Have any of you thought about buying an Apple Watch? Does anybody actually own one? Oh, yeah, me.
Huh? To be clear, I am not one for gadgets, I have no particular interest in tech for tech’s sake. But I am fascinated by human behavior, and wanted to get an early look at the world of the enabled wrist. And, although I don’t mean to chide anyone, I do think it’s important that we women and we midlifers engage in the tech cycle, if only to ensure that the Brave New World isn’t designed just for 28-year old men.
I first realized I liked the watch as I pushed a cart through Whole Foods. I’d invited my family over for dinner, and was doing the grocery shopping. I’d texted both my sister-in-law and sister to find out if their kids would be OK with the menu. The replies came as I passed the tortilla section. And I did not have to stop, block the aisle, and find my phone in my bag – just pressed the Message smile emoji. A lightweight interaction.
Besides, the Watch is very good-looking, as Mom might say.
But let us review and deconstruct. Not literally. Taking apart solid state devices is not my idea of fun.
Style & Design
The Apple Watch is large-faced like the others I own, a Rolex Cellini and a wooden JORD. There’s only one basic look for the watch body, but it comes in different metals, (aluminum, stainless steel, and gold) and different shades (silver, gold, rose gold, black.) The different metals come in slightly different color ranges.
You can choose from lots of bands, and they can be changed out. I’ve wanted a white watch ever since Chanel first put out their ceramic classic. I quite like it.
I now wear my white pearl earrings more often. Finally, the watch has survived dishwashing, gardening, and a shower.
But What Can The Apple Watch Do?
Functions With Which You Are Familiar
- Watch. It’s a clock, a stopwatch, a timer, an alarm, a calendar. While I didn’t find the interactions intuitive, i.e. I had to watch a tutorial to figure out the timer, they work. And you can change the watch face with a swipe, from utility (what I use), to photo background, chronograph, etc. I do wish a little more space was allocated to the actual watch face.
- Fitness Tracking. There’s an Activity app that urges you to stand up and move around, but does not count steps or calories. For that Apple gives you the Health app, which you can also see on your iPhone.
Oops. Get going, Lisa! The watch doesn’t categorize my weight workouts as walking or running, which they aren’t of course, but I’m still sorting out how to get it to track my activity and calories correctly.
- Anyone who currently uses a Fitbit or equivalent should examine these apps and interfaces pretty carefully to see if the Watch works for you. Here’s an article with more details. And another one.
Functions Never Before Available On Your Wrist
- You can now receive communication from systems: i.e., about the weather, or reminders from your calendar
- You can communicate with people: via texts, emails, even phone calls. Seriously, you can talk to someone from your wrist. It’s cool and useful when driving, although a little weird.
- You can reply to texts with prepared responses, or emojiis, or transcribed voice-to-texts using Siri. Which actually work pretty well.
- Here are some of the prepared responses I use
- You can’t reply to anything that requires typing
- You can do some other stuff, via other apps, but I haven’t found anything else compelling. Yet.
How Do You Get To All These Capabilities?
- Access from the Home Screen. Um, Home Face? Just press the digital crown. Here’s my home face. Everything from Instagram to my digital meat thermometer. Freedom from grill furnace blasts!
- You can receive “Notifications”
- Your watch might buzz.
- Your watch might “tap” you. Yeah.
- Advanced Course
- You can swipe down to see “Glances” (quick glance at key app information).
- Some apps offer “Complications” (which are essentially indicators that remain on your watch face if you set them up to do so). For example, a teeny line drawing might tell me what time the sun will be setting every day.
Managed Via Your Phone. Yes, You Need Both Devices. Apple Is Not Stupid.
This is the management interface. Haptics are the “tapping.” A little “thunk, thunk,” on your wrist.
Stuff That Bugs Me About The Apple Watch
- The face is locked to black until I turn my wrist. Tough on my shoulder injury.
- The navigation model is very new. You can swipe down, touch the face, touch it hard, swipe sideways, turn the digital crown, press the side button. It’s not intuitive, at least after 4 weeks, exactly when to do what.
- Lifespan and storage of Notifications. A little message will ping you, and then fade away. Not always sure where it goes. Texts work best.
- Sometimes I’m confused between my phone handling something vs. my watch.
- The apps I use most aren’t yet truly watch-advantaged. For example, I want Tweets from a limited set of people, i.e. Privilege readers, close friends, to behave differently than the full stream. That functionality is not yet enabled, but I bet it’s coming given enough requests.
