Apple Watch: One Year On

Apple General
#1

It’s just over a year since Apple released the Apple Watch and I’m interested in the opinions of those early adopters. I’m torn between either coughing up for one at tax time and waiting for the AW2 to be announced to see if it improves on anything.

So, for those of you who did cough up and grab one when they were new:

  • How have your views of the watch changed over the course of the year?
  • Has it lived up to your expectations, or is it still half-baked?
  • Do you see it as critical to your day to day workflow, a nice to have or, is it just a fancy digital watch?
  • What are your killer (or most frequently used) apps, if any, and how are they better than using your phone/tablet/Mac?
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Good Reads for May, 2016
#2

At first I was “oh this is amazing!”, however now I am fairly ambivalent towards it. Yes it’s an amazing piece of technology but I think because it has remained “static” - in that there haven’t been really many advancements in its software, I’m getting a little tired of it.

The promise of all these cool apps hasn’t really lived up to its full potential, and the lacklustre support (I’m looking at you, Shifty Jelly, for your terrible Pocket Weather AU complication) has really left me wondering if I shouldn’t just sell it now and wait to see if the next version of the Watch brings something more to the table.

It’s just a totally unnecessary fancy digital watch.

Well like I mentioned above, it would have been amazing to have a cool weather complication that would update frequently, or myriad other app, but that just hasn’t happened. Apple’s own “Featured Apps” that you access through the Watch app on my phone has barely been updated in a year. In my opinion the software is what makes a great device, and without the support from third party developers, it’s sort of just been left languishing.

#3

Apple Pay made it useful. However I tend to use Apple Pay on iPhone more now, since the screen faces you, compared to a wrist-twist. It’s definitely a nice to have, especially for the notifications and quick glances like next train time or flight information. If you’re on the fence right now, wait for Apple Watch 2.

#4

I never really wanted the watch, I half bought one to shut people up who kept asking when I was getting it :stuck_out_tongue:

For me I was never really interested in the apps and that’s still true but possibly down to the fact that I haven’t seen any good / useful apps that would do something for me.

It syncs my calendar and taps me to tell me where to go. For someone working in an office all day long that’s awesome. Sure my phone used to do the same, but I do find it more convenient to do that on my wrist.
Same deal for notifications, although it’s worth saying that I have turned off virtually all notifications because I got sick of 493,000 beeps every day. Now I get messages and calendar notifications, that’s about it and that works well for me.

Seeing who is calling at a glance is handy too, especially when in a meeting. It means I can put the phone face down (or leave it in my jacket pocket) and not look at it, which I feel is more engaging compared to those people who spend half the meeting checking their phone which is vibrating away on the desk constantly.

Movement tracking is nice and it does encourage me to stand up more often, which I suppose it good. I’m yet to get in the habit of doing more than walk to the kitchen and refill my water bottle or to the gents to empty my … water bottle :stuck_out_tongue: I am more aware of how much (or little) I do move somedays so it has encouraged me to go out walking at lunch time more often… so I suppose that is a good thing.

Would I take it off? Maybe. I stopped wearing a watch in 2008ish and while I tried a few times to get back into it, I found myself still looking at the phone after spending so many years doing just that. These days though, it’s far more informative telling me where I need to go next and when, the only thing I would like is an extra line to tell me what’s on after the next meeting at a glance, but a quick tap on the calendar entry sort that out.

A very quiet morning on Wednesday, but this is my watch face setup from Tuesday night (which apparently I took a screen shot of):

Killer apps:
Remote to control my iTunes library at home (I’ve never even thought to use it on the go!).
Timer (through siri) when cooking.

I’ve got Tiny Pong installed for shits and giggles, but honestly all the apps take too long to load and tend to run poorly so I’ve removed them all. Even something like the CBA app displaying a quick balance takes far longer than just whipping out the phone. At least when I’m using the remote app it’s loaded once then just sits on the screen when I lift my wrist so it’s right there.

