Note: This opinion piece was first published on 28th December 2017.
Consider this a three-year review. I’ve been there from the Apple Watch since it was first unveiled, from attending the keynote in Cupertino to wearing every iteration of the Watch’s three generations.
In that time, I’ve completely changed my mind about the Watch. In 2015, I dismissed the Watch, but today, it’s a device that I’m loath to part with. What’s changed?
The Watch is faster and more user-friendly now
The first Watch was too slow to run apps. Photo: Ng Chong Seng.
Speed and usability, for one thing. The first Watch was a public beta more than anything, a curio for adventurous early adopters. It was too sluggish for everyday use, and launching apps was an exercise in patience. watchOS versions 1 and 2 were young and still trying to define themselves.
The foundations, however, were there for Apple to build on. The Watch was a good size and shape, and the craftsmanship was impressive for a mass manufactured product. The strap change system was genius.
Despite my reservations, the market seemed to like it. By the end of the first Watch’s run, Apple dominated more than half of the global smartwatch market, and had become the number two watch brand in the world when it came to sales — leapfrogging established names like Omega and Patek Philippe.
Watch Series 2 was when it started to make sense
With its faster processor, Watch Series 2 started to make more sense. Photo: Kenny Yeo.
But for skeptics like me, the Watch Series 2 with watchOS 3 was the first Watch I could comfortably recommend. Arriving a year and a half after the original, the new dual-core SP2 system-on-chip was finally responsive, and could confidently run apps without choking.
This year’s Series 3 has all but cemented the Watch’s place in my life. The Watch is fast enough to do everything I wish, and I’ve grown used to it as a solver of minor inconveniences.
For one, I love the assurance and quietude of taptic notifications. It’s a relief to know that I won’t miss phone calls and messages, even if my iPhone is tucked away in a corner. It’s also a joy to have the iPhone on silent and still know when my notifications come in. Granted, it can be a chore when my chatterbox friends open a messaging floodgate, but I still prefer gentle taps on the wrist to a constantly pinging phone.
The Watch’s heart rate monitor can literally be a life-saver
The Watch has also become a health advisor, of sorts. I’ve come to enjoy closing my activity rings for the day — it appeals to the OCD in me. I’ve also entrusted the Watch to remind me to stand every hour (sitting too long has been considered the new smoking). watchOS 4 is smarter at notifying me when to move more (before dinner) and what to do (a brisk six-minute walk) to help me get my rings in before the day.
And of course, I’ve enabled the new feature that notifies you if you’re having abnormally high heart rates when sedentary. I may not have been positive about the Watch’s slow start, but I’ve always been bullish about its potential for health monitoring.
That potential is already being realized; in October, James Green’s Apple Watch warned him of an abnormally high heart rate, which caused him to see a doctor. It turned out to be a pulmonary embolism that his doctor said would have become fatal had he not reported it.
It’s for these reasons that I’ve changed my mind about the Apple Watch, and have come to enjoy wearing it everyday instead of scratching my head over its raison d'être. If I had to give it up, I’d seriously miss the ways it reduces everyday friction in my life and helps monitor my health.
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