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Tech & Non-Tech Site Reviews
- Thread starter dtdt123
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Does anyone know when the tech reviews sites will get thewatch?
Surely it must be any day now?
They already have the watch. It's just a matter of when the embargo is lifted, which will be April 10th I presume.
Usually if is just a few days before launch too. Could be the 21 or 22. So OP don't get your hopes up yet.
Would it be wrong of me to suggest the more "honest" reviews will follow about a week after launch?
One may presume that Apple have send review models out to sites that are, let's just say, enjoy Apple products.
Like years ago there was no point in reading about Nintendo game reviews in some glossy high end magazines, and you needed to wait for the less glossy magazine reviews to give you a more honest evaluation of what something is really like.
I'm guessing these more impartial sites are going to have to buy their own watches for their own reviews?
I never see any point in reading reviews for any product where the reviewer is just gushing with amazement over what they are reviewing and skipping over / not wishing to see, anything that's less than amazing.
Engadget (or some of it's reviewers) are often caught out being Pro Apple, when something is great they go on about it, but when something snot great they skip it, or barely mention it.
A classic one is monitor reviewers moaning on and on and on about cheap low end monitors with no height adjustment, making this point a negative.
Yet they never mention there is no height adjustment on the iMacs. That's always just skipped as opposed to be pointed out as a negative.
One may presume that Apple have send review models out to sites that are, let's just say, enjoy Apple products.
Like years ago there was no point in reading about Nintendo game reviews in some glossy high end magazines, and you needed to wait for the less glossy magazine reviews to give you a more honest evaluation of what something is really like.
I'm guessing these more impartial sites are going to have to buy their own watches for their own reviews?
I never see any point in reading reviews for any product where the reviewer is just gushing with amazement over what they are reviewing and skipping over / not wishing to see, anything that's less than amazing.
Engadget (or some of it's reviewers) are often caught out being Pro Apple, when something is great they go on about it, but when something snot great they skip it, or barely mention it.
A classic one is monitor reviewers moaning on and on and on about cheap low end monitors with no height adjustment, making this point a negative.
Yet they never mention there is no height adjustment on the iMacs. That's always just skipped as opposed to be pointed out as a negative.
This is a device that will require a longer period to review then most. Apple is likely enforcing a longer embargo and distributing watches to fashion and watch industry influencers in equal proportion to tech press. So I would expect fewer tech press/apple bloggers to get units then past Apple products.
I'm with you that Apple allowed reviews in the past just a few days before release.
But I'm not quite sure that it will be the same this time because the public will have access to the watch starting the April the 10 (next friday)
Of course "only" in a controlled Apple Store environment. But nearly a true (short) hands on. So in my opinion it would make sense to allow official reviews being released starting next Friday. But this is just a guess.
Best regards
Special2k3
But I'm not quite sure that it will be the same this time because the public will have access to the watch starting the April the 10 (next friday)
Of course "only" in a controlled Apple Store environment. But nearly a true (short) hands on. So in my opinion it would make sense to allow official reviews being released starting next Friday. But this is just a guess.
Best regards
Special2k3
Tech site reviews
absolutely true, and yes if you want to know the truth of the product, skip engadged... always better to check few differend kind of reviews and of course from real persons who do alot vids nowadays...
absolutely true, and yes if you want to know the truth of the product, skip engadged... always better to check few differend kind of reviews and of course from real persons who do alot vids nowadays...
What Julien said. They typically lift embargo's during the same week the watch actually launches. Granted, this 2 week preorder before launch is not typical.
Yes.
One may, but they'd be wrong. Apple products are reviewed well, because they're good products.
Nintendo is still around, and they are still generally regarded as the best game developer on Earth. Just search through metacritic, which gives you random user scores as well reviews by video game sites, and you'd see that Nintendo has made a ton of critically acclaimed software.
This rarely ever happens on any legitimate tech site.
All the first iPhone 6/6+ reviews were published on its launch day, so I'd expect the same will happen with Apple Watch. Particularly with the watch, Apple will want reviewers to have had as much time as possible to integrate the watch into their normal lives, so I doubt they'll allow early reviews.
I think the watch blogs will have them for review because they have already had had access to the early prototypes. I also expect to see reviews in the health and fitness press.
I can just imagine the tech press having a hissy fit if one of their own didn't get one for review but a non-tech outlet did. I'd actually love it if Apple did that.
What would be the point of that? They want the best press reaction as possible for this important new product, not open war.
A handful of people from big watch blogs were invited to the September event. It's a safe bet that Hodinkee, ABlogToWatch, etc. have review units by now.My question is who outside of the tech press got one to review. I can just imagine the tech press having a hissy fit if one of their own didn't get one for review but a non-tech outlet did. I'd actually love it if Apple did that.
The tech press will mostly do a terrible job of reviewing the watch -- all specs (who cares?) and fiddly details about bluetooth pairing and customizing the watch faces.
It will be the non-tech press that tries to explain what it's like to wear the watch for a week or two. That kind of review is probably more important to Apple, and I expect they've been pretty generous with review samples to watch and fashion publications.
My question is who outside of the tech press got one to review. I can just imagine the tech press having a hissy fit if one of their own didn't get one for review but a non-tech outlet did. I'd actually love it if Apple did that.
Vogue for sure. Maybe Self.
