I've had my Apple Watch Sport for about 2 weeks now. It seems the most common question people ask me after I either show them the Watch or they just notice it is "What does it do?" Most of the time they are asking out of genuine curiosity because they have never seen one before. So I'm curious, how do you guys respond to this question?
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What does the Apple Watch do?
- Thread starter Creek0512
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It does a lot less than you probably thought it would. I still love it though.
Most people are interested about what is does and seem to like it. However they quite often comment that it only does the same as as an iPhone. I agree, but in my option it's all about convenience. It's not a must have, like a phone, it's a gadget.
They also say they would not buy one, I say fine, I like mine I don't care if you don't buy one, I don't sell them.
They also say they would not buy one, I say fine, I like mine I don't care if you don't buy one, I don't sell them.
It tells me the time, and date, and day, and when my next meeting is going to happen, and what the temperature is outside, and how much I have moved around during the day to include exercise minutes-calories-stand time, and because of an application when its going to rain, and messages I would otherwise miss because I dont always have my phone in my pocket, and it keeps me from looking at my phone display or anything else as I navigate with the use of taps for turns, and it reminds me what to pick up at the store while I shop, and....with this run on sentence I normally stop there and ask if I should go on. The sport bands with the various colors are fun by themselves not to mention all the third party bands available to give it your own style. They get the idea and even still look at me strange sometimes.
It acts as a mobile shortcut on my wrist.
Dug this list up from an old post of mine about what I do with my Watch:
Still love mine. Things I use it for all day every day:
Still love mine. Things I use it for all day every day:
- Time (seriously, I didn't wear a watch before so I didn't know how damn convenient it is to have the time on your wrist!)
- Current temperature. REALLY handy to have it instantly there
- Activity. I've already lost 20 pounds... and I'm working out more than ever in my life. The activity rings (plus a new Withings Scale) have been extremely motivating.
- Notifications. Obvious, but this is huge. I use Google Inbox to tailor my stream of email notifications. I get texts all day and reply to many of them using voice.
- Music control. In my house I AirPlay Spotify to my stereo. The Watch lets me move around my house and control the music - including volume which is awesome. On the go I use the Watch to quickly see the name of the artist and song that's playing, skip and control volume.
- Weather. Dark sky is sweet. I have a dog so it's great to look at the Dark Sky Glance and see if it's raining or when it's going to stop so I can take him out
- Apple Pay. Used it 3 times today even. Use it all the time. Super handy.
- Plane Tickets. I load my Delta plane tickets into Passbook... use the watch to breeze through the airport without tickets or needing to get my phone.
- Movie tickets. Works perfectly with Fandango.
- Concert tickets (seriously).
- Starbucks card. Again, in passbook. Works perfectly. Use it daily.
- Hue. My whole house is outfitted. It's handy to be able to control them with my watch.
- Nest. No official app but I found a good free one.
- Email. I just use it to clean out my inbox when I have a minute on the subway/bus. Nothing heavy (I'll pull out my phone instead).
- Twitter. The bite sized messages are perfect on the small screen.
- Tile. Find my keys when I'm running late.
- Grocery lists. My wife and I use a shared Reminders list for groceries. I can add to it or shop from it using Remonders Nano on my Watch.
- Driving directions. I actually still use my phone. But I like having the dings/taps on my wrist as a secondary notification.
- Calendar. I don't have a regular schedule... but I have many meetings every day. So awesome to have my next meeting instantly on my wrist.
- Phone calls! Almost forgot the thing I use it for all day! When it's convenient I answer them right on my wrist. When it's not it's still handy to be able to see who's calling before I go running for my phone or dig it out of my pocket...
I think the thing a lot of people struggle with is that it is an expensive accessory. You can't use it to it's fullest without having your phone with you and your phone does everything the watch does, only better. They don't get the convenience factor of it. Explaining convenience isn't always an easy thing to do.
It's actually pretty sad that some people think it's just a watch that's Apple branded even though there are ads everywhere showing the actual features.
I fumbled a response just this morning. It was before my coffee. Never ask me about Apple Watch before my coffee.
When I am reasonably caffeinated, I tell people that it does many things my iPhone does... Just more conveniently. Silent notifications and the ability to get valuable information at a glance are the most important things it does for me. I also appreciate the fitness tracking, but mostly I just like the fact that I don't have to get my iPhone out just to glance at the time, weather, my calendar, grocery list, etc. I also thinks it's fun and attractive.
Sean
In my mind (having only owned it for 1 week) I tell people it is basically an external display and input device for iPhone. That said, I love it and the convenience of not pulling out my phone for a lot of things is awesome. I haven't worn a watch for the past 15 years and now I'm wearing this thing all day long.
The most important benefit I gain from my SGS Apple Watch is that it entertains my 19 month old granddaughter - case closed.
For me, it's the ability to be PRESENT wherever I am. I'm not staring at a phone, the phone stays in my bag, and if something important comes up, I can address it, but 99% of the time, it's a quick notification, okay, dismiss, done.
I see a lot more of the world when I'm not staring at my phone to check for notifications (I keep my phone on full silent, not even vibration).
I see a lot more of the world when I'm not staring at my phone to check for notifications (I keep my phone on full silent, not even vibration).
