I Tried to Wear an Apple Watch without Touching my iPhone. It was Infuriating.
In the end, the Watch—in its current iteration—is fundamentally unnecessary. You don’t need to subject it to a phoneless stunt to see that. It’s a failed fashion accessory that, in my view, will never be as aesthetically pleasing as a classic mechanical wristwatch. The Watch does almost nothing your phone can’t already do and, crucially, doesn’t obviate the need to look at your phone even as you’re wearing the watch on your wrist. To avoid double Appling, I had to refrain from answering important emails until I got to a desk. I was forced to risk looking like a dope by talking into my ulna. I needed to forgo reading books and news articles while in transit.
From the moment I read the headline, I could already tell what type of article this would be. Stevenson doesn’t seem to truly understand the Watches strengths. He makes it seem like every notification he gets is either an important text message that needs to be replied to or some in-depth long article that he needs to read.
Stevenson also fails to discuss any of other aspects of the Watch such as its impact on health and fitness or even something as small as ApplePay which makes contactless payments even easier. He also makes no mention of Complications or Glances. It’s almost as if he lives in a world where his head is always down and he’s looking at his phone 24/7. If that’s the world he lives in, then yes, the Watch will be redundant.
Again, the goal of the Watch is not to replace your phone. Instead, the goal is to extend some of its functions to device that is touching you. Rather than having to carry a 4.7″ or 5.5″ piece of glass with you at all times and having to have it within your line of sight, you can let the phone be pretty much wherever and when something important needs your attention your Watch lets you know.
I don’t understand why people like Stevenson just can’t see the Apple Watch as a watch that tells time and does a few other things really well.