Why Does The Apple Watch Exist? Because Apple Can….Everything You Really Need To Know!

“Hey, buddy, wanna’ buy a watch?  I have a beautiful 18kt gold Apple Watch I can let you have for maybe $10,000.  Or, how about your basic Apple Watch Sport at only $349?  If you buy it now you can be wearing it by April 24th!

The Apple Watch – starts at $349 to upwards of $10,000 for 18kt Gold

So, like me, you may have been wondering exactly what does the Apple Watch do other than tell time?. What can it do for me that my iPhone 5S can’t do other than being able to wear it on my wrist?  Wait!  I’d be going backwards as I haven’t worn a watch since I retired back in 1999!!  I’m not so sure I’d want to ever wear a watch again as I’m happy with the belt clip I use for my iPhone.  Anyhow……

Do I really want to browse Instagram on a postage stamp display?  No!

Yesterday, when Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced us to the new Dick Tracy device called the Apple Watch he laid out three basic reasons for why we might be tempted to purchase Apple’s “newest thingie”.  The three pillars, according to Cook, are  Timekeeping. Fitness. Communication. Well, yeah, it keeps time of course, but to an incredibly accurate degree - within 50 milliseconds of the definitive global time standard.  I need that, of course. Every millisecond counts in my busy day.

Apple Watch does have attractive Fitness Tracking apps

Fitness is important to everyone and especially so to us retired folks. I really enjoy the Health App features on my iPhone and I don’t see much on the Apple Watch (‘cause the screen is kind of tiny) that I can’t do on my iPhone 5S. The built-in Activity app shows you how many calories you've burned in a day, how much exercise you've gotten, and how much you've stood up. It offers goal-tracking for each.  Other than some fancy new icons there doesn’t appear to be much here that’s all that new. And, oh yeah….you have to have an iPhone to pair with an Apple Watch!  Gotcha!

So, that just leaves communication.  I watched the Apple Event unfold from San Francisco and it was this part that left me the least convinced I need to own an Apple Watch.  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather hold an iPhone to my ear to listen to a phone call rather than walk around trying to twist my arm, elbow and wrist to position the watch close enough to my ear!  Same goes for messaging – sure you can send quick “canned messages” but there’s no way, at least from what I saw, that’s it’s easier or faster than my iPhone.

Like all Apple products the watch is beautifully designed and quality built

The other problem I have with the whole Apple Watch idea is the fact that I already carry my iPhone with me wherever I go. Apple wants me to carry around a second device, their watch, as it piggy-backs off the iPhone’s radio. So, let’s see, if I want to send a message which device would I use?  I’m guessing my iPhone.  If my iPhone and Apple Watch both ring, which device would I use to answer the call?  Again, I’m betting it would be my iPhone. So, what’s the hierarchy relationship between the Apple Watch and iPhone?  Which one do I use and for what? 

Lots of styles and prices to choose from

To me, for now anyway, the Apple Watch is a neat, snazzy-looking timepiece.  If I was in the market for a new watch and was willing to pay up to $500 for one (which I’m not) then I might go for one just for the novelty.  For now though, I’m going to wait for the Apple Watch 2, 3 or 4 and until this device actually offers something new and unique that I can’t do using my iPhone.  Having said all this do I think the Apple Watch will be a success?  Hmmm…..yes I do!

Thanks for visiting!