I have resisted the Apple watch for years. Partly because I already have a beautiful watch, which I hardly ever wear – just because it’s one more accessory to handle. So, why would I want a mini-computer on my wrist?
Moreover, a few years ago, when the Fitbit had just come out, my company presented me with one. I wore it religiously for about 3 months – and while it had a great impact on my motivation, the rubbery strap ended up giving me an allergic reaction
And then one bored (yet another stay at home order), I was looking through my wellness claims at work, and saw that they had increased the amount I could claim, which just about covers an Apple watch.
And lockdown boredom prompted me to order this guilt-free (#selfcare) and claim it as a wellness expense at work. The model I ordered is an Apple Watch series 6 with GPS – with the basic black strap.
After it came home, I already started feeling some regret. I’ve really been trying to decrease my purchasing footprint – especially with electronics. I decided to wear it for a few days just to try it out and then would pass it on to any family member who is more enthusiastic about it than me.
I found it not so great looking on the wrist (and you agree, right? Just look at the photo!).
But after a few days, I realized I really liked it. It was really lightweight and it was telling me my steps! And then I went on the familiar road which I think is already so well known to all of you. I became obsessed with hitting the 10K steps a day mark and I’ve been moving around a lot more since.
What I like and don’t like
What I like
- How easy it is to set up. Like all Apple products, I was up and running with it in no time. I just followed the onboarding steps on my watch and phone, and I was all prepped up and ready to go within 5 minutes.
- I have been wearing this watch for a couple of months now, and I have had no allergic rashes to the strap on this one – the basic black rubber one.
- I love the notifications I get – This isn’t specific to Apple of course, but it’s great to get incoming messages without having to run get my phone or laptop. It’s an even bigger boon during these work from home times when work and home life has blended together to be practically indistinguishable.
- The workout, activity, and health trackers are great, and I can honestly say it’s kept me motivated to stay fit these past couple of months.
- Loads of watch faces – not important but a fun thing to have. I love to set up my kids photos as a watch face 😀.
What I don’t like
- It requires a lot more charging time than I expected. So, I can’t really have it on during the night to track my sleep.
- Apple has this irritating thing with their chargers. My Apple watch has a standard USB charger at one end, but my Macbook Pro has a Thunderbolt USB-C port. Wish Apple thought through the compatibility thing a bit more.
- I haven’t seen any significant uses of the Apple Watch other than activity tracking and message/email notifications. It’s a bit price-y if that’s all that you are using it for.
- I am not sure about this – but is having a device with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity constantly attached to your body good for you? I have been trying to read up on it, but the science is not very clear (at least not to me).
Overall Thoughts
I like the Apple watch. Would I have got it, if it wasn’t reimbursed by my company? No, not at all. I have been wearing it for the past three months and I like it. However, I am not planning to wear it all the time. Maybe just while doing workouts – as I am a little nervous about being constantly attached to something that is giving out radiation.
Do you guys have a smart watch? Do you wear it everyday?
My wife wanted me to get an Apple Watch for the fall detection feature after my ruptured aneurysm/subarachnoid hemorrhage back in 2019, which resulted in my being unconscious on the floor for a short time while I was home alone. So now I have one. I do like the activity tracking and watch-based alerts, plus I like the variety of faces ― I always use an analog one, and it’s usually some shade of orange.
I have heard it’s very useful for these type of issues. My boss had one and it detected an arrhythmic heart flutter. His doctor was extremely impressed and says it saved him a great deal of trouble later on.