I’ve been living with an Apple Watch for a month now (stainless steel case\/Milanese loop band). \u00a0Overall, I think it’s great. \u00a0The most common criticism that I hear about Apple Watch is that there is no “killer app” that creates a compelling new product category. \u00a0This is absolutely true. \u00a0However, the real value of Apple Watch is the cumulative effect of its numerous and sometimes subtle features.<\/p>\n
Right off the bat, it’s easy to appreciate that the Watch is\u00a0a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry (photos of the Milanese band don’t do it justice; \u00a0you need to see it sparkle in sunlight). \u00a0But it takes several days of wearing Apple Watch to get a full appreciation for its capabilities.<\/p>\n
The best features of the Watch are not activated by direct user interaction but just seem to happen at appropriate times. \u00a0Case in point: \u00a0the 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. \u00a0The watch tapped my wrist with three double taps when I needed to turn left and with a steady series of twelve taps for right.<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0It sets daily goals for moving, exercise and standing. \u00a0Several evenings I found myself just short of goal right before bedtime and made up the difference with a quick exercise session. \u00a0This wouldn’t happened if the watch wasn’t giving me frequent encouragement (including virtual “awards”) to hit all my daily goals.<\/p>\n
The Watch reminds me to stand if I’ve been sitting too long. \u00a0And it provides a weekly and periodic activity reports that encourage me to stay on top of my goals. \u00a0The cumulative effect of these little “nudges” should be a lighter, healthier me.<\/p>\n
It’s been reported that around 70% of the Apple Watches sold to date are the larger 42mm models. \u00a0I think the majority of the people people buying these are wrong for the following reasons:<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0It would be great if there was a user configurable sensitivity setting for the “Activate on Wrist Raise” feature. \u00a0 \u00a0With 40% power remaining after a typical day, I wouldn’t mind if the Watch sacrificed a little battery life to activate less conservatively.<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0This doesn’t seem to work reliably in my house but it might have something to do with having\u00a0multiple Ubiquiti long range access points<\/a>\u00a0installed (although this setup is seamless with all the other WiFi devices I use).<\/p>\n I’d prefer a thinner case, but to Apple’s credit, the Watch looks svelte next to most smart watches. \u00a0(Curiously, it looks thinner on my wrist than off). \u00a0I have no doubt\u00a0that Apple will figure out a way to slim subsequent models down as they have done with every other device.<\/p>\n