Seven Months with the Apple Watch
Writing my thoughts/a review for any product can have its challenges. What makes it even harder is when you do not have a specific aspect to the product that you want to review. This is what I have been struggling with for the last couple of months in regards to the Apple Watch. Most of my other reviews are broken down in sections, but I opted to go with a slightly different route with this review.
The Apple Watch is the newest product line released by Apple. While some could argue that the iPad Pro is a new product line, it was built off of an existing product line, the iPad. While the iPad Pro has some very distinct features, yet it is not an entirely new product. However, the Apple Watch is a new product line. The Apple Watch includes a very custom processor that is encased in resin, in order to protect as much of the product against water as possible.
Initially when the Apple Watch was announced, I was skeptical as to whether I would actually end up using one. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that I had not worn a watch for over a decade. The second issue is that if I did order one, I was not sure if I would continue to use it. However, neither of these have ended up being an issue.
With the Apple Watch being a new product, its function and utility was initially unknown. When the Apple Watch was released in April, it came with Watch OS 1.0, which limited the type of applications available on the Watch to using WatchKit. WatchKit allowed only glances, and application that required the use of a companion iPhone application in order to function.
When you first get a new device, you poke and prod at each little corner of the item. This is exactly what happened when I got the Apple Watch, since its entire interface is a mere 38mm or 42mm, depending on which model you have, on each side, there is not a whole lot to poke and prod.
When I first got the Apple Watch in May, I added a few glances. Those included WWDC and Overcast being the only glances added that are not built-in. Along with the glances I also installed a couple of WatchKit applications, including the Apple TV Remote app, WWDC, and deliveries. These were chosen since those were the only apps that I thought I would end up using on the Watch.
After seven months of usage, I have definitely come into a pattern of usage for the Apple Watch. The primary usage that I have for the watch is filling in the activity rings. In the last 220 days, there have only been two days where I missed reaching the goals, both of these were in May. Every day since June, I have hit all three of the ring goals. Those three goals are active calories, minutes of exercise, and the standing goal.
One of the bugs with the Apple Watch is the standing goal. There have been many times that I have been standing, for longer than an hour as well as moving around, and it is not registered as part of the standing goal. Normally, this is not a problem since I reach the goals, but it is rather bothersome when you do not get credit towards the standing goal.
Reaching the activity and exercise goals during the summer was not an issue. However, now that it has gotten colder here in the northern hemisphere, meeting the calorie goals has become more difficult, so I have adjusted it to be a lower amount than before. Some might consider this to be "cheating", but it is more exercise than I was getting before getting the watch. Even with reducing the amount, even on days like today, I am able to hit 400% of my move goal. I would have hit 300% if I had not adjusted it down to its current setting.
Along with the activity and standing goals, As one might expect with a smart watch, notifications are a huge aspect to the functionality. I do use my Apple Watch for notifications, mostly for SMS, Nuzzel, and NYT Now. It is quite nice to be notified of something, but not have to immediately interact with the notifications is one of the nicest features.
With having notifications enabled, and particularly with both Nuzzel and NYT Now, I am able to stay up to date on the latest news that is occurring. The notifications are especially nice when I am not able to get to my phone, or if I end up leaving my phone in another room.
One of the capabilities of the Apple Watch is the ability to take phone calls. I have done this just once. It is novel, but it is not really something that I do often. To be fair, I do not get that many phone calls, but I prefer to take phone calls on my phone, with my EarPods in.
One of the biggest concerns that many people had regarding the Apple Watch, before its general availability, was the capacity of the battery. During all of my usage, the battery has never been below 20% at the end of the day. The average amount of battery left has been about 45%. Sine I have the 42MM Space Gray Sport watch, the battery is a bit larger, so that could account for some of the ability for the Apple Watch to only get to around 50%.
One of the things that I would very much like to see in an updated version of the Apple Watch is not a hardware difference, but a software one. The Apple Watch only has two buttons, the Digital Crown, and the "Friends"/Power button. I do not have any friends that own an Apple Watch, so this button is one useful for screenshots, Apple Pay, and powering off the Apple Watch. I would really love to be able to customize what function single-clicking the button will do. If I could I would prefer to have the singe-clicking bring up glances. This would make the Apple Watch that much easier to use. I will admit, this is not my idea, and while I cannot remember who came up with this idea, but I truly have to agree with them.
One of the main interaction methods with Apple Watch is Siri. While Siri does not have any auditory response, the responsiveness and accuracy of Siri is remarkable. The accuracy is better than one might expect. I do not use Siri on my Apple Watch that often, but the most common thing I do is actually to play a particular song while driving. It's easy enough to press down the digital crown for a couple seconds and then tell Siri what I want to hear.
Despite the great improvement with Siri, one of the issues that I do have is the glass. I have the Apple Watch Sport model, so the glass is not the sapphire glass, but the Ion glass. Within approximately three weeks of getting my Apple Watch, I managed to put a decent scratch into the face of my Apple Watch. This was done while moving some items around at work. It is not noticeable when when the screen is on, but it noticeable when the screen is off and when you look at just the right angle. I always get AppleCare on my Apple products, so I will likely get it fixed before giving it to somebody else, but it slightly annoying.
Overall, I am happy with the Apple Watch. AS with many of Apple's other iOS-based devices, it is quite likely that I will end up getting a new Apple Watch, when the next one is related. Even though I end up using only a fraction of the capabilities, I still think the Apple Watch is a solid product. In terms of hardware, it is rock-solid. I have never had an issue with the hardware acting up. Even though Watch OS 1.0 was not ideal, Watch OS 2.0 allows independent applications, which make the Apple Watch even more functional than it was previously. If you have an iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, 6, 6s, 6 Plus or 6s Plus and you are in the market for a smart watch, the Apple Watch may be one that you want to look at getting.
