Since I wrote the original article, last week, we have gotten more details of the watch and its functions. I had said that I would be tempted, but as I learn more, not so much. Considering that I already have the Asus Zenwatch, which I use every day. I must ask myself, “Is there anything so compelling about the Apple Watch that will make me want to spend more than twice as much as I laid out on my Android Wear device. The probable answer is no.
Let’s look at the features of the Apple product. First and foremost, it can only be used with one phone. And that is only with an iPhone 5 or better. So, if you’ve been hanging on to your iPhone 4 (and I know many that have), you’re completely out of luck. While I can use my Zenwatch with a multiplicity of Android phones. Next, there’s the somewhat confusing, at least to me, input methods. You can navigate and control the watch by touch, using differing pressures on the 1.5 inch screen (38mm) or the 1.7 inch screen (42mm) which will allow access to different functions. You can also control by using the dial (digital crown) and lastly, there is voice control. It seems to me that users are bound to be flummoxed and sometimes lost with all these different ways of accomplishing the same tasks.
Right now, there are a number of articles floating around the web decrying the number of features that Apple choose to put into the device. It seems that they threw everything in but the proverbial ‘kitchen sink’. There’s voice calls (aka Samsung Gear S), heart rate glance (though no one seems to have one that’s really accurate as yet), mail alerts, workout programs, mapping directions, sending haptic heartbeats and more. Do you or I want to spend Apple Watch money for the above in a watch? I highly doubt it. Yes, Apple Pay is a useful and desirable feature, as is using Siri, but Apple seems to be following Samsung’s trend of ‘bloating up’ just because they can.
Finally, there’s the cost of the bands. You may be fine with paying $350 for the sport and/or $550 for the Apple Watch, but keep in mind that these are the base prices and you may just want to upgrade the band a bit. Not everyone is going to want a synthetic rubber band with their stylish new timepiece. With the watch bands running between $49 for the cheapest, all the way up to $449 for the Link Bracelet, you may want to factor in that cost before running out and buying. I’m not even going to talk about the Edition, since that’s out of range for the vast majority of us.
So, all the information that I’ve gained about the Apple Watch in the past week has made me rethink my position. Maybe I’ll just stick with my Zenwatch or possibly wait to see what the Huawei watch looks like and costs. Either way, I’m currently leaning away from Apple’s offering.
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Began writing for Bane-Tech August 2014, due to an ever-growing passion for mobile and Android in particular.
Computer programmer 1981 to 2015. Currently retired. Active You Tuber (Mobile Geezer:
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Sax player and singer in various bands (rock and R&R) since the mid 60's. Avid motorcycle rider (Gold Wing), bicyclist and exercise enthusiast. Extreme lover of driving and biking (motorcycle). The more thousand miles the trip, the happier I am as the driver.
Dedicated, Bible-believing Christian who makes no judgments on others .
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