Apple Watch - My Review

neurodave

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I know a lot of people on this forum and around the web are still on the fringe about getting an Apple Watch. There are a lot of reviews out there about the watch, and I'm adding one into the pool but with a bit more of a personal touch.

Here we go:

I originally purchased the watch from Apple in April with an expected ship date some time in June. I wasn't too worried about it and in all honesty the date was one of those "under promise, over deliver" type of things because the date went from mid-June to mid-May rather quickly. However, I ended up going to the Apple store and purchasing a watch in person the very first day they became available simply because I felt it was much more of a personal interaction than just having the FedEx guy deliver it to me.

When I went in to pick up my watch, I was super excited. When I walked out, I was wondering if my purchase was worth it or not. I think this is the first time EVER I've had that feeling with an Apple product. I have an Apple TV, a retina Macbook, an iPad Air, an iPhone 6 and even had an Apple router for a few months and every time I walked out with them I knew they were a long term investment. This however was much more different. I actually looked at my receipt to see how long I had to return the device....

Now, with that being said, lets fast forward to today (2 weeks exactly) and lets talk about how I feel about the watch. The watch itself is superbly built from end to end. The strap works well, the watch looks awesome and everything has that "premium" feel that we've all come to expect from Apple. This is coming from a person who owned a Moto 360, a Pebble watch and a Samsung Gear, all of which felt very bland, poorly made and riddled with cheap plastics or other issues.

Contrary to other users, my interactions with the watch's operating system have all been positive, with little to no hiccups. Everything I have tried to open whether it be Uber, the stock weather app, messages or even my banking app all load up promptly and have never crashed. The watch accurately senses when I have raised my arm each and every time and as silly as it may seem, everything just...works. This is something we can some times take for granted, because in the tech world (especially for 1st-gen devices) things don't always go as they should.

Battery life? It's great. Of course, it's not Pebble watch great (that thing lasted me 7-10 days on a single charge) but it lasts. I can go a hole 10-15 hour day receiving multiple alerts, taking a few calls, using voice dictation to text and still get home with my watch at 40-50% battery life. Charging my watch every night doesn't bother me one bit, because I do this for other devices I own as well. While it's great that the Pebble watch lasted so long, it also became a constant occurrence where I'd actually FORGET to charge it and end up with a dead watch an hour into my day. Why? Because I'd charge it and forget about it for days at a time. It was a blessing and a curse.

So, will I be returning my Apple watch? No.

Would I do it all over again if I had the chance to? Also, No.

Apple is Apple and you either hate them or love them. I for one am part of the latter and love everything Apple creates. They are expensive as all holy heck, where at times even I have asked myself "Who at Apple really thinks this is worth XX?" and one of the items that comes to mind is the bands. I mean really now, a band for the Apple watch that costs MORE than the watch itself? Yea, no. But one thing Apple is very good at is execution. Now don't get me wrong, they have dropped the ball here and there and have had some hiccups, but overall they are very detail oriented and do things in a very meticulous fashion. We all know this when purchasing their products because we can get equivalent items from competitors for half the price, but instead choose to pay the premium.

However, the Apple Watch is a device that you just DON'T need. It is a great execution by Apple and I applaud them for building a good device, but it still has a long way to go. Of course, WatchOS 2 will be bringing a lot of things to the table that will make the watch more attractive and faster to use, but even then it still won't be at that point where it's a "necessity" or a "must-have" item. At this point in time the Apple Watch is simply a novelty, a good conversation starter if you will.

Yes, it's cool to be able to get texts without having to reach for your phone. Sure, receiving calls on the watch is neat. But lets be completely honest, it's all a bit pointless. For the every day average guy, there is no reason why you can't just reach for your phone and text someone. Voice dictation is cool, but then you have to share your message with everyone around you. And while receiving a call on the watch is neat in theory, you do look a bit crazy doing so while walking down the street and cops will look at you a few times when they see you talking into your wrist while driving.

Now don't get me wrong, being able to quickly see your calendar events, reminds and things of the likes are useful to an extent. There's been a few times I've been rushing and I quickly look at my watch at a reminder and then go about the day. But again, nothing that really alters my life dramatically, just things that shave off a second from my daily routine.

Do I love my watch? Yes. I'm constantly cleaning it to make sure it doesn't get scratched or dirty and I'm always meddling with it. I do use it on a daily basis whether it be to quickly see who's text me and decide if they warrant a response or to check my calendar, and it also gets a lot of attention from people who see it but for the $400 I spent on it, I'm still questioning if the expense was really worth it....
 

Microcosmos

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Thanks for sharing your experience! I went all in with black stainless steel and two bands, leather loop and sport, in addition. I was caught up in the hype. Big time! I don't regret my purchase, but like you I can't think of a compelling reason for most folks to plunk down their hard-earned money on one either. If you're still on the fence about it, just wait at least to see what watchOS 2.0 does before writing it off entirely is my advice.
 

bldhk

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Very good review. Indeed, I jump in with black stainless steel and I have been using it for 10 days. All went well, and I love this product. I thought I love it because it is an apple product, and I thought also this watch is not a necessity. However, I return the watch because of some minor defects (again, this is Apple product and I do want my watch to be perfect) and now I'm waiting for my replacement watch. I then start to discover that I am missing my watch, because now I'm aware that I did not notice the 'convenience' this watch has ever bought to me when I was using it. I hope my replacement watch will arrive soon.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Trees

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Nice view and perspective. I do like it overall. Build quality is quite good. The health/fitness tracking and quick iMessage/SMS responses are the two features I use the most.

While the Watch is something I don't need, Watch OS 2 will be interesting to see and experience once it arrives.
 
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bamf-hacker

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Great write up on your Watch experience.

Look past what you spent on it and enjoy it :)
 

Dave Marsh

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I'm actually loving my new Apple Watch. It's become integrated into my routine, and my iPhone basically stays in my bag or on the charger most of the day. When at home, I use my iPad for large screen stuff like browsing the web and typing up emails and the like. On the go, my iPhone only comes out, again, when I want to read something on the larger screen. I've configured the watch's notifications to be limited to those I don't want to miss out on. Everything else waits for later action on my iPad or iPhone when I'm settled in somewhere.

When at home, I use it every morning to track my workout. I've found the cute awards have actually encouraged me to up my game at tracking my fitness.

Recently, I flew back to the Midwest for a week, and the watch worked out great for me on the go, with airline reminders, gate assignments, weather alerts, map quick looks to my next appointment popping up automatically, and the like. It's a great watch accessory. Once you start using one, you'll not want to give it up.
 

dchandler

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Great write up, I don't regret it at all. It very convenient to just take a glance at my arm to see text/email or even who is call without pulling my phone out.
 

anon(5061193)

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Great Write up...... I love my watch. My entire family has them and it is great to be sitting in a meeting and get a Heartbeat from my wife or daughter. I can get a text on the golf course and not worry about digging out my phone from my bag. The activity app reminds me to stand up every hour which I like and need. Apple pay on the watch is amazing also..

I have just scratched the surface on the watch, I am far from an expert but it seems that everyday I am finding something that is cool and adds to my life. I have the Sport Version and paying $399 for this seems like a bargain for what you are getting..
 

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