Apple Watch Quite Functional

[sportage]

Apple has improved the usefulness and functionality of their Apple Watch. Besides the health features, I find other features more useful. What I want to know, why the hell is their watch so ugly?
Basically a boring square box strapped to the wrist.
You'd think Apple would redesign their watch to look, well, cool.
Offer different design shapes, less of a box and more of a piece of art.
If Apple wants their watch to really catch on, updating the functionally and firmware is one way, but try redesigning the watch making it more a work of art?

 

[Eug]

The fashion mags love Apple Watch actually.

Personally I agree with you on the looks, and I find it boring and utilitarian. However, I disagree with you on its concept. I have very little interest in getting one.

 

[destrekor]

I'm with you on the looks. And agree on the functionality.

It does look great, based on certain metrics. If you focus on the typical "smart watch" category, it is very well designed and blends well as a wrist fashion accessory. It looks relatively natural on the wrist as a watch-type accessory. But at the same time, it doesn't remotely look like a watch. It looks natural and "smooth" in some weird sense, but equally alien. I never liked rectangular watches, ever. I love the round-face Android Wear watches but they've all missed in some capacity in my opinion. Flat-tire display, or stupidly fat bezel, or absurdly massive (sorry, I don't have giant-proportion hands and wrists). I want the round face that is coupled with a sleeker look, and no damned flat-tire display!

I'd love the functionality but I'm still waiting for what I consider "perfect." Obviously not absolutely perfect, but checks all the marks that I want in a smart watch/watch. Stylish, functional with my phone, and also functional without a phone, especially for exercise.

I might end up accepting a dedicated sports-specific watch alongside a general daily wear watch. I love the idea of a GPS-enabled watch with built-in memory and BT to allow wireless headphones and music playing while tracking my run. I still use the original MotoACTV for that very purpose, because nothing better has come along IMHO. It's a hideous smart watch but dammit it gets done what others fail to offer. I refuse to run with a phone strapped to my arm dammit, this is the modern day, this is what smart watches are for!

 

[ControlD]

I'm with you on the looks. And agree on the functionality.

It does look great, based on certain metrics. If you focus on the typical "smart watch" category, it is very well designed and blends well as a wrist fashion accessory. It looks relatively natural on the wrist as a watch-type accessory. But at the same time, it doesn't remotely look like a watch. It looks natural and "smooth" in some weird sense, but equally alien. I never liked rectangular watches, ever. I love the round-face Android Wear watches but they've all missed in some capacity in my opinion. Flat-tire display, or stupidly fat bezel, or absurdly massive (sorry, I don't have giant-proportion hands and wrists). I want the round face that is coupled with a sleeker look, and no damned flat-tire display!

I'd love the functionality but I'm still waiting for what I consider "perfect." Obviously not absolutely perfect, but checks all the marks that I want in a smart watch/watch. Stylish, functional with my phone, and also functional without a phone, especially for exercise.

I might end up accepting a dedicated sports-specific watch alongside a general daily wear watch. I love the idea of a GPS-enabled watch with built-in memory and BT to allow wireless headphones and music playing while tracking my run. I still use the original MotoACTV for that very purpose, because nothing better has come along IMHO. It's a hideous smart watch but dammit it gets done what others fail to offer. I refuse to run with a phone strapped to my arm dammit, this is the modern day, this is what smart watches are for!

The Gear S2 seems to fit most of your requirements. It looks like a watch, has no "spare tire" effect, has onboard GPS and storage for music. You can pair BT headphones to it as well.

A bonus is that is also functions well as a smart watch.

That being said, I still use my Garmin Forerunner as an exercise device.

 

[Kaido]

I just saw my first "live" Apple Watch yesterday...my friend has a black first-gen model with a black wristband. I was actually surprised at how small it was because the Samsung watches are huuuuuuuge! I actually really liked the minimalism.

