With the 2nd generation of the Apple Watch expected to be released on September 7th it’s time to take a look back at the pros and cons of Apple’s first entry into the smart watch competition.
I’ve been using the 42mm version of the watch with the sport band for the past couple of months and have had a chance to really try it out.
The good:
Battery Life: Apple claims on their site that the watch will get 18 hours with a pretty good amount of usage. I typically wear my watch 12-15 hours a day and rarely have the battery dip below 50%.
Comfort: For everyday usage the sport band is comfortable, stays in place, and is just a comfortable as any other watch I’ve worn. That being said once I start working out it doesn’t like staying put and I will have to start adjusting it a couple of miles in to a long run.
Charger: The magnetic charger that comes with watch is super simple and works great. Maybe Apple will finally bring the wireless charging tech over to their phones for the next generation.
Speaker: It is on about the same quality as putting a phone on speaker. It’s great for when your hands are tied, like the time I was on a ladder changing my smoke detectors out. I’ve used it several times and the person on the other side had no idea I was using my watch until I asked them how it sounded.
The bad:
Apps: There just not that many, and most of the ones that are there make no sense. I’m not sure who is playing solitaire on their watch but I don’t think I want to be their friend. Beyond the stock apps the only one I use is MapMyRun but that still has issues. I will say the stock workout apps are good, especially since they are able to take advantage of the watch’s heart rate monitor unlike third party apps.
No GPS: The watch doesn’t have its own dedicated GPS built in, so if you were hoping to leave your phone at home for your run, you’re out of luck.
The ugly:
The looks: It just isn’t very good looking. Maybe I’m just stuck on the look of a normal analog watch but it just isn’t exciting.
Conclusion:
I wouldn’t spend money on the watch, I can think of a lot things that I’d rather spend $299 on. I got mine as a gift and will probably will keep wearing it for the time being but as each day goes on I’m more and more tempted to just put my old analog watch back on.