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Review: Apple Watch: expensive extension

By Andre Schild, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 21 Oct 2015

The long wait is finally over, and that's not only because Apple's first serious attempt at a smartwatch will officially be available in SA as of 23 October. Its embedded operating system, WatchOS, has also matured considerably since its initial launch in April. Time to find out what makes the Apple Watch tick.

My comprehensive review of the Apple Watch is structured into two distinct parts: first, I cover all the device's specifications, and then I dive into my personal experiences, which are based on a solid month of daily usage.

For this review, I used two (38mm and 42mm) European models, which are identical to South African versions. Both devices have been upgraded to Apple's WatchOS 2.

I focused on two key questions with business users in mind: Does the device offer added value, effectively, to buy or not to buy? And if so, what is the quality of that added value; what should the user expect when using it all day long?

The outside: 30+ combinations

With the introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014, Apple decided to abandon its own one-size-fits-all design philosophy. I think this was the right path for Apple to choose, so I was happy to see the Apple Watch comes in two sizes, a 38mm version for those with relatively small wrists, and a 42mm model. However, there is a multitude of combinations to choose from.

The Apple Watch Sport, which is the entry-level model, will sell for R5 899 (38mm) and R6 799 (42mm).

It features a light and strong aluminium alloy-based body combined with a screen that should be very tough and scratch resistant. It comes in a variety of coloured, plastic, interchangeable bands, which Apple claims to be durable, strong, soft, comfortable and sweat resistant.

If you're willing and able to spend some more cash, there's the Apple Watch minus the "Sport" in its official product name. This version will set you back a minimum of R9 299 for the 38mm model and R9 999 for the 42mm version, with the same plastic band as the Sport model.

It features a pristine stainless steel case and a sapphire coated screen, which should make for the ultimate scratch-resistant display. If budget allows, this non-Sport model is also available with a leather or stainless steel band beginning at R10 999 (38mm) and R11 799 (42mm). The most expensive and exclusive version to officially become available in SA will have a massive price tag of R18 499. All bands are swappable between the Apple Watch Sport and non-Sport models.

So, to round it all up, making the right choice for the model that suits you (and your budget) best, it all boils down to these four questions:

Size: 38mm (cheaper) or 42mm?
Case material: aluminium (cheaper) or metal casing?
Band material: plastic (cheaper) or leather/metal band?
Band colour: take a pick here.

Finally, Apple offers a paid service called AppleCare+, which extends the coverage of your warranty at an additional price.

The Apple Watch only has one button on the side, as well as a small wheel called the digital crown. It can be used to zoom or scroll and doubles as a push-button. On the smooth back-side there's an array of visible sensors, mainly for health and fitness purposes. Finally, the casing has three tiny openings, one for the built-in microphone and two for sound output.

The inside: all the same

On the inside, however, all models of the Apple Watch are completely identical. They are powered by Apple's custom-designed silicon called the S1 SOC (System-on-a-Chip), effectively a complete computer in one single chip. The S1 runs at 520MHz, uses the ARM microarchitecture and was made using a 28nm procedure. The watch houses 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage, of which about 4GB remains available for apps and user data.

Interesting detail: the excellently designed Apple S1 chip was actually manufactured by Samsung, one of Apple's biggest competitors when it comes to mobile devices. Typically, with these type of symbiotic relationships, the manufacturing party is allowed to use most of this technology for its own products, but only after an agreed period of time. I'm curious to see what parts will be copied to future Samsung products, and when that will happen.

There's something else that makes this particular smartwatch one of a kind: it is able to provide its user with haptic feedback, for instance, when an alert or notification is received. This is made possible through Apple's built-in Taptic Engine. Haptic feedback, also called kinaesthetic communication, recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations or motions to the user.

This new technology, and unique approach to communication between technology and the human body, is only possible because the Apple Watch is literally and physically connected to its user - unlike smartphones, with which it's easier to miss an important call or message.

Besides identical processing hardware, all models also feature an AMOLED Retina-screen with a 326 pixels per inch density, as well as a PowerVR SGX543 graphics processor. The 38mm model works with a 33.5mm screen diagonal able to display a 272x340 resolution, while all the 42mm models have a 39mm diagonal and 312x390 resolution.

For connectivity, mainly with the iPhone, the device uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology to exchange and synchronise items like contacts, appointments, apps, music, photos and settings. Apple also included a near field communication (NFC) chip in order to facilitate Apple Pay, which unfortunately only works in the US at this time. As of yet, it's unclear if, or when, Apple Pay lands in SA.

Ideally, the iPhone and Apple Watch should be within range of each other. Bluetooth 4.0 needs very little energy to function and has an approximate maximum range of up to 10 metres, heavily depending on the environment. Lots of concrete walls will have a negative impact on its range. The Apple Watch doesn't have a GPS chip on board, obviously to save on energy consumption and keep the device as small as possible. Therefore, it uses the iPhone's GPS data that it receives via the paired Bluetooth connection.

