
I am thinking of returning my Apple Watch - ahunzekerhesed
http://words.hunzekerhesed.com/i-am-thinking-of-returning-my-apple-watch
======
wvenable
> My week and a half wearing an apple watch has taught me one big lesson about
> watches. A watch is only secondarily used to tell time... Watches are
> actually social signifiers more than time pieces, fitness trackers, or
> notification screens, they communicate the wealth and status of the wearer.

I have Pebble and I disagree with this comment being about all watches or even
all smart watches. The Pebble is comparatively inexpensive compared to the
Apple Watch and, for me, that is one of the biggest selling features. I'm much
happier strapping a $200 smart device to my wrist than a $450 one. The Pebble
also has a very hacker-friendly SDK. If it's a social signifier, it basically
tells everyone that I'm a big geek.

That being said, I don't disagree with this comment as applied to the Apple
Watch -- it seems exactly what Apple is going for.

~~~
chrisdbaldwin
Exactly, it's jewelry.

~~~
danieltillett
It is jewellery that men feel comfortable wearing and showing off.

~~~
tcdent
Traditionally. Now you mix tech in and everyone has a justification.

~~~
privong
They may have meant in contrast to other jewerly men could wear, not in
contrast to women wearing watches.

~~~
tcdent
Oh, I was thinking about it from the perspective of a man who wears no
'jewelry'. But now it's tech, so it appeals to them, too.

------
glogla
I don't know if that's the case in US or Western Europe, but that's exactly
what iPhone does here in Eastern Europe.

It's a "hey look at me, I'm rich" signal more than anything. Most people can't
afford it, given that there are no carrier subsidies in Europe and current
generation iPhone costs between two and four monthly wages, depending on which
part of Eastern Europe you are in. It can also fall and break at any moment,
making it rather risky thing to own - you can't just have to afford it once,
you have to afford it repeatedly.

I guess Apple learned it's lesson here and is now trying to do the same in the
US with different device.

~~~
ebbv
Well the Apple Watch doesn't cost 2-4 months wage for most US workers. At
$500, even for someone on minimum wage it's not even 1 month wage after taxes.
You have to get a pretty fancy one before it starts getting expensive.

Wealthy people DO use really expensive watches to show off, and the Apple
Watch Edition serves that purpose. But for most watch buyers in the US, their
watch is more of a fashion statement than a wealth statement. It's saying
"Look at my great taste and sense of style." That's part of what the iPhone
and MacBooks do in the US, and that's the goal of the Apple Watch here as
well.

I think overall, though, the Apple Watch is failing at that goal in the US.
Most people I know think it's only slightly less dorky and useless than Google
Glass.

~~~
sremani
$10,000 - $17,000 is easily someones 4 month wage. So AppleWatch high-end is
definitely something that is, look I am rich device.

~~~
skywhopper
As are all gold watches. Apple's challenge in creating the Apple Watch is that
a lot of their best customers already have fancy show-offy watches they prefer
to wear, and for Apple to crack that market, they have to produce a version of
Apple Watch for people who won't go out in public wearing a watch that costs
less than $10,000. Yes, it's ugly, but even $17,000 is relatively cheap in the
world of watches for the top 1%.

------
mrharrison
The watch is pure utility for me. When I ride my bike I get turn by turn
directions now, with many other side benefits. I went with the apple watch
because I'm already entrenched in the apple ecosystem, otherwise I would
consider android gear. I have never thought apple as a status thing. But that
may be because most everyone around me has apple gear. (I live in the Bay Area
and NYC)

------
danso
> _The Apple watch is a reverse iPod, it is beautiful but not obviously more
> useful. When the first iPod appeared on apple.com in 2001 it was a
> completely new thing. It looked strange and people didn’t get it at first,
> but it was something I grokked almost immediately. Driving around the
> midwest in the 90s usually began with figuring out what I wanted to listen
> to before hand. My friends were good at this, they had huge books of CDs
> that we would swap out and listen to straight through; I ended up leaving a
> single Blur CD in the stereo for months. But with an iPod I could shuffle
> all of the music I had all the time. The device itself was kind of dorky and
> white, but what it did was amazing. I had been a apple fan for years at that
> point, but the iPod turned me into an apple fanboi._

I haven't bought the Watch but this describes my feelings as a consumer pretty
well...so many people are afraid of looking like CmdrTaco on the iPod launch
[1] that they don't want to doubt Apple...but the iPod, iPhone, and iPad
launches were completely different...yes, you could doubt (like CmdrTaco did)
that the products were worth the price, but they all aimed at ubiquitous use
cases established by precedent (e.g. the Walkman vs the iPod). But with the
Watch, Apple is taking a preexisting use-case -- basically, telling time and
being an ornament of status -- and trying to turn it into a completely new
usecase/need in our lives. If they struggle/fail, it's not so much out of
incompetence or poor design as it is trying to win a not-worth-winning battle.
I frankly hope it doesn't succeed here (and I say that as someone who
currently owns 6 active Apple devices/machines) as I think the phone is enough
of a portable notification hub/interruption in our lives.

