The Apple Watch: Year One.

This week was the official one-year commemoration of the Apple Watch. I've claimed one for the greater part of that time, and — in the same way as other tech writers and contraption reporters — I trust it merits pondering what the Apple Watch has intended to the tech world, the wearables class, and Apple. 

I didn't really get my Apple Watch until May 5. The purposes behind that 11-day delay need to do with poor band decisions and an a major lump of FOMO, yet 51 weeks is sufficiently still time to compose an intelligent examination. 

A great deal of us thought applications would wind up manifesting the deciding moment the Apple Watch. After a year, I need to concede that I utilize not very many non-local applications on the Apple Watch. 

Part of that is a direct result of how applications on the watch work. In the initial six months the watch was accessible, the non-local application encounters on the watch were moderate. The gradualness of these applications — combined with the stunned rollout of the watch itself — was my central dissension/dread about the Apple Watch, one month into utilizing the gadget. 

In the wake of reporting watchOS 2.0 in June 2015, Apple moved it out in September, which permitted designers to fabricate speedier watch applications that were local to the gadget. 

WatchOS 2 was a decent stride forward, however coming five months into the item's life cycle, I do think about the amount it hurt engineer force, thusly disabling Apple Watch application quality. 

The way things are, a great deal of organizations rushed to bounce on the Apple Watch temporary fad, yet a year in, there still aren't some outsider applications I utilize frequently or can even name. 

Part of the reason I don't utilize Apple Watch applications is rate. Indeed, even with watchOS 2's local code, stacking an application and opening it up can regularly require more investment than simply getting my telephone, which is dependably close by at any rate. Also, with a couple of exemptions, I haven't generally keep running into any applications that I feel offer a really prevalent wrist experience. 

All things considered, I do appreciate some of the inherent applications. The Music application is extraordinary and I regularly jump at the chance to utilize it to control what I'm listening to while running. I likewise adore having my timetable on my wrist. 

Similarly as with the Pebble smartwatch, the genuine "executioner application" for the Apple Watch is notices. I cherish getting notices on my wrist. I like getting alarmed that my Uber is requested and on its way, my Postmates is at the entryway. I likewise like having the capacity to answer or decay telephone calls from my wrist.

What's more, I cherish having iMessage on my wrist. Contingent upon the kind of notice, you can regularly answer right on the watch, which is extraordinary. This can be as straightforward as denoting an email as "read" or hailing it. Utilizing Siri, I can even react to an instant message. 

I didn't purchase the Apple Watch as a wellness gadget, yet I do think the Activity highlight is one of its most grounded elements. Every day, I'm spurred to gain my circles for remaining at any rate once consistently. I likewise like perceiving what number of calories I've smoldered and how long I've spent working out. 

The wellbeing and practice capacities aren't evidently diverse structure what I could do on a Fitbit, yet the interface of the Apple Watch is better. 

Still, I can't resist the urge to be baffled that the application story on Apple Watch hasn't turned out better. I do think there are presumably all the more convincing ways I could utilize my Apple Watch that I haven't. That is mostly on the grounds that application disclosure — an issue over the App Store — isn't extraordinary on the watch. 

Be that as it may, honestly, I additionally think we'll require all the more effective equipment to truly do some intersting things on the wrist. The central issue I have, be that as it may, is: A year in, do designer's still care?

Battery Life

A main objection when the Apple Watch dispatched was that it offered only a day of battery life. Particularly when contrasted with the Pebble or Pebble Time, this wasn't extraordinary. 

I've discovered I wear my Apple Watch from around 30 minutes after I wake up to around 30 or 45 minutes before I go to bed. Despite the fact that I need to charge my watch each day, I do get an entire day of battery life from the watch. 

That doesn't mean there haven't been minutes when the watch has passed on before the day has finished. Furthermore, I keep an additional charger around my work area just on the off chance that I require a snappy charge.

As critical as many of us were about the battery life limitations at launch, a year later, I don’t actually think it's been that big of a deal. Provided you take your watch off anyway, the real trick is just to find a good/consistent place to charge it each night.

I will say that traveling with the watch charger has proven to be more of a challenge. There are some smart accessories that make the process easier, but the reality is that when I go on a trip — even for a day — I need to make sure I have my Apple Watch charger packed too.

Style

When I think about how much money I’ve spent on the Apple Watch in the last year, both on the watch itself and the various bands I’ve purchased, the figure is over $1,000. 

If I try to rationalize that as a tech purchase, that’s actually sort of difficult. I really like my Apple Watch, but was it worth as much as I spent on my iPad Pro?

Oddly, I have a much easier time rationalizing the price when I consider that for me, as a woman, this product was every bit as much of a fashion accessory as it was a tech gadget.

In that realm, $250 on a watchband isn’t that ridiculous. Similarly, I don’t mind spending $50 a pop on various sport bands.

I’m even seriously eyeing the Hermès bands in one of the new colors.

Even after a year, I still get compliments on my watch on a frequent basis. I recently moved to a new color band (for Spring) and get compliments all the time.

Not everyone loves the Apple Watch’s design, but for me, a year later, it’s something I’m not embarrassed to wear on my wrist. Plus, I get a kick out of customizing my band based on my outfit.

Has it changed my life?

Over the last year, I’ve worn my Apple Watch (the 38mm stainless steel version) nearly every single day. Part of this is because after spending more than $800 on the accessory, I wanted to be sure to get my money’s worth.

But it also quickly became a habit and something I’ve grown accustom to having on my wrist.

Still, if asked, “Has this changed my life?" the short answer is, “No, no it hasn’t.”

I wear my watch almost every day but I should note that if I forget to put my watch on in the morning and I don’t realize until I’m already outside my apartment, I’m not going to turn back around to retrieve it. I tend to reserve those sorts of moments for my keys, my wallet and my iPhone.

But that isn’t to say I don’t miss the watch when it’s not on. I love getting notifications on my wrist. I like getting reminders to stand up and affirmations for reaching my exercise and calorie goals.

And frankly, as a watch, I use it quite a bit. It’s also nice to quickly glance at my wrist to see the weather or what appointments I have coming up.

So yes, I miss the Apple Watch when I’m not wearing it, but I’m not someone who has had a transformational experience from the watch. I prefer wearing it, but if I forget it for a day? Well, I still have my phone.

And frankly, that’s probably the biggest challenge Apple will continue to face with the Apple Watch: convincing people to allow an accessory that is nice, but not life changing, onto their wrist.

Looking forward

We’re already hearing a number of rumors about the next Apple Watch, which is reportedly planned for a September release.

Potential cellular connectivity aside (something I’m not convinced is wanted or needed), many of these rumors point to subtle changes rather than a huge overhaul.

Earlier this month, my colleague Lance Ulanoff argued that minor updates aren’t enough and that Apple needs to do more to get the price down and target teen consumers.

I agree on the price point (getting the watch down to the $199 mark for the Apple Watch sport would be huge), but I’m OK if the watch has only minor cosmetic updates.

Where I strongly agree with Lance is that some of the interface decisions need to be rethought. Part of the reason I don’t use apps on my watch — in addition to the slowness — is because the interface, even a year in, is often not as intuitive as it should be.

I would love to see Apple do a lot of work into the experience of the watch better and more robust.

I would also like to see Siri on the watch — something that often works quite well — to be expanded. I should be able to open apps with Siri or complete other tasks. I want to be able to talk to my watch the same way I can talk to my Amazon Echo.

For now, however, I’ve enjoyed my year with the Apple Watch. It’s not the perfect wearable — and it hasn’t changed my life — but I don’t want to take it off.