Battery life isn’t an issue since I put the phone on charge every night anyway, but if I’m away it’s an extra charger to take (and if the family is away it’s an extra one for the wife too!) and unlike the phone you can’t borrow a friends charger to top it up here and there since you would have to take it off and they would be likely to be using at night.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely, it’s very handy to do that basic things I use. BUT… for the money I think I’d look at and consider the alternatives. The new Pebbles looks pretty damn good, have a much better battery life, cost half and seem to provide about 90% of the functionality. I would still lean towards the extra functions (that I use) but longer battery life is very very tempting.

Will I buy the next gen. At the moment this one really does do everything I want, so probably not… but lets wait and see what it actually brings to the table.

edit: ApplePay. When my banks gets their act together this might become useful.

#5

One thing I forgot to mention that is a nice feature: ring/locate your iPhone, when you don’t know where it is but you’re wearing the watch. It can ping the iPhone and you’ll find it under the couch or wherever.

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#6

I’ve always been a watch wearer, so the decision for me to purchase an Apple Watch was if the functionality of the watch was enough for me to give up a dress watch.

One year on, and the watch is fine but it could have been so much better.

  • Native applications - This is a complete non event. The apps are so slow to launch (and often fail to launch properly) that they are useless. The only native app I do use is to control music/podcasts.

  • Messages/Notifications - This is great. It is so convenient to just glance at your watch to see who is calling you, or what the SMS message you just received was.

  • Apple Pay - whilst late to the game is fantastic. I find that I use it all the time. It’s great not to have to pull your wallet or phone out to pay for something.

  • Fitness tracking - I find that I use this a lot. I like being able to track my workouts. The thing which Apple needs is some social aspects. Whilst the Apple Watch does all the things my Fitbit does, I find that I still carry my Fitbit around as I like the motivation/challenges I get with my Fitbit friends. If Apple could integrate with Fitbit or have their own social aspects, that would be great.

Overall, I would miss my Apple Watch if I did not have it any longer. I recently went on a holiday, and decided not to take my Apple Watch with me (as I knew I was going to be in the water a lot) so took my old watch. I found that I missed the functionality and features of the watch.

What the next Apple Watch really needs is to be waterproof.

#7

How could I forget about that! No. 1 most used feature right there!

I think everyone has touched on this to some degree, but the question is… What do people need/want?

Are we all looking for a solution to a problem we don’t have? In a magical universe where we have the battery and processing power to do whatever we want on the watch… what do you actually want it to do?

#8

I wear lots of mechanical watches previously, and was able to transition to the Apple Watch easily a year ago - use it everyday, look at it everyday, main use case:

  1. Never missing text messages or phone calls
  2. Discreet checking of emails in meetings
  3. Easily dismiss phone calls with text if busy
  4. Not needing to take phone out as often
  5. Got my wife one, and now she never misses my calls or texts

And did I mention it tells time?

I do miss my vintage watches but the convenience of not needing to whip out the phone multiple times is great.

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#9

I don’t actually care about native apps on my watch. If I want to do something or need to interact with anything (other than just checking some information), I would rather pull out my iPhone as realistically the watch screen is too small to interact with.

The point I was trying to make is that Apple made a big thing about apps but they are not what makes the Apple Watch useful. There is no killer watch app around (IMHO). Maybe Apple will come up with the App which will be what I want, but at the moment, Apps are a non event for the watch.

#10

I don’t think there is or ever will be a killer app for the watch. It’s not about that, really - it’s more about subtle improvements to what you already have. One of my most-used watch apps is Authy - I wouldn’t call it a “killer app” but it’s much handier to use it on the watch than to dig out my phone.

#11

Had mine just over a year now and have had my phone on silent since then which is blissful.
Mainly bought mine for the fitness features, which I use Strava app on when cycling which i find reliable and handy, and still aim to complete the rings everyday.
Setting timers with Siri when cooking is super handy, but should show the timer on the screen or take over a complication spot when a timer is active, and have found Siri’s voice recognition pretty good and often use it for sending messages when driving.
Checking AFL scores I use all the time but would love a complication that showed live scores and refreshed frequently.
Love that you can swap bands so easily and getting a new look. Superb range available with loads of cheaper options than Apples available on eBay.
Battery life has been a non issue as charge mine in nightstand mode every night and use as my alarm clock.
Won’t probably buy the gen 2 version and will wait to see what gen 3 brings, but overall still love the device and would miss it greatly if it went away.

