If you’re as excited as the rest of the world for the new Apple Watch then chances are you’re looking to news reports, blogs and articles to discover the pros and cons of Apple’s newest device. Several lucky reporters had the chance to review the Apple watch and many “first impression” reviews are just now surfacing online. Although the Apple watch reviews are highly anticipated by consumers, many will be surprised to learn that not all Apple Watch reviews have been great. Check out a few reviews that have caught our eyes online and take a look at the new Apple Watch before they hit stores later this month below.
Anyway, let’s take a closer look at some of the reviews. starting with The New York Times’ Farhad Manjoo, who sums up the majority of the reviews in his opening paragraphs. The Apple Watch has a steep learning curve, it struggles to get over its vision of operation, and the UI is unnecessarily complex:
First there was a day to learn the device’s initially complex user interface. Then another to determine how it could best fit it into my life. And still one more to figure out exactly what Apple’s first major new product in five years is trying to do — and, crucially, what it isn’t.
It was only on Day 4 that I began appreciating the ways in which the elegant $650 computer on my wrist was more than just another screen. By notifying me of digital events as soon as they happened, and letting me act on them instantly, without having to fumble for my phone, the Watch became something like a natural extension of my body — a direct link, in a way that I’ve never felt before, from the digital world to my brain.
The look of the Apple Watch still owes more to Apple’s technology focus than anything from the catwalk. The square display, for example, is a practical choice to present information, but it creates more bulk on the device, as do the sensors, battery, touch screen, and electronics. It might be a small computer on your wrist, but it still looks like a small computer. The Verge’s Nilay Patel discussed the fashion impact with his fellow writers at Racked, and they’re not impressed.
What’s most interesting to me about their reaction to the Watch as a hardware object is how much it still comes off as a gadget, despite Apple’s best efforts to make it a luxury item. It’s still a screen; it’s still a bunch of radios; it’s still technology. They were hyper-critical of the materials and finishes, particularly the leather loop, and it was incredibly obvious that while a little bit of design goes a long way in the tech world, it’s going to take a lot more time and a lot more work to play in the fashion game.
Apple has been working hard to pitch the Apple Watch as a fashion icon, but the first impressions from the gadgeteers’ friends are that it’s clearly a gadget – and Racked simply confirmed that. This is still generation one, but a lot more work needs done to get the Apple Watch up to speed.
There is no doubt that Apple is looking to define the world of wrist-based technology. There’s every chance they can do so given time. As it stands the Apple Watch appears to be a tantalising glimpse at the future, but it is far from the finished product. It’s a teaser trailer for the main attraction in a few years time.
Lot of people love the teaser trailers, and many will love the Apple Watch simply for being the first step on that path. If you’re happy on that bleeding edge of modern technology, then the Apple Watch will be money well spent. For everyone else, the jury is still out.
What do you think? Are you going to wait for more reviews and reactions or are you already sold on buying the first Apple Watch in spite of good or bad reviews? Share your thoughts below!
