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Apple Watch: Who's getting one? (Page 14)
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Phileas
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May 19, 2015, 07:55 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
Well, when it doesn't work as well as a regular watch in some instances, it kind of falls on its face.
I think that's a bit harsh. I own several Android watches, as well as the original Pebble. I also own a few old school mechanical watches that were... considerably more expensive than the Apple watch, so for me, it wasn't overpriced.

Maybe instead of saying that the Apple watch works best when it doesn't do much, I should have said it works best when it works discreetly in the background.

After a week of wearing it, it has been the first smart watch that has proven itself to be useful and that's mostly due to the fact that my interactions with it are extremely non-invasive. Meeting coming up? A tap. Weather check in the morning? A quick alert.

It's a weird combination - I don't use the watch a lot, but I do find it useful the same way I find my assistant at work useful. I don't have to worry about him either to do his work, it'll be there when I need it.

Having said that, I found that I don't wear it during the weekend. We've just been away for the long weekend, taking the Airstream out for the first time this year, and for that I always take my beaten up Timex its me.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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May 19, 2015, 08:51 AM
 
I didn't say it's overpriced, though an argument can be made that the steel versions are, I'm saying that without a good ambient mode (as present with Android watches) it's an annoying thing to wear sometimes. I had this discussion with my wife several days ago:
"There's nothing wrong with the Watch!"
"Oh yeah, what time is it?"
She looks down, notices it's off, then shakes it a little. "It's 8:15."
"Could you tell me without giving it a flip?"
"Well, I could poke it with my finger."
"To me, that's annoying as hell."
*grumble* *mutter*
"Do you charge it every night?"
"Yes."
"I don't have to charge my LG every day, in fact, I get 3 days out of it before needing a charge."
"But I love it and it's made by Apple."
"That's great, I'm glad you love it," (especially since it cost $17,000) "... but that isn't enough for me to love it."

All those things you mentioned can be done with Android Wear, working discreetly in the background, in fact with the new wifi update I can wander 3x farther from my phone, without losing connection, so it's even more practical now.
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ShortcutToMoncton
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May 19, 2015, 10:14 AM
 
Yes, the screen-off mode would drive me batty
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Spheric Harlot
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May 19, 2015, 01:19 PM
 
I think the issue, apart from battery life, is OLED lifespan.

Best I could find, "experimental" blue OLEDs were rated at up to 62,000 hours lifespan. That's 7 years of always-on before you definitely need a new display.

Not acceptable for a timepiece.
     
Phileas
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May 19, 2015, 03:55 PM
 
I've got the LG Urbane here in the office, with the Moto watch and several others. The battery life of the LG is less, with my use, than that of the Apple watch - and it's huge. To quote The Verge review o the LG: "this is a cheap-looking watch trying to pretend that it’s an expensive watch. It’s not fake-Rolex levels of low-brow ostentation, but it’s in the ballpark."
The always on screen of the LG is garish in the extreme - there needs to be a happy middle ground.

After the first couple of "play and fiddle" days, eating battery, I am now at three days of battery life for the Apple watch, better to the day and a bit that the LG manages. The Moto watch craps out every night around 7, the Pebble lasts for over a week.

The lack of glancability is annoying, but even the Android fan sites are making the point that Apple has managed to create a device with a better screen and more advanced tech than any of the available alternatives.
     
MacinTommy  (op)
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May 19, 2015, 05:44 PM
 
FYI, 1.0.1 update is out for the Apple Watch.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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May 19, 2015, 09:15 PM
 
"Glanceability" is a great term. The thing is for me - if I have to shake or touch it, then I might as well pull out the cell phone and then I can also check my emails etc.

The fact that it doesn't do as well as a watch the the one thing it really should be best at, means I'm just not interested.
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Cap'n Tightpants
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May 19, 2015, 10:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phileas View Post
I've got the LG Urbane here in the office, with the Moto watch and several others. The battery life of the LG is less, with my use, than that of the Apple watch - and it's huge. To quote The Verge review o the LG: "this is a cheap-looking watch trying to pretend that it’s an expensive watch. It’s not fake-Rolex levels of low-brow ostentation, but it’s in the ballpark."
The always on screen of the LG is garish in the extreme - there needs to be a happy middle ground.

