First look: Going hands-on with the Apple Watch at an Apple retail store

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 99
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    If you haven't seen the Apple II Watch, check it out ;)
    http://m.instructables.com/id/Apple-II-Watch/?ALLSTEPS
  • Reply 42 of 99
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    sog35 wrote: »
    Did you see it live?  Its not bulky at all.  It is flatout beautiful in SS or Gold.  And no way can anyone say the 38mm is bulky unless they are a 80 lb women.  

    Didn't see it in real live. so I could be mistaken, but it's dimensions are bulky.
    Nevertheless, as I said a nice watch.
  • Reply 43 of 99
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Pinch to zoom on a display that small? Seems like a UX nightmare to me.

    Did you see the first second of the video, someone tries to do a pinch (instead of using the crown) and that seems to make sense.
    The point is that it could be convienient in some situations and that its nice to have the option to do that.
    One current user interface nightmare on the iPhone is the lack of cursor keys on the virtual keyboard, positioning of the cursor is almost impossible with point and zoom and it would be nice to have an alternative.
  • Reply 44 of 99
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    jume wrote: »
    Having a watch with battery that lasts less then a day sounds like another unnecessary pain in my life. Wont getting one unless they get at list 1 month of battery time. It's useless peace of art.

    I have similar thoughts, and would like to see a screen that's always on and GPS and apps that run local and so on.
    But to Apples defense I can say that the watch had to be launched sometime and that most functionality will come in time.
    My estimate is that we will have most of the functionality in 4 to 5 years time.
  • Reply 45 of 99
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,617member
    I ordered the Apple Watch SS 42mm with sport band at 8.01am on my way to the store to try out the different bands. It wasn't especially busy at the store in Edinburgh and there was only about half a dozen people ahead of me in the queue at 9am.

    I got a try on appointment for 930 and they had the black sport model in the drawer plus the Apple Watch with each of the band types. I tried on the link bracelet for size and they adjusted it to my wrist size by removing 3 links. It feels great and had a nice weight to it. I also tried the Milanese loop which has an almost cloth feel to it and looks great as an evening or dress strap. I also tried the sport watch to see how it feels compared to the Apple watch and once on it is incredibly light and it feels like you don't even have a watch on. The 42mm is the perfect size for me and the 38mm just looked tiny on my wrist which is fairly slender at 178mm

    After the appointment I spent a further 20 minutes or so with the demo units which removed any worries I had about ease of use and confusion over the controls, it's all very slick and dead simple to use. (I am going to stop reading any reviews from that fat drunk on the verge).

    I'm going to pickup the link and Milanese loop bracelets later in the summer once they are in stock again and I'm looking forward to getting my Apple watch on the 24th. :D
  • Reply 46 of 99
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jume View Post



    Having a watch with battery that lasts less then a day sounds like another unnecessary pain in my life. Wont getting one unless they get at list 1 month of battery time. It's useless peace of art.



    I know, and given that it must be paired with an iPhone which also gets usually no more than a day of battery life, what were they thinking with a device so small, especially when you can easily charge it on your bedside table when you sleep? I think the sweat of my arm as I toil through the day should charge it constantly, and when I'm sleeping just before I awaken it should toast some bread and make my coffee and deliver it to my bed chamber after pulling up the window's shades to let the morning light in.<ha!>

     

    Unrealistic expectations, totally and utterly unrealistic expectations. I think the fact its (purportedly) lasting a day with heavy use is remarkable for a device this small, but there are commenters who are always so negative and quick to focus on what it doesn't do rather than praise what they have managed to get it to achieve. The technology in this (in all of them, but this one especially) is really amazing, but I guess it's easier to call it crap and feel superior you've come up with a not-so-clever criticism. So many today have no appreciation for the progress society and these tech companies have made in a span of just a couple of decades, these are exciting (for us technophiles) times and this watch marks a huge milestone in personal devices and how we interact with them.

     

    Of course I'd like to see the battery last longer, but the fact they've managed to get such a small device to be so capable and go for the amount of time without a charge as they have, well that's quite a feat, one that needs to be acknowledged but not denigrated.

     

    One day is actually quite acceptable, to suggest otherwise is just plain silly. The functionality on top of time-telling doesn't come free, if you don't value that, stick to the good old plain horologe or rely on the other device you have to charge daily and stop complaining about this new awesome little device.

