Mankind's fascination with watches capable of
more than simply telling the time is nothing new. But
recently, our collective interest in intelligent
timepieces has spiked, and we have more and more
powerful wrist-worn computers to choose from than
ever -- whether made by startups with record-setting
Kickstarter campaigns or the biggest names in
consumer electronics. Of course, the biggest name
of all, Apple, had yet to release one of its own. Well,
the Watch has arrived, and its maker has loftier
aspirations for it than the smartwatches preceding it.
Apple's Watch isn't some utilitarian gadget -- it's
jewelry, an object of lust, not only for what it can do,
but also for how it looks.
I'm not a watch person. Haven't worn one regularly
since high school (I'm 33 years old now), and have
never been enamored with the likes of Rolex or
Longines. But the Apple Watch is, of course, much
more than a mere time teller, and the company
expects to sell a lot of these things to people like me
-- you don't build a $700 billion company selling
niche products, after all. The question is: Why would
someone like me want one?
PROS
Finely crafted hardware
Strong app support
Lots of personalization options
Easy-to-use fitness tracking
Best smartwatch available
CONS
Third-party apps can feel sluggish
Some users will crave more control over notification
Settings
Expensive
SUMMARY
The Watch is the nicest smartwatch available, but it's
more status symbol than wearable revolutionary.
Most of the Watch's features can be categorized as
nice to have (at best) or superfluous (at worst). As
such, if you're not enamored with the Watch's
appearance, it's probably not compelling enough to
buy one.
50
For the uninitiated, there are two sizes (38 or 42mm)
and three Watch models: Sport, Watch and Edition.
The entry-level Sport model starts at $349 and is made
of aluminum, while the high-end Edition starts at
$10,000 and is crafted of 18-karat rose or yellow gold.
Apple loaned me a 42mm stainless steel Watch model
($549) with a bright, lime green Sport Band ($49 when
sold separately) and a Link Bracelet ($449).
In keeping with its aspirations to luxury jewelry and
with Apple's usual obsessive attention to detail, the
Watch case I received is constructed of machined,
cold-forged steel polished to a high gloss. Its OLED
screen on top and heart rate sensor on the bottom
are sheathed in sapphire crystal, a material familiar to
any luxe timepiece aficionado. (Note: Sport models
make do without the sapphire protection.) The "Digital
Crown" on the right edge is machined and polished
too, as is the button with an ever-so-slightly
chamfered edge alongside it. All of these elements
are fitted together perfectly, with uni form gaps and
nary a blemish to be found. The result is a watch that
looks the part it's been cast to play -- assuming you
dig the aesthetics of a rounded rectangle parked on
your arm.
It's the finest construction of any smartwatch I've seen,
and none of the others are particularly close (second
place: ASUS ZenWatch). More importantly (for Apple),
it doesn't feel ridiculous to compare its build quality to
something made by Tag Heuer or Cartier.