Still on the fence on weather I'm going to get one or not, but the Fitbit Charge 2 is the top contender right now, and at $149, does everything I need. I hate being so practical about technology lol.

 

[Red Storm]

Does the Series 2 have an always on display? I don't remember any mention of it but there's no way Apple wouldn't have figured out how to add that in by now? My LG G Watch had an always on display and still had two days of battery life.

 

[destrekor]

I just saw my first "live" Apple Watch yesterday...my friend has a black first-gen model with a black wristband. I was actually surprised at how small it was because the Samsung watches are huuuuuuuge! I actually really liked the minimalism.

Still on the fence on weather I'm going to get one or not, but the Fitbit Charge 2 is the top contender right now, and at $149, does everything I need. I hate being so practical about technology lol.

Yeah that's how I figured out they actually look pretty damn good on the wrist. I know someone who always wears one, and it looks great for a smartwatch.

 

[TheStu]

Does the Series 2 have an always on display? I don't remember any mention of it but there's no way Apple wouldn't have figured out how to add that in by now? My LG G Watch had an always on display and still had two days of battery life.

From what I have seen, no the Series 2 does not have an always on display.

Based on the ifixit teardowns of both (38mm variant of the Apple Watch):
The G Watch has a larger battery (400mah vs 270mah), no GPS, no wifi, and no health sensors.

Yeah that's how I figured out they actually look pretty damn good on the wrist. I know someone who always wears one, and it looks great for a smartwatch.

I certainly think my stainless steel is pretty sharp looking with the milanese loop.

 

[Red Storm]

From what I have seen, no the Series 2 does not have an always on display.

Based on the ifixit teardowns of both (38mm variant of the Apple Watch):
The G Watch has a larger battery (400mah vs 270mah), no GPS, no wifi, and no health sensors.

It's also two years older, which is an eon in the mobile tech world. I'm just surprised Apple didn't nail that down with their 2nd gen watch, especially since they use OLED displays.

 

[sxr7171]

For always on display I thought only e-ink can do that. I was so excited about Qualcomm mirasol tech but that never materialized.

I believe OLED still needs to be energized to display anything.

As of the look of the device. It's pretty bad imho. The fashion mags will of course say they like it. Why piss off a major sponsor or potential sponsor? All media at this point is really advertising and marketing with very few exceptions. But it's ugly as sin imho.

Round looks better but it also wastes space and I have to admit they went with function over form. Which I agree with. But last year's foray into the high end was ridiculous. Those automatics with umpteen complications are really works of art, at least some of them which are not made from a Chinese made swatch mechanism. They will always have value for what they are. But trying to make a disposable electronic into a $15k heirloom grade product by making the case out of precious metal was ridiculous. I always think when you can't innovate just get into fashion. Exactly what the headphone market is like today with $5k gold plated Quincy jones co branded plastic diaphragms and coils on frames.

I'm glad they returned to function. Now I can take this product seriously again. But I doubt I'll ever buy one as I haven't worn anything on my wrist in ages and it would just be too uncomfortable imho.

 

[Midwayman]

Latest update is still a big "meh" to me. I was really hoping for presistant display and massive battery increase. Watch looks dumb when the display is off. The utility is pretty marginal to me as well. Plus my Omega is way prettier.

 

[Aikouka]

I thought I'd prefer always on, but unless you need to see the watch while it's not on your wrist, it's really not that big of a deal. Essentially, they've got it setup to turn the screen on whenever you turn your wrist toward you. So, the only people that "miss out" are those who want to peer at your watch during meetings to see what time it is... or to be nosey and look at your notifications.

What probably disappoints me is that some of the apps don't provide nearly as much functionality as I'd like. For example, the SmartThings app only provides access to the basic actions not the devices. I don't control my devices based upon those actions (i.e. arriving home), but rather individually. So, the watch app is useless to me.

 

[sxr7171]

Have you tried Simple Control? Formerly Roomie Remote.