However, when the Apple Watch does lose its Bluetooth connection with the iPhone, it seamlessly switches to any trusted and available 802.11 b/g/n WiFi network to remain connected and online. Messages and notifications will therefore continue to arrive even when you've left your iPhone on the other side of the office building. However, WiFi uses more energy so the device prioritises Bluetooth.

Since the Apple Watch continuously feeds itself with data from the iPhone using Bluetooth, this also means there's no turning it off anymore. As a result, the iPhone will show a slight (around 8%) decrease in battery life.

The Apple Watch is also packed with other goodies, like a built-in heart rate sensor, which sits at the back of the device and uses both infrared, visible green light LEDs and photodiodes that convert light into current. Despite the fact that Apple hasn't disclosed much about the exact array of sensors inside its smartwatch, I'm pretty sure there is at least a digital gyroscope, compass and ambient light sensor packed in there as well.

Digital symbiosis

Apple's smartwatch can be used autonomously, without an iPhone, but you'll miss out on a lot of functionality. To use it to its full potential the Apple Watch needs to be paired via Bluetooth with an iPhone 5 or newer, preferably with the latest version of the iOS installed. I'd go as far as to call it a digital symbiosis, since the iPhone needs the Apple Watch to connect even better with its owner, while the smartwatch requires the iPhone to borrow some of its sensors, storage capacity and Internet connectivity.

When using the Apple Watch for the very first time, it needs to be connected to the iPhone to set it up, configure and even update itself. An iOS integrated companion app unsurprisingly called "Watch" facilitates all of that with maximum of ease, as well as detailed fine-tuning to fit personal preferences. For instance, through the Watch-app you can decide when and how you'd like to be notified of any sort of message, set personalised security options, determine how the screen or interface looks and behaves, and what apps to be installed on the watch itself. After successfully connecting both devices, local iPhone stored content like music or photos will also be accessible through the Apple Watch.

In the end, I found the whole set-up procedure, including configuring all the small details to my personal preferences, to be incredibly easy, straightforward, intuitive and fast. I was also pleasantly surprised that the iPhone and the watch automatically and seamlessly started to exchange items in the background, like contacts, calendar items, messages, apps and even trusted WiFi networks.

To the test...

I wanted to know if wearing and using Apple Watch adds any significant advantages for business users. If so, how and at what measure of quality with regard to aspects like versatility, design convenience, performance and user-friendliness?

From the moment Apple released Apple WatchOS2 on 21 September, I started using the device and all it has to offer. I loaded two 64GB iPhone 5S' with all the apps that had explicit built-in Apple Watch support and observed how my two Sport editions slowly filled up with loads of new apps and possibilities. I used the 38mm and 42mm versions simultaneously to discover any possible deviations in functionality, performance or ease of use between the two models.

Design and display

The Sport edition I used for this review comes with a band that's made out of a synthetic type of rubber, with two band sizes out of the box, so it should fit anybody. Switching bands is quick and easy as a result of a nifty and innovative way of connecting them to the case itself. The total package feels very light and extremely comfortable around the wrist. If the last time you wore a watch was during the previous millennium, it's going to take some time to get used to that feeling again. I haven't worn a watch in years and it only took a few hours to get used to it. The smooth and soft finish of the casing and band felt durable, solid and particularly well crafted.

The fairly simple design of the Apple Watch is interrupted by two physical buttons on the right side of the device. There's the digital crown, which is a small wheel that can be used to directly access apps, scroll up/down or zoom in/out. The second button doesn't have a fancy marketing name, but brings up an overview of pre-programmed friends, colleagues or important business clients you're often in contact with. Pressing both buttons simultaneously results in a screenshot that will appear in the photo library of the connected iPhone in seconds.

One of the first things I noticed about the Apple Watch is how small, lightweight, compact and elegantly it is designed, especially when compared to some of the other smartwatches that run on the Android Wear operating system, like the Sony SmartWatch 3. Even the 42mm version of the Apple Watch looks small in comparison. In my opinion, the 38mm version is too small for men and better suited for a woman's wrist.

Since the Apple Watch was revealed to the world for the very first time in September 2014, its looks have been a point of discussion. It's obvious that Apple chose not to have its smartwatch look like a traditional watch. Instead it has embraced and accepted that a smartwatch is a whole new ballgame.

As a result, the device features an extremely simple yet elegant design, with plenty of curves but almost no detail. Because of that, its appearance is quite modern and even a little bit futuristic. Even more so when combined with Apple's brightly coloured bands in the Sport edition collection. True watch enthusiasts will most likely frown on these over-coloured designs. In all honesty, I'm not fond of them either. The design simply screams out "smartwatch!" and, when combined with a (semi) formal office outfit, the devices will quickly stand out and attract attention. In its defence, the entry-level Sport edition is aimed at sporty people and not the neat and tidy formal business user.

