Apple Watch thoughts?

[BBatesokc]

At the highly likely risk of simply unleashing the Apple haters amongst the group, I was wondering if anyone here has actually purchased an Apple Watch and what your impressions are.

I actually bought one last week and I'm seriously considering returning it this weekend.

Its no secret I like and own many Apple products. But I'm no 'fan boy' by any stretch. I simply like the ease of use and quality of most of their products.

I'm usually not a first adopter of any technology, but there were things I was really hoping were already existent with the Apple Watch - that despite being by told by an Apple 'Genius' they were, they are indeed not available yet in this version.

The two things I wanted were direct audio recording through the watch and a replacement for my Polar heart rate chest monitor.

The version 1 of the Apple Watch does neither.

I also found several other things about the watch that I really didn't like.

Fortunately most of my issues are software based and are certain to be overcome in later versions of the watch or OS.

But, before making a return to the Apple Store, I thought I'd see what others think about the product (other than general distain for Apple!)

[David]

I do not have an Apple watch, but I have been wearing a Android Wear watch for several months and I would not go without one again. For me it's the convenience of getting notifications on my wrist without even having to pull the phone out. Emails, texts, etc., which allows for easy distinguishing between immediate priorities and stuff that can wait. In my work setting, no one really cares too much if you check your watch in a meeting, but they will notice if you pull out your phone and fiddle with it for a middle or so.

I use a watch face with integrates my work and gmail calendar events into the ring around the display, which I also find pretty convenient.

There is also the benefit that Google and other vendors are constantly updating phone apps with better watch integration. For example, in just the last couple of weeks the baseline clock app was updated and now allows you to dismiss or snooze an alarm from the watch.

Basically, it's already pretty useful, and I can only imagine it getting more so over time.

[Pete]

^

Thanks for that, David.

I will eventually jump into the smartwatch fray, my big issue is the sports part of it, as I have an expensive water-proof multi sport GPS watch that is essential for triathlon stuff, so I want all those features plus the notification stuff.

I also am in the habit of wearing a watch all the time, so I know I'd get a lot of use out of a smart watch, I just want to make sure all the technology is aligned before I take the plunge. Things are getting pretty close.

[BBatesokc]

I kept sort of a list of pros and cons over the last 10 days while wearing the Apple Watch and this is what I came up with...

Pros:
1.) Price - This is also a con, but I was more than willing to pay $400 for a watch that simply did the two features I mentioned previously (replace my Polar chest strap and record audio directly from the watch).
2.) Look/Style - I really like the look of the all black Sport model of the watch. Looks good in casual and professional settings.
Simplicity - There is a learning curve, but once you've got it down its pretty simply to use.
3.) Glances - The heart of the Apple Watch. I like the concept of being able to glance at a watch as opposed to getting out, unlocking and looking at my phone. Works great in professional settings and also casual. I've glanced at a notification while in a meeting, driving down the road and worked great while on the riding mower.
Right now my face is set to show me day/date - time - next appointment - stop watch - temperature - battery life.
4.) Heart Rate - I've been comparing the heart rate readings from my watch to my chest strap and they are always within a couple of BPM of each other. So, it appears to be very accurate for a wrist worn monitor (see cons though for more).
5.) Phone Control - I really like that when I'm jogging, etc. that I can leave my phone in my pocket or in a arm case and control the phone with the watch (music, message, phone calls, GPS, etc.).

