14 DAY TRIAL // I don't remember exactly the last time I bought a watch. It was probably around 2006. Back then the iPhone was not out yet. The watch I got was a smart one - the Swatch Paparazzi. I had news notifications (via MSN), different watch faces and even an Outlook integration.
But the device itself was bulky, the battery did not last too long and the charger connector was prone to get broken. And it did. Less than an year later!
I also had to remove it from my hand whenever I was on the computer because it was heavy and too bulky.
That was my first and probably last experience with a smart watch. Not because I don't like wearing a watch, but because that was not the device I needed.
Looking back
Let's rewind back to 2002. That's when I got a Nokia 6310i mobile phone. The WAP connectivity of that phone gave me the news in a mobile package and I didn't have to carry my laptop everywhere. Besides that, the phone had the time on the lock screen and I was able to use that as a watch, too. So one day I left my watch at home and never put it on my wrist again.
The purpose of a watch for me is to show the time and something extra. I'm not wearing any jewelry whatsoever and I can't even get used to wearing my wedding ring. So having something on my wrist needs to bring more than just the time.
The phone as a watch
When I need to check the time, I just pull out my iPhone and look at it. I have a wall clock in almost every room in my house, in the car, and I can always see the time on my computer or on TV. Even my thermostat shows the time, just in case my phone is not around.
Time-related reminders and calendar entries are all done via the computer and synced to my iPhone. I use Wunderlist, Calendar and the Alarm feature on my iPhone and Mac to schedule everything. For a quick reminder I ask Siri for help. It's a matter of what I have with me and how fast I can do more with time-related tasks. A watch can give me the time, but it won't schedule anything for me or set a reminder to do something in 30 minutes.
The Apple Watch brings the phone to the wrist
Sure enough, the Apple Watch will bring some of that functionality to my wrist. You can use corresponding apps to schedule tasks. We know for sure that apps like Clear or Wunderlist will have something that works on the Watch.
We also know that fitness trackers will be available as apps since day one so anyone wearing an Apple Watch will be able to use it for just about anything you can think of.
No matter what others say, this is an extraordinary piece of design and it gets the job done. It is the first major product category release after the iPad and the first one since Steve Jobs is not around.
Back in the picture
So what's going to take to see the Apple Watch on my wrist? So far I still want to see a good reason for that so let me take a look at the size, battery and price model.
Size. The Apple Watch is big and bulky. Having something heavy on my wrist after years of wearing nothing takes a while to get used to. Sure enough it comes in two sizes. However, the smaller one would have a smaller screen and an inferior battery life. The size problem will not be solved in the first-generation Apple Watch.
Battery. Well, that's my main issue. Tim Cook led us to believe that the Apple Watch will have a full day of battery life. You just need to place it on the magnetic charger at night and take it with you the next morning. What if you work nights or forget the charger at home while you are away? Why would you buy a secondary charger for the watch? It would be nice to charge it in the car, but that defeats the purpose of having a watch if you need to remember to leave it in a cradle.
Price. A starting price point of $350 (€308) is pretty steep. I know this is just a drop in the bucket for (luxury) watch enthusiasts and even for modern-day smartwatch users. Considering this would arguably be the best smartwatch around, $350 is a good price. Maybe Apple will change their mind and lower it to $299 or you can get a package with a new iPhone and see the watch price reduced by half.
Even then, the entry point for something that is only good for a year is high. I don't think Apple fans that will get it in April will be happy to pay the same for the second-generation watch in 2016.
And $350 is only the beginning. Buy an extra bracelet or a different color and the price goes up. Get the gold Edition one and cough up $10,000 (€8800) for it. It's not like this is going to replace the Rolex you get on graduation day and you pass it on to your grandson in 40 years’ time. Your grandson is probably going to be happy to see an old relic like the first-generation Apple watch, but the battery will be long gone and the technology will feel ridiculously antiquated.
The Apple Watch would be a nice gadget to have around. But only after Apple will solve the battery problem, shave some of that bulk and lower the price.