It’s been six months since Apple (AAPL) released its entry into the smartwatch market.
The Apple Watch hasn’t been the blockbuster Apple and its investors hoped for, but it’s still sold well enough to quickly launch to the top of the smartwatch sales charts, becoming the best-selling smartwatch in history.
With the recent release of watchOS 2 (the operating system powering the Apple Watch) and the launch of a new wave of competing devices from Pebble, Samsung (SSNLF) and Lenovo’s (LNVGY) Motorola, I finally broke down and picked up an Apple Watch Sport.
After a few weeks of testing out the Apple Watch, and having a direct competitor in the Pebble Time Steel on hand to compare it against, here’s what I thought about Apple’s first generation smartwatch.
Apple Watch Review: Beautiful Display, Excellent iPhone Integration
After unboxing the Apple Watch and charging the battery, my first thought was what a nice job the company did with the display.
The 1.5-inch AMOLED Retina display is bright, extremely sharp, and takes up most of the surface. The capacitive touch and Force Touch works extremely well, as does the digital crown.
With the variety of input methods, navigating and interacting with the Apple Watch quickly becomes second nature.
Connecting it to an iPhone and setting the Apple Watch up for the first time is a slick process, and Apple provides intuitive and extremely granular controls over notifications and other watch controls through the corresponding Watch app on an iPhone.
The Apple Watch quickly became a slick extension of my iPhone, and with watchOS 2 now out, an increasing number of apps are being developed to run directly on the device.
Apple Watch Review: Expensive, Poor Battery Life and a Little Bulky
All is not perfect with the Apple Watch, though.
First up is battery life. Yes, I almost always get through a full day of mixed use, but it’s a pain to have to remember to recharge every night.
Although my Apple Watch is virtually the same size as the Pebble Time Steel, it seems bulkier. While the Pebble’s back has a concave curve (so it sits more tightly against the wrist), the Apple Watch back has a convex bulge to accommodate the LED heart rate sensors, so it sits higher on the wrist (you can see this in the photo on the right).
I don’t care for the clasp on the Sport Band. It reminds me too much of the awkward peg-and-hole arrangement used by the Fitbit (FIT) Force. It’s clumsy to fasten, and I’m not convinced of its security.
That beautiful AMOLED display? It uses a lot of power, so the Apple Watch relies on the user raising their wrist as the cue to activate it. Worse, outdoors it can be tough to read, especially in bright sunlight.
Of course, the relative expense of the Apple Watch has been written about thoroughly. It’s not just the five-figure luxury Apple Watch Edition though; even the basic Apple Watch Sport (in the largest size) costs $399. In comparison, the second-generation Moto 360 2 starts at $299, the Pebble Time Steel is also $299, and Samsung’s new Gear S2 is $300.
Apple Watch Review: Specs
- 1.5-inch AMOLED display at 312 x 390 pixels (302 ppi)
- Multitouch and Force Touch support
- Digital crown
- Built-in speaker, microphone
- 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Ambient heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope
- Battery rated at up to 18 hours use, includes magnetic charging cable and USB recharger
- Series 7000 Aluminum
- 1.65 x 1.41 x 0.41-inches, weighs 2.43 ounces
- Water resistant
- Runs watchOS 2
- MSRP $399.99
Note: Specifications are based on the review unit, a 42mm Apple Watch Sport in Silver Aluminum
Apple Watch Review: Conclusion
The million dollar question asked in any Apple Watch review is, “Should you buy it?”
If you don’t use an iPhone, the answer is no. Same thing if you’re looking for a smartwatch you can rely on for several days without having to recharge — by the end of every day, you’ll be seeing the Apple Watch display flashing an all-too-familiar battery warning.
If you’re looking for a wearable that’s svelte and/or affordable, you should pass on the Apple Watch as well.
In fact, unless you are highly invested in the Apple gear and software ecosystem, and you really enjoy pushing the limits of new technology, the current Apple Watch is probably a pass.
Notice that I said “current.”
The release of watchOS 2 was the first move in improving the Apple Watch experience. Without a doubt, the second generation will be more compact and, I suspect Apple engineers are working feverishly on the battery life issue.
That still won’t address the price, or the fact that it’s an iPhone-only club, but next year’s Apple Watch will benefit from a healthier app selection and physical improvements.
Apple fans will continue to snatch them up, but most consumers don’t need — and probably won’t be entirely happy — with the current generation Apple Watch. Hold off on buying this year, and wait to see what Apple comes up with for 2016.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
