My God-Awful Year With the Apple Watch

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If you know anyone that has an Apple Watch, this guy's story is going to sound awful familiar. The oddest thing I find about the iWatch is that it turns basic things you can do with one hand on a phone into a two-handed operation. It kind of sucks that both hands are occupied just doing basic stuff.

Wearing the Apple Watch for nearly a year did change something in me though, but it’s the opposite effect that was probably intended: the Watch’s constant low-level notifications made me realize that there’s nothing really worth being notified about. Being able to feel every text, email, and whatever else, made me see how useless they mostly were.
 
I have a competitors watch (Microsoft Band). I like it, but it's been hit or miss. I like the notifications when driving. Just a glance at my watch while my hand is on the wheel. Tracking steps and sleep is nice. A quick glace at my watch for notifications is nice when I'm busy and don't want to pull out the phone. I'm glad I bought it on sale, as it's not worth more than $125 to me. I'm glad I didn't get the Band 2. It's nice, but it's more of a fitness watch and anything else.

Smart watches are just an extension of the phone right now. They just aren't that useful. A little convenience at times, but not really useful.
 
Only good use of an Apple Watch.

fallout-pip-boy-apple-watch-face.jpg
 
Apple should raise the price and drop some features. Tis the Apple way.
Plus the more it costs, the less the itards will complain.
 
I swear I'm becoming more of a Luddite every year. I hate my smartphone and I detest how much I've come to rely on the damn thing.

With regards to the watch though: it's a fashion accessory and it makes my wife happy. This in turn makes me happy.
 
NeoNemesis said:
I swear I'm becoming more of a Luddite every year. I hate my smartphone and I detest how much I've come to rely on the damn thing.

With regards to the watch though: it's a fashion accessory and it makes my wife happy. This in turn makes me happy.
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I'm counting down the days until I can quit, throw my smartphone in the trash, and get a nice StarTac
 
Koolthulu said:
"the Watch’s constant low-level notifications made me realize that there’s nothing really worth being notified about. "

Six months with my first smartphone made me realize this. I don't even have notifications turned on now.
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Pretty much this..

The only things that I have Notifications on for is Text messages and phone calls. After 8pm the phone is in Do not Disturb mode and only close family are allowed through.
 
It's something nice to have, but not really needed.

I find to be very useful while moving around outside or driving, especially on exercising that it records the heart rate during the duration.

It's a big plus for not reaching through the pocket, while doing something.

For me and other people that I know who actually used it daily, all of them pretty much have the same exact experience, also included the Asus Zenwatch that I got it for my wife.

Everyone has their opinion, and I do find Smart Watch to be useful if you can afford one.
 
*Shrug* If you do not want it, do not buy it, simple. I personally own a Microsoft Band 2 and get a lot of use out of it on a daily basis. I also own an HTC One M8 for Windows Smartphone so, I needed a watch that would work with it. (I also use it as a GPS running watch and sleep monitor so it is very useful for me.) I also do not have a landline so, the smart phone is now a must. I guess I find it easier to enjoy what I have instead of complaining about what I do not, most of the time anyways.
 
Goes to website about tech to brag about not using tech on an article about different tech. Sounds legit.
 
I got Watches for me and the gf a few weeks ago. She's inconsistent wearing hers, but I wear mine regularly. The only time I go out without it, ironically, is the gym, because 1) despite their moisture tolerances, I don't like the idea of sweating up my Watch, and 2) wearing a watch to the gym (any watch) seems odd for some reason.

My favorite use of the Watch is directions. When I set a nav on my phone, the Watch will tap me like HEY HEY YOU HAVE A TURN COMING UP *poke poke poke*.

It's cool but not "OMG YOU HAVE TO GET ONE" cool.
 
All of this stuff will die out as the burnout kicks into high gear. I'm already seeing a trend of being very tired of nagnology
 
Smart watch? No thanks, I'll stick to my $20 Casio.