  • Reply 47 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

     

    How about pinch to zoom on the edge of the watch? That big side bezel is doing nothing. Instead, make it touch sensitive for scrolling and pinch to zoom. That would be the winner. I personally don't like the digital crown because I think it hinders the user experience a little bit. Maybe, we all need to learn to adapt.




    After actually using the digital crown, I'd have to disagree with you there. It takes a little getting used to if you've got "iPhone on the brain" syndrome, but it makes perfect sense to use the crown to zoom and scroll.

     

    Another thing I observed yesterday when trying on the Apple Watch: the screen is VERY bright. It's actually pretty astounding that it still gets 18 hours of battery life with a screen that bright. The Moto360 and Samsung Gear crap out after 2 hours with the screens at their brightest settings. 

     

    Final thought: regarding the look of the Sport compared to the SS version. Those who have seen them side by side say that the SS looks much better. I'd have to disagree a bit; the SS definitely looks more like a luxury item compared to the Sport model, but it's supposed to. The Sport models are gorgeous, particularly the Space Grey model. It's no wonder that it's the model that sold out the fastest. 

     

    As it is with any Apple product, you really do have to see the Apple Watch in person to really appreciate what they created. I can't wait until mine comes at the beginning of May.

  • Reply 48 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by williamlondon View Post

     

    Unrealistic expectations, totally and utterly unrealistic expectations. I think the fact its (purportedly) lasting a day with heavy use is remarkable for a device this small, but there are commenters who are always so negative and quick to focus on what it doesn't do rather than praise what they have managed to get it to achieve. The technology in this (in all of them, but this one especially) is really amazing, but I guess it's easier to call it crap and feel superior you've come up with a not-so-clever criticism. So many today have no appreciation for the progress society and these tech companies have made in a span of just a couple of decades, these are exciting (for us technophiles) times and this watch marks a huge milestone in personal devices and how we interact with them.

     

    Of course I'd like to see the battery last longer, but the fact they've managed to get such a small device to be so capable and go for the amount of time without a charge as they have, well that's quite a feat, one that needs to be acknowledged but not denigrated.

     

    One day is actually quite acceptable, to suggest otherwise is just plain silly. The functionality on top of time-telling doesn't come free, if you don't value that, stick to the good old plain horologe or rely on the other device you have to charge daily and stop complaining about this new awesome little device.


    As I posted earlier, given how ridiculously bright the screen is, I'm actually shocked that the Apple Watch lasts that long. I guess people really do have to actually get their hands on one before the appreciate what Apple has done here.

  • Reply 49 of 99
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    As I posted earlier, given how ridiculously bright the screen is, I'm actually shocked that the Apple Watch lasts that long. I guess people really do have to actually get their hands on one before the appreciate what Apple has done here.

    One thing John Gruber wished for was an always on watch face. I hope Apple is working on some low power mode that would allow for a clock face to be always on. For non watch wearers it might not be an issue but I think there are more watch wearers than we think. And being able to see the time without having to raise your wrist would be nice.
  • Reply 50 of 99
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    regarding the look of the Sport compared to the SS version. Those who have seen them side by side say that the SS looks much better. I'd have to disagree a bit; the SS definitely looks more like a luxury item compared to the Sport model, but it's supposed to. The Sport models are gorgeous, particularly the Space Grey model. It's no wonder that it's the model that sold out the fastest. 

    As it is with any Apple product, you really do have to see the Apple Watch in person to really appreciate what they created.
    I don't think that's why it sold out the fastest, as most of these watches were ordered sight unseen. There were probably a much smaller inventory of space gray as compared to the silver, not to mention anodizing it took longer to manufacture than the silver.

    I agree the ?Watch needs to be seen in person to be appreciated -- like any piece of jewelry. That's why I think it's a shame that Apple didn't at least try to give people an opportunity to see it in person before they opened the floodgates to the online ordering free for all.
  • Reply 51 of 99
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    rogifan wrote: »
    One thing John Gruber wished for was an always on watch face. I hope Apple is working on some low power mode that would allow for a clock face to be always on. For non watch wearers it might not be an issue but I think there are more watch wearers than we think. And being able to see the time without having to raise your wrist would be nice.
    Thanks for expressing that sentiment. Let's see how much flack you get for proposing that. I've been told by other members on this board in no uncertain terms that if I want a watch face that's always there I should not buy a smartwatch and get a traditional watch that only tells time -- because Apple has already thought of this and for whatever justified reason aren't going to implement it.

