Apple Watch reviews are in: Best smart watch, but smart watches are unnecessary.

[Eug]

Kinda what I expected. The reviews say Apple Watch is the best smart watch. No surprise there. But many also say it's either a work in progress without focus, or else that it's just not necessary. Also no surprise there.

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/08/apple-watch-review-roundup/

The Verge

There’s no question that the Apple Watch is the most capable smartwatch available today. It is one of the most ambitious products I’ve ever seen; it wants to do and change so much about how we interact with technology. But that ambition robs it of focus: it can do tiny bits of everything, instead of a few things extraordinarily well. For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it’s not clear that anyone’s yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for.

David Pogue

The Apple Watch is light-years better than any of the feeble, clunky efforts that have come before it. The screen is nicer, the software is refined and bug-free, the body is real jewelry. First-time technologies await at every turn: Magnetic bands, push-to-release straps, wrist-to-wrist drawings or Morse codes, force pressing, credit-card payments from the wrist. And the symbiosis with the iPhone is graceful, out of your way, and intelligent.

But the true answer to that question is this: You don’t need one. Nobody needs a smartwatch. After all, it’s something else to buy, care for, charge every night. It’s another cable to pack and track. Your phone already serves most of its purposes. With the battery-life situation as it is, technology is just barely in place to make such a device usable at all.

 

[Blackjack200]

Farhad Manjoo at The New York Times liked, if it had a bit of a "learning curve"

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/t...atedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

By notifying me of digital events as soon as they happened, and letting me act on them instantly, without having to fumble for my phone, the Watch became something like a natural extension of my body — a direct link, in a way that I’ve never felt before, from the digital world to my brain. The effect was so powerful that people who’ve previously commented on my addiction to my smartphone started noticing a change in my behavior; my wife told me that I seemed to be getting lost in my phone less than in the past. She found that a blessing.

 

[Eug]

Farhad Manjoo at The New York Times liked, if it had a bit of a "learning curve"

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/t...atedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

Here's another quote:

What’s more, unlike previous breakthrough Apple products, the Watch’s software requires a learning curve that may deter some people. There’s a good chance it will not work perfectly for most consumers right out of the box, because it is best after you fiddle with various software settings to personalize use. Indeed, to a degree unusual for a new Apple device, the Watch is not suited for tech novices. It is designed for people who are inundated with notifications coming in through their phones, and for those who care to think about, and want to try to manage, the way the digital world intrudes on their lives.

Not a negative review, but at best lukewarm.

 

[Blackjack200]

I'd point out that Apple has always maintained that the watch is different from the rest of it's lineup beccause it's so individual. That's why they offer so many different configurations in stark contrast to their phone, tablet, and computer lineups. So you could argue that it's inevitable that some fumbling will be needed to get the watch to behave the way you want it to.

Still, it's a fair criticism, and Apple presents its products as being intuitive to use, so it's up to them to live up to it.

 

[Kaido]

I'm usually pretty up-to-date with all the different gadgets on the market; my wife was questioning me the other day about why I haven't ordered the iWatch...I didn't really have an answer. Like you said Eug, it's kind of a device without a focus.

I like the concept. I think what I don't like is the shortcomings, primarily the battery life. I have a Jawbone Up24 fitness band & it has a 2-week battery life. I only have to charge it up a couple times a month, piece of cake. I'd like to upgrade to the new Up3, which also has a heartrate monitor, but it'd also be nice to have a Pebble, which adds a screen for telling time (and basic notifications). I mean, I think an Apple Watch would be amazing, but not if I have to charge it every day, and especially since I have to pay $350 to charge it up every single day.

At present, it is not compelling enough for me to purchase one. I doubt the second-gen will be either. A few generations down the road when they have maybe quality color e-ink screens like the upcoming Pebble color watch & week+ batteries lives...maybe. For now? Neat, but not for me.

 

[Kaido]

I'd point out that Apple has always maintained that the watch is different from the rest of it's lineup beccause it's so individual. That's why they offer so many different configurations in stark contrast to their phone, tablet, and computer lineups. So you could argue that it's inevitable that some fumbling will be needed to get the watch to behave the way you want it to.

Still, it's a fair criticism, and Apple presents its products as being intuitive to use, so it's up to them to live up to it.

That, and it's also a fashion statement because it's a personal accessory. An iMac is a room statement - skinny & looks cool, but not necessarily a reflection of you. Most people can't tell what smartphone you have because nearly everyone keeps them in a case, so they all kind of look the same. But a smartwatch lives on your wrist as an extension of your clothing & jewelry, which really does set it apart from their computer product line imo.

 

[Blackjack200]

Also, where's the AT review?

 

[ControlD]

Also, where's the AT review?

Anand hasn't submitted it yet

 

[Rakehellion]

Best smart watch, but smart watches are unnecessary.

Pretty much what I expected.

 

[Artdeco]

Anand hasn't submitted it yet

ROFL, seriously

 

[dud]

What does the popularity of this device say about us as a society ... and a species? The words that come to mind are ten shades of crazy:


http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/10/us-apple-watch-idUSKBN0N01BT20150410


"Consumers flocked to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) stores around the world on Friday to get the first close-up look at the tech giant's smartwatch, which the company expects will be its next runaway hit.

The Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook's first new major product and the company's first foray into the personal luxury goods market, was available for pre-order online and to try out in stores -- but not to take home.

On April 24, consumers will be able to buy it online or by appointment in shops including trendy fashion boutiques in Paris, London and Tokyo, part of Apple's strategy of positioning the wearable computer as a must-have accessory.

Testing Apple's mastery of consumer trends, the watch is an untried concept for the California-based company. It straddles a technology market accustomed to rapid obsolescence and luxury goods whose appeal lies in their enduring value.

Before the Paris Apple store opened at 0900 local time, about 100 people were queuing outside. Staff cheered and applauded the first customers, most of them men aged under 30. "I have everything from Apple so now I need to get the watch," said 19-year-old Jeremy Dugue wearing an Armani leather jacket after ordering the stainless steel model at 1,149 euros. The Apple Watch sport starts at $349 while the standard version comes in at $549 in the U.S. High-end "Edition" watches with 18-karat gold alloys are priced from $10,000 and go as high as $17,000. Within the first hour in Paris, many customers had pre-ordered their watch, and several went for the entry-level model with a black plastic bracelet. High demand means some shoppers in Paris will have to wait 4-6 weeks before their watch arrives. "It was comfortable, I didn't think it would be that comfortable. It's an easy way of managing your busy life," said 19-year old student Omar Alborno, one of the first to try on the watch at London's luxury Selfridges department store.

MIXED REVIEWS

Earlier on Friday, Apple's flagship store in Sydney's financial district was packed with those hoping to get the first peek at the device, although just around 20 die-hard fans queued out front, modest by the standards of a major Apple launch.

Based on recent customer interest at its stores, Apple expects demand for the watch, which allows users to check email, listen to music and make phone calls when paired with an iPhone, to exceed availability at launch. Reviewers this week praised the watch, which also helps users monitor their health and exercise, as "beautiful" and "stylish" but gave it poor marks for relatively low battery life

and slow-loading apps. Sales estimates for 2015 vary widely. Piper Jaffray predicts 8 million units and Global Securities Research forecasts 40

million. By comparison, Apple sold nearly 200 million iPhones last year. Apple's watch is widely expected to outsell those by Samsung (005930.KS), Sony Corp (6758.T) and Fitbit, that have attracted modest interest from consumers. It will likely account for 55 percent of global smartwatch shipments this year, according to Societe Generale. "Apple will outsell its wearable rivals by a very wide margin but it will do this on the power of its brand and its design alone," independent technology analyst Richard Windsor said. "Consequently, I am sticking to my 20 million forecast for the first 12 months and see the potential for some sogginess in the stock as reality sets in.""

 

[Subyman]

The problem I see with this product is it doesn't displace any previous product. The iPad was a phenomenon because it displaced laptops and desktops for millions and millions of consumers. It did everything most people do on computers and put it into book form. Incredibly successful. The iPhone displaced all cell phones and the iPod displaced every form of portable music player.

What does the Apple Watch displace? Nothing. It extends the functionality of the iPhone, but it doesn't replace it. A hard sell for most consumers.

 

[dud]

The problem I see with this product is it doesn't displace any previous product. The iPad was a phenomenon because it displaced laptops and desktops for millions and millions of consumers. It did everything most people do on computers and put it into book form. Incredibly successful. The iPhone displaced all cell phones and the iPod displaced every form of portable music player.

What does the Apple Watch displace? Nothing. It extends the functionality of the iPhone, but it doesn't replace it. A hard sell for most consumers.

So what percentage of Apple fans are mindless zombies that will buy anything that they stick a logo on?

 

[Eug]

The iPad didn't displace my laptop. I use both.

 

[Blackjack200]

The iPhone displaced all cell phones and the iPod displaced every form of portable music player.

The iPhone displaced:

Cell Phones
Digital Cameras
Digital Camcorders
e-Readers
Watches
Blackberrys
GPS Navigation Units
Palm Pilots
iPods and all portable music players
Portable Video Players
Alarm Clocks
Voice Recorders
Scanners

In my view, the Watch helps the iPhone displace those devices more effectively, and adds new capabilities.

 

[ultimatebob]

The iPhone displaced:

Cell Phones
Digital Cameras
Digital Camcorders
e-Readers
Watches
Blackberrys
GPS Navigation Units
Palm Pilots
iPods and all portable music players
Portable Video Players
Alarm Clocks
Voice Recorders
Scanners

In my view, the Watch helps the iPhone displace those devices more effectively, and adds new capabilities.

I hope that you're joking about the Digital Camera and Scanner part. The new iPhone's image quality is good for a smart phone, but it's not THAT good.

It would also be a cold day in hell before I would trust my iPhone as an alarm clock for daily use.

 

[Oyeve]

The iPhone displaced:

Digital Cameras
Digital Camcorders
iPods and all portable music players

In my view, the Watch helps the iPhone displace those devices more effectively, and adds new capabilities.

