AppleInsider reviews Apple Watch: Beautiful, but rough around the edges

“Like other first-generation Apple products, Apple Watch is both aspirational and, in many ways, restrained. It’s a well designed and functional beginning to a new product category, but still very much ‘version 1.0,'” Stephen Robles writes for AppleInsider. “On hardware design and new technologies, namely the Digital Crown, Taptic Engine and Force Touch, Apple Watch delivers. It’s nice to look at and fun to interact with. In regard to third-party apps and integrations, however, it leaves something to be desired.”

“We don’t regret buying one. Nor do we regret buying the original iPad, iPad 2 or iPad 3. We’re early adopters, and in general really like Apple products,” Robles writes. “We believe the Apple Watch has huge potential, and very real benefits right now. But if the decision is to buy a Watch now or wait until the next generation, and you’re not the typical early adopter, maybe you should wait. Or at the very least, buy the cheapest Sport model you can.”

Much more in the full review here.

MacDailyNews Take: We absolutely love being early adopters of Apple products – we’d never pass up the opportunity! If you’re the cautious type (or a runner/cyclist), get a Sport and hop aboard, this is going to be a very fun ride!

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15 Comments

  1. Mine now shows that is “ready for shipment” (or something like that) but still gives me the mid-May to late-May time frame . . . hoping that perhaps it’s going to change to “shipped” any hour now.

    Luckily I’m in a rural area where I might be unlikely to see one in the wild . . . . I want to be first in my neck of the woods at least!

    1. Update: Probably 30 minutes after posting this it was set for delivery today . . . . . Obviously would have loved to have it on launch day after pre-ordering on April 10th but really appreciate that Apple would under-promise and over-deliver by at least two weeks on the actual ship date . . . and they overnight aired it, too. Can’t wait!

  2. I’m an early adopter and a cyclist/runner. I love the running app, but really hate the cycling version. First, no ability to set it to km (come on, Apple! not everyone in the US uses miles to record workouts). Second, the pause feature pretty well sucks–hard to make it happen and not good feedback. Third, no auto-pause. Fourth, no elevation data–which is absolutely crucial info for both a runner and especially a cyclist.
    I’m waiting for a good 3rd party app to appear to take care of these things, and to integrate the heart rate monitor into them. THEN we’ll be talking. The cycling app isn’t great (and neither is the “other” workout app/category, which significantly understates my calorie burn).
    My two cents. It’ll get better, long as Apple listens, and 3rd party apps do their thing.

    1. Seriously, no normalized measures? FAIL.
      I understand I have to set miles to KM and F to C, but boy why do some American companies have so much troubl understanding that the world is not limited to the US…..

  3. Dont agree with the review!
    I have had mine for 4 days now.. And i love it… I Am addicted to it..my eife is addicted to hers …we Find it smooth and polished… And suoer fun and practical to use !

    I dont see my iphone as much anymore.. Its always somewhere near.. But either in my pocket or on a table nearby..

    Applewatcg has taken over all the immidiate communication ! And then the awesomness of the activity and health end of it…. Imho a genuis product!
    Go get one.. Spend an hour or so learning it… And you wont ever want to be without it again !

  4. “In regard to third-party apps and integrations, however, it leaves something to be desired.”

    Is that an Apple issue or one for 3rd parties ?

    Software is easily tweaked in updates.

  5. Of course the ‘Version 1.0 Effect’ is inevitable. But Apple knew that and, IMHO, released the equivalent of version 1.1 in this initial release of the Watch. IOW: Apple put extraordinary work into getting it right out of the gate. Well done!

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