Apple Watch Series 2 review: Cementing Apple's position as the smartwatch leader
Apple’s new Apple Watch Series 2 adds a couple of important new features, but does this mean owners of the first Apple Watch should upgrade? And is it also finally time to invest in a smartwatch? Let me tell you how I feel after using it for a week.
By Kenny Yeo -
Note: This article was first published on 20th September 2016.
Straight to the top (almost)
The world's two biggest watch brands, side by side.
Early last year, Apple finally jumped into the smartwatch fray with the Apple Watch. It’s Apple’s first smartwatch and also the company’s first major all-new product since the debut of the iPad in 2010. It’s got a lot on its shoulders and a year on, I think it’s fair to say that it did exceedingly well, despite what some critics may say.
Sure, Apple didn’t sell as many Apple Watches as iPhones, but then the Apple Watch isn’t a phone. Heck, many people these days don’t even wear watches. And the hard facts are these: the Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch by a considerable margin, and it currently enjoys more than 50% market share of the smartwatch market. Perhaps what’s even more impressive is that Apple is now the second biggest watch brand in the world in terms of sales, ahead of other illustrious names such as Omega, Cartier, and Patek Philippe. The only brand ahead of it is Rolex. That is quite an achievement.
Sales aside, it is also a very good smartwatch, arguably the best for any iPhone user. Not everyone is fond of its squarish looks, but there’s no denying its exemplary build quality and the attention to detail Apple paid to its first smartwatch. The strap change system is pure genius and then there’s the sheer multitude of straps to choose from, which will surely delight any fashionista. And when it comes down to it, the Apple Watch had loads of useful functions, too. It could keep you up to date on the latest messages and emails, keep track of your daily activity levels and exercises, help you navigate, and so on.
Say hi to the Apple Watch Series 2. Apple's new and improved smartwatch.
Of course, the Apple Watch isn't perfect. For one, the first-gen Apple Watch's battery life wasn’t great and some apps took a while to load. It wasn’t water-proof, and because it didn’t have a built-in GPS, some runners had no choice but to bring their iPhones along if they wanted to map their exercise routes. Apple took note of all these and made changes. The changes come in two forms: one of which is watchOS 3, a huge software update with new features and performance benefits; and the other is the watch you see here, the Apple Watch Series 2.
Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?
The new Apple Watch Series 2 looks just like the original Apple Watch from last year.
If you were hoping for a round smartwatch from Apple, look away because Apple has stuck to their guns and the Apple Watch Series 2 still has a square design. Admittedly, most people I spoke to prefer a conventional round watch, but I think a square dial suits a smartwatch best as it’s the most natural and efficient way to show text.
In addition, I think Apple has done a stellar job on the case design of the Apple Watch. Even with the display powered down, most people will be able to tell that that is an Apple Watch just by looking at the case. That for me is the mark of a powerful and successful design.
The Apple Watch Series 2 is slightly thicker, but most people won't be able to tell.
Additionally, the new Apple Watch Series 2 doesn’t deviate from its predecessor and is once again available in 38mm and 42mm sizes. The smaller size is supposedly for women, but if you have skinny wrists and prefer the look of smaller watches, don’t let that stop you from opting for the smaller size.
In fact, the new Apple Watch Series 2 is nearly identical in looks save for the slight increase in thickness and different markings on the case back. The new watch is about 0.9mm thicker, but the difference is only noticeable if you have been religiously wearing the first generation Apple Watch. And on the case back, you will spot some new labels, specifically “Series 2” and also “GPS. WR-50M”.
The easiest to tell if its a newer Series 2 watch is to turn it over and look for "Series 2" and "WR-50M".
Same design, so what’s new?
This brings me neatly to what’s arguably the two biggest improvements made to the new Apple Watch Series 2 - water resistance and built-in GPS. The first Apple Watch was only splash resistant, but the new Apple Watch Series 2 is water resistant up to 50 meters. In other words, you can finally wear your Apple smartwatch into the shower and swimming.
The Apple Watch Series 2 can be submerged in shallow waters, but for snorkeling or scuba diving, you'll need a proper dive watch.
