Here we go again.\u00a0 It\u2019s time for another woefully inaccurate assessment of a new Apple product.\u00a0 Bear in mind that I\u2019m not very good at this – some of my past gems included:<\/p>\n
\u2026I did like Newton though, and look how that turned out. I still like the concept of the Newton but, in my experience, the execution was uniformly rubbish.\u00a0 As to the Apple products that I didn\u2019t like, that worried me so much, I bought (or was given, in the case of the iPad) every one – and I found every one to be excellent.\u00a0 In fact, my first iPod ranks as being one of the best purchases that I ever made.<\/p>\n
Taking all of this into consideration, my verdict on the Apple Watch is\u2026 “Meh.\u00a0 Really?” \u00a0Of course, much can change between now and its release date in 2015, but much is going to have to.\u00a0 Not least battery life which I guess, since it wasn\u2019t mentioned at all, will be risible.<\/p>\n
Battery life is the number one issue that could damn this product.\u00a0 I guess that for most people the battery life will need to be a genuine, worst-case, life of 18 hours – enough to cover the hours of the day when the user is awake.\u00a0 For me, even this isn\u2019t enough.\u00a0 My current watch, a Seiko 7T62 Chronograph, has a battery life measured in years – and it\u2019s always on.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have to touch it to see what time it is, I only have to look at it.\u00a0 My spare watch, a Seiko 5, goes one better – I only need to wave it around to recharge it.\u00a0 I can almost hear the whines of anguish here, that I\u2019m not comparing like with like, but I don\u2019t care – for me the primary function of a watch, the killer app, is to tell the time.\u00a0 At a pinch I could accept a battery life measured in weeks, but any less would be unacceptable.\u00a0 It\u2019s bad enough that I need to charge my iPhone every night and my iPad twice a week!<\/p>\n
Next up, the Apple Watch had better be water proof.\u00a0 I love swimming, and I dive when I get the opportunity.\u00a0 My Seiko Chronograph isn\u2019t a divers watch, but its rated to 100M and I\u2019ve had it down to 30 meters or so without difficulty.\u00a0 It\u2019s certainly tough enough for swimming, showering and washing up.\u00a0 If the Apple Watch can’t survive a spot of washing up or a dip in the pool without voiding the warranty then it’s as much use as a chocolate fireguard.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think that anyone can dispute that.<\/p>\n
As for its utility as a smart watch, I think that Apple itself killed that function three years ago when it introduced Siri.\u00a0 For playing music, getting directions, finding out about the weather, texting and more besides, I\u2019ll bet that the iPhone (with Siri) does the job more effectively.\u00a0 Fiddle with the crown of the watch or tap a button on the headphone cord and ask a question? \u00a0“Siri, consign the Apple Watch (along with the iPhone 6 Plus) to the drawer of history where the Newton and Apple Hifi are kept.”<\/p>\n
As to the new iPhone? I\u2019ll be ordering one as soon as I can get one without queuing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here we go again.\u00a0 It\u2019s time for another woefully inaccurate assessment of a new Apple product.\u00a0 Bear in mind that I\u2019m not very good at this – some of my past gems included: PowerPC (Not as good as 68000) iPod (Not as good as my MiniDisc player) Mac Mini (Just a poor clone of the … <\/p>\n