The long awaited Apple Watch.

While many continue to wait… as a “Late Comer” to the realm of Smart Watches, Apple’s introduction remains mired in the fog of supply shortages, brand bashing, criticism and praise. One fact however is undeniably clear – the launch of the Apple Watch has been an undisputed success. More units sold in the first weekend than other Smart Watches sold the entire year before the Apple Watch’s arrival – with the majority of its buyers having never even held one in their hands. I was among these that placed the order in the first minute(s) of availability hoping to receive on launch day Apple’s first entry in the wearable market.

Well I’ve been wearing my Watch for almost a month now and people continue to ask me if it lives up to all the hype. While I admit it may not (yet) be a must-have device for most, many like me may quickly appreciate its style, usefulness, and clear potential to do more.

After being long accustomed to navigating an iPhone, the Apple Watch interface can at first feel seemingly unnatural – but the learning curve isn’t steep. In fact, setup is extremely easy and once you quickly learn to navigate, personalization is fun and intuitive. The Apple Watch has a more solid level of performance than I expected from a first generation product. But, that’s not to say it doesn’t have its shortcomings.

The Helpy Features:

+ Exceptional Build Quality.

+ Changeable Bands and Watch Faces dramatically change its look and feel.

+ Fitness Features Promote an Active Lifestyle.

+ Taptic notification works as advertised.

+ Apple Pay is secure, quick to access, and easy to use.

+ Microphone works amazingly well.

+ Siri and Dictation works better on the Watch than on the iPhone.

+ Handoff from Watch to iPhone is seamless.

+ Disengages Me from My iPhone.

The Apple Watch’s Shortcomings:

– Costs more than other Smart Watches.

– Requires an iPhone 5 or later (nearby) for higher functions.

– Third party applications are slow and sometimes problematic.

– Speaker is muffled.

– Watch affects the iPhone’s Battery runtime.

– Battery Life of the Watch is good but may not be good enough for some.

Compared to other Smart Watches, the Apple Watch is expensive. However, once I put it on, felt the build quality, and observed its fit and finish, I felt I got what I paid for. Apple’s obsession with perfecting even the most minute details highlights the less inspired design of the competition.

Easy to change bands and customizable Watch Faces help to personalize it to the wearer’s taste and adapt it to suit almost any occasion. I got the Stainless Steel Watch with the Milanese Band and ordered a Black Fluoroelastomer Sport Band so I could dress the watch up or down. These two bands give my one Watch such a distinctly different look and feel that it’s like having two completely different Watches.

Changing Watch Faces adds even more distinctive personality.

Core Functions of the Watch such as Fitness and Heart Rate monitoring are also very polished. They enable me to track my activity, monitor trends, set achievable goals, and accurately monitor my heart rate. Everything that my Nike FuelBand coupled with a Chest Monitor would do are now packed into just one wearable device.

The Taptics, which I assumed would just be gimmicky spin on typical vibrate alerts, do in fact feel like abrupt taps on my wrist. With the chime sounds muted (which I recommend as they can be a distraction for everyone), the Tap Alerts are virtually inaudible. Notifications become discreet and go unnoticed by those around you. It really makes personal alerts more personal.

Apple Pay is easy to set up, quick to access, and cleverly secure. Authentication is carried out through the iPhone Touch ID or Passcode on either the Phone or directly on the Watch. If the watch loses contact with your wrist, everything gets locked out (except the time).

Once you venture beyond the core features and good looks however, Apple Watch’s shortcomings as a Version 1.0 Product begin to emerge. Many of the Apple Watch’s features require a connection to an iPhone 5 or later (via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), and third-party applications are in severe need of improvement. There is huge potential for developers to really make this platform more expansive and useful. Unfortunately, for now, slow load times and poor performance issues make 3rd-party Apps fall short on that delivery.

Fortunately, Apple’s own Apps are very good and do well at showcasing the benefit of having remote access to functions and information on your wrist. Answering Messages and Calls is convenient and just downright fun to do. However, the speaker is muffled so Calls can only be heard well in quiet spaces and Messages can only be replied to through ready made responses, dictation, or voice memos. The Microphone on the other hand, is phenomenal. People I talk to through my Watch report that I sound clearer on it than on my iPhone. The Mic picks up my voice so well in fact that I’ve found (thankfully) that I don’t even need to raise the watch to my face to be heard. The high quality of this Microphone may also be the reason why Siri works far better than than it does on any of my other Apple devices.

There are some things the Apple Watch can do all by itself. It can do Fitness Tracking and Heart Rate Monitoring, Store and Play Music, and handle Apple Pay NFC transactions. This is great because carrying an iPhone 6 Plus around during runs can be… cumbersome.

If Apple eventually allows more Apps to be installed locally, the ability for the Watch to do more on its own could expand. But keep in mind, by design, the Apple Watch is a window into your iPhone. They were made for each other and work seamlessly together.

The constant communication between the two devices however clearly taxes the battery life of both. My iPhone 6 battery runtime since I’ve paired the Watch has been noticeably diminished. The Apple Watch’s battery runtime on the other hand, which may be a deal breaker for some, has actually exceeded my expectations.

The first few days you’ll be playing with it, learning its interface, customizing its settings, and choosing your favorite watch face… constantly. You’ll feel like your cutting it close to the end of Apple’s projected daily battery runtime. But, I can report, if you’re concerned about battery life, don’t be.

Before going to bed, even after those heavy days of use, I still had battery life to spare. Now that I’ve nailed down my alerts, settings, and chosen my favorite watch face (which still changes daily), my Apple Watch engagement is as varied and infrequent as Apple has intended. My battery life now easily stretches into the next day and charging is quick and effortless to do.

Wait… varied and infrequent engagement?!

You may be thinking, why would I want to get a device that’s less engaging than the device I already have? My iPhone can tell me the time, give me messages and alerts, and even track my fitness. You’re right. The iPhone is a versatile and engaging device that can do all these things. That’s the problem. It can be too engaging and often causes what I refer to as “While-I’m-Here Syndrome”.

Example:

You’ve spent more time on your iPhone than you care to admit. So, you promise yourself when an email or notification comes in you’ll reach in your pocket, check it “real-fast“, and put the iPhone back in its place.

Then, you get an alert.

You reach in your pocket and check it.

It may not even be important. But… While-I’m-Here, let me check my Email, and/or Messages, and/or Facebook, and/or Instagram, and why not… the whole Internet…

What should have taken 3 seconds turns into 3 minutes or 30. If this scenario seems familiar, then the Apple Watch may be a great fit.

The Apple Watch’s best feature is how much it can disengage you. It keeps brief interactions brief, notifies you on alerts and information you deem important, and enables you to quickly dismiss or respond without ever reaching for your iPhone to do so. Just as the iPhone freed us from the Computer on our desks by placing mobile computing in our pockets, the Apple Watch may free us from the trappings of our iPhones.

Apple has once again engineered and produced a beautiful expression of hardware and software that while pricey, imputes upon the wearer a sense of prestige one expects in an aspirational brand. Yes, other Smart Watches may be less expensive. When compared to the Apple Watch, cheaper is exactly how they feel.

The Apple Watch comes in three Collections – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition. Pricing starts at $349.

Full specifications and guided tours of key features available at apple.com/watch.