Sturdy Gals Want To Know
- The watch is available in 38mm, which is what I have, and 42mm, which is like a large man’s watch. The body about 0.25 in thick, so, not slimline.
- You can find it at the Apple store, or (did you know this already?) at Target. I find it oddly endearing that Apple has partnered with my favorite source of cast iron cookware. Good design doesn’t have to be elitist.
- Make sure the watch you buy is charged and has been updated to the latest version of the OS. It’s tedious to have to do that yourself.
- Remember you have to charge it again, every night. It comes with a cute little charger that attaches magnetically.
- Enjoying and finding value in the watch is all about personalizing the communications setup. Only you know what you want to have tapping you.
- Remember, this is V2. Stuff’s going to be weird. We say in Silicon Valley that products enter the mainstream at V3.
- The good thing about the Apple Watch is that even in V2, it still makes a nice watch. And a good device for Answering Texts At The Grocery Store.
In sum, if this gadget isn’t the most useful thing you own now, it has promise to become so. The question is only, when. The tech press was mad at Apple Watch OS 1.0, because it was really unready. V2 is finding a better reception. Techcrunch says,
…wearing an Apple Watch helps reduce the number of notifications and interruptions from your iPhone, and helps users remain focused on what is happening in the moment.
And developers, bit by bit, will most likely agree. But other sources say it’s not ready. It all depends on your expectations for a ~$350 watch.
My intent is simply to be part of the chorus telling Apple which way to go. Do not forget the woman at the supermarket. Especially the one who always liked the Chanel ceramic classic.
I’m waiting for the watch to remind me to buy Worcestershire sauce. Or to figure out that it already does. If you’ve made the leap too, let’s talk!
In the meantime, lavender and rose gold. So pretty.
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92 Responses
I’m SO not an early adopter when it comes to tech stuff, but I do agree that it’s riskier for we “of a certain age” to opt out than it might be for other demographics. Personally, I mostly love my iPhone6+, but I prefer to keep it in my bag, generally with the sound turned off, and to check for messages when convenient. I like the 6+ for the larger screen’s manageability and visibility, so it’s harder to imagine wanting the watch, but only time will tell. Never say never . . . Meanwhile, thanks for letting us have a peek at how it works in real life.
@Frances/Materfamilias, I have an old phone, as you can see;). However, my contract runs out in a month and I am looking forward to upgrade to the 6+. I was assuming that with the larger phone I’d actually use the watch more, since I won’t be able to put the phone in my pocket any more. But, of course, this stuff is so hard to predict!
Alas, I have an unflinching? immutable? disgusting? prejudice against Apple products, and love my Android phone (and HP ProBook) way too much. Really, I’d never switch from my Google phone; I’m on my third, and every time I get a new one, I just have to log into my Google account and Bam! There’s everything. Applications. Contacts. Email addresses. Phone numbers. And I don’t have to keep getting the same kind of Google phone; so far, I’ve been through two Droids and a Samsung Galaxy.
Although, I have to admit I sat up and took notice when you mentioned the digital meat thermometer app…
@JanSushiBar, You’re the first person I ever met who LOVES their Android! Lots of people who like them, but love them? Go you! See, I’m suspicious of Google and their appetite for data + control of my search process. To each their own. I bet you could get a meat thermo for your Android device too:).
@JanSushiBar, and @Lisa – I love my Android(s) too. Although I’m very comfortable with my Mac for computing needs, I have no interest in an iPhone, and am prepared to accept Google’s collection of my data for the ease of use that it brings to my life.
Like Jan, knowing that a lost phone will mean little loss of information or data, gives me a great sense of … not security, as such, but at least a lessening of anxiety.
I love that it can pull data together in my inbox to remind me about things I value, and that it can tell me when I need to leave for an appointment (provided I’ve remembered to turn the GPS on), and how best to get there – not to mention a realistic travel time, and real time updates.
It’s possible iPhones offer much of this too, but I enjoy the Android interface options, and dislike what I’ve seen of iOS.
@JanSushiBar, When you upgrade an iPhone all your aps, mail, calendar, etc. are there. You just backup to the iCloud and you’re golden! Goes for iPad too. I have an iPhone 6+ and love it. This phone has me actually using my phone. Before I had a Motorola and considered it just for emergencies!