Making a watch water resistant to 50 meters is no mean feat, especially in a smartwatch that has so many ingress points. But generally, these points can be overcome using gaskets and adhesives. However, Apple pointed out that the tricky bit is the speaker as it requires air to produce sound. And if air can get in, so can water. As a result, Apple had to reengineer the speaker in the new Series 2 watch such that it generates vibrations to eject water out of its enclosure.
Since the Apple Watch Series 2 can now be used for swimming, it naturally has additional workout modes for its Workout app. Depending on where users are swimming, they can now choose between Pool Swim and Open Water Swim. What’s interesting about these new swimming modes is that Apple says it has developed algorithms to accurately track swimming activities by testing on over 700 different swimmers of varying abilities.
The other big news is the inclusion of a built-in GPS. The first Apple Watch did not have GPS capability, so for users who wanted their exercise routes to be mapped, they had to bring their iPhones along, which can be cumbersome. Now, the Apple Watch Series 2 will use a combination of its built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and locally stored satellite data to quickly identify your location and map your workouts. And once you are done, you can see your route in the Activity app.
The Apple Watch Series 2's display is brighter and looks more vivid. It's also easier to read in bright sunlight.
Water resistance and built-in GPS aside, another two hardware improvements worth mentioning are the new S2 dual-core processor and brighter display. The new S2 processor is said to be 50% faster and offers two times better graphics performance. And indeed, the Apple Watch Series 2 does feel more fluid and responsive as compared to the first generation Apple Watch, even if the latter has been upgraded to watchOS 3.
WatchOS 3 was announced at WWDC 2016 a couple of months ago and it features a thoroughly revamped user interface and makes everything feel faster and logical. One of the most significant changes to watchOS 3 is that the side button now launches the Dock that shows recently used and running apps. These apps are kept in memory and launch instantaneously. You can find out more about watchOS 3’s new features here.
watchOS 3 adds lots of new features to Apple's smartwatches. For example, the Messages is more full featured and allows users to use quick responses using Tapback or even send handwritten messages.
The display on the Apple Watch Series 2 is also significantly brighter. Apple says its brightness is rated at 1,000 nits, which makes it more than twice as bright as its predecessor and also the brightest display on any Apple device ever. Though the brighter display improves legibility in most circumstances, it can still be hard to read the Apple Watch Series 2 especially since the sun can be extremely harsh in Singapore.
Apple has also changed the nomenclature of the watches. In the past, there used to be the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport, the latter had aluminum cases and were targeted explicitly at sports users. Now, there’s just the Apple Watch Series 2, and it encompasses models with aluminum and stainless steel cases. Also gone are watches with gold cases. The Apple Watch Edition still lives, but there is only a single variant now that comes with a striking white ceramic case.
Want some luxury to go with your Apple Watch Series 2 watches? Then you'll have to go for the Apple Watch Hermès models.
Fans of luxury house Hermés will be happy to know that their collaboration will continue and that there’ll be no less than 7 different variants of the Apple Watch Hermès. These watches will come with unique Hermès watch faces and Hermès straps.
Fans of Nike will have to wait a little longer for the Apple Watch Nike+ watches. They will be available only later in October.
Finally, there’s the Apple Watch Nike+, which is basically Apple Watch Series 2, but with aluminum cases and special perforated Nike Sport bands. In addition, the Nike+ models will have custom Nike watch faces and will also come preloaded with the Nike+ Run Club app, a special app designed to help runners stay motivated.
On the wrist and using the new features
The Apple Watch Series 2 wears comfortably on the wrist, and has great wrist presence thanks to its strong design and bright display.
The model I wore for this review has a space gray aluminum case and comes with a matching black woven nylon strap. The crystal protecting the display isn’t sapphire, but rather something Apple calls “Ion-X glass”. Sapphire crystal is only available on the models with stainless steel cases and the new ceramic Apple Watch Edition Series 2. That said, I didn’t have any problems with scratches. But perhaps more importantly for readers who don’t like the feeling of wearing something heavy on the wrist, the models with aluminum cases are nearly just half the weight of the stainless steel models and therefore extremely comfortable to wear, especially when paired with Apple’s excellent and super comfy fluoroelastomer (rubber) sport bands.