#12

I like the idea of an added complication, but in the meantime, you can change setting under:

Settings > General > Wake Screen

so on wrist raise it resumes the last activity. This means that if you’re running a timer or the remote app it stays active each time you lift your wrist until you choose to go back to the watch face.

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#13

I’d go for an Apple Watch Lite - I’d like the notifications and fitness but not much else, and the price is too high on the Apple Watch 1. Also not a fan of the idea of yet another device I’ve got to continually update… The iPhone and iPad are enough of that.

Perhaps the Apple Watch 2 will be the iPad 2 of smart watches.

#14

You don’t need to actively update the Apple Watch. In the year or so that it has been out, there have been 3, maybe 4 software updates, and these updates happen only when the watch is on the charger (which basically means it happens by itself overnight).

I also don’t think the Apple Watch is expensive. It’s still a lot cheaper than a nice watch.

#15

I mean in terms of buying a new one, because the old one will loose support and become insecure, like what happens to iOS devices.

I personally think its very expensive. All I’d want are a couple of the functions, similar to the Garmin VivO Smart HR, but with better apple notification integration, they only cost $200 ish. They’re also not the sort of thing that gets slow through software updates.

#16

It’s interesting actually - with watches (like cars and guitars), I actually prefer vintage ones - I have my grandfather’s original wind up totally mechanical Rolex for example, that I used to wear daily. So it may be that I will keep my first edition Apple Watch for a long time. But as it’s also a piece of tech, I am torn to the feeling of needing the latest version.

#17

I actually find mine quiet useful. The complications I use are temperature, Sunrise/Sunset, Activity, Next appointment and date.

Biggest surprise was how motivating and unmotivating at the same time to go for a walk and fill the rings (I have lost weight as a result of owning the Watch).

I think for me the biggest letdown has been the lack of the personal fashion accessory aspect that Apple was clearly hoping for it to be, permit me to explain:

  • There are some really nice first and third party bands on the market, and it has gotten me caring about Watch fashion (not really enough to go back to a mechanical watch though), but at the end of the day, when you see someone with an Apple Watch and a nice leather or stainless steel band, they’re still wearing an Apple Watch
  • The faces, there’s a finite number of faces with subtle differences between watch users, the face is part of a mechanical watch, it makes up its personality. With the Apple Watch, it just doesn’t.
  • By the same token, if you do have a nice face, it’s only active when the watch is facing towards you

I do wish I’d gone the black stainless steel instead of the regular stainless. That might be a good enough excuse to upgrade to gen 2 if/when that gets released

#18

I love mine still. Wear & use it every day.

  • I love the on the side charging alarm clock mode!! It’s my primary bedside clock now instead of having to pickup / wakeup whole phone and the brightness that ensues from doing so. I especially love how I can reach out and just hit/bump my bedside table anywhere and it lights up then goes dark again after a period! It’s so sensitive. I love this feature!
  • to time brewing my coffee every morening (often in PJs with no pockets to carry phone in, I have watch on)
  • to set timers when cooking via Siri
  • to see what my next appointment is at any time at a glance all day
  • reminders for appointments all day
  • tracking activity every day to make sure I’m active
  • to read iMessage / Fb messages without puling phone out all day
  • and of course to check the date & time (random I know!) and I think I’m more on time as a result!

I may or may not buy gen 2 on day 1. Probably not, but I’ll still be using gen 1 for everything I do now.

Actually, when I say above “I love mine still” I think what I mean is “I love mine now, and when I got it I started to love it more every day over time - as it became part of my life. Took a while, but now I couldn’t be without it.”

#19

Totally agree - I just wish they’d release a basic damn sport band in brown! I’d also love a leather 1st party option, but it is insane that they don’t even have a sport band in brown!!

#20

Have to agree with Nightstand mode, love that, only problem is I’ve had to prop it up a little bit higher with a couple of books so it’s at head height, otherwise it doesn’t wake me. My iPhone’s speaks is still loud enough that it doesn’t have this problem.