The first time I heard about the Apple Watch, I will admit I was skeptical. It seemed silly to have a device on my wrist that does almost everything the iPhone in my pocket can. In fact, when I got my watch most people would ask me, “Is your iPhone really too far away in your pocket?” Of course, it’s not, but the Apple Watch isn’t meant to replace my phone – it’s about convenience. It’s about getting you the information you want at-a-glance.
The Apple packed its new Apple Watch with features. Among some of the coolest is the Activity app. Within the Activity app, you set goals such as how many calories you would like to burn in a day. Throughout the day, the Apple Watch alerts you on your progress accompanied with encouraging messages like, “Keep up the good work.” I find myself feeling let down if I haven’t achieved my goals.
Another great feature is the ability to read and reply to text messages with dictation. It works really well when you’re in a quiet place by yourself, but in a noisy setting it doesn’t seem to work well.
The Maps integration is a great feature and works just like the GPS on your phone. The Apple Watch gives you a vibration when it’s time to make a turn, and the convenience of having it on your wrist is great. I found it particularly useful when walking around a city you’re not familiar with.
Other great features include remote picture taking, Apple Pay, pinging your iPhone when you can’t find it, calendar, weather and checking your heart rate. The watch also does things any other digital watch can do such as stopwatch, timer and, most importantly, tell time!
The Apple Watch is still in its early stages, and there are still a lot of skeptics. After wearing one for about a month, I wouldn’t want to go back to not having one. It has reduced the number of times I look at my phone. I really like having at-a-glance information, such as directions, text messages, phone calls and the weather. With its current price starting at $350, it’s not for everyone. But as the price drops and more developers release watch-specific apps, I think it will gain popularity. Apple has already begun refining the Apple Watch with watchOS 2, which will make it faster, enhance communication and allow more ways to customize it your liking.
Do you have an Apple Watch? What were your first impressions?