@JanSushiBar, PS I also have an Apple Watch. Use it for health monitoring, weather, stocks, selective notifications, timer, sunset, and of course a watch. Only purchased in Sept. So still learning but do love it!
I, too, when for the white sport version. I’m a 63 year old who has always had a a taste for tech! I mostly love the watch – it must be so because my beautiful Cartier has been pretty lonely in my jewelry box since the Watch arrived. I’m enjoying the process – mostly – I find it s bit fidgety. I was in Europe this fall and loved being able to set my destination in Maps, then stroll confidently through the streets while my watch just gave me little beeps when I needed to make a turn! Wish there were more face choices and that I could delete the apple mandated apps that I don’t use. I bought a couple of third party straps – a red one and a brown one to add a little variety! Early days – never heard of V2 – but I kinda like being there!
@Eliz, Hey, fun, a companion! I agree, fidgety is a good word. Like Siri is just a little erratic, and the Handoff from phone to watch is a little erratic, etc. Also wish I could delete some Apple apps, they don’t let us do that on their phones either:(
agree with frances/materfamilias. i’m not ready for the watch just yet (though in contrast, i’m usually an early adopter)
i fear small type will confirm that i’m. getting. old. and i don’t know if i want to be reminded of that all day long.
that said, i hate to be “missing out” so perhaps will revisit during the mainstream V3. :)
@jane, That hasn’t bugged me – I suppose because my vision had already told me I’m old, and I’m wearing progressive lenses? I didn’t know you were an early adopter. Cool.
I always thought the watches were very Star Trekky, and yeah, I want one. I think I’ll wait for the V3 to come out and all the bugs to be worked through. They look like fun. Thank you for this review.
@Laura Lewis, You’re welcome. The best reason to wait for V3 of course is to see if they figure out any hardware changes they’d have to make, larger processor, etc. I’m hoping that this version holds on for at least 2 years.
This 69 year old lady was cool to the watch ’til she saw the Hermes bands, fainted dead away for the double wrap and the cuff leather bands. The colors! Like the voice of your Mom, mine’s here too, “Get it in camel dear, that way it’ll never go out of style and will go with everything.”
http://www.apple.com/apple-watch-hermes/
Hmmmm, wonder if it will fit my Hermes double-wraps or are those special ones. I have a black one, but have currently switched over to the Hermes orange. I’m sure I’d requested the camel/caramel (birthday gift) but husband is positive I wanted the orange. And I’m surprised how much I love it and how much it goes with everything. . . (maybe ’cause I’m otherwise wearing lots of neutral). My Mom might not have agreed. . .
@TheHuntingHouse, How did I miss that!!!!Thanks for letting you mother’s voice weigh in. And @Frances/Materfamilias Orange is also a very nice color, especially with blue jeans, or green leaves for that matter;).
When I realized you still have to carry your phone, I lost interest.
I got a new 6S Plus, mainly so I could see things on it. My old phone was small and hard to read. It was great yesterday navigating out of DFW using Google maps.
@AK, That’s the model I plan to get too. You don’t find it annoying to fish out of your bag? Maybe I’m just too much of a Must Respond To Texts Right Away kind of person.
I love the ideas behind the watch but I do not always wear one. My iPhone has changed my life but perhaps in a negative way as I find I am “lost” without it! I use it for taking photos, texting, instagramming, Pinterest , email, playing words with friends and calling people. Who knew that tech toys could be so important in our lives? I guess it was. Steve Jobs and those clever minds in the Silicon Valley.
Btw I am commenting from my iPhone but of course you already knew that!
@Bungalow Hostess, Ha! My watch says hi to your phone! And I have worn a watch for a while now, so it was pretty easy to start wearing this one. My phone old and small, that may have provided more of an incentive.
The only thing on my wrist is the occasional bracelet. But this one is very good-looking!
@Linda @ a design snack, :).
That lavender watch is so cute! I like your white one too.
I heard that you have to have your iPhone nearby for the watch to work. Is that true?
@Adrienne, That is true for most of the apps. When v2 came out this fall, Apple began to offer “native” apps, i.e. don’t need the phone. But right now that’s the case, the phone talks to the watch via Bluetooth. I haven’t tested how long the “leash” stretches.
