I’ve been living with an Apple Watch for a month now (stainless steel case/Milanese loop band). Overall, I think it’s great. The most common criticism that I hear about Apple Watch is that there is no “killer app” that creates a compelling new product category. This is absolutely true. However, the real value of Apple Watch is the cumulative effect of its numerous and sometimes subtle features.
It’s the little things that count
Right off the bat, it’s easy to appreciate that the Watch is a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry (photos of the Milanese band don’t do it justice; you need to see it sparkle in sunlight). But it takes several days of wearing Apple Watch to get a full appreciation for its capabilities.
The best features of the Watch are not activated by direct user interaction but just seem to happen at appropriate times. Case in point: the first time I used the Map app on my iPhone to get driving directions I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I didn’t need to see or hear the phone to know when to turn. The watch tapped my wrist with three double taps when I needed to turn left and with a steady series of twelve taps for right.
The Activity app won’t turn me into a marathon winner overnight but it succeeds in prodding me to do a little bit extra every day. It sets daily goals for moving, exercise and standing. Several evenings I found myself just short of goal right before bedtime and made up the difference with a quick exercise session. This wouldn’t happened if the watch wasn’t giving me frequent encouragement (including virtual “awards”) to hit all my daily goals.
The Watch reminds me to stand if I’ve been sitting too long. And it provides a weekly and periodic activity reports that encourage me to stay on top of my goals. The cumulative effect of these little “nudges” should be a lighter, healthier me.
Size matters
It’s been reported that around 70% of the Apple Watches sold to date are the larger 42mm models. I think the majority of the people people buying these are wrong for the following reasons:
- On all but the largest wrists, the 42mm case looks dorky. There, I said it. The 38mm watch has a more conventional size and looks elegant on both men and ladies. But Apple doesn’t always make it easy for men with larger wrists to get a 38mm model that fits. For example, if you’re a man in the market for a stainless steel Watch with the elegant Milanese loop band, you need to step up to the 42mm case (for an extra $50) if your wrist is larger than 180mm. Apple should offer a large Milanese band option for the 38mm Watch. Bigger guys who want a 38mm case with a stainless band will need to shell out an extra $300 to step up to the Link Bracelet.
- Yes, the larger watch has slightly better battery life. But this is irrelevant because neither model will make it through two full days on a charge. Whether you have a 38mm or 42mm watch, you will still need to take it off every night for charging.
- The larger screen doesn’t really offer much in terms of better ergonomics or readability. I haven’t experienced any problems with the 38mm Watch recognizing exactly which object I’m trying to tap.
Some room for improvement
My main nit with the Apple Watch is that I need to rotate my wrist slightly more to activate it than I would to glance at a conventional watch. It would be great if there was a user configurable sensitivity setting for the “Activate on Wrist Raise” feature. With 40% power remaining after a typical day, I wouldn’t mind if the Watch sacrificed a little battery life to activate less conservatively.
According to Apple, the Watch and iPhone that it’s paired with are supposed to be able to communicate over a trusted WiFi network when they are out of Bluetooth range. This doesn’t seem to work reliably in my house but it might have something to do with having multiple Ubiquiti long range access points installed (although this setup is seamless with all the other WiFi devices I use).
I’d prefer a thinner case, but to Apple’s credit, the Watch looks svelte next to most smart watches. (Curiously, it looks thinner on my wrist than off). I have no doubt that Apple will figure out a way to slim subsequent models down as they have done with every other device.
Apple should sell a proper charging stand for the Watch. However, the Nomad Stand is an attractive option (albeit a tad expensive at $70 for a piece of twisted aluminum).
Minor gripes aside, the Apple Watch is a fabulous first generation product and I highly recommend it.
