I generally love apple products but as I get older I realize I don't actually need any of them.
For example I chose the 5C recently over the 5S as I decided to buy the phone outright. The price for doing so with a 5S was one I couldn't justify for the benefits the phone gave me over the 5C.
I was therefore more excited by the watch than the phone this year so here's how the reveal made me feel.
I think the haters are maybe being a bit hasty before they get their hands on one to experience it for themselves. At the same time people are being a bit hasty to dismiss other options too.
Aesthetics. While I'm not blown away by it I would wear it and don't find it ugly. I actually really like the sports / space grey / black band combo.
Shape. It doesn't bother me if it's round or square, I'm open to different looking designs and I think either can look nice. I've had both styles of traditional watches int the past. It's a bit chunky but no more or less so than other smart designs and the two sizes gives an option of some subtlety.
Materials. Some thought has gone into the three options. Weight, scratch resistance, looks. The sport option appeals to me most as a gym, soccer, golf nut. Build quality looks excellent at first glance (again no hands on so no real comment yet)
OS / user interface. Looks... fiddly but without trying it I can't tell. The hands on videos make it look much nicer than the giant screen at the presentation did.
First thoughts on apps and connectivity. If it can link effectively with my phone for golf (show me yardages from golfshot and enter scores), workouts (track my heart rate and calories during a soccer game, weightlifting and working out like a traditional fitness watch) and running apps (distance, pace, heart rate), then fantastic this is great.
The lack of gps built into the watch is disappointing as it would be nice to use for a run without having to take your phone with you and likewise for sports how is that going to work?? Steps doesn't give enough information, imagine how good this could be with GPS? Track a soccer team sky sports style and see who the lazy ones are, how much distance is covered! I will not have my phone in my pocket while playing soccer, no way.
Notifications are a given and the ability to respond to texts / emails etc with Siri or "predicted responses" is nice too. Good little time saver but not a deal breaker for me.
Maps is cool, I like the idea of not having to get your phone out when you're lost in a strange city to get directions.
The new messaging thingy. Not a fan. A bit of a gimmick. I don't want to send my heart rate to anyone or draw them a tiny pic!
I'm sure that future apps will do a lot more, and that when 2015 comes around there will be some more surprises but at the moment this is just "ok" for me. Don't get me wrong it's a promising start but not exactly mind blowing.
Functionality. This is where I get a bit more disappointed. The purported number of sensors didn't get delivered. Nothing groundbreaking from a health point of view. (I get the blood glucose thing was never going to happen but something new and exciting would have been nice). The built in heart monitor is not new, and is widely accepted as less accurate than the chest strap style monitor used in most serious sports/running/fitness watches. If they can convince me it is 99% accurate and implemented better then maybe this is a bonus not having to use a chest strap.
Battery life is an unknown but a charge overnight looks likely. Not a killer but prevents it being useful for sleep tracking, an important part of fitness.
Summary:
All in all it's not a total disappointment but I will be looking at some dedicated fitness watches first before making my decision. Not quite enough innovation to get me excited, but it has got my attention and will be on the list of devices to consider alongside Garmin, Suunto and Polar. As I'm on IOS I will likely go with it if it can improve on those other options.
For example I chose the 5C recently over the 5S as I decided to buy the phone outright. The price for doing so with a 5S was one I couldn't justify for the benefits the phone gave me over the 5C.
I was therefore more excited by the watch than the phone this year so here's how the reveal made me feel.
I think the haters are maybe being a bit hasty before they get their hands on one to experience it for themselves. At the same time people are being a bit hasty to dismiss other options too.
Aesthetics. While I'm not blown away by it I would wear it and don't find it ugly. I actually really like the sports / space grey / black band combo.
Shape. It doesn't bother me if it's round or square, I'm open to different looking designs and I think either can look nice. I've had both styles of traditional watches int the past. It's a bit chunky but no more or less so than other smart designs and the two sizes gives an option of some subtlety.
Materials. Some thought has gone into the three options. Weight, scratch resistance, looks. The sport option appeals to me most as a gym, soccer, golf nut. Build quality looks excellent at first glance (again no hands on so no real comment yet)
OS / user interface. Looks... fiddly but without trying it I can't tell. The hands on videos make it look much nicer than the giant screen at the presentation did.
First thoughts on apps and connectivity. If it can link effectively with my phone for golf (show me yardages from golfshot and enter scores), workouts (track my heart rate and calories during a soccer game, weightlifting and working out like a traditional fitness watch) and running apps (distance, pace, heart rate), then fantastic this is great.
The lack of gps built into the watch is disappointing as it would be nice to use for a run without having to take your phone with you and likewise for sports how is that going to work?? Steps doesn't give enough information, imagine how good this could be with GPS? Track a soccer team sky sports style and see who the lazy ones are, how much distance is covered! I will not have my phone in my pocket while playing soccer, no way.
Notifications are a given and the ability to respond to texts / emails etc with Siri or "predicted responses" is nice too. Good little time saver but not a deal breaker for me.
Maps is cool, I like the idea of not having to get your phone out when you're lost in a strange city to get directions.
The new messaging thingy. Not a fan. A bit of a gimmick. I don't want to send my heart rate to anyone or draw them a tiny pic!
I'm sure that future apps will do a lot more, and that when 2015 comes around there will be some more surprises but at the moment this is just "ok" for me. Don't get me wrong it's a promising start but not exactly mind blowing.
Functionality. This is where I get a bit more disappointed. The purported number of sensors didn't get delivered. Nothing groundbreaking from a health point of view. (I get the blood glucose thing was never going to happen but something new and exciting would have been nice). The built in heart monitor is not new, and is widely accepted as less accurate than the chest strap style monitor used in most serious sports/running/fitness watches. If they can convince me it is 99% accurate and implemented better then maybe this is a bonus not having to use a chest strap.
Battery life is an unknown but a charge overnight looks likely. Not a killer but prevents it being useful for sleep tracking, an important part of fitness.
Summary:
All in all it's not a total disappointment but I will be looking at some dedicated fitness watches first before making my decision. Not quite enough innovation to get me excited, but it has got my attention and will be on the list of devices to consider alongside Garmin, Suunto and Polar. As I'm on IOS I will likely go with it if it can improve on those other options.