Cons
1.) Was told it records audio directly through the watch. Not true. Though this is a feature that is likely going to be available in the new OS to be released this fall.
2.) Really wanted this to fully replace my Polar chest strap heart rate monitor. While the BPM seems very accurate, the software is worthless. I've worn the watch and my Polar chest strap for every workout (13 so far). While the two have very similar BPM and averages, the algorithm Apple uses to calculate calories burned is a joke. The watch nor the apps make any attempt to establish a VO2 scale. My Polar goes through a very detailed analysis of me and sets an algorithm specific to me (gender, age, height, activity level, weight, resting heart rate, moderate exertion and maximum exertion heart rates, etc. Even has me retest as I work out more). The Apple watch simply goes off gender, height, weight. The Apple Watch is consistently showing 1/2 the calories burned that the Polar does.
3.) Battery life - After 10 days my watch consistently is at only 10% battery life left when I go to bed and place it on the charger (up at 5am and bed around 10pm). If I was to forget to charge overnight then I couldn't wear it the next morning. Also, I'm not a heavy user of the watch (except for workouts). I do glances and occasionally listen to a voicemail. But I don't take/make phone calls, play games, etc. Charging the Apple Watch on the go is a pain. If my watch battery begins to deteriorate then it will not get me through a day.
4.) Drain on iPhone battery - I've really noticed this. My iPhone now drains twice as fast as it did before. Fortunately I can plug my phone in during the day or my case is also a battery backup.
5.) Yet another accessory - Since the watch is dependent on the phone, its really just another accessory for your phone. At the end of the day I have to keep up with my phone and my watch and remember to not only charge both, but now also a battery backup case.
6.) The Thump - The thump is the tap the watch does to your wrist to let you know you just received a notification. I find I often don't notice the thump unless I'm sitting still at the computer.
7.) The visual activity meter is a joke. Its these three circles you try and complete during your day (calories burned, standing time, exercise). As I pointed out previously, the calorie burn simply has no foundation to do a correct calculation. The standing time is also often way off. I get up at 5am and often by 9am it says I've been standing for 6 hours. I haven't even been awake for 6 hours! I drove the other day for 4.5 hours and the watch thought I'd been standing for 3 of those hours. The exercise feature is weird. Unless you go into a totally separate app and launch the exercise feature, then the exercise visual ring has no idea you are exercising. I did a 1.5 hour cardio step class and the watch said I'd been exercising for 6 minutes (also said I only burned 300 calories and stood for 2 hours of the 1.5 hour class).
8.) Calorie app integration - I use Digifit and my fitness pal mostly with my Polar chest strap. The watch gets confused and adds the calorie burn from MyFitness pal to the watches own calculation - so if my chest strap says I burned 700 calories, but the watch says I only burned 300 calories, the watch then combines the two numbers for my tally and comes up with 1,000 calories. I end up having to go back and delete all the watch numbers.
9.) The watch does not respond well while working out because of sweaty fingers. I often have to dry my hands off before the watch even knows I'm pressing it.
10.) Everything I could do on my phone with one hand now requires two with the watch (the hand the watch is on and the other hand to press the buttons).
11.) If Siri doesn't transcribe my message correctly (which often happens), then I have to go to my phone to type it out correctly.
12.) The audio is almost unusable on the watch. Unless you are in a very quiet environment, its almost impossible to hear a voicemail or phone conversation with the watch.
13.) The Twitter app on the watch is a joke because most streams I follow contain links. You can't click on a link in the Watch.
14.) Heaven forbid you respond to a message by fat fingering the wrong quick text or emoji. It sends it immediately!
15.) The calendar is a joke. You can literally only see that current day. You can go forward and see events in the future or past.
16.) The lag when you initiate an app is often way too long. Some apps take 5-15 seconds to open.
17.) the lag when opening an image sent via text, etc. take way too long.
18.) Some apps constantly display "temporarily unavailable"
19.) Almost impossible to create a calendar item on the Watch. I end up creating a 'reminder' but those reminders don't show up on my phone - no idea where they go.
20.) Often the watch is unresponsive to pushing the screen. I keep taping a virtual button and nothing happens unless I get the button to the center of the watch face.
21.) The unique strap. While it looks and feels nice, its murder on a guys arm hair when you first put it on. Additionally, since I can slide my finger under the band and pull to release it, I do not trust wearing the Apple Watch while swimming, jet skiing, kayaking, etc.


That's my list so far. Fortunately, most of these are software issues that could be overcome. The battery life and processor speed though need to be hardware improvements and the hit to my iPhone battery is a huge concern.

I am most likely going to return my Apple Watch today or tomorrow. If will re-evaluate when the new OS comes out and when an eventual Apple Watch 2.0 comes out. I really like the concept, but to me its definitely too new to be worth not only the money, but the concessions.

[David]

If anyone is curious, the watch face I use is Pujie Black. There are probably dozens of decent alternatives out there, this but one has struck a good balance of looking nice while being very configurable and it has a development team that consistently adds new features.

[bombermwc]

The apple watch, like so many other apple products, is woefully overpriced for the item. I've been using a Samsung Neo 2 and I love the thing. It does so much and has a very wide app base...even more now than it did when I first purchased it. I don't have to make an appointment at the apple store if I need something repaired, which is a big plus. The best part about it is being able to see/answer email/txts without having to pull my phone out. That was the major reason why I purchased the thing. A side benefit has been the timer. I use that sucker with my kids all the time "if you don't finish your dinner before the timer goes off, there will be no desert, so stop picking at it and eat". Or playing Memory/TicTacToe with the kids at a restaurant while we wait for a table/food. The extra stuff like that is what makes it handy.

[mkjeeves]

No problem with Apple products here, I carry an iphone 5, my third apple phone. I stopped wearing a watch 10 or more years ago except for when I travel. Then I break out a TAG Heuer that was a gift from my wife and put it on.