@Adrienne,
While it IS true that SOME apps require the iPhone to be nearby, many do not. (Many apps will just store their accumulated data until the watch is nearby, or you are in range of your home WiFi. I use my Apple Watch to, for example, monitor my sleep, monitor my heart, monitor my trail when walking (like electronic breadcrumbs), check my Apple Stock’s current price, remember where I parked my car, etc., etc.
I find the watch to be a most worthwhile addition to my life, and would really miss it’s added convenience.
Oh, and for those who ‘think’ an Android based phone is ‘just-as-good’, the interaction among all of Apple’s devices is well worth it. And as for ease-of-use, there is simply no other operating system quite as elegant. As they say, try it once, you’ll never ‘go back’.
Bob, a Mac user since 1984
I’ll consider it when my iPhone 5 bites the dust and I’m pushed into buying the larger 6. I recently replaced the battery on my iPhone 5, with excellent results, so I suspect the phone will be at V3 by the time I take the plunge.
1) can you wear it in the shower?
2) what’s the back of the watch like, is the plastic strap or the metal back of the watch?
3) how far can you stray from your phone and still have it communicate with your watch?
4) does it play nice with the set-up in your car?
@RoseAG,
My shift to the 6+ will be driven by a desire for a larger screen and a better camera.
1. Yes
2. The back of the watch, with exposed sensors.
3. I have not tested it yet. They say that Bluetooth does 30-50 feet, but if your phone is on a wireless network and as long as you stay on that network you remain connected.
4. So far no issues in the car, but I have just used my phone with earbuds there, so, no conflict.
I agree that it’s important to keep up with new tech. But: 1) I dislike a surfeit of gadgets to manage (which is why I never got an iPod) and 2) I don’t want to be at everyone’s beck and call all the freaking time (I also turn my phone off at times, to give me peace).
@Jean S, Ah, I like to be at the beck and call of those I love. I agree about never having owned an iPod, however;).
All I can say-very nice! I like it!
And very important to stay up to date.
From the beginning I was not with Apple ( I couldn’t get it here when I started, no other reason )so I guess it would be a lot of work,money and nerves to change something I’m happy with. But otherwise….. you look great and smart with your Watch and white kitchen!
And thank you for your review,simple and expert!
Dottoressa
@dottoressa, No reason to change what’s working! It was fun to do the review, given my career in tech, I liked this writing more than writing about messenger bus data web services blah blah blah;). And the black and white kitchen has stood me in good stead.
Please forgive the simplicity of this question (or this asker, rather), but am I correct in believing that you need to have your watch and your iPhone near one another in order for the watch to work properly?
@marsha calhoun, No, no, not simple at all! Apple is beginning to release some “native apps,” i.e. they work all on the watch. But most are accessed via the iPhone, either over Bluetooth, if you’re close, or a wireless network, if you’re on the same one. Say, in a corporate building, or your house.
I don’t even own a smart phone (and have no plans to get one) so obviously I am not the target demographic. I don’t spend much time on the telephone and never have. I didn’t learn how to text message until my father-in-law had a stroke five years ago. No one on my husband’s side of the family would answer a phone call or even check voice mail so it was imperative that I learn. I think I still associate texting with that horrible time as I’ve never taken to it. Even thinking about it makes me feel a little queasy.
My favorite watch is a unisex Swatch from the nineties which my husband eventually made off with. I don’t remember what it cost–not $350.00. It was lightweight and did not bother my joints.
I don’t feel worried that technology products are being designed for young people. My hope is for researchers find a cure for and/or a way to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. I’d like better drugs for arthritis, ones that won’t kill my kidneys. A better smart phone is not on my wish list but a better program for my computer that would translate my voice into text would be wonderful.
@Wendelah, No, not their target, but in need of innovation all the same.
There are many ways one can adapt new technologies, but this version won’t be one for me as it the opposite of good-looking. Actually I rarely wear a watch anymore.
Did you buy this watch yourself?
Oops, I left out “is” in the phrase “is the opposite of good looking”. Maybe a watch would auto correct my writing!
@Duchesse, I’m clear that you find my new watch ugly, but do I infer correctly that you find it so ugly you think I never would have bought it for myself? Don’t you think it’s in line with the rest of my demonstrated aesthetic? I thought it slotted right in.
@Duchesse, FWIW, I think your watch “slots in” perfectly with your edgy-yet-“good looking”-aesthetic. Looks fantastic on you, as does that great knit top you’re wearing.