If you're looking for a more stylish watch to accompany your carefully crafted business image, the non-Sport stainless steel Apple Watch model will suit you better, especially when combined with a classic leather buckle or link bracelet. The prices, however, are sky high. The 42mm leather buckle version will set you back R11 799, while the 42mm link bracelet model costs R16 999.

In comparison with the Sport edition that's an additional R5 000 and R10 200 for a device that is technically identical, which is pretty outrageous. Other companies have indicated they will produce their own line of Apple Watch compatible bands, which will probably be a lot cheaper.

Minor annoyances

During testing, I noticed some minor annoying screen behaviour. By default, the screen is turned off to conserve energy, but there is no way to force it to stay on constantly. In my case, the screen was "intelligently" switched off too soon and too often, forcing me to manually reactivate it. There are three ways to do this: press the digital crown, tap the screen or re-turn the watch towards your face.

Also, the watch's screen often spontaneously turned on when reaching for something on a high shelf, or when waving. Bottom line: both the sensor and software responsible for the screen and energy conservation show some room for improvement. I'm hoping this can be done with a future operating system update.

When the screen is turned on, its quality is amazingly colourful and sharp. It uses AMOLED technology, resulting in very deep, black, which Apple smartly uses a lot in its interface. When outside, the screen is perfectly readable, but in direct sunlight, you really need to shield it with your hands to see what's going on. This is a problem all current generation smartwatches are facing, though.

Although the digital crown facilitates easy and intuitive scrolling and zooming, the touch-screen remains the primary part to navigate through the device's interface, menus and options. Apple was well aware of this and therefore smoothly curved the screen around the edges, which makes swiping smooth and comfortable.

Apple's claim regarding the strengthened, scratch resistant screen was not exaggerated. To test it, I dropped several sorts of keys directly onto the screen, mixed the device with coins in my pocket and even dropped it on a concrete floor 20 times from an 80cm height - it came out without any visible scratches or any form of exterior damage.

Beware of water

All versions of Apple Watch come with an IPX7 rating. This implies they should survive a one-metre immersion in water for up to 30 minutes without getting damaged. Nonetheless, Apple advises against submerging the device for longer periods of time. Wearing it for a shower or exposing it to rainfall during a run shouldn't pose any problem, in theory.

In reality, the device is less waterproof than expected. One of my test models, the 42mm Sport version, didn't survive a 15-minute test run in the pouring rain. Luckily, I bought the AppleCare+ extended warranty, so the device will be swapped for a new one. Still, a bit disappointing that a device with a price tag this high remains relatively vulnerable to water. My advice would therefore be to avoid it coming in contact with any form of liquid at any time.

WatchOS 2

With the introduction of the first serious, matured release of the embedded operating system for Apple Watch, a lot of improvements, refinements and options have been added. I'll briefly take you through the most important ones specifically aimed at helping business-oriented users. For more detailed info on WatchOS2, take a look here. Before I dive right in, a quick word about the device's navigational structure.

Even with WatchOS 2, getting through all the menus, screens, options, etc, can be confusing and overwhelming at first. As the illustration below shows, it will probably take some time to get used to the non-iOS navigational structure. It took me a few days to grasp the complete picture and start using it intuitively. So, navigation-wise, the learning curve is pretty steep, unlike with the iPhone and iPad.

The Apple Watch also supports Force Touch, which is comparable to the 3D Touch technology as seen in the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. If you press the screen of the watch just a tiny bit, it brings up an additional, contextual-sensitive menu. Although not a game-changer, it's a nice innovative addition with regard to navigating your way around.

Taking the main screen or the watch face as a starting point, you can swipe up and down to access recent notifications or glances. By pressing the digital crown on the right, you'll end up in the App Cloud, essentially a visual representation of all the installed apps. Tap one of them to start up the specific app. The friend-button takes you to your most direct contacts. All 'glances', small and handy information widgets connected to an app, are completely customisable. You can also add new ones yourself, or delete those you don't need. Even third-party apps are allowed to have their glances appear. The deep level of personal customisation is not only limited to these glances, though, there are tons of watch faces and ways to customise them. The same goes for the App Cloud, notifications and friend screen.

WatchOS 2 comes with a set of built-in apps. So, which ones are especially useful for business-oriented users?

Messages and notifications

Like all other smartwatches currently on the market, the Apple Watch can display notifications and messages that initially arrive on the iPhone. In my opinion, this is the core business feature of the device. You can define in great detail which notifications and messages get sent through to the watch, subtly tapping on your wrist when they do, and which remain on your iPhone. Simply raise your hand to see it. You can subsequently respond with a pre-set or customised reply or even dictate a response.

