Every new product, specifically a tech product, always goes under a lot of scrutiny when finally released to the public. The Apple Watch was not just a product that was released to an unsuspecting public, but it has years of rumors and a lot of hype when Tim Cook finally announced it.
According to Engadget, most of the reviews average at about 7-9 out of 10, now most of us would think that these numbers are pretty high, like at a A to C level if they were on a report card. The tech website likes it, calling it “a status symbol for iOS devotees”. They definitely raved on the sheer beauty of it, as well as how it works as a fitness band.
CNET considers “the most ambitious well-constructed smartwatch ever seen”, which brings up the question of whether or not Apple can make the smartwatch go mainstream.
The Wall Street Journal echos CNET when it says the “smartwatch finally makes sense”. They put it into perspective as this Watch is made to save you time, and the computer in it is made for just such a purpose and does it well. Of course, there is a little bit of a learning curve as you will need to understand what the tiny pokes on your wrist are, but it is easily learned within an hour or two.
The New York Times has given the watch one of the lower reviews at a 7, but it says that it has a “steep learning curve”. The reviewer manages to get it to work after day 4, and describes it as “a natural extension of my body”.
One of the praises of the Apple Watch is that the setup is simple, as spoken by Digital Trends. It is easy to just pair the Apple Watch with the Apple iPhone by touching them to each other.
What have seen on Mashable is a sentiment that I have seen on many reviews of the Apple Watch. That is, it has good craftsmanship. I have said several times on this blog that smartwatches don’t fit into a “classy” category. Smartwatches aren’t really at the same level as Rolex and Omega timepieces, but I think the Apple Watch is going to really set a new standard as far as that is concerned.
With all the positive reviews, there are some people who are very critical of the apps, particularly the third-party ones. Others say that the notifications are constantly apparent, which means that you’ll be checking your iPhone constantly with this.
The worst thing that could be heard was when someone stated that to use the watch, it takes two hands. Oooo….was not the purpose of the Apple Watch a way to use your iPhone in a way that is even simpler than just getting out and using it?
Now, there is one thought from a reviewer that I found very interesting. It is the Wall Street Journal, Joanna Stern, who states that she will tell her friends to wait until next year to buy an Apple Watch. Of course, they said the same thing about the first generation of the iPhone and iPad, and I honestly don’t think you can even use these anymore.
Still, it is pretty clear that the Apple Watch is here, and that means that everyone who is making smartwatches will always be comparing their products to this. That means that they will be trying to avoid its aesthetic of it, just so they don’t look like Johnny-come-lately’s. I think that on the whole, the Apple Watch will be looked at as “the one that started it all”, even though it didn’t.