After the first couple of "play and fiddle" days, eating battery, I am now at three days of battery life for the Apple watch, better to the day and a bit that the LG manages. The Moto watch craps out every night around 7, the Pebble lasts for over a week.

The lack of glancability is annoying, but even the Android fan sites are making the point that Apple has managed to create a device with a better screen and more advanced tech than any of the available alternatives.
I have a very streamlined power profile for Android Wear, while still getting my notifications, and I don't use the LG faces, which also saves huge amounts of battery (one thing is I use a basic always-on ambient face for time and turn off flip activation). My Watch is nowhere near as battery-robust as the my G Watch Urbane (I have the silver non-LTE); 1.5 days for Apple, 3 days for LG. And I don't think the screen is any better than the Urbane's, at all. If anything, the sapphire crystal harms the Watch's brightness, IMO.
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Phileas
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May 19, 2015, 10:43 PM
 
I think one common denominator is that they all still suck to some degree or another.

Where Apple shines, as they should, is the industrial design. All the other watches out there look like shit, without exception. Apple's offering is better than the rest, but nowhere near as beautiful as the antique Omega my wife gave me as a wedding present. Too thick, too heavy, too intrusive, too demanding on the user. Yes, the Milanese band is gorgeous, but I have an equally beautiful version on my 1952 Oris. Not much in the way of innovation there.

Give this five years and I think we'll have something worthwhile - assuming the watch metaphor proves to have any longevity to start with.
     
OAW
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May 19, 2015, 10:46 PM
 
^^^

It looks better than the rest for sure. Am I the only one who thinks the Apple Watch is too thick?

OAW
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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May 19, 2015, 11:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phileas View Post
Where Apple shines, as they should, is the industrial design. All the other watches out there look like shit, without exception.
Very subjective, I don't particularly like square watches, for instance, and feel the Watch looks a touch too feminine. While the Urbane is ugly in gold, in silver it's not bad at all in person (especially with a nicer leather strap/buckle setup).
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
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Phileas
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May 20, 2015, 07:04 AM
 
Of course - watches are intensely personal items to start with. For some $50 is all they would ever spend on a watch, others dont think anything about dropping a couple of thousand.

Personally I think the LG is ugly as sin, and almost comically huge, but others might enjoy that look - as The Verge said, a cheap watch trying to look expensive.
The Apple watch definitely has an androgynous, 60's retro feel to it but I'm a big boy, secure in his sexuality, so I don't mind*.

*Not suggesting that you do
( Last edited by Phileas; May 20, 2015 at 08:39 AM. )
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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May 20, 2015, 07:57 PM
 
Well, considering I was bi-curious for a chunk of my life, it's safe to say that I've worked out any questions regarding my sexuality.
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nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
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osiris
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May 21, 2015, 08:50 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
Very subjective, I don't particularly like square watches, for instance, and feel the Watch looks a touch too feminine. While the Urbane is ugly in gold, in silver it's not bad at all in person (especially with a nicer leather strap/buckle setup).
The Urbane isn't too bad - silver is nice. It's more watchy looking than Apple's, for sure.
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subego
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May 21, 2015, 09:55 AM
 
Here's a silly question... is a computer required?

My ex has a dead MBA right now.
     
MacinTommy  (op)
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May 21, 2015, 10:51 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Here's a silly question... is a computer required?

My ex has a dead MBA right now.
No computer required. Just an iPhone (5-6) with the most recent iOS.
     
subego
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May 21, 2015, 10:58 AM
 
Wonderful! Thanks!
     
OreoCookie
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May 21, 2015, 12:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
It looks better than the rest for sure. Am I the only one who thinks the Apple Watch is too thick?
Size with traditional watches is a matter of taste, sort of like with cars. The (mechanical) watch I wear every day has a 39 mm case, but it is also available in 36.5 mm and 42 mm. Ditto for thickness.
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MacinTommy  (op)
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Jun 2, 2015, 11:18 AM
 
So what's on everybody's wish list for the next software update?

Something I want that is minor is add a few more complications to the "solar" face. It's one of my favorite faces but I would like it to show weather (currently shows where the sun is, time and date only).

I wouldn't mind seeing a few more faces in general being added.

I recently bought a sport band (currently have classic leather buckle) and love it!
     
 
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