Phone

Although the watch houses a microphone and speaker, having a conversation just doesn't work. The speaker is too small to produce an acceptable volume, meaning you have to hold it against your ear, which looks pretty awkward.

To silence the call, just cover the device with your hand.

Mail

The smartwatch enables you to view the content of all your mailboxes, read or move individual e-mails and even respond to them by using a dictated message or choosing from a list of pre-set or customised replies. Although this sounds pretty efficient, the small screen doesn't make it a very comfortable experience. It's good enough for short replies only. Dictating your reply might be a good alternative.

Calendar

The device allows for quick browsing through all your appointments, and sends visual, audible and haptic reminders when they are due. Calendar invitations can be quickly accepted or declined from the watch. I think the calendar function is handy and elegantly implemented.

Maps

Need to get to a client in haste, but don't want to watch the screen of your phone all the time? The Apple Watch gives you turn-by-turn directions, tapping you on the wrist when you need to go left or right.

Siri

Apple's digital assistant now also works on its smartwatch. Just raise your hand, say: "Hey Siri", and ask or command it anything, from making a new appointment in your calendar, sending a message or navigating to a new business contact. Although its voice recognition is quite good, it can be a bit slow, since all requests go through the iPhone onto the Internet, and back. Also, talking to your phone at the office or at a client meeting might look a bit strange. Still, Siri keeps improving every year and has a lot of potential for the future.

Remote control

The Apple Watch can be used as an extension to remotely control the camera of your iPhone, your music or even the Apple TV. I'm not convinced that serious business users will get any advantage from this feature, though. Still, it's a nice feature that might come in handy at the next office party.

Weather

Want to know what the weather is like at the location of your next business trip, or what to wear to the office the next day? Just use the Weather app to find out the weather in any location around the world.

Alarm/Stopwatch/Timer

If you have a deadline or need to be at work early, just use the Apple Watch to quickly and easily set the alarm, timer or stopwatch, without having to find your iPhone and unlock it. Asking Siri to set the alarm is even easier and faster.

Health and fitness

The Apple Watch has a lot of sensors and options to help keep track of your health and fitness achievements. In fact, of all the smartwatches I've come across, this is the best. The built-in heart rate sensors work well, and the health and fitness app has a lot of options. It automatically records and saves your physical data when actively exercising, and polls your heart rate during the day at a 10-minute interval. When running or cycling, there's no need to bring your bulky iPhone for the Apple Watch to keep track. It can do this by itself, and synchronises your data when in range of your iPhone again. It also keeps track of how many steps you've taken during the day and reminds you when you need to step it up or when you've achieved your daily goal. It does this with excellent precision and great presentation. For more information on all the watches' health and fitness options, take a look here.

Apart from these built-in apps, third party app developers are free to access the hardware of WatchOS 2, like the digital crown, Taptic engine and health sensors. I expect a wave of new apps coming to the Apple Watch very soon. There are already thousands of apps available - for some great examples, take a peek on this page.

Battery life and charging

The Apple Watch 42mm houses a 246mAh battery, while the 38mm uses a 205mAh version. These low-capacity batteries are so tiny that I completely understand why there's no option to force its screen to be turned on continuously.

During my four-week test run, I had no trouble at all getting the device to work for 1.5 days or sometimes even two full days. Obviously, this is highly dependable on how the device is being used. I mainly deployed it for messages and notifications. Even when accessed intensively during a busy day at the office, it will get you through, even with serious hours of overtime.

At the end of the day, or somewhere during the evening, simply connect the watch to the included small magnetic circle that beautifully connects itself to the back of the device. In my case, the device charged from 10% to completely full in just 90 minutes.

Final verdict

In summary

Pros: Elegant design, excellent screen, haptic feedback, easy set-up, many apps, incredibly versatile, great for health and fitness, good battery life, lots of future potential, customisable
Cons: High price, waterproof concerns, navigation learning curve, unsuitable for calling, screen sometimes turns on/off at wrong moment
Rating: 8/10
Price: Starting at R5 899
Availability: 23 October 2015
Product page: http://www.apple.com/za/watch/

So, does the Apple Watch offer real value for business users? Yes, but only if you use your iPhone often and intensively for communication purposes throughout a typical workday. For those kinds of users, the Apple Watch is a perfect extension to make life even easier - with the exception of calling with it. That option needs some serious work. All the other implementations, like Siri, maps, fitness, calendar and, of course, messages and notifications, work well. General navigation does take some time to get the hang of, though.

If you don't fit that profile of a communication-hungry business user, and you mainly use your iPhone to consume content or acquire information, the Apple Watch won't add much advantage or extras to your life.

Bottom line: the Apple Watch is by far the best smartwatch money can buy, but its hefty price is its biggest drawback.

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