WSJ’s Stern reviews Apple Watch: ‘Good looks and coolness’

11 years ago

“After over a week of living with Apple’s latest gadget on my wrist, I realized the company isn’t just selling some wrist-worn computer, it’s selling good looks and coolness, with some bonus computer features,” Joanna Stern writes for The Wall Street Journal. “Too many features that are too hard to find, if you ask me.”

MacDailyNews Take: Successfully suppresses sexist rant. Miracles do happen.

“There are so many things the watch can do, so many menus and features you must spend time figuring out, that for better or worse, you end up shaping your own experience. Some may find usefulness in hailing Ubers with a tap on the wrist, or transmitting a heartbeat to a beloved. My colleague Geoffrey Fowler explored the Apple Watch as a gateway to the iPhone for many quick activities. I sought a simpler experience, turning it into a stylish watch to keep me on schedule and a workout companion to keep me moving,” Stern writes. “The Apple Watch succeeds where the fitness trackers have failed. Not only does it provide more accurate data and a platform with big promise, but it’s an accessory I love to wear all day long.”

“On Sunday morning, I went for a 2-mile run. But instead of looking like a marionette with an iPhone in hand and earbuds hanging from my head, I ran with just the stainless-steel, 38-millimeter watch, attached via a $50 blue sport band to my wrist,” Stern writes. “Years ago, the iPod liberated us from jogging with a giant Discman. Apple now has the potential to change the workout again. With Bluetooth earbuds paired directly to the watch, Taylor Swift blaring in my ears and the sun shining on my face, I ran for 21 minutes, burning 156 calories. When I ended up at Whole Foods—no phone, no wallet — I bought an iced latte by just tapping my wrist to the reader.”

Read more in the full reviews here.

MacDailyNews Take: Unfortunately, Stern’s concluding advice to not buy an Apple Watch because “the next Apple Watch will be better” is, to put it plainly, stupid and self-defeating. If you do not buy because the “next generation will be better,” you’ll never own anything at all.

We are so unbelievably glad that we bought the first iPhone and the first iPad. Outside of our “jobs,” we’ve never regretted either purchase and, in fact, we’d have enormous regret if we sat around waiting around for the “next gen.,” depriving us of participating in and experiencing major paradigm shifts. We knew they were first generation products. That made us want them all the more.

If you’re on the fence, get the Apple Watch Sport. Its resale value will hold up just fine and you’ll get much out of being an “early adopter.”