A Few Quick Thoughts in Using the Apple Watch For a Few Days

I was fortunate enough to get my Apple Watch this past Friday, on the device’s first day of public release. The version I purchased (which is, incidentally, the version most of us at WatchAware are signed up for) is the 42mm Space Grey Sport with its default black elastomer Band, and I’ve been wearing it virtually non-stop since I got the package at my door.

Now that I’ve spent about 72 hours with Apple Watch, I’d like to share a few quick thoughts on what I think of the thing so far.

• The packaging, while patently simple, is excellent. It isn’t as “premium” as the boxes for the stainless or Edition tiers, but it still doesn’t feel cheap. Initial impressions are important, and every product’s first chance to wow a user comes from the box that it’s buried inside.
• This is easily the most comfortable wrist wear I’ve ever worn. I started wearing watches a long time ago, when I was around 16 years old. And as I got older, I’ve been fortunate enough to own some nicer, higher-end watches made of all kinds of different case materials and secured by an assortment of rubber, leather, and metal straps. Apple Watch is far more comfortable than any of them. Part of that, no doubt, is due to its weight. This thing is super light. The other part, of course, is the Band. I’m not sure how Apple (or, actually, Marc Newson) pulled it off, but the Sport Band is even more comfortable than it looks in pictures.
• Battery life has been absolutely fantastic. I don’t think I’ve gone below a 20% reserve even a single time in the first three days of ownership and heavy use. That use includes working out, checking the time here and there every hour, using Maps, talking to (and sometimes yelling at) Siri, swiping through Glances, and even responding to text messages. In fact, the battery’s been so good that I’ve taken off any battery meter Complication from my Faces of choice. For now, it’s just not important for me to know how much battery is left, because I already know it’s “plenty.” I hope our iPhones can do this some day soon. (And maybe they will, what with Apple Watch offloading so much of their full-screen duties and everything.)
• Speaking of working out, fitnes tracking is already one of my favorite features of Apple Watch. I’ve never really experienced the “gamification” of exercise until now, and boy, is it addicting! Finally visualized in a compelling, easily-accessible package, I find myself wanting to make sure I hit all of my day’s workout goals. If I’ve been sitting for too long and the Watch tells me to get up, I get up. I also make an effort to get in my 30 minutes of dedicated physical activity each day for the simple reason that I want my Watch’s calendar to always display that filled-in activity circle. Yes, it’s only been a few days (and yes, it’s possible I’ll stop), but right now I’m sticking to it. The Watch has helped encourage me. Just like weightloss is easier when you’ve got a good scale to motivate you, fitness tracking helps get you off your butt because you can see results on your Watch even before you’ll see them in the mirror.
• Complications. Are. Awesome. I love quickly looking at my Watch and seeing the temperature, time, date, and activity progress within just a second or two. No product I have can provide all this information as fast as Apple Watch can. To me, simple as it sounds, that’s game-changing. I’d love to see Apple let third-party apps access complications. That would be fun and useful, and it would add another million (or 10) custom combinations to Apple’s already rich Faces array.
• Because I like Apple Watch so much, there are time I experience buyer’s remorse — I really sort of regret not getting the stainless version (especially when I look at that link bracelet). If I could walk into an Apple Store and exchange my Sport on the spot (and paying the difference, obviously), I would. But since I can’t, I’ll just hang onto this one until the next version comes out. I think I’m definitely going stainless next time. And frankly, I think that’s going to be a pretty common strategy: Spend the least amount of money possible on the first-generation Watch, and if it’s good, spring for a more premium model next time.
• I still believe that apps on Apple Watch are mostly meant to be repositories. The idea of pressing in the Digital Crown and tapping a tiny icon to get to the home screen and launch an app still makes little sense to me. As of right now, the future of the Watch seems to me to be in meaningful Glances, Notifiations, Faces, and Complications (provided Apple allows the latter two). In some cases, like with Uber for example, I can see the need for launching an app. But in most cases, I still don’t see why I should bother.
• This thing is really good at responding to lifting your wrist. There are instances when I’m laying in a weird position where it might not respond, but overall, if you’re sitting or standing and you raise your arm, the Watch face pops up just in time to let you take a quick look and then go about your business.
• Letting other people try on and feel a notification has, so far, drawn the single biggest “Wow!” reactions I’ve seen.
• Like a regular watch, I believe the Apple Watch is not a product meant to be “played” with much. To me, you put it on your wrist, and forget that it’s there most of the time. When it needs your attention, it will tell you. Sure, there are times when you will interact, like say for a workout or hailing an Uber, but otherwise, I don’t see this as a product you sit around and turn on because you’re bored. It’s just not like a phone or tablet.
• Apple gives you control over how strong the Taptic Engine feedback is. I think the highest setting should be slightly stronger, but it’s mostly adequate.
• Speaking of haptics, I asked Siri for some directions (which she provided perfectly), and then I let the Watch tell me how to get to my destination. Having done that, I totally understand why Apple uses 12 consecutive taps to indicate a right turn and three sets of two taps to poke you left. The reason? It’s easy to not feel it, especially when mixed in with the vibrations that come from having your hands on the wheel or handlebars. This is primarily why I think Apple should increase the strength of the Taptic Engine a little bit more.
• Siri on Apple Watch is the best iteration of the service I’ve experienced yet. But you’ve got to use it correctly. When you say “Hey Siri” and pause to wait for a response before continuing, you’ll notice that nothing happens for a few seconds. But that’s because you don’t need to pause — Apple Watch is still listening for your query! The key is to try and trust Siri and just continue asking whatever’s on your mind. Just say “Hey Siri,” and then continue on with your question. Whenever I’ve remembered to do that, it’s been super fast. Of course, Siri’s not perfect, but she’s never been better than she is on Apple Watch. For the most part, I’ve had a pretty great time with the gal.
• Notification control could be better. For example, I would prefer to just get pinged on the wrist when my wife, mom, or close friends text me. Even with some of my group chats set to “Do Not Disturb,” I still get a notice on my Watch. This is either a bug or a temporary oversight on Apple’s part, but in either case, there’s a lot of room for improvement. I hope this is addressed in an update sooner rather than later, as the current model kind of goes against the whole “information overload” remedy we all know Apple Watch is best suited to be.
• I’m convinced that a few iterations from now, this product is going to be a huge success. This isn’t to suggest that it isn’t be successful now. It already is in my eyes, as the demand for it is clearly there. But as developers live with Apple Watch for a few months and better understand how it should be used, better apps will surface. I also assume that Apple will learn to get other technologies on board such as GPS and maybe have the whole thing rely less on the iPhone in certain situations. As with any product, learning from customers’ usage data will play a huge role in helping Apple refine future versions.
• I haven’t sold any of my nice wristwatches, and I may never do that, but it’s possible that I’ll never wear them again.

Time’s up! I gotta go stand.