant notifications from your out of reach iPhone than the watch again is a nice thing. If your into tech gadgets an again... and so on.
The sample size of 52 is way to low. How much people do have a apple watch now? More than a million I assume so the error is above 10% if they opted for 2 sigma.
(For those calculating the real error - I just guessed and am certain that the real error is higher).
Usually you ask ~1000 people.
But if you would ask the forum members here you won't get useful data either.
It's a nice watch that's for sure.
Right now if someone said hey wanted to test a smartwatch and see if it was useful I'd start them on a pebble steel (male) and original (female)
The best part of a smart watches notifications. And the apple watch is wholly unreliable with those.
It's also annoyingly slow to get some quick information
Perhaps after watch os 2 is release I'll recommend it but for now the best things about a smartwatch it doesn't handle well and trying to do more can typically be accomplished faster by removing he phone and checking it.
Recommend it... In still deciding if Im patient enough to keep it hoping that it's worth it in three months time.
That's my opinion on it. It's a lot of money to spend on what is effectively a beta product right now. And the main reason to get one is to have new tech to play with report bugs and watch evolve. Most end users aren't interested in it.
Most handy functions can be accomplished by much cheaper faster options.
The best part of a smart watches notifications. And the apple watch is wholly unreliable with those.
It's also annoyingly slow to get some quick information
Perhaps after watch os 2 is release I'll recommend it but for now the best things about a smartwatch it doesn't handle well and trying to do more can typically be accomplished faster by removing he phone and checking it.
Recommend it... In still deciding if Im patient enough to keep it hoping that it's worth it in three months time.
That's my opinion on it. It's a lot of money to spend on what is effectively a beta product right now. And the main reason to get one is to have new tech to play with report bugs and watch evolve. Most end users aren't interested in it.
Most handy functions can be accomplished by much cheaper faster options.
I explain what it is and what it isn't if folks ask.
The smart ones that realise it's potential to do what they need rather that what they thought it might do seem to cotton on pretty quick.
The smart ones that realise it's potential to do what they need rather that what they thought it might do seem to cotton on pretty quick.
I got mine a week or 2 ago. It's an awesome device but not necessary. There have been times where it has come in handy for hands free calling, and my personal discrete wake up alarm. Thats about it.
If you like wearing watches and your an Apple fan, go for it.
If you like wearing watches and your an Apple fan, go for it.
Can't speak for steve but my normal regular watch basically comes off only when I shower. And when I rinse it off with some normal tap water it after hitting the pool or a few hours at the beach during days I hit either.
I wrote off watch tan line the same as I wrote off wedding ring tan line the amount I am in the sun in the summer tbh lol. Have to remove either to see them and generally don't feel the need to do that.
Don't have clocks on the wall at home and my iphone is my alarm clock so the traditional alarm by the bed not there. Once home I can put my iphone on my desk and not touch it till next day tbh (I do not suffer from iphone withdrawal if not within arms reach at all times). Basically its how I tell time at home at any time. With the simple look at the wrist.
That and watch wearing all day/night round can become habit if you serve the military (i did, where I picked the habit up from). You don't have the bed stand to put all your stuff in the field lol. Also tbh don't want what can be an expensive watch growing legs while you sleep lol. Do this a bit and a watch can become like, well, a wedding ring. Something just feels off when you aren't wearing them.
because it doesn't make my life tangibly better that i would want to tell someone about it.
when i got a macbook air it totally changed the way i used a laptop...same as when i first got an iphone. easy to recommend to people then becasue it would help them if i do that
the apple watch wont help them do anything. it hasnt made my life any easier than before. it's just 'nice' to have.
if they needed help with fitness, and just fitness, id point them to a fitbit surge.. if they needed help with getting a nice timepiece, there are other, better options for that.
the apple watch isnt there yet.
when i got a macbook air it totally changed the way i used a laptop...same as when i first got an iphone. easy to recommend to people then becasue it would help them if i do that
the apple watch wont help them do anything. it hasnt made my life any easier than before. it's just 'nice' to have.
if they needed help with fitness, and just fitness, id point them to a fitbit surge.. if they needed help with getting a nice timepiece, there are other, better options for that.
the apple watch isnt there yet.
Maybe I can. Sometimes notifications don't come up on the watch, even when not using the iPhone. Sometimes they appear later than normal.
