Nutech: Apple Watch and wearables in general

I got the apple watch.

Boom.

It's neat.

Here's what I think about it.

So I have two competing reactions to the watch so far.

1. The smart watch category is simply amazing, and I am shocked by how much it changes the way I interact with my phone.
2. The Apple Watch is overpriced for what it does.

Let's start with the negative reaction first.  Because it's shorter.

The Moto 360

I recently got the Moto 360 for a loved one for her birthday.  For those that do not know, this is the Android Wear device that's been out for a little over a year now.  It has basically the same set of features as the Apple Watch, with some notable differences.  Despite having a 33% larger battery than the Apple Watch, the Moto 360 gets a bit less battery life, probably due to the power hungry LCD type screen instead of Apple's OLED display. Additionally, instead of black minimalist UI, you have lots of full screen, full color notifications.

Whether you prefer one UI to the other is largely a matter of preference.  I like the bright colors and pretty imagery of the Android Wear UI, while others might prefer the sophistication and minimalism of the Apple Watch UI.  It's neither here nor there.

What gets me about this device is that it is literally a third of the price of the Apple Watch, despite having basically the same functionality.  And that's where I have an issue.  Admittedly, the Moto 360 is on sale right now, (Seriously, go pick one up before Friday!) so it's not an entirely fair comparison, but the Apple Watch's entry level options are still at least a third more expensive than the competition, and that's for the Apple Watch Sport, which doesn't look nearly as nice as those shiny Android Wear devices.

To charge such a premium, Apple needs to be doing a lot of things way better than the competition, and while I do see a lot of potential, what I've seen so far (in 2 days of use) just isn't enough to justify that premium.  It's definitely managing the battery better, and the things that are there work very reliably, but there's just not enough there to justify the cost over the competitors.  In the fall, when Apple finally releases the Apple Watch SDK, third party app developers should start bringing in amazing stuff, which should do wonders for improving the value proposition, but for now, they're limited to low quality "WatchKit" apps, which have poor performance and limited capabilities.

This is a watch, and frankly, it's just not that special compared to what else is out there.  Seriously, go pick up a Pebble or an Android Wear device if you want to get in on this space at this point in time.  I think you'll be happier with the money you've spent.

Okay.  That's out of the way.  Onto the good stuff!

*tap* *tap* Something is
happening in the world.

It is important to point out that what I'm skeptical about is the *value* of the Apple Watch.  "Is it worth $400+?"  And my answer is no.  But if you want to know whether or not the Apple Watch is awesome, I'm going to say ABSOLUTELY YES.  And I'm even willing to accept the conclusion of Consumer Reports that says that the Apple Watch is simply the best Smart Watch out there.  It's fantastic.  If you want the best, or if you don't mind blowing $400 on something like this, it's an amazing addition to the digital life.

I've only been using it for two days, but so far, the dang thing is helping me chill out and relax.  More than any other feature on the thing, the notifications really free me from my old pattern of constantly checking my phone to see if I've missing anything on social media, or in my email, or whatever.  Despite being in an 8 hour workshop today (on React.js, which is AWESOME!), I barely checked my phone at all.  Compare this with times I've been in a 1 hour meeting and felt the need to glance at my phone 2-3 times throughout the meeting.

The key is that the notifications are very very noticeable on there.  The taptic engine really makes it feel like it's just gently tapping your wrist to let you know that something has happened.  There's enough information on the notifications to quickly determine if what has alerted you is important or unimportant.  Most of the time? It's something I can deal with later, and there's no need to pull out the phone.  In fact, with the watch on, the only time the phone comes out is when I really want to *do* something.  Otherwise, the watch is more than sufficient for quick replies, quick information analysis, etc.

It is *freeing* to experience this.  I don't feel tied to my phone due to the "Fear of Missing Out" like I used to.  I feel comfortable and safe that I can go about my life without obsessively checking to see what might be happening in the world.  The loved one with the Moto 360 above?  Same reaction to her watch.

It's interesting, because one experience I get with it a lot is the desire for the watch to do *more.*  I want to be able to respond to emails, Google Hangouts messages, tweets, and more.  I want to quickly make a move in Words with Friends.  There's something about this interaction that feels like the future of mobile devices.  That more and more of our interactions will be moving to these tiny smartwatch screens, and less and less will be happening on our phones.  Because really, why bother carrying a big ol' phone around with you if you can do all of the same things on the watch.  If you want to do something bigger, like play Angry Birds or compose blog entries, use a phablet/tablet or Mac/PC.

I think even the smartwatch makers aren't quite sure what this category is yet.  They're testing things to see what we might do with these devices.  What we'll be asking for in the next generations of software and hardware.  It's very clear, as I use it, that Apple doesn't quite have the usual foreknowledge of how I will be using the thing.  But that's true of Android Wear as well.

It's a new field.  A new technology.  But mark my words, in 5 years time, everybody is going to have a smartwatch, and they'll be a lot different than what is out today.