    People around here keep saying this isn't a watch, and it's not for people who wear watches -- so why did Apple put a digital crown on it to resemble a watch? Why did Apple go to the lengths it has to hire top fashion people and market it for sale in boutique jewelry stores? Suggesting Apple doesn't care if people who wear watches dont buy an ?Watch is silly ,,, of course Apple cares -- that's why we have a 7" iPad and 5.5" iPhone now, both available in gold. It's also the reason we have iTunes Radio a which they are currently revamping, and why Beats is now a part of Apple.

    So I'm in complete agreement with you, and I would be surprised if Apple isn't working on a way to display a static watch face (or anything actually -- I know my Mom would love a family photo constantly on display when not in use). I'm not a watch person. Don't wear them, don't want one. But I do see the usefulness of the ?Watch, and if I wore one, I'd want it to be more than a black square strapped to my wrist whether I'm looking at it or not. We haven't really seen the watch in use, I.e. Checking the time at a glance -- but I suspect that feature will determine how much feedback Apple gets to have a constant time display -- if you have to wait too long for the time to pop on, or perform too many movements to activate it, it will get old fast.
  • Reply 52 of 99
    sflagelsflagel Posts: 805member
    I stand corrected and humbled of my previous erroneous judgements. I just went to try on the watch, it is not ugly, the square factor is aesthetically very agreeable, and it is overall a nice piece of gadget. That stainless steel version is much nicer than the grey aluminium, but the grey aluminium looks also absolutely fine in my book. I do not regret having ordered it, even if a stainless steel version is in my future in two years or so.

    The 42 mm version is the right choice for all men, 38 mm version would look too small. It is not bulky at all, not in the least. I have a very average wrist, probably slightly smaller than average, and the 42 mm version is definitely the right choice.

    It is a timeless design, that will be further enhanced by various straps and hopefully watch faces coming on the market (the currently available watch faces and straps are nice, but not drop dead gorgeous, and the selection will obviously get larger over the next few months). Even the fact that the screen is black most of the time did not bother me, and I really thought it would. The problem with an always on screen, is that it would be like wearing a torch on your wrist. There is surely a solution to this, but for now, the black screen is just fine.

    Because of the cost of the watch, Apple may keep the form factor for awhile, while they upgrade the inside, making the investment in a stainless steel version, or gold version, more compelling. More akin to the life-cycle of their computer form factors. The usual timespan for an iPhone phone factor is two years, making four years or more for the watch not unreasonable. The watch is, after all, mostly a dumb terminal that doesn't have to be upgraded very often.

    I also tested the watch on one of the stands, and did find it a little complicated to use and there where some unnecessary steps. For example, to send a message, one clicks on the app (so far so good), then force touches to indicate that one wants to send a message (so far, so good), but then a screen pops up with only one option, which one then has to click again. Why is this last screen? Actually, throughout the time I played with the watch, it was mostly force touch that was confusing. But most of these are issues that can be solved with a software upgrade.

    I was surprised at the haptic engine. I expected it to feel like force touch on the new MacBook Pro, which feels like a click. On the watch, force touch results in a buzz instead.

    Overall, I have completely changed my mind, and now believe that at least 50% of iPhone owners will also buy an Apple Watch within the next two years, and pair it with its natural companion, the iPhone 6 Plus.
  • Reply 53 of 99
    sflagelsflagel Posts: 805member
    Another thing I have done in the last few days, to check what the experience with an Apple Watch may be like, is change the notification settings on my phone.

    I used to have almost all notification set to a badge icon only (i.e., just displaying a number next to the app). I thought that would keep me from being interrupted by my phone. To mimick the experience of an Apple Watch, I now changed the notification settings to make a sound, and display a banner on the lock screen. When the phone sits next to me on my desk, the experience is, I imagine, similar to what it will be when you get notifications on your Apple Watch.

