The document provides a review of the Apple Watch after 4 days of use. It discusses both positive aspects like the intuitive interface, activity tracking, and induction charging. However, it also notes major pain points including over-reliance on the iPhone, poor Bluetooth connectivity that drains the iPhone's battery, limited usefulness of notifications and apps, and a high price point for the utility provided. Overall, the reviewer finds the Apple Watch to have low utility when not connected to an iPhone and prefers using tasks on the iPhone instead of the Watch.
2. Background…
• Used Apple Watch for 4
days. That was enough!
• Been lover of Apple
products since 2007.
• Been getting iPhone
upgrades without a miss.
• I hate notifications; disabled
all my iPhone notifications
(even before I got Apple
Watch).
• My two kids play a *lot*
with gadgets.
• I consider myself an early
adopter.
• I care less about the HW
specs and more about
overall UX.
• I never owned a Watch in
the last 10 years.
* All these are my personal opinions and nothing related to work – past, present or future.
4. • Overview: Date, Time,
Temperature, Activity Status,
Battery %, Time Zone, Next
Meeting are just a configuration
away.
• Security: Every time you take the
watch from your wrist, and wear it,
you got to enter a password.
People just cant steal your Watch.
5. • Simplicity : As with any other Apple
product, the Watch is simple and
ultra intuitive. If you are a iPhone
user you would find the Watch UX
to be just an extension and familiar.
• Elegance : Details are given much
care. The Watch has all the curves
it deserves both front and back.
6. • Activity: Move, Exercise and
Standup. Define your goals and
work towards that everyday.
• For fitness freaks, the dashboard
is just a tap away.
• Haptics works great to motivate
you to do more. Very subtle hint
(tap/vibration) on your wrist.
9. • Glances
– A way to look at
the static data
that you care
about.
– You have a good
deal of
configuration on
this.
10. • Apps: It’s the eco-system of
wonderful apps. Some great
Apps are already built for the
Watch.
• Most are companion Apps and
data syncs from Phone to Watch.
• E.g. Browse through the pictures
from phone
11. • Glances
– A way to look at
the static data
that you care
about.
– You have a good
deal of
configuration on
this.
12. • Phone Contacts :
You can add your
Favorites and send
*simple* messages
and emoticons.
• Pretty good
interface and
experience with the
messages.
13. • Induction Charging : This is super
cool way to change any gadget
that I have seen till now.
• It’s a magnetic connector and
that’s it.
15. • iPhone Companion: Without
iPhone, Apple Watch is nothing
(in theory, that’s not bad but in
practice it sucks)
– The real cost is “iPhone+Watch”
• Notifications : As I turned off
most notifications, I couldn’t do
much with Watch for the most of
the day.
16. • Monochrome Screen: For $400+ would
I get only a monochrome screen? Most
expensive watches are colorful,
carefully crafted and Apple Watch does
not look like one.
• For the battery conservation, the
display is turned off until you raise it,
and that *looks like* my watch is not
working to others. It just looks weird
when someone is wearing a watch with
blank screen.
17. • Bluetooth :
– The most painful aspect of Apple
Watch.
– Watch looses Bluetooth for small
distances and after than its
practically *useless*.
– Many times it *doesn’t* reconnect
when I go to phone proximity.
– Because of the Bluetooth the iPhone
battery *drains* pretty quickly.
18. • Answering Phone:
– I answered twice and I looked like
an idiot doing that.
– The Watch speaker/mic are not
good enough and others felt my
like was choppy.
– If that was not meant to be used, it
should not be there.
19. • Hey… there is no fingerprint
sensor. So, you got to enter
password every time.
• As long as you are wearing the
watch, it knows you are using it.
Once you take it off, every
interaction needs a password.
20. • Mail : Just shows
the preview of the
email; For most
emails it points to
my iPhone.
• Apps : Most of the
Apps are built in a
way to show a
notification and
take you to iPhone.
21. • Each time I wore the watch, I
ALWAYS felt that it might fall.
• It just doesn’t *feel* as secure as
conventional watch strap.
• Note : Of course, this is the sport
Watch but not sure if I want to
spend more $s for a
conventional strap.
22. • The base version is “$436.91” in
CA after tax == The cost of any
scratch and accident.
• This issue mostly with
perception – I have huge
problems with iPhone and iPad
shatters so far. Apple Watch
becomes another one in the mix
that I should worry about.
23. • My 3 year old asked me if
there is a difference
between the Spiderman
watch he owns and what I
own?
• He couldn’t understand
that it could be a gadget
without having the ability
to play games.
• My 6 year old daughter
didn’t understand why
bought an expensive watch
when I could get a
Spiderman watch for $15 in
Target.
24. Summary
• Low Utility without iPhone
• Drains the iPhone battery
• Most tasks are still done on iPhone
• The price point is much higher for the utility
• Not trendy enough (for that price point)
• Forcing more interactions on Watch that are not
meaningful