It keeps my iphone in my pocket more than before.
That way I don't have to look like an idiot with my face down in the phone while out and about.
A quick glance is all I need to check if there was something important or just another Nigerian jackass trying to push cialis on me...
Notifications works brilliantly
That way I don't have to look like an idiot with my face down in the phone while out and about.
A quick glance is all I need to check if there was something important or just another Nigerian jackass trying to push cialis on me...
Notifications works brilliantly
To me, there is so many things the watch does that I just didn't do with the iPhone. Most involve Siri, that before, required me to get my phone out or go find it. It became another old joke. If I thought of a good joke, I needed to get up and grab a pen ... Or convince myself that the joke wasn't that funny.
The watch ensures I do document to do items and notes and answer texts promptly without forgetting. Using it for to do items and notes had become the biggest benefit all with the calendar fantastical 2 and 2Do.
The watch ensures I do document to do items and notes and answer texts promptly without forgetting. Using it for to do items and notes had become the biggest benefit all with the calendar fantastical 2 and 2Do.
Not speaking about you personally, but is it really more idiotic to look at a phone screen than it is to speak into a watch on your wrist?
Since getting an Apple Watch I have not taken my iPhone off mute as now I have a reliable way to get notifications via wrist vibrations, which is great in the office. The iPhone does not have a heart rate monitor and although long before the Apple Watch I read about the importance of moving around at least once per hour, in practice it's easy to forget and indeed the watch often reminds me on occasions I would have otherwise skipped along with other useful exercise reminders. Today I answered a few texts and got meeting reminders while on the run in situations where it would have been a pain to take out my phone (also I could send quick replies). At one point while talking with a colleague I suddenly doubted where I put my phone but could verify it was nearby with my watch. Not long ago, I could not find my iPhone and used my Apple Watch to make it ring. I took a photo with someone where we propped my phone up on a table and from the watch, I could see we were centered properly and took the photo. A friend informed me there's a watch app you can use to unlock your computer's lock screen (OS X). I'm planning to try it. This sounds like it would work well with the watch but if you have to unlock your phone to then unlock your computer, it sounds like a bit of overkill...
Because besides being a second screen, it doesn't have much functionality, which is why people ask what it does.
I tell them i finally upgraded my calculator watch
That stuns them for a while...
That stuns them for a while...
It's very hard to explain clearly. A person has to wear it and commit to using it for a few weeks to truly identify how it is useful to them, and if it is useful enough. I always say "it depends on how you use your phone now". But I just posted this link to an article in a new thread which I think explains it extremely well:
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2015/8/2/notes-on-apple-watch-and-friction
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2015/8/2/notes-on-apple-watch-and-friction
I've gone one step more and switched off the phone's vibrations altogether. Since the watch's taps catch my attention so reliably, why should I also have the phone buzz around on the desk like a wounded cicada?
One of my friends at work switched to all Apple gear over ten years ago thanks to me, and he's said recently that he sees no reason for him to get the AW. Within a week of me owning mine, he's started to change his mind. I haven't demoed it or anything, but he's seen how I use it. Simply handling texts and checking the weather was enough to make him think.
Curious... what do you show them in your demo?
When people ask me about it my standard response is that I am very happy with it and that it is a convenience accessory to the iPhone...which I no longer need to pull out for quick glances and brief interactions.
If they seem interested enough to want to have a look, and I'm feeling chatty, I will show them some quick demo stuff that includes the Activity rings, standard responses to instant messages, the various watch faces (people like the Motion ones of course) weather, calendar (I use Fantastical), my grocery app (I use Bring) and Apple Pay. Maybe "Hey Siri, set this reminder."
If it's a friend or a family member I will let them try it on if they are really interested and want to feel the haptics and play around. I never offer to take it off outside of family and close friends, although I would let an interested coworker try it out. I believe that most people would need to experience it, even for just a few minutes, to even begin to understand the benefits and features. I had a hard time explaining and even showing what it could do to my wife. Then she put it on for 10 minutes and said, "Okay... that is actually really cool." She doesn't want one yet, but I won't be surprised if she wants one by Christmas. I also won't be surprised if she never wants one. It's not for everyone, but people are of course curious. Most are impressed when I show them even just one or two gee-whiz features, but I can tell others are not impressed or think it's just a geeky toy (especially since a couple of people have dismissed it as a geeky toy).
Sean
I like to show people when my iPhone is down on floor 3 while I am up on floor 10 and they are shocked that I can send them text messages with siri and can add to do items and notes and more. I honestly never thought I could tell anyone to buy the watch because I didn't think it was an easy sell. Now, I can sell the watch to people by showing them what I can do with the watch without really touching the screen. How many other fitness devices do you know that can track a workout while golfing, can show me the distance to the center of the green, send text messages to anyone, track my heart rate, log it to review, let me add calendar appt's to do items and communicate with work without ever touching or holding anything? Zero...
Also, name another fitness device that can track a workout while working on the yard and landscaping all the while listening to a book on bluetooth headphones and take phone calls, respond to text messages, add to do items, set a timer, with dirty gloves on and never touch the watch or phone. In fact, the phone is sitting in the house charging.