    Surprisingly, with the new notification settings I feel much less intruded on, rather than more. When a notification arrives while I sit at work, it pops up on the screen, I glance at it, and either reply to it from the lock screen or ignore it. I no longer have the compulsion (a sign of addiction) of checking my phone every few minutes. The experience is extraordinary, and I look forward to having the same when I am wearing the Apple Watch while I am out and about.
  • Reply 54 of 99
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    How about pinch to zoom on the edge of the watch? That big side bezel is doing nothing. Instead, make it touch sensitive for scrolling and pinch to zoom. That would be the winner. I personally don't like the digital crown because I think it hinders the user experience a little bit. Maybe, we all need to learn to adapt.

    Yes I thought about that as well, perhaps a good idea, conventional watches use buttons at the sides so this could work.
  • Reply 55 of 99
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    mac_128 wrote: »
    Thanks for expressing that sentiment. Let's see how much flack you get for proposing that. I've been told by other members on this board in no uncertain terms that if I want a watch face that's always there I should not buy a smartwatch and get a traditional watch that only tells time -- because Apple has already thought of this and for whatever justified reason aren't going to implement it.

    People around here keep saying this isn't a watch, and it's not for people who wear watches -- so why did Apple put a digital crown on it to resemble a watch? Why did Apple go to the lengths it has to hire top fashion people and market it for sale in boutique jewelry stores? Suggesting Apple doesn't care if people who wear watches dont buy an ?Watch is silly ,,, of course Apple cares -- that's why we have a 7" iPad and 5.5" iPhone now, both available in gold. It's also the reason we have iTunes Radio a which they are currently revamping, and why Beats is now a part of Apple.

    So I'm in complete agreement with you, and I would be surprised if Apple isn't working on a way to display a static watch face (or anything actually -- I know my Mom would love a family photo constantly on display when not in use). I'm not a watch person. Don't wear them, don't want one. But I do see the usefulness of the ?Watch, and if I wore one, I'd want it to be more than a black square strapped to my wrist whether I'm looking at it or not. We haven't really seen the watch in use, I.e. Checking the time at a glance -- but I suspect that feature will determine how much feedback Apple gets to have a constant time display -- if you have to wait too long for the time to pop on, or perform too many movements to activate it, it will get old fast.

    As I indicated before, I agree that the watch should be on all the time.
  • Reply 56 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Pinch to zoom on a display that small? Seems like a UX nightmare to me.



    Pinch to zoom???  Zooming in and out is controlled by the digital crown.  You do not pinch to zoom on the display like you do on the iPhone or iPad.

  • Reply 57 of 99
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,322moderator
    gfengstad wrote: »
    rogifan wrote: »
    Pinch to zoom on a display that small? Seems like a UX nightmare to me.

    Pinch to zoom???  Zooming in and out is controlled by the digital crown.  You do not pinch to zoom on the display like you do on the iPhone or iPad.

    Even panning around isn't ideal either though and the crown can only do one at a time. I suspect that's why they changed the contacts page because the crown was used to zoom, meaning you would have to pan with your finger and obscure the faces and might accidentally tap one while scrolling. The home page might be better going the same route where apps could perhaps be in either a continuous spiral that zooms in and out of the display as you rotate the crown or pages of fixed size icons that are shifted by rotating the crown. If it was the same as the contacts, it would show the selected icon large and in the middle as you rotate the crown and tapping the home button would revert to the clock.

    1000
  • Reply 58 of 99
    Took my wife down to try them on today for her birthday present (maybe not such a good idea). What was originally going to be a Sport Watch with Sport Band ended up being a stainless with the Milanese loop and a second sport band for when she's running. When she saw the watch in person and the different bands her eyes lit up. I must agree with others, you really need to see them in person. The black stainless with the link bracelet looks really nice.

    I wasn't planning on getting one at first, but damn, does your mind change quickly when you actually try them on.
  • Reply 59 of 99
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    OT: any ideas why all MacBooks are now showing 4-6 weeks for delivery? I wasn't aware of any manufacturing issues with that product.
  • Reply 60 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleSauce007 View Post

     

    Wow, that side-by-side Apple Watch vs Rolex picture is the best.

     


     

    There's something ridiculously tawdry about putting "Swiss Made" on an imitation Rolex watch face for the Moto 360.

    And yes, it's not licensed by Rolex. It was made by some kid with a pirated copy of Photoshop. That's the world Google inspired: copy copy copy, give it away for free.

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