ABlogToWatch has been very positive about the Apple Watch so far. Hodinkee has been somewhat more reserved about it, though they did do an April Fool's piece about how their site was moving to the Watch exclusively.
As tech sites go, AnandTech usually does the most thorough reviews. The people in charge of it now aren't quite as pro-Apple as Anand and Ryan were (of course, now those two work at Apple). The Watch doesn't lend itself to overly technical reporting, though. Until there are native apps, there is nothing to "benchmark" in formal terms Ease of use and fluidity can be judged, but are mostly subjective.
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I think the watch blogs will have them for review because they have already had had access to the early prototypes. I also expect to see reviews in the health and fitness press.
What would be the point of that? They want the best press reaction as possible for this important new product, not open war.
I know that won't happen. It's just me wanting Apple to stick it to some of the tech press that have been down on this product from day one.
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Yes I hope the reviews are less about specs and more about how the product fit in to their daily lives. Maybe that's why I'm skeptical about tech sites reviewing it.
If history is any guide then the evening of the 21st online and the 22nd for print. Reviews if iDevices in the past publish the week of actual release, not pre-order. Apple is going to want to add more hype to the actual lauch here so wouldn't expect this schedule to change. People preordering don't need a review to purchase, just reinforce. It's the holdouts that need a review for encouragement. And that's Apple's second wave of buyers.
Does anyone know when the tech reviews sites will get the
Surely it must be any day now?
Looks like they already have them:
http://9to5mac.com/community/it-looks-like-apple-has-already-seeded-apple-watch-review-units/
Please remember that good is a subjective term.
I may view, in, let's say a phone or tablet, that the lack of a SD or USB slot and removable battery, for ME makes the device a joke.
You however many not need those things, and skip over these points in your review.
Monitor review = no height adjustment, poor/cheap design. potential neck strain.
iMac Review = no height adjustment, not even mentioned.
Apple always gives review units at the event before the product launched. So tech sites got apple watch units on March 9th at the spring forward event. My guess is that reviews will be posted on April 8/9, right before preorders and in store viewing of the device. That means tech sites will have had about a month to review the units which is a nice timeframe to see how they actually like the watch. I feel pretty confident thag reviews will go up before preorders since we will be able to see the apple watch and play with it in stores starting April 10th. Also, apple is setting entirely new guidelines for this product so we can't really go off iPad and iPhone release timelines.
Thank god you don't work at Apple (not that you would with views like that). The lack of an SD, USB, and removable battery are what make the devices so much better. Luckily Apple has highly intelligent people making decisions and ergo, we don't have those.
If you are looking for unbiased, fair reviews, you probably have to wait until May. Further, with the Watch there will be several reviewers to consider. For example, you will want a tech review, probably from Anandtech. A fashion/watch review from say Hodinkee. A fitness review from DCRainmaker. This device plays to so many markets that while one review may work for an individual, it won't for everyone. To get the full picture, you will want all of them, and most of the best reviewers won't have them until they buy them. Apple will not seed these to reviewers who may give it a less than fantastic review. They historically choose their pre-release reviewers very carefully.
After the initial reviews come the real user reviews. Those are the ones that really matter. The big question will be this: How many people will forget to wear it or charge it on day and actually care? Will it allow itself to be forgotten, or will it be good enough that you will notice and be motivated to put it back on? A parallel would be people who have a Nest, move to a new house and don't bother reinstalling it. Or Fitbits that get lost and people don't bother to replace. Will that happen with the watch?
Watch there will be several reviewers to consider. For example, you will want a tech review, probably from Anandtech. A fashion/watch review from say Hodinkee. A fitness review from DCRainmaker. This device plays to so many markets that while one review may work for an individual, it won't for everyone. To get the full picture, you will want all of them, and most of the best reviewers won't have them until they buy them. Apple will not seed these to reviewers who may give it a less than fantastic review. They historically choose their pre-release reviewers very carefully.After the initial reviews come the real user reviews. Those are the ones that really matter. The big question will be this: How many people will forget to wear it or charge it on day and actually care? Will it allow itself to be forgotten, or will it be good enough that you will notice and be motivated to put it back on? A parallel would be people who have a Nest, move to a new house and don't bother reinstalling it. Or Fitbits that get lost and people don't bother to replace. Will that happen with the watch?
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
As said, it will probably be a day or two before release. Tech reviews have typically been pretty positive for Apple products... but Apple products have typically been very good and done extremely well in the market. So.... that checks out as being pretty unbiased reviews.
It will be exciting to get to read the reviews, but the real review will come later. Not weeks after as some are suggesting, but 6+ months later. It'll take a few months for the exciting factor will wear off... and then a couple more months to experience the watch at the steady state. I give it about 6 months for most people to definitively decide if thewatch is useful, worth the daily charge, etc.
I can easily see it going either way. A revolutionary device that changes our lives.... or a flash in the pan.
It will be exciting to get to read the reviews, but the real review will come later. Not weeks after as some are suggesting, but 6+ months later. It'll take a few months for the exciting factor will wear off... and then a couple more months to experience the watch at the steady state. I give it about 6 months for most people to definitively decide if the
watch is useful, worth the daily charge, etc. I can easily see it going either way. A revolutionary device that changes our lives.... or a flash in the pan.