Speaking of sport bands, the new Apple Watch Series 2 has the same super easy to use strap change system as the first Apple Watch. This also means that if you have built up a sizable collection of Apple Watch straps, you can use them all with this new watch. And don't think changing straps is superfluous either. A simple strap swap can change the look and feel of the watch. Put on the sport band and the Apple Watch is sporty, but put on the bracelet or leather band, and the watch suddenly becomes a lot more dressier and grown up.
It's so easy to change straps on an Apple Watch.
And when it comes to changing straps and resizing bracelets, Apple has the entire industry beat, and I’m talking about all watches period. Few watches have a strap changing system that's so easy to use, although Vacheron Constantin’s new Overseas Ulra-thin come close, but then that’s a $30,000 watch…
But more important is that the Apple Watch Series 2 is now a true wear every day, do anything watch. In the past, I had to be conscious about getting the watch wet, and so I had to remove it whenever I had to do chores around the house. Let’s face it, even though it's splash resistant, would you want to risk damaging a S$500+ watch? And this was one of the reasons that I stopped wearing the watch around at home, even though I liked that it tracked my activities. The hassle of having to remove it whenever I got near water was too much to bear. With the Apple Watch Series 2, I can just get on with whatever it is I want to do without a care in the world.
Also useful is the built-in GPS. In the past, if you wanted your exercise route to be logged, you had to bring your iPhone along, which is terribly cumbersome, especially if your iPhone is the larger 5.5-inch Plus model. Now, I could just head out with my watch alone, turn on the Workout app and start my exercise, and then review it later on the Activity app on my iPhone. This makes the watch much more useful as an activity and exercise tracking tool, and also means that the Apple Watch Series 2 can now hold its own against the likes of Fitbit, Garmin, and Polar.
There's no indication whether or not the watch's GPS is working, you just have to trust that it is.
The built-in GPS seems accurate too. But one thing that can be disconcerting to some users is how there’s no indication if the built-in GPS is actually working. Unlike some other GPS sports watches, the Apple Watch Series 2 doesn’t tell you that it’s searching for a GPS or that it has a GPS signal locked on - you just have to trust it to do its stuff. According to Apple, the GPS starts working the moment you launch the Workout app, And if you begin exercising before a GPS signal is acquired, the watch will rely on data from its other sensors. So far, I have not had the GPS fail on me.
However, the integration of GPS into the Activity app isn’t as full-fledged and detailed as its competitors. Polar, for example, plots your heart rate and even speed against time and location, offering a deeper understanding and analysis of your workout. Apple, on the other hand, only maps your route and shows a color-coded route map of your speed. Fortunately, this problem can be augmented by using third-party apps on your Apple Watch. The Polar Beat app is available on the Apple Watch, allowing Apple Watch users to tap into the detailed analysis of Polar’s running app. The only catch is that the Beat app demands that runners use Polar’s own chest-strap heart rate sensor for heart rate data instead of the Apple Watch's built-in heart rate sensor.
Now, you don't need to take iPhone with you if you want to map your exercise route.
There are also some strange limitations with the Apple Watch Series 2's GPS. Most curiously, it doesn't track your elevations, so it's probably not ideal for hiking outdoors. For elevation tracking, you are still going to need your phone.
Should I get one?
The TLDR version: I find it hard to answer this question mainly because the decision to wear a watch is a very personal one. But the short version is this: yes, if you wear a watch habitually, have some money to spend, and you're already heavily invested into Apple's ecosystem, then new Apple Watch Series 2 will be a great companion device. It’s easily the best for iPhone users and one of the best in the market today. And I highly recommend it.
I like Apple's new smartwatch very much, but that doesn't mean everyone else will too.