Tells me the time & date, battery lasts for several years (without charging), and if I break or loose it, it's no big deal as I can pick up another one real cheap.
 
the_servicer said:
I don't know if that's supposed to be a joke but I looked it up and it looks like cool retro.
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hah -- I'm old enough to remember the StarTac's -- even if you had one I doubt you could get it working on anything resembling cellular by the wireless standards we have today.
 
Sometimes I feel like a genius - I didn't have to buy one to realise how useless it is ;)
 
collegeboy69us said:
hah -- I'm old enough to remember the StarTac's -- even if you had one I doubt you could get it working on anything resembling cellular by the wireless standards we have today.
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Some of them are at least GSM, it might still work, maybe, until at&t and t-mobile finish shutting it down anyway.
 
I use my smart watch every day (LG Urbane). I use it to set timers while I cook, great to just say "ok google set timer for 5 minutes", as most of my cooking is done outdoors on a grill, the watch is my timer and stays with me wherever I go so I cant forget to turn the meat. I use it to grocery shop by pulling up my list through google keep and check off items one by one. I used it just today to dial the phone number I saw on the back of a car, by just saying "ok google dial 2342308". I used it a few months ago to keep poker hand chart on my wrist at a casino. Obviously I use it to dismiss emails/sms messages without having to fish for my phone in my pocket. I use it to take notes while I'm distracted with other things. For instance if I'm driving and suddenly remember this one thing I've been forgetting all week, I can say "ok google remind me to download the walking dead when I get home". The list goes on.

Maybe apple watch cant do any of these things, that or people just really dont know how to use smartwatches.
 
Steve said:
the Watch’s constant low-level notifications made me realize that there’s nothing really worth being notified about. Being able to feel every text, email, and whatever else, made me see how useless they mostly were.
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I don't think this is an Apple Watch thing as much as a smart watch thing, I have an LG G Watch R and I have found the same thing to be true
 
nysmo said:
I use my smart watch every day (LG Urbane). I use it to set timers while I cook, great to just say "ok google set timer for 5 minutes", as most of my cooking is done outdoors on a grill, the watch is my timer and stays with me wherever I go so I cant forget to turn the meat. I use it to grocery shop by pulling up my list through google keep and check off items one by one. I used it just today to dial the phone number I saw on the back of a car, by just saying "ok google dial 2342308". I used it a few months ago to keep poker hand chart on my wrist at a casino. Obviously I use it to dismiss emails/sms messages without having to fish for my phone in my pocket. I use it to take notes while I'm distracted with other things. For instance if I'm driving and suddenly remember this one thing I've been forgetting all week, I can say "ok google remind me to download the walking dead when I get home". The list goes on.

Maybe apple watch cant do any of these things, that or people just really dont know how to use smartwatches.
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All things you can do with your smartphone and none of it makes the experience any easier.

1. you can set timers on your phone and do it via voice commands. Either way, you'll have your phone since the watch is paired to it. Even with the wifi it'll be paired to it, so you aren't exactly going to be far away from the phone.
2. easier to read a phone screen for your grocery list than a tiny smart watch screen. Unless you just like scrolling through your to find out if there is an item on your list that happens to be in the aisle your in. That or you can keep it small, if your eyes aren't crap. It can be a problem on a smartphone too, for those with bad eyes.
3. voice commands work on your phone
4. Why bother dismissing emails/sms messages at all. Just ignore it. It's not like the phone is going to keep making notification noises. Waste of time and a distraction to even bother with it. Be it a smartwatch or a smartphone.
5. again, voice commands work on your phone, so note taking isn't going to be hard to do.

If it works for you, that's great. For many it just ends up being an expensive toy that stops getting used after a while. There's some smartwatch users at my job. It ended up being nothing more than a fitness tracker.

I just use a regular watch, cause for me I just need to tell time and it's a fashion piece. I have multiple Casio G-Shock watches in different colors. I can't justify a smartwatch cause I would never make use out of it. I barely make use out of a smartphone, but I get them for free, so might as well get a top of the line model.
 