That said, I do own a fitness watch that syncs to a heart rate monitor and use it sometimes when I work out, which isn't all that regularly. And I recently decided I would revisit having the date and time on my wrist. My TAG is too expensive for a knock around, so I bought a low end Fossil for that purpose a few weeks ago and wear it some.

There's no question I would get attached to a smart watch if I had one. But there are enough electronics in my life without it and I have zero desire to own one.

[BBatesokc]

Like so many things 'price' is relative. Lots of people don't think twice about spending $400+ for a watch that does nothing more than tell time and doesn't do it any better than my $50 watch I bought at Sam's. Same goes for jewelry and tons of other non-essential products we buy every day and often rarely use. At least with many electronics (especially Apple electronics) they tend to be items we actually use on a regular basis.

When I first bought my Polar heart rate watch I spent $200 and it only does a tiny fraction of what a smart watch is capable of.

Do I think the Apple Watch is premium priced? Sure. Do I think the price is excessive? Just depends on how you plan to use the watch.

I imagine I will be repurchasing the Apple Watch in 6-12 months when it better fits my needs.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I advise anyone to wait for second gen Apple Watch. I expect it to be more independent from the phone, I also think they might consolidate the line and not have a price range from 500 to 10,000

[adaniel]

Don't have a dog in this fight, but Apple watch sales are really struggling right now. Kind of a rare miss for APPL

The Apple Watch might be flopping, says report | ExtremeTech

[BBatesokc]

Don't have a dog in this fight, but Apple watch sales are really struggling right now. Kind of a rare miss for APPL

The Apple Watch might be flopping, says report | ExtremeTech

While I don't think the sales are still brisk, I don't give much faith to numbers generated from the Slice app. Its limited to those using the app, and further limited to those who are ordering the Apple Watch online. I would assume most people are buying their watch in person so they are fitted, setup and leave with it in hand. When I bought mine there were seven other people sitting at the same table having their setup with me.

Considering preorders topped total sales for every other smart watch out there, I don't think the term 'flop' is even close to being a reality.

[Pete]

Interestingly, California is the center of the Apple universe and I haven't seen many Apple watches around, nor has there been much buzz in my social circles.

This does not feel anything like a hit.

[BBatesokc]

Interestingly, California is the center of the Apple universe and I haven't seen many Apple watches around, nor has there been much buzz in my social circles.

This does not feel anything like a hit.

Considering their pre-orders alone topped what any other watch maker sells in an entire year, where does that put your opinion of smart watches in general?

Personally, I don't think watch sales/popularity can be compared to a tablet or a phone. Its an accessory/enhancement and only good for those who already own an iPhone.

My issues are 90% software based and that is something that will greatly improve in the coming months.

I think Apples sales to date showed that existing makers are not doing something right.

[Pete]

I just meant that this doesn't feel like previous Apple products where they either created a bunch of new demand and/or radically transformed a segment.

It seems most people aren't quite ready for a smartwatch or the product just isn't far enough along at this point.

Also, it seems tons of younger people are not in the habit of wearing a watch at all, and that may be feeding into this. Being of an older generation, I always want to be wearing a watch but people my age aren't exactly their primary target market.

[okatty]

Good list Brian. I am playing around with the new Pebble Time watch which just came out. I won't go into detail about it since this is an Apple Watch thread but plan to sorta compare the things you noted above for apple to it. So far i like the screen, batt life seems pretty good, its lightweight and seems pretty simple. I DONT like that i can't seem to filter notifications. Seems to be all or nothing. But maybe I don't know how to work it..ha.

[sooner88]

To me it seems like an unnecessary additional accessory. I wear a normal watch everyday.... the biggest plus I see for the Apple Watch is being able to check notifications while in a professional setting, but on the flipside I can't picture wearing one at work (may have something to do my most my coworkers being 50+).

[David]

To me it seems like an unnecessary additional accessory. I wear a normal watch everyday.... the biggest plus I see for the Apple Watch is being able to check notifications while in a professional setting, but on the flipside I can't picture wearing one at work (may have something to do my most my coworkers being 50+).

That's why I bought the Android watch I did. If you use a reasonably plain face the LG G Watch R more or less just looks like a normal watch most of the time, if a little big.

[okatty]

The Pebble is very slightly bigger than my sports watch. It has various downsides but to me that is one of the upsides. So far being able to glance down while in the car to see who has just sent a text or email is nice. Also like the various apps (fitness tracker, evernote, etc).

[BBatesokc]

To me it seems like an unnecessary additional accessory. I wear a normal watch everyday.... the biggest plus I see for the Apple Watch is being able to check notifications while in a professional setting, but on the flipside I can't picture wearing one at work (may have something to do my most my coworkers being 50+).

