“In many industries, but especially in technology, there’s a common wisdom about waiting for the second or third iteration of a product before purchasing it. This is based on the idea that the first version of a product will often be the most flawed or compromised – a product still trying to find its footing – and future iterations will benefit from improved technology, as well as fixes for flaws that were found in early versions,” Brandon Chester writes for AnandTech. “At the same time, there have to be some people who are adventurous enough to adopt bleeding-edge technology, or the first version of a product would simply fail in the market and there wouldn’t ever be a second version.”
“This situation has played out for every iOS and iOS-derived device that Apple has created. The original iPhone was quite a technological marvel, but it was crippled by its lack of 3G networking, and its price was exceptionally high,” Chester writes. “With the iPhone 3G and 3GS, Apple addressed many of the issues that existed with the iPhone 2G, and by the time of the iPhone 4 the refinement was essentially at the same level that we expect from smartphones today. The original iPad was an interesting idea, but it was quick thick and heavy, and the hardware used at the time was not up to the task of powering such a device, sending it to end of life status after only two major updates. Only one year later, the iPad 2 addressed both of these issues, future versions brought faster hardware and higher resolution displays, and by the time of the iPad Air it reached a level of refinement where further versions have been much more iterative changes.”
“Ultimately, both watchOS and the Apple Watch are still in their early days, and the software will grow and improve over time as the hardware becomes faster and more efficient. The Apple Watch Series 2 really reminds me of the iPad 2,” Chester writes. “It tackles the areas where its predecessor faltered, and provides a much better experience as a result, but there’s still that lingering early adopter feeling that even greater improvements are coming in the next generation. I would imagine that future series of the Apple Watch will bring additional sensors for tracking health information, thinner casings, and hopefully better battery life so features like sleep tracking will be possible. While there’s always something to look forward to in future versions of a product, I think the Apple Watch Series 2 does provide a compelling experience right now, and for iPhone users interested in a fitness tracker or a smartwatch it should be high on your list of devices to consider.”
Read more in the full, comprehensive review – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: For runners, Apple Watch Series 2 / Apple Watch Nike+ with GPS and watchOS 3, is night and day; a significant improvement in usability. We’re enjoying every minute of this Apple Watch journey!
As we wrote back in May:
We wouldn’t trade this first year with our Apple Watches for anything.
You only get one chance to experience and grow with a completely new Apple product. Always take it!
SEE ALSO:
Apple debuts two new ads for Apple Watch Series 2 – December 19, 2016
Apple debuts two new ads for Apple Watch Nike+ and Apple Watch Series 2– December 9, 2016
Apple Watch has blood on its hands: Pebble is dead – December 7, 2016
Apple Watch has blood on its hands: ‘Microsoft Band’ wearable is dead – October 4, 2016
Computerworld reviews Apple Watch Series 2: It’s time to jump in – September 27, 2016
Ars Technica reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘Great experience with very few hiccups’ – September 22, 2016
Mossberg reviews Apple’s watchOS 3: Quicker, easier, and more useful – September 21, 2016
CNET reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘The smooth wrist companion it was always meant to be’ – September 14, 2016
WSJ reviews Apple Watch Series 2: ‘Apple Watch finds its purpose in life’ – September 14, 2016
The Verge reviews Apple Watch Series 2: There’s something effortlessly cool about it – September 14, 2016
Apple Watch Series 2: Apple refocuses its smartwatch – September 12, 2016
Apple Watch. Beating a dead horse.
I bought 6 steel series 1 watches when they came out for my family. I waited a total of 2.5 months all to arrive. Needless to say I missed Christmas and one birthday for family members. The watch is a Compromised product. Zero interest in buying the series 2. Tim has almost destroyed Apple. He needs to go along with select bloated management. Get hungry talent in.