Closing Thoughts on the Apple Watch

This will be my last post on WatchAware, as I am leaving this job today. Here are my final thoughts on the Apple Watch, and what I believe the future holds for the wearable.

I’ve owned the Apple Watch for about two years now, and my initial assessment of it hasn’t changed much. I still love it just as much, actually even more so since watchOS 2 made it noticeably faster and more efficient. Apps have gotten a little better and zippier. The watch gets more useful with each watchOS that comes out, and watchOS 4 will be no exception. The GPS and waterproofing features in the Apple Watch Series 2 were appealing additions.

My two-year-old first generation Apple Watch has aged well. While the stainless steel has some minor scratches on it that I could easily buff out if I wished, the sapphire crystal face is still flawless. I’ve accumulated some awesome bands in various colors, patterns, and materials, so I have several options that match every outfit I own. I love the way it looks. I dress it up and down as needed and wear it all of it time.

I still don’t go out of my way to recommend it to my friends and family, unless they come to me interested in it and want to know my thoughts. I was recently asked for my “elevator pitch” on the Apple Watch. My one sentence response: it is fantastic for fitness, notifications, and checking important bits of information such as news and weather on the fly. Yet I’d never buy it as a surprise gift for someone. Most of my friends have Fitbits and would not welcome a higher level piece of tech. As I said in my initial Apple Watch review, it’s definitely still a niche product. I think it always will be. It’s never going to match the popularity of the iPad, and certainly its sales figures will never approach the iPhone. It just isn’t a device for everyone.

Yes, I’m still very much a believer in the Apple Watch. I think it will continue to grow in popularity and usefulness. I believe future iterations will have more advanced health features, strides are already being made in areas like heart disease and diabetes. Perhaps it will one day function wholly independently from the iPhone with its own cellular plan, but I don’t see myself paying for that.

The Apple Watch is an accessory, a fantastic one at that. I’ll be wearing one for the foreseeable future. And I’m planning to purchase the “Apple Watch Series 3” or whatever comes next.

It’s been a marvelous seven years at AppAdvice and WatchAware. I’m leaving here for an opportunity to work at an Apple Store. A big thank you to everyone who read my articles, and responded with comments, emails, and tweets. I’m on Twitter @KarenSFreeman if you’d like to stay in touch.