It's been almost six months since the official launch of the Apple Watch and we wanted to commemorate the occasion. We thought it would be appropriate to do so by sharing how the watch has helped us in our everyday lives both when working in business and relaxing at home as well as the things it leaves to be desired in future generations.
Simplicity
We love how simple to it is to use the Apple Watch. Like most of Apple's other devices, most people can pick it up and within minutes have a strong grasp on how to use the watch effectively. Some of our team members occasionally have trouble keeping track of their iPhones. With the watch, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and quickly tap a button that pings your iPhone. Similar to how you can sign into iCloud and play a sound from your iPhone when you've lost it, this feature is now available from the convenience of your wrist.
Integration
When the Watch first launched, apps never ran directly on your wrist. They were located on your phone and then connected to your watch via bluetooth. With the introduction of Watch OS 2, apps can now be native to the watch and not always rely on a bluetooth connection with your iPhone. As of right now, there is still something to be desired as far as the integrations go between the watch and iPhone. We've come to expect so much of our iPhones and we can't wait for the watch to be on the same level. We have plenty of confidence that it will get there, but it's far from perfect.
Priority
One of the best features about the Apple Watch is the ability to customize your notifications. For those of us on the run with work, family, and managing the balance between them, life offers too many distractions to keep us from the things that matter most. With the Apple Watch, we don't always have to pull our phones out of our pockets to see if we missed a call, a text, or an email and then inevitably get sucked into the black hole of the internet or social media updates. With the watch, you can ensure that you don't miss any important text, phone calls, or emails while retaining the ability to ignore the distractions offered by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the most recent sports scores.
One of the added bonuses here is that if you're in meetings all day, you don't have to be the person constantly pulling out their phone and checking to make sure all is well. Instead you can leave the phone in your pocket and trust that your watch will tap you when there's something important you need to know. It may sound trivial, but how often during a conversation do you get turned off by the other person pulling out their phone to text someone else while they're supposed to be talking to you? With the watch, you can take a quick glance (like you're checking the time) and then move on with your conversation
Quickness
To be brutally honest, the Apple Watch is a little slow by our standards. We love the device, but with how quick and snappy the new iPhones are, the watch is lethargic in comparison. It does many of the wonderful things we want it to do and we believe these devices will only continue to get better and better, but for now we're left desiring more speed and a quicker performance when loading apps and performing tasks.
Fitness Redefined
Fitness wearables have been around for years. We get it. But having experienced some of those devices in the past, none of them have the overall aesthetic and positive experience of the Apple Watch. Apple has made fitness subtly essential with this device. The watch reminds you to stand up if you haven't in a while, encourages you to get active for at least 30 minutes per day, and gives you a calorie burn goal for the day. At the end of the week, your watch will give you a recap of how many days you reached your goal. If you reached it consistently, your watch will encourage you to increase your goals for the week ahead. These subtle reminders challenge you in ways you wouldn't expect. Some of our team members have started going for brisk walks while on the phone with clients just to help them meet their goals for the day.
Work/Verdict
Any device you own is ultimately subject to how you use it. We love the Apple Watch not only because it is a beautiful device, but because we've made it work for us. By customizing notifications to help optimize our time, learning the special features of the watch, and pushing ourselves physically we've been able to justify the daily use of this device. Watches (especially smart watches) are not for everyone and that's okay, but we've found these devices to be immensely useful in our lives.
Fun fact: You can use your apple watch as a clicker for your keynote presentations.
Got questions about the Apple Watch? Considering buying one and want some advice? We're happy to help! Just leave a comment below!