Yours looks lovely. As does that grey striped tee, by the way. But like some other readers, you lost me at having to have an i-phone too. I have an i-pad, and i-pod. That’s enough “i”s for the moment. When my almost 8 yr old cell phone bites the dust I’ll look at options. Choose one’s tech wisely, is my watch-word, watch-phrase?… no pun intended. When I do get a new phone I’ll look at android ones. After Jan’s comment about how easy it is to upload all one’s Google stuff. Love these digital conversations… so much sharing of info. All age-appropriate… so to speak.
@Sue Burpee, I wanted to take the watch out of the domain of the tech writers, and understand how/why/if someone like me, someone at a grocery store, might use it. As for Android, I didn’t even look at their stuff when it came out, the rumors of a clunky UI put me off. By now I imagine it’s improved a lot.
I love Apple–have an iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, MacBook Air that replaced my MacBook that I wore out, iMac that needs to be updated….I am wearing noise cancelling headphones to listen to Pandora One while some moron outside is blowing leaves, so no tech phobe, but I like my Timex Weekender with interchangeable pass-through straps. Minimal irritating metal on my sensitive skin, and I can change the battery myself, the once a year or so it needs it. I can easily check the time when I wake up in the middle of the night, only opening one eye…and if I happen the damage it, replacement is $30 or so…
I just don’t care to be instantly available to various and sundry. If I am available, my phone will also ring on my MacBook, and my iPhone has all my email, etc.for when I am out and about.
I am retired, too, but a neighborhood activist who does need to stay in touch–but not necessarily instantaneously. (I hate Twitter–like a drunken cocktail party, imho–harrumph, while Facebook is just my speed.) I can well see that the Apple watch could be super useful for someone wants to/has to be available all the time. Sounds like a kind of hell to me, though….
@Kathryn Fenner, Interesting. I don’t quite “get” Facebook, and find the UI unappealing, visually. Although brilliant in its efficacy. We’ve all got our different preferences. I like to be available all the time to my husband, my children, and my family. And nobody else bothers me;).
@Kathryn Fenner, I don’t have children, and my husband is not super communicative (theoretical computer science professor, so the real world is not much with him), and my aged parents only tell me the day *after* they went to the emergency room…
Facebook is where my actual friends from over the years are, and it’s also a great place to find news to skim or read. I suppose if one’s friends are elsewhere, that would make more sense. Facebook seems calm—-like I could dip in any time–no hurry, and the information would be there, in a coherent form. Twitter seems like something you have to keep up with the thread of…
@Kathryn Fenner, “my aged parents only tell me the day *after* they went to the emergency room…”
Thank them for that, give them that breathing room around their private upheaval. This is the same mandate I’ve issued to my husband: if/when, do NOT flash anyone, least of all family, that I’ve entered the ER! Better yet, don’t say a thing ’til I’m home so I can tell all these people from the comfort of my bedtop, after the fact!
@Kathryn Fenner, Wow, Hunting House. Thank you sincerely! I have a much better outlook on it now! I never thought about it like that!
@Kathryn Fenner, It’s funny – I have the opposite view of twitter and facebook.
For me, I feel like everyone expects that you have seen their posts, because fb tells them you have been on, and the status, posts, likes, groups, etc are overwhelming, even without the ads and games. I also found many tended to brain dump their emotions and create conflict, which was too much for me.
I curate my twitter for the voices I wish to hear, and don’t auto-follow anyone. If they make the effort to interact, it becomes a possibility, however I don’t want it to become too broad, so much thought goes into all follows. I like that I can dip in and out, and if something is “of the moment” I’ll likely see multiple tweets and can consider investigating. The briefness is a big plus too, as it is little to read before deciding whether to reply or follow a link.
Isn’t it great that we can all find new methods of communicating (or even tried and true) that suit us individually?
@Kathryn Fenner, I definitely constantly curate my Facebook feed! I think Twitter set me up to fail by advising me to follow a whole lot of people to “optimize” my experience. Maybe that works for more extroverted people?
@Kathryn Fenner, It is interesting how we encounter and then experience social media. A group of young women brought me onto Twitter, so I got used to it as a place to chat. Then Katherine James, who comments here, drew me in to another group of midlife women, and the rest is history. I only started on Facebook because of family, and because that’s the choice of some people I like. I think Twitter does set people up to fail if they can’t point them towards a truly compatible group.