The necessity of a smart watch really comes down to the individual and how they will use it and whether or not it enhances their current use of their phone.

While glances are convenient, I don't think that would justify (for me) giving up all my other watches.

I did find that I was pretty much wearing my Polar watch most every day, so, being able to replace it and add some fun features seemed like a good fit.

For the price I can't imagine buying an Apple Watch unless you plan and have a need to wear it most every day. I doubt most teens and young 20-somethings have that need. I also don't think a retired person or someone who doesn't already use a lot of technology has much use for it.

[BBatesokc]

Took my Apple Watch back today (13 days after purchase). Return process was very easy with hassles or hard sell. Will try again when the features meet my needs.

[Zuplar]

I skimmed over this thread, so not sure if this was mentioned, but you may consider the Pebble watch. It works with iOS or Android, and has a lot of features for the money. I bought one back in January and wear it everyday, which is saying a lot because I never wore a watch before. Recently they introduced a new one, with a color screen. These watches have the ink ready display so they can be seen in all light. I would definitely recommend this watch. From most of the reading I did before, nothing other then the Apple watch, comes close to this thing, but for the price difference it is something to consider.

https://getpebble.com/

[baralheia]

I just meant that this doesn't feel like previous Apple products where they either created a bunch of new demand and/or radically transformed a segment.

It seems most people aren't quite ready for a smartwatch or the product just isn't far enough along at this point.

Also, it seems tons of younger people are not in the habit of wearing a watch at all, and that may be feeding into this. Being of an older generation, I always want to be wearing a watch but people my age aren't exactly their primary target market.

My personal opinion on this? There are two major factors holding the Apple Watch back: The price, and that the Apple Watch is only compatible with an iOS device. $400 for a watch is pretty ridiculous for most people - even though it is much more than just a watch. I personally rock an Android Wear-based Motorola 360 smartwatch, and while it too currently suffers from platform exclusivity, there are a lot more Android devices in the marketplace - and the MSRP was a cool $150 less than the Apple Watch. Admittedly, I wasn't a buyer at $250 either - it wasn't until a couple of crazy deals came together that stacked at Best Buy to let me get mine for $79 that I felt it was worth it to buy.

I just turned 30 this year and have been watchless since my late teens. Despite that, I've quickly grown accustomed and attached to the Moto 360 since I purchased it, and I wear it pretty much everywhere. Given the utility that a smartwatch offers, I don't think that the device being in a wrist-mounted form factor is really an issue. Price will have to come down for sales of these devices to really take off.

[okatty]

I skimmed over this thread, so not sure if this was mentioned, but you may consider the Pebble watch. It works with iOS or Android, and has a lot of features for the money. I bought one back in January and wear it everyday, which is saying a lot because I never wore a watch before. Recently they introduced a new one, with a color screen. These watches have the ink ready display so they can be seen in all light. I would definitely recommend this watch. From most of the reading I did before, nothing other then the Apple watch, comes close to this thing, but for the price difference it is something to consider.

https://getpebble.com/

As noted above I have the Pebble Time - got it late last week and still working thru use, but price was right at under $200 and function is good so far paired with Samsung phone. There is an IOS interface as well. I was wanting a fitbit type product and this fits the bill so far plus some additional function in terms of email and text interaction. It's an interesting product.

[Zuplar]

As noted above I have the Pebble Time - got it late last week and still working thru use, but price was right at under $200 and function is good so far paired with Samsung phone. There is an IOS interface as well. I was wanting a fitbit type product and this fits the bill so far plus some additional function in terms of email and text interaction. It's an interesting product.

Yeah most posts seemed long winded so I just skimmed. I have the original Pebble, paid $89 for it I believe and really enjoy it. My buddy got the Pebble Time when it was on kick-starter, I think he paid like $150 for it. While the color screen is neat, I really don't see any improved functionality over the one I have and to some degree I like the black and white ink-reader. My biggest complaint is the Pebble Time has a better design, but I couldn't justify buying a new one since mine was only 3 months old at the time and there wasn't very much improvement once I updated mine. I use mine with the Jawbone UP app for fitness tracking on my iPhone and it works for what I want it to do.

[BBatesokc]

Any users of the second incarnation of the Apple Watch?

Penn Square Apple Store finally has the Apple Watch v. 2 that I am wanting so I put in my order and I'm supposed to pick it up today.

Wondering if any users have any initial thoughts? I had v. 1 for 13 days and then took it back. It looks like most of my concerns were addressed between the latest OS and v. 2.

What I haven't read is if the heart rate monitor is improved any. When I initially compared it to my Polar chest strap is was way too off to even be useful.