A smart watch would just be annoying to me, but I can see how some would find them useful. It would beat reaching into your pocket every time, and it would allow for a quick glance to see if that text was the one in a thousand that was actually important.

I love the convenience and versatility of smartphones, but hate the dependence some have on them. I think everyone knows a few people that lose their minds if they can't reach you right this second. If you don't text them back within 5 minutes they are mad at you or think you are mad at them. Meh, maybe smartphones just facilitate drama queens being drama queens, but it does make me wonder how we survived with the whole family sharing one phone that was attached to the wall.
 
krotch said:
All things you can do with your smartphone and none of it makes the experience any easier.

1. you can set timers on your phone and do it via voice commands. Either way, you'll have your phone since the watch is paired to it. Even with the wifi it'll be paired to it, so you aren't exactly going to be far away from the phone.
2. easier to read a phone screen for your grocery list than a tiny smart watch screen. Unless you just like scrolling through your to find out if there is an item on your list that happens to be in the aisle your in. That or you can keep it small, if your eyes aren't crap. It can be a problem on a smartphone too, for those with bad eyes.
3. voice commands work on your phone
4. Why bother dismissing emails/sms messages at all. Just ignore it. It's not like the phone is going to keep making notification noises. Waste of time and a distraction to even bother with it. Be it a smartwatch or a smartphone.
5. again, voice commands work on your phone, so note taking isn't going to be hard to do.

If it works for you, that's great. For many it just ends up being an expensive toy that stops getting used after a while. There's some smartwatch users at my job. It ended up being nothing more than a fitness tracker.

I just use a regular watch, cause for me I just need to tell time and it's a fashion piece. I have multiple Casio G-Shock watches in different colors. I can't justify a smartwatch cause I would never make use out of it. I barely make use out of a smartphone, but I get them for free, so might as well get a top of the line model.
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#4 the main reason for is if you pair your phone with an in-dash or another device that reads notifications...it'll constantly bug you about those 2 day old texts you already read but didn't dismiss.
 
NeoNemesis said:
I swear I'm becoming more of a Luddite every year. I hate my smartphone and I detest how much I've come to rely on the damn thing.
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What forces you to rely on your hated smartphone?

I use mine to make phone calls and send texts, just like a dumbphone. But it has a great camera, I occasionally use Google Maps to navigate unfamiliar cities and it's nice to be able to look up things on the internet.

Anyways, I'm generally a fan of Apple products but the Watch is a disaster.
It's not that any other smartwatch is better, it's that the concept of the smartwatch is way too fringe for a focused company like Apple to jump on it. It's more up the alley of explore-every-possible-niche companies like Samsung and LG.
There was never a way to give it more than marginal utility. And it diluted Apple's brand, because while they can't be assed to make a 17" MacBook Pro or keep the Airs up-to-date, they can't figure out a keyboard/stand solution for the iPad Pro that's better than what cheap ass Chinese OEMs sell on eBay for $20 and they can't seem to fathom the fucking Pencil would need some sort of storage solution, they sure enough take the time and effort to make four different Apple Watches and a plethora of "official" watch bands. From a leader in tech to a ditzy fashion shop.

This is the first time I really wanna say something like "Steve Jobs wouldn't have allowed this!"
He would have seen the lack of what the Watch can do and canned it. But Tim Cook was too eager to find something new.
 
I work with mobile app development so have used all of the different smart watches. I think the Apple Watch is probably the best of the bunch - that said, these devices are not really useful and I would not buy one for personal use. I do like the heart rate and "fitbit" functionality. Although, it really just records how sloth I am.
We have built apps for these devices. It really sucks trying to make something usable. We had a few that turned out ok, but the mobile app version was so much nicer it was shameful. The clients I've worked with no longer have a hard-on for watch apps. That was the Gold Rush that never happened. Nowadays, no one I work with cares about the watches. Not even a hint of interest.
Yesterday, I had to wipe out my Watch and reload the OS. I then had to sync it to my phone again. No clue why, but this is the 5th or 6th time since I've used it where it gets confused and no longer functions. I would also agree with everything the original author complained about in the article.
If you could get a smart watch for under $100, might be worth it to you for the fitness/quick notification aspects. The rest? Just get a Timex.
 