Now, the long, long version:
If you are already an owner of an Apple Watch and find it an indispensable part of your life, then there’s much to love about the new Apple Watch Series 2, simply because the Apple Watch Series 2 is a much more capable watch. It’s faster, has a nicer looking display, and is water resistant and has a built-in GPS. Not only is it a better health and sports watch, it's a daily beater that you can wear every day and to any where. Even if you don’t go swimming or do much sports, I think most users will appreciate the tougher nature of the Apple Watch Series 2 and its speedier performance.
WatchOS 3 is a major software rethink for the Apple Watch, and it feels like Apple finally nailed the software side of things. It's a big reason why the Apple Watch Series 2 feels so much better to use and runs so smoothy, and it works well on first generation Apple Watches, too. Once you have it installed, it feels as if you have gotten a new watch. It won’t feel quite as fluid as the new Series 2 watch, but it definitely feels speedier.
WatchOS 3 also integrates better with Apple’s other operating systems, which makes the Apple Watch Series 2 very appealing for those who are already invested in the Apple ecosystem. For example, with watchOS 3, users can use their Apple Watches to unlock their Mac desktops or notebooks. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I found it to be really useful because I often leave my Mac for extended periods to run tests on other devices I’m reviewing; and when I return, the Watch will unlock my Mac without me having to type in my long password.
The watch buzzes violently to let me know I need to make a turn.
I also have an in-car multimedia receiver that supports CarPlay, so I like to use my Apple Watch Series 2 to get directions to my destination before I step into the car. And when I’m on the go, the watch also buzzes me to let me know of direction changes. Admittedly, these are small little things, but they all add up to give the Apple Watch a lot of utility. As the saying goes, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
That said, the Apple Watch Series 2 still isn't perfect. Even though it’s more independent and has more apps that can run natively, it’s still reliant on your iPhone for a lot of things. For example, the XE currency converter Apple Watch app that I often use while traveling still needs the iPhone to be able to get the latest exchange rates. The same goes for weather updates and sports updates. And that will only be solved when the Apple Watch gains cellular data capability (hopefully in Series 3).
Battery life hasn’t changed much either. In my experience, I found that while the new watch has more in its reserves after a day, I still need to charge it at night; otherwise it won't have enough juice to last the next day. Considering that many of its rivals have battery life that are counted in days, it's clear that Apple still has some work to do here.
With GPS tracking enabled, battery life takes an even bigger hit. With GPS on, Apple says the Apple Watch Series 2 will run for about 5 hours, which is long enough for most casual users, but for extreme athletes who run longer and farther, it’s worth knowing that dedicated GPS sports watches like the Polar V800 and Garmin Forerunner 735XT can last over 12 hours. The Garmin can even do simple notifications, like a typical smartwatch.
Despite the foibles, I still think that the Apple Watch Series 2 is the best smartwatch for iPhone users, and easily one of the best smartwatches, period. But with prices beginning at S$598, the Apple Watch Series 2 is, like most Apple products, a premium device.
The Apple Watch Series 2 costs about the same as most high-end multi-function Casio G-Shock watches, but I would argue that it offers more utility and practicality.
That said, if you actually think about it, it isn’t so bad. High-end GPS running watches like the aforementioned Polar V800 and Garmin Forerunner are costlier, and a multi-function Casio G-Shock watch with multiple sensors and atomic timekeeping cability like the Gravitymaster and Mudmaster will cost just about as much or more as well. So for the same money, one could argue that the Apple Watch Series 2 offers more in terms of features and usability.
But if you think S$598 is a bit much, Apple also has the Apple Watch Series 1, which is the same watch as the original Apple Watch from last year (so no water resistance or built-in GPS), but upgraded with the new dual-core processor found in the Series 2 watch. Prices begin at S$398 and that’s pretty great value for the money when you consider it can do just about everything the Series 2 can - minus going into the water and logging your exercise routes.
Apple also doesn’t think that the smartwatch can or will replace your phone. Instead, it has focused on refining the Watch so that it will give people greater incentive to wear it. It wants the Apple Watch to play a greater role in people’s lives, and the Apple Watch Series 2 finally has what it takes to do that well.
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