Which part. That the watch is unreliable because it doesn't notify me 14 of the time. Doesn't light the screen or make a sound or tap me a quarter of the time lights the screen for a split second and turns immediately off a quarter of the time. And works a quarter of the time
Or explain that notifications are the most useful thing to see on your wrist and that jamming computer app sin doesn't work?
Exactly this. I have the same approach. By now my friends have seen me use it and see the smile on my face when I do. One has gotten his own before he ever saw mine.
But the Apple Watch is still too buggy for me to go around advising people that this $350 or more watch is something I recommend. I happen to have the easygoing personality and patience to deal with features suddenly not working as they should and needing a reboot of both the watch AND the iPhone.
I have the right personality to buy into the concept of this being a somewhat redundant accessory to my iPhone and not a mini iPhone on my wrist.
I have the patience to put up with and work around the changes Apple made to the exercise feature and its annoying quirks.
I know that very few of my friends have this kind of patience with expensive tech. They are used to a relatively flawless smooth Apple experience with their iPhones. They believe in the "it just works" motto.
The Apple Watch is everything I hoped and expected. But I knew it wouldn't "just work"... and it doesn't. I'm not getting myself in hot water selling it to my friends. I did sell my sister in law on it but at least I paid for her watch!
The current version is good. And you are right that software will change a lot. But I still don't think we will see anything approaching ubiquity until Gen 3.
As for price, so far I know five people and myself who own the Apple Watch and I saw another in the wild last night. Only one of those 7 is the 38mm. One is the regular 42mm sport. One is the black 42mm sport. The other four were SS. The guy who got the regular 42mm kind of wishes he got the SS because it dresses up a bit better and he often wears a suit.
So while yes there is a $350 version available, I don't think it is a popular version and I don't think it is appropriate for the vast majority of the current Apple Watch users. There are $399 models that will be super popular. But the SS starts at $600 in the 42mm (which most men should be buying) and once you start adding the bands it goes up quickly from there.
I set my expectations of the first gen at a low point because it is...a first gen product. It does everything that i was expecting and so with that mindset, I am happy with it.
It will get a lot better through OS updates and with strong rumours of Gen 2 next year, by the time we get to OS3 it will be a completely different and more capable animal.
The first iPhone and iPads are nothing compared to the the current versions that we have now.
Apple needs early adopters to help then understand the requirements of the consumer. Give them time and they will get it right.
It will get a lot better through OS updates and with strong rumours of Gen 2 next year, by the time we get to OS3 it will be a completely different and more capable animal.
The first iPhone and iPads are nothing compared to the the current versions that we have now.
Apple needs early adopters to help then understand the requirements of the consumer. Give them time and they will get it right.
This is the first I'm reading that the AW is flaky with notifications. Not saying you are wrong but if this is true I'm surprised more forum members aren't complaining about this.
It won't approach ubiquity until the marketplace is teeming with people who want a smartwatch. Until then, the smartwatch market is rather small. In the end, it's not really the physical device which will push the boundaries outward but functionality - which can, and will, largely be added by software.
As for the other thoughts, my original comments still stand for the reasons given.
Last edited:
Some enjoy it and use it efficiently, and others don't need a bridge between their Phone and eyeballs, and therefore don't use smartwatches in general.
People will spend their money on whatever they find fits for them. It's not useful or useless, worth it or not worth it, right or wrong by default. It's all relative to the user.
Rocket science? Or is it better to let others form your own opinion?
People will spend their money on whatever they find fits for them. It's not useful or useless, worth it or not worth it, right or wrong by default. It's all relative to the user.
Rocket science? Or is it better to let others form your own opinion?
I don't because I don't feel like it was ready for release. It could be cheaper, the sport which is what I have could have been sold for $200-250. I suggest people who ask that they should wait on the second generation.
In the case of smartwatch, one area of functionality that might drive widespread adoption is interaction with other hardware. Things like Apple Pay, hotels where you open your room with your watch, smart lights, smart thermostats, movie theater tickets, etc. If/when those things become widespread, then everyone will "need" a smartwatch, the way everyone needs a smartphone now.
I wouldn't say that Apple is getting in early. Virtually everything functional about their watch has been done before. They could've started making one similar to it years ago, since no technical breakthrough was needed for a rectangular OLED screen, linear actuator, etc.
But they are, as usual, getting in at just the right time. Predictions for the past few years have said that smartwatches are poised to take off this year.
Regards. (I agree with everything else you wrote, btw.)