@Kathryn Fenner, Very interesting– you had a particular “in”–I was an early adopter (for non-students) in 2008 when we attended my husband’s 25th reunion at, wait for it, Harvard-Radcliffe College—where it all started, don’t you know. All the event details were on Facebook, so we each joined, and could see the photos, etc, afterward. Then other academics we knew got on, and then people I used to know, and I was hooked…I don’t know that I would have started without Harvard’s acting as “pusher.”
Another friend got into Pinterest because she’s a scrapbooker, and the scrapbook community really embraced Pinterest. As it would…
I didn’t know I needed one of these until this morning. My husband won’t thank you!
@Mary anne, Hehe. Well, wouldn’t he at least enjoy a trip to the Apple Store with you, just to look? You might change your mind and decide it isn’t for you. Apple Stores are so beautiful, to my eye.
@Mary anne, We are Apple people, so he would enjoy going there. They are sleek and lovely.
I haven’t worn a watch in 20 years and hadn’t planned to ever wear one again until this came out. I’d dearly love the Hermes version – double band – but that probably won’t happen in this lifetime.
@Sarah, Ah well, who knows what will happen in this lifetime! Our refrigerators will take over where the watches leave off;).
Apple junkie here but I now realize that I am a simple Skagen watch fan and that may trump all? In this round anyway.
Not meaning this the way it will sound (and your creds beat mine by many, many miles) but it is the plastic that kills it for me and I refuse to acknowledge the value of the rose gold/navy affair.
I want to like it so, so very much and I am on board with the idea that women our age cede away power by refusing to adapt and adopt.
But, despite the advice given to Benjamin in The Graduate, it is not the watch for me
@nyreader, Equal creds! The plastic is, um, fuzzy? i.e. it has a texture like those dolls that are supposed to feel like people? I have never worn plastic/lucite/costume jewelry in my life, but I find this to be very tasteful, as Mom might think but never say. Also, leather and metal bands exist and are proliferating from 3rd parties. But, your map if you like your Skagen, maybe no need to switch. I could imagine that it would be nice on the NYC streets not to have to stop and annoy everyone when looking at your map, or answering a text. But you are the expert.
My husband & I joke that we are always at least a couple years behind when it comes to anything technical (which is even more evident in Silicon Valley)… We just got our older son’s and my brother-in-law’s old iPhones 5S… :)
I have been interested in the Apple watch but will wait a bit longer for sure… I liked reading your experiences with the watch and will come back to this post if I ever decide to get one!
Happy Thanksgiving!
@Andrea@WellnessNotes, Happy Thanksgiving! And it’s kind of fun to lag tech, in the Valley. I get a sort of contrarian satisfaction, usually.
I never thought I would make use of an iPad. I got one as a very light weight travel computer to check email and a couple of programs related to running my practice. I downloaded the kindle app and ordered one kindle book. Now I’m rarely without my iPad and kindle library. Haven’t ordered a “real” book in several years. I suspect the same could happen with the iWatch. Perhaps I’ll look at one in the apple store (after the holidays – can’t get in the doors between now and the New Year.) I would be more inclined to try the watch if it could pre-filter incoming calls and texts. There are a few I need to take immediately, the rest can wait a few minutes. If the watch could sort that, I’d be interested. On the other hand, I detest speaker phones, so I’d still have to dig my phone out of a pocket or ba
@DocP, I think that concept of filtering is really valuable. Only a few people/phone numbers matter enough to be heard. I wonder if Apple will/can make that happen, or whether it would be via 3rd party developers.
I think they’re great looking actually. I will get one when another version where the phone doesn’t have to be so close, comes out. I have the iPhone 6S, which is big, but I’m lost without it.
@Kathy, I am looking forward to my 6s, excitedly:).
I should mention that your caveat to maintain a presence among the 28-year-olds who are designing our future is appreciated, but it made me think of the fact that if I ever told my parents (or my younger self) that I was waiting for my phone to die, they would have looked at me funny. Painfully, I confess that I remember when the idea of a phone dying (or even ceasing to function in some small way) was ridiculous – why would it break? How could it break? Phones don’t break, any more than egg beaters break. Such was our life, then.
@marsha calhoun, True. By no means does forward progress always get us somewhere we want to go. But go we do. Maybe if someone 60 had designed the cellphone it wouldn’t be capable of dying?
