6 Writers Who Have Quit the Apple Watch (and 4 Who Have Not)
When the Apple Watch launched this spring, gadget reviewers called it “beautiful,” ”powerful,” and “magical”.
It would appear that the beauty, power, and magic of the Watch have worn off for some, however.
In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a surprising number of writers confess that they’ve given up on the Apple Watch after less than a month. In outlets ranging from The New York Times to Photoshop Insider, early reviews of Apple Watch are ending in returns to the store.
And then, of course, there has been a wave in the opposite direction: Detractors to these detractors, penning essays to explain why they’ve chosen not to return their Apple Watches.
The early verdict is still not quite in on Apple’s first try at a smartwatch. To see the two sides, check out these six stories about Watch buyer’s remorse, and four stories of Watch buyer’s satisfaction.
WATCH, OUT
1. “Why I’m Breaking Up With the Apple Watch,” Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times
“Seeing somebody staring at her wrist (or merely sneaking a surreptitious glance at it) telegraphs something else entirely: (1) rudeness or (2) geekiness.”
“The small screen is simply too small to really read on, so I’ve been more annoyed than happy when it alerted me to texts from my loved ones …”
“The watch isn’t actually a fashion accessory for the tech-happy. It’s a tech accessory pretending to be a fashion accessory. I just couldn’t fall for it.”
2. “I bought an Apple Watch immediately, but after a month I’m done,” Jay Yarow, Business Insider
“The value of the watch is about to fall off a cliff as Apple increases supply, so I figure I should try to sell now … But if I really loved it, I wouldn’t be thinking like that.”
“After a month with the watch, the newness of the device has worn off, and I am left with a product that’s not a must-have. It’s very first version.”
“… Apps on the watch are slow to respond. The email apps are disappointing. Overall, it just feels a bit clunky … I think the watch is still two years away from being a great product.”
3. “I regret buying an Apple Watch (and I knew I would),” Mat Smith, Engadget
“Many other (non-smart) watches at this price look just as good or better.”
“I use it a fraction of the time I use my phone. I’ve paid all that money for a smartwatch whose time hasn’t quite arrived.”
“I wish I hadn’t opened my wallet for this first effort. I expected that I’d be using it so much more than I am at the moment.”
4. “More Apple Watch: I’m thinking about returning it,” Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter
“I’m addicted to time, I want to know what it is, and the Apple Watch performs this function very poorly … I could live with that if it came up when it was supposed to, every time I flipped my wrist. But it doesn’t …”
“Why not a bigger screen?“
“I’m completely flummoxed how Apple screwed up so bad. Really makes me believe the company is doomed. Because there’s no Steve Jobs, there’s no VISIONARY, no one to say what’s right or wrong, when to go or stop.”
5. “I’m Dumping My Apple Watch,” Scott Kelby, The Photoshop Insider Blog
“… The battery life issue is ruining the entire Apple Watch experience for me.”
“It keeps me from having to dig my iPhone out of my pocket … But I’ve just replaced one minor inconvenience (pulling my iPhone out of my pocket), with a bigger inconvenience (losing the use of my Apple Watch for two hours at a time every day or so).”
“Today I’m going back to my simple, $85 Fossil watch (seen below), and the next time I’ll have to worry about the battery is probably sometime in 2019.”
6. “Why I’m no longer wearing an Apple Watch,” Michael Sawh, Trusted Reviews
“I just couldn’t see Apple making the same mistakes as pretty much every other wearables maker has made so far … I think it was the moment when I woke up at a friend’s house, lifted my wrist and saw a blank screen that I knew, sadly, that I’d been wrong.”
“It just doesn’t feel like the Apple way. Laggy, broken apps, rubbish battery life. I could have been talking about the Samsung Gear S.”
TOGETHER UNTIL THE END OF TIME
1. “Why I’m Still Wearing My Apple Watch,” John Biggs, TechCrunch
“Why don’t I just wear a Fitbit and my Speedmaster? Because I think the Apple Watch does the best of both of those objects in a package that, in some ways, gives the Speedmaster a run for its money. It’s that simple.”
“I remember taking my watches off and examining every corner and service, marveling at the balance wheel twisting behind the exhibition back and noting the motion of the seconds hand as it swept around the face. The Apple Watch allows for that same fascination but through software …”
2. “A Month With the Apple Watch: Does It Pass the Test of Time?” Walt Mossberg, Re/code
“I started wearing my loaner unit from Apple four weeks ago … It’s a gorgeous piece of hardware with a clever and simple user interface and some fine built-in functions … I will probably buy one.”
“It’s been much more of a constant digital companion than my iPhone, iPad or computers.”
“It reminds me of the first iPhone a month after its debut. That phone had slow data, was tied to a wireless carrier that constantly dropped phone calls, and — most importantly — it had no app store yet. But I got enough value from it that I’ve never regretted buying the first model.”
3. “Why I love my Apple Watch,” Michael S, GadFit
“If you were to ask me, the most notable feature of the Apple Watch is that it looks like a normal watch, something that I can wear everywhere. Sometimes companies do forget this when they try to outdo each other.”
“I can’t stress how powerful it is to read about how idle I’ve been and that it’s good to get up and walk.”
“ Like the iPhone, the Apple Watch is the next game changer from Apple. I’ve seen a lot of fitness trackers and while I’ve been amazed with some, the Apple watch made me change from an Android device to an Apple one. That must say something.”
4. “A skeptic’s Apple Watch diary: One month in, after the novelty wore off,” Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac
“Well, it’s now a month in as of yesterday, and I can definitely say the novelty has worn off – and, somewhat to my surprise, I’m still wearing it every day. Perhaps it’s time to drop the ‘skeptic’ part of the title.”
“I have occasionally gotten out of bed and wondered whether or not to bother putting on the watch, but I still have, every day. Not because it’s exciting; it isn’t. Not because it makes a significant difference to my life; it doesn’t. But it does make my life very slightly more convenient, and it does this a dozen or more times a day. And that, in the end, is why I’m still wearing it.”
Email me at danbean@yahoo-inc.com. Follow me on Twitter at danielwbean.
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