I'm waiting on the smart watch that will REPLACE my smart phone. I'm not interested in a portable computer, nor media consumption.

What I want from a smart watch is this:
1 Time, date, stopwatch, timer, alarms etc.
2 Place and receive cell phone calls and basic messaging.
3 Info like current temp and humidity. Also being able to get severe weather alerts.
4 and MAYBE basic GPS functions like for hiking.
5 water proof and wireless charging in a few hrs
That is about it; and I will ditch my smart phone.

To heck with watching videos, loading apps, etc, etc. What are you going to do with a screen that is 1"x 1.25" ?
 
the_servicer said:
I have also never owned a smartphone.


Glad to know I am not the only one here who abhors the so-called "progress" of mobile consumer tech.
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After my ancient flip phone died I got a smart phone because I wanted a decent calculator (scientific/programming). It was also on sale for only $59 (Moto E, first gen). I have no need for internet connectivity on my phone since I've got FIOS at home and at work. I'm on a PagePlus pay-as-you-go plan so I just turn off cellular data to keep my bill low (yearly bill is ~$70). My smart phone is basically used as a phone, an alarm clock and a calculator.
 
Back in the early 90's I had one of those extremely nerdy Casio Calcutron watches. Since then I prefer basic watches.
 
Wearable tech is a stupid gimmick, just like google glass its only for the super nerds or the people that have to have the newest tech and dont really have a reason why.
 
I'll take an actual computer any day of the week over a smartphone, tablet, etc.
 
I stopped wearing a watch over a year ago, barely noticed the difference.
 
what's the difference between pulling the phone out of your pocket and raising your arm to look at the watch? I see no optimization gains here lol, it's the same motion. The watch seems so inefficient, it occupies both hands for less functionality when compared to a phone.

I guess I just don't get it.
 
thekipper said:
what's the difference between pulling the phone out of your pocket and raising your arm to look at the watch? I see no optimization gains here lol, it's the same motion. The watch seems so inefficient, it occupies both hands for less functionality when compared to a phone.

I guess I just don't get it.
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If I had to hazard a guess....skinny jeans.
 
Skripka said:
#4 the main reason for is if you pair your phone with an in-dash or another device that reads notifications...it'll constantly bug you about those 2 day old texts you already read but didn't dismiss.
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I don't get any of that. I don't let my car stereo read anything except phone calls and media audio. The only things I get is a blinking light on my phone. Nothing else I pair to gives a crap. Also when I read my text, it automatically dismisses it. Hell, I don't even have to read it. I simply open up my text app, it displays all the different text chats. To read the new text, I'd have to select the text chat it came in. That or I just do whatever else and it automatically dismisses it without me reading it.

If you're getting bugged about a 2 day old text, think you need a better phone.


Dr. Righteous said:
I'm waiting on the smart watch that will REPLACE my smart phone. I'm not interested in a portable computer, nor media consumption.

What I want from a smart watch is this:
1 Time, date, stopwatch, timer, alarms etc.
2 Place and receive cell phone calls and basic messaging.
3 Info like current temp and humidity. Also being able to get severe weather alerts.
4 and MAYBE basic GPS functions like for hiking.
5 water proof and wireless charging in a few hrs
That is about it; and I will ditch my smart phone.

To heck with watching videos, loading apps, etc, etc. What are you going to do with a screen that is 1"x 1.25" ?
Click to expand...


My phone is a media player. Like 90% of my phone usage is watching music videos or playing mp3s. If those high end media players were cheaper, I'd be all over them instead.
 
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