Washington – I just wore a $10 000 watch for the first – and likely only – time in my life.
I didn’t get much time with the Edition, Apple’s super-expensive smartwatch.
But I did have just enough to get a quick rundown of its features and the beginning of an idea about why an ordinary person would want to buy an Apple Watch, at any price. The watch promises a lot of convenience and good functionality that should please anyone already in the Apple ecosystem.
But – at least for now – the Apple Watch doesn’t feel like a killer reason to join up with the Apple mobile universe. That’s not to say I wasn’t impressed.
The Apple Watch is well made, while other smartwatches I’ve tried have felt a little clunky.
The Apple Watch feels expensive. Which is good, because it is really expensive.
Even at its lowest price of $349 (about R3 500), for the 38mm aluminum sport watch, that’s still a lot to pay for what is essentially a smartphone accessory. The mid-tier version of the watch, which is made of stainless steel, can get as expensive as $1 099. And, of course, the 18-karat-gold Edition starts at $10 000 and can reach $17 000.
Apart from the metal, the basic designs of these watches are essentially the same. The Apple Watch has two buttons: a long, flat one that takes you quickly to your favourite contacts, and the “digital crown” knob above it, which acts as your main tool for navigating the menu. The touchscreen is the main way to interact with the watch.
Apple also promises an average of 18 hours of battery life, which should get you through the day but not much further. Just remember you’ll have to plug your watch in every night, as you do with your phone. Think of it as a throwback to when you had to wind your wristwatch.
While the watch face looked a little big for my taste – I tried the smaller, 38mm face – it felt less bulky than other smartwatches, and fairly light. I could imagine that I would forget I was wearing it when I wasn’t using it, which is what you want from a watch anyway.
Dictation was good and clear, even in a loud room. Navigation was pretty smooth. Even a feature that lets you look at your entire iPhoto library at once and zoom in on individual pictures worked seamlessly. Apple’s own messaging apps worked well with the watch, even if they were a bit gimmicky.
Apple has taken pains to lay down a lot of partnerships for the watch, with the aim of making it feel useful out of the box. It can act as your room key, thanks to a tie-up with Starwood Hotels. You can call an Uber car. You can use Apple’s own apps to measure how long you’ve been standing or sitting that day.
The Apple Watch does offer conveniences that would make life easier. It is useful to get notifications on your wrist to help you better understand when you need to take a call or answer a message, or when you can let something slide for a bit. For exercise enthusiasts, it’s also probably welcome to be able to simply tap something on their wrist.
It’s a nice thing to have. But it doesn’t feel completely necessary, which is probably what Apple needs. If you have the money and you want an Apple Watch, you’ll get a solid product that works well and will make parts of your life more convenient. But if you’re on the fence about wearable technologies, then it’s probably best to keep stashing your cash away.
The Washington Post