Thanks so much for this review. This is the first time I’ve ever even considered that the Apple Watch might be useful (though the idea of having the phone nearby too kills it for me). However, I’ll definitely keep my eyes open for v3. I am one of the few people who still wears a watch daily, and I also wear a fitness tracking band. It would be nice to combine them into one item…not $350 nice though!
@Karen, I think if you take another look in a year you will find what you want. It may not be from Apple, but it’ll happen.
I’m an android person through and through. I just upgraded from the Gear Fit to the Samsung Gear S2 3G which I love, love love!! I leave my Note 5 in by pocketbook and just communicate mostly with the Gear. It has the 3G with a separate phone number (my Note calls & texts are forwarded to the Gear #) so I don’t have to carry my phone. I just don’t get quite as many notifications which is fine but I can still be reached by the folks that absolutely have to reach me. I love talking to it and telling it to set the timer- have to check the darned blood sugar on time! After an hour, I get a little vibration that tells me I need to be more active. And I’m 56.
@Susan, I think what matters if that you have engaged in the way that works for you. You are owning your user experience, Google and its partners should be very pleased to have you on board.
Now that I’m finally through reading the comments, I was about to say that I’d need to look at the Android versions – just to read Susan’s mini-review!
I like the way the Apple Watch looks – and I think it appears comfortably stylish and at home on your arm, Lisa. The pricing is quite a bit higher here in Australia though, so that, and the need for an iPhone, mean that I’m not likely to ever purchase one.
However I do agree that where it suits our preferences, we do well to keep informed and involved in tech as we continue to age. We do ourselves a disservice if we do not ensure that our needs and ideas are given voice, so that they may be included, and we remain visible.
And, I think I’ve said enough now! ;)
@Cathi, Your comments are always, always welcome.
I really appreciate this post and your perspective on older folks and women contributing to technology experiences. I wish more designers and developers were women/older, or that they at least took different experiences into account when developing me products.
My last semester in grad school I worked on a design project with older folks, developing a better online shoe-shopping experience with them. Since the 65+ population is growing and growing, I think this will be an increasingly important and interesting area for companies to explore.
@Danielle, It should be thus – tech really has to learn to follow the dollars, even if it means designing for people who are quite different from most of the people who work in the industry.
I’ve actually been intrigued by the apple watch for some time but haven’t gotten one yet. I like that lavender and rose gold one very much. It just might push me over the edge. So might the idea of an apple watch with a double Hermes strap, but that would endanger my old school Rolex Cellini which I have to wind every day, and which I like for exactly that reason, aside from its being very good looking, but then I think the Apple watch is good looking as well.
I have the iPhone 6x, which I adore for its size, as I can use it in place of a kindle or iPad or so many things, and yet it can also be a pain, does not fit in a pocket, and is not convenient for a text in the grocery store. This might push me further toward the watch.
@Mardel, I am expecting the 6+ to make the watch even more useful. I didn’t know we were Cellini twins!
NO NO NO!
Why carry TWO DEVICES…….and besides it will put YOUR CHANEL and ROLEX watches out of business!Watch companies have been around for YEARS!!!!!!!!
NOT interested………..YET!
GOOD of YOU to give it a GO and SEE.I am certain a lot of your readers me too are happy to get a glimpse of it and how YOU SEE IT WORKING!
Keep us informed!
@LA CONTESSA, I will keep you informed, I promise!
Quick tip: If a notification fades away before you have a chance to read/act upon it, 90% of the time you’ll be able to find it again by pulling down on the main watch face. A little red dot will indicate unread notifications, and if there is no red dot, it can be turned on by opening the Watch app on your phone and going into Settings > Notifications and switching “Notifications Indicator” on.
@Lauren, Thanks! Yes, I eventually figured that out;).
The Watch Activity App does count steps and calaries. Simply swipe up on the rings and there they are. The article incorrectly states you need to go to your iPhone for this data which is not the case. Hope this helps. Email me if you cannot find it. :P
@Jeff Bessling, So, I can find it, but I can’t say that even now I have the conceptual framework of the Health+Activity functions in my head. Swipe up, swipe down, tap, yikes. Hanging in there.
awesome watch
Which size did you purchase? 38 or 42? I plan on getting the new series 2, but not sure which size.
@karen b, The 38. I have relatively large bones, it was perfect.
Which size did you purchase 38 or 42
Thanks. I was looking at the 42 as some folks said it was easier to read
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