Apple Watch Hands-on: Worth the Hype?

[Mark Spoonauer]

The Apple Watch is a fresh take on smartwatches with a premium design and new ways to communicate, but the interface has a learning curve.

Apple Watch Hands-on: Worth the Hype? : Read more

 

[atminside]

Is it water proof? And how meters resistant is it?

 

[house70]

'heart' Lance...
awwww......

Is it water proof? If so, how many meters is it resistant to?

Expect to be water resistant, at best, meaning no shower or bath with it. I doubt it, however, since if it was even remotely so, Apple would have held a special conference just for that feature.
Waterproof are diving watches only.

 

[JamesMason]

It's a small flat rectangle. Android Wear has already evolved beyond this.

 

[nitrium]

You forgot to mention it looks like a smartwatch design from 2013 (by the looks they just like a shrunk down an iPhone). The Moto 360, the LG G Watch R and even Asus Zenwatch imo all look a lot slicker.

 

[plasmastorm]

I'm really not an apple fan at all, been on android since day 1 but have to admit it does look rather nice.
How many of the features would I use after a week of playing around is questionable though.

 

[dragonsqrrl]

Thanks for the great hands-on coverage Mark. I only wish the Motorola launch received the same sort of balanced reporting.

The digital crown is an interesting interface design choice, but like many android watches thus far, overall this looks a bit... hefty. Another big question that probably won't be answered until reviews is battery life, which I think is incredibly important for something like a watch. I think having to charge something like that on a daily basis is impractical.

 

[Mark Spoonauer]

Thanks for your comments. Based on fact that Tim Cook saying charging at night I suspect that it won't last for more than 1-2 days, but we'll see.

 

[dstarr3]

Proof that Apple are no longer that champions of innovation that they once were.

 

[rhangman]

Sorry, but using the crown to adjust for daylight savings twice a year is annoying enough (talking on a regular watch), can't imagine using it all the time as an interface. Would make far more sense to make the front edge of the bezel capacitive so you could use it as a slider.

 

[ap3x]

Proof that Apple are no longer that champions of innovation that they once were.

How so? Care to elaborate a bit. Has their been any other watch that has come out that offers the same level of usability, features and functionality? How about just the same level of refinement. Don't tell me that you consider a round vs a square watch bezel innovation?

If this watch is anything that it looks, the rest are going to be fighting for second place. Samsung has only built 3-4 watches in the last year. Throwing stuff at the wall and hoping that it will stick in the hopes that they can define the market before Apple releases their Watch. Sales have been abysmal. Could be the category but more than likely it is just their execution. $98 million in smart watch sales in the US as of June 2014 and they are in first place.

Samsung's track record as always to take an existing concept, make a competing device and improve the device like crazy until they have an extremely competitive solution. They just need to know what direction they need to take with it. Depending on how the Apple Watch is received and how well it does they will now have their direction. I have no doubt that they will have a compelling offering that is similar to what Apple has in the next 6 months and with their own unique spin on it. They already have a good foundation to work from they will just keep trying until they get it right.

 

[dstarr3]

See, the nice thing is that I know those three paragraphs were all about Apple being superior. Which means I can just ignore all of it and save a lot of time. So thank you for making your stance clear early on in your comment.

 

[del35]

Apple has fallen so behind the curve. I will say though that adopting some Android features in its latest operating system was a good move. I see more and more grandpas and grandmas with Apple products here in NYC. What has Apple been doing with all that cash? I like Tim Cook a great deal, which makes me sad as I wanted to see some good products coming from Apple. But that hideous retro-looking phone is so laggy looking.

 

[therealduckofdeath]

Meanwhile in China:
http://images.gizmag.com/hero/huawei-watch-teaser.jpg

The tech industry worries about when China will overtake the west... News flash: It's already happened.

 

[Mark Spoonauer]

Apple has fallen so behind the curve. I will say though that adopting some Android features in its latest operating system was a good move. I see more and more grandpas and grandmas with Apple products here in NYC. What has Apple been doing with all that cash? I like Tim Cook a great deal, which makes me sad as I wanted to see some good products coming from Apple. But that hideous retro-looking phone is so laggy looking.

Do you mean the watch is retro-looking? I agree. The circular Moto 360 is sleeker, but it doesn't last long enough on a charge for me.

 

[youmustbejoking]

At least now we know that Apple can't make a round watch. It looks like some design disaster from the 1970's.

 

[CantBanMeV1]

'heart' Lance...
awwww......

Is it water proof? If so, how many meters is it resistant to?

Expect to be water resistant, at best, meaning no shower or bath with it. I doubt it, however, since if it was even remotely so, Apple would have held a special conference just for that feature.
Waterproof are diving watches only.

..same as Samsung if anyone bothered to look it up.

 

[Metroidman]

"I like the fact that you can use the Apple Watch's built-in mic and speaker to hold a conversation with someone else, as well as quickly reply to messages -- something you can't do on Android Wear. "

Um what? Did the writer ever use an Android Wear device?

 

[lancelot123]

This won't be water proof because they need a reason for you to buy a new one next year.

 

[Bondfc11]

No reason to buy any of these watches at the price points Apple has them set at. They are fugly, boderline useless things. Other than a straight fitness band I see no reason to stick one of these things on my wrist. Is it because of our obsession with sci-fi we think it's cool to talk or play with your mini-wrist-phone-thing-a-ma-jig? I have a phone, it does all I need it to, there is no reason to put something on my wrist that (other than a fit band mind you) that my phone does just as well or better. Stupid tech in my opinion.