FTFY

 

[smackababy]

I hope that you're joking about the Digital Camera and Scanner part. The new iPhone's image quality is good for a smart phone, but it's not THAT good.

It would also be a cold day in hell before I would trust my iPhone as an alarm clock for daily use.

Good enough to put most of the point and shoot makers out of business. iPhone (and smart phone cameras in general) are good enough for 99% of people. The other .09% have no business pretending to be photographers anyway.


As far as the iWatch, the iPhone itself wasn't really "useful" when it came out either. It was smart phone for people who didn't actually need a smart phone, and that was exactly what everyone wanted. I'm sure this will sell an absurd amount and Samsung will make commercials about how waiting in line for a product is bad and to please buy their watch, they have millions on shelves. Please, buy them! Please!

 

[Blackjack200]

I hope that you're joking about the Digital Camera and Scanner part. The new iPhone's image quality is good for a smart phone, but it's not THAT good.

It would also be a cold day in hell before I would trust my iPhone as an alarm clock for daily use.

Are you serious? We're still talking about this in 2015? The digital camera is half the reason to get an iPhone. The hardware and software (image stabilization, f2.2 lens, HDR, etc.) means any schmoe can point the thing in almost any direction and get a good picture. It's extraordinary. When I go to family gatherings I snap a few pics of my nieces and nephews and they look like they came from a goddamn studio.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-6-plus.htm
Of course the iPhone 6 Plus camera is fantastic. The iPhone 6 Plus camera is the best pocket camera ever conceived.

The iPhone 6 Plus shoots in significantly darker light than previous iPhones. I can shoot outdoors at night with no flash and get swell pictures, while my iPhone 5S just got black screens. The range of light over which we can shoot the iPhone 6 Plus has been significantly extended into darkness.

New also in the iPhone 6 Plus is optical image stabilization, and it really works. It's nearly impossible to get a blurred photo. Even when the live preview seems to imply it will be out of focus or blurred, the actual image is always spot-on.

And what the hell is wrong with using an iPhone as an alarm clock?

For scanning, I mean document scanning, I agree it's no where near a real scanner for photos, but who does that anyway?

 

[smackababy]

And what the hell is wrong with using an iPhone as an alarm clock?

While I use my iPhone for my alarm because IDGAF if it fails, there was an issue with Daylight Savings not being updated correctly and a "compensation" still happening throwing off alarm clocks at least once in Apple's history. If you have something super critical you wake at an exact time, relying solely on your iPhone is probably a bad idea. But, so would be relying on any single point of failure in waking up.

 

[Blackjack200]

While I use my iPhone for my alarm because IDGAF if it fails, there was an issue with Daylight Savings not being updated correctly and a "compensation" still happening throwing off alarm clocks at least once in Apple's history. If you have something super critical you wake at an exact time, relying solely on your iPhone is probably a bad idea. But, so would be relying on any single point of failure in waking up.

I've never heard of this, but I've also never encountered a foolproof alarm. I've slept through alarms, failed to turn them on, accidentally set the alarm 12 hours off from when I need it, accidentally set the clock 12 hours off.

I'd say if you study till 11 PM and you have your final at 8 AM tomorrow morning, you should probably set two alarms. That's what I've done when I had a super-critical reason to get up. And one of those two alarms has always been a phone.

 

[smackababy]

I've never heard of this, but I've also never encountered a foolproof alarm. I've slept through alarms, failed to turn them on, accidentally set the alarm 12 hours off from when I need it, accidentally set the clock 12 hours off.

I'd say if you study till 11 PM and you have your final at 8 AM tomorrow morning, you should probably set two alarms. That's what I've done when I had a super-critical reason to get up. And one of those two alarms has always been a phone.

This was the first hit that came up on a google search. It might not have been DTS, but New Years glitch I was thinking about.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-glitch-leaves-thousands-dozing-New-Year.html

 

[Subyman]

The iPad didn't displace my laptop. I use both.

You have to look further than the tip of your nose when discussing product sales.

 

[ultimatebob]

And what the hell is wrong with using an iPhone as an alarm clock?

For scanning, I mean document scanning, I agree it's no where near a real scanner for photos, but who does that anyway?

Two words: Backup Battery. If the power goes out (or I forget to plug the phone in, or the charger somehow gets unplugged, etc) that iPhone will likely be dead by the next morning.

My alarm clock's backup battery will go for days if needed.

 

[Eug]

You have to look further than the tip of your nose when discussing product sales.

Perhaps you should take your own advice. Laptop sales have somewhat levelled out in last half-decade, but tablet sales increased dramatically in that same period (and now have stagnated).

IOW, while laptop sales were impacted by tablet sales, laptop sales remained a huge chunk of the market, but tablet sales represented a whole new complementary product category.

Yes some people only bought tablets but the market pattern is people buying tablets in addition to laptops.

To put it another way, I betcha everyone in this thread with a tablet also has a laptop. Furthermore, while their 5 year-old kids might have tablets now, those kids never had laptops in the past.