I've sported the Apple Watch 4 for just over one week now and have to say it's an impressive device. It works out nicely as a fitness tracker and even better as an extension of your iPhone.
Fit and feel is comfortable, with the biggest challenge being finding a comfortable band. I'm not a big fan of Apple's band design and prefer a traditional buckle design. Luckily there are plenty to choose from and it only took two tries to find the right band.
Display and processor speed are fantastic. Having the ability to use the watch as a Bluetooth speakerphone comes in handy when your phone is in another room.
While there is a host of positives about the Apple Watch, there is room for improvement. The most obvious is battery life. I think I could stretch my battery life to a day and a half, but simply put it on the charger each night. This pales in comparison to Fitbit's or Garmin's battery life and Apple really needs to find a way to get 3-4 days out of a full charge. Battery life isn't a deal breaker but will require you to have a charger available.
I would like to see an always-on display option but that would seriously impact battery life. Maybe the option to have a very dim display would allow you to glance at the time without straining the battery.
I also wouldn't mind seeing notifications flash on the display (much like they do on the phone) to allow you to glance at the information. If important, then you dive into the notification center to get more detail.
Fitness features are good, but Apple really needs to roll the Activity, Workout and Health app into one. Garmin and Fitbit make it easy to track activiities, check your health and monitor workouts from a single app. Having used all three, it's convienant to have everything under one roof. Also, add a kayaking or rowing workout to the mix.
Last wish would be for a bezel around the face of the watch. While the curved glass looks great, there is absolutely no protection from stratches or drops. I do have a rubber screen protector that helps with minor scratches, but refuse to get a protective case for the watch because I've yet to find one that's not ugly. It wouldn't take much, just a slightly raised bezel to help minimize the glasses contact with surfaces.
All in all, I have no regrets switching over to the Apple Watch. I do recommend AppleCare+ due to the extremely high repair costs ($299 for screen replacement).
If you sport a iPhone and are in the market for a device that provides solid fitness tracking features, as well as hefty amount of smartwatch features it's hard to ignore the Apple Watch. It's not a perfect device, but then again in all my years dabbling in smartphones, watches and other smart devices I have yet to find a perfect device.
Fit and feel is comfortable, with the biggest challenge being finding a comfortable band. I'm not a big fan of Apple's band design and prefer a traditional buckle design. Luckily there are plenty to choose from and it only took two tries to find the right band.
Display and processor speed are fantastic. Having the ability to use the watch as a Bluetooth speakerphone comes in handy when your phone is in another room.
While there is a host of positives about the Apple Watch, there is room for improvement. The most obvious is battery life. I think I could stretch my battery life to a day and a half, but simply put it on the charger each night. This pales in comparison to Fitbit's or Garmin's battery life and Apple really needs to find a way to get 3-4 days out of a full charge. Battery life isn't a deal breaker but will require you to have a charger available.
I would like to see an always-on display option but that would seriously impact battery life. Maybe the option to have a very dim display would allow you to glance at the time without straining the battery.
I also wouldn't mind seeing notifications flash on the display (much like they do on the phone) to allow you to glance at the information. If important, then you dive into the notification center to get more detail.
Fitness features are good, but Apple really needs to roll the Activity, Workout and Health app into one. Garmin and Fitbit make it easy to track activiities, check your health and monitor workouts from a single app. Having used all three, it's convienant to have everything under one roof. Also, add a kayaking or rowing workout to the mix.
Last wish would be for a bezel around the face of the watch. While the curved glass looks great, there is absolutely no protection from stratches or drops. I do have a rubber screen protector that helps with minor scratches, but refuse to get a protective case for the watch because I've yet to find one that's not ugly. It wouldn't take much, just a slightly raised bezel to help minimize the glasses contact with surfaces.
All in all, I have no regrets switching over to the Apple Watch. I do recommend AppleCare+ due to the extremely high repair costs ($299 for screen replacement).
If you sport a iPhone and are in the market for a device that provides solid fitness tracking features, as well as hefty amount of smartwatch features it's hard to ignore the Apple Watch. It's not a perfect device, but then again in all my years dabbling in smartphones, watches and other smart devices I have yet to find a perfect device.
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