[1] [http://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-
ip...](http://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod)

~~~
jccc
_> so many people are afraid of looking like CmdrTaco on the iPod launch_

[http://readwrite.com/2015/03/19/apple-watch-expectations-
dis...](http://readwrite.com/2015/03/19/apple-watch-expectations-
disappointment)

[http://www.theguardian.com/media-
network/2015/mar/11/apple-w...](http://www.theguardian.com/media-
network/2015/mar/11/apple-watch-launch-alienate-fanboys)

[http://www.fastcodesign.com/3042987/you-guys-realize-the-
app...](http://www.fastcodesign.com/3042987/you-guys-realize-the-apple-watch-
is-going-to-flop-right)

I too really wish _someone_ would air their doubts.

~~~
danso
It's not that no one has aired their doubts, it's that the mainstream has
accepted that Apple, one way or another, is just _right_ on this. Take a look
at the New York Times tech review:

[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/technology/personaltech/ap...](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/technology/personaltech/apple-
watch-bliss-but-only-after-a-steep-learning-curve.html)

> _Apple Watch Review: Bliss, but Only After a Steep Learning Curve_

That review is filled with so many caveats and yet ends up being glowing
because, I believe, of a strong faith in Apple's vision...if this had been the
product of anyone else's, I think the reviewer would've been more confident in
calling out the emperor's new clothes. Also, what I have in mind, are the
press releases such as, by the NYT, touting that they've already built Watch-
specific news delivery...as slow as the NYT moves on many things and untested
markets, the Watch was not one of them: [http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/31/new-
york-times-will-deliver...](http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/31/new-york-times-
will-deliver-one-sentence-news-stories-to-apple-watch/)

------
unoti
> The Apple watch is a reverse iPod, it is beautiful but not obviously more
> useful.

As long as there have been watches, there have been watches that are beautiful
but not obviously more useful.

This watch tells time, and it's beautiful. That's an excellent start for a
watch-- and that's where most other watches end. I understand the Apple watch
does a thing or two in addition to that.

Think of this as a watch, something beautiful that tells time, and shows
excellent craftsmanship. Don't expect it to change your life.

~~~
Retra
Most watches I've seen have been extremely reliable in their operation. Most
computers I've used have not, and Apple machines are no exception.

Which leaves me with the feeling that, if I wanted a watch for telling time, I
wouldn't get one as complicated as an Apple watch, and if I wanted the extra
utility, I wouldn't expect it to be as reliable as the alternative. I think
it's the same bloat-avoidance instinct that drives people away from IDEs:
don't get more than you will actually use, because you will probably end up
paying for it in money, time, and frustration.

~~~
kaybe
I also expect to get at least a few decades out of an expensive watch. Tech
will not be usable that long in the near and medium-range future.

------
malkia
I have LG Watch (company gave it to us for Christmas), and I'm not a watch
guy, but found it's purpose - It vibrates and tells me that someone's been
calling me, I can also see the name right away and decide not to answer. Also
it's kind of cool to tell you how much steps you've done, and obviously the
time.

But it's far from perfect device. I would've been much happier with device
that can last a month without charging using e-ink display (I'm very happy
with my kindle paperwhite). I don't need colors, and can deal with slow screen
refresh rate. But I can see it!

------
roc
I think a lot of the social stigma will go away as smartwatches proliferate.
And the wondering of "what are these things _for_?" will get easier to answer
as the Internet of Things builds out.

(To say nothing of weirdness like required phones, maybe-a-day battery life
and not-always-on-screens -- those will be gone in a generation or three.)

But at the end of the day, all wearables will be primarily about fashion, for
most people. Just as every other thing people wear is chosen, primarily, for
fashion.

------
rebootthesystem
I have't worn a watch for at least 20 years. I can't remember a single case of
wishing I had one to tell time or date. If your life revolves around computers
the time is right in front of you constantly. With any kind of phone the time
is also readily available. If you are watching TV you are one button click
away from seeing time and date. Heck, even when I am swimming at the local
olympic pool time is right there on the wall for everyone to see. I wear a
swim watch while swimming but it stays in my gym bag when not in the pool.

To me this is conclusive proof that watches are jewelry rather than a
necessary device. All the other uses are simply "toy grade". Now, if someone
is into toys, that's OK, whatever floats your boat.

------
kaypro
I have to agree with his view point for the most part. I'm not a watch guy
either and I think therein lies the hurdle for people like us. The watch has
to introduce something really beneficial for us to want to try and get
comfortable with wearing one and so far the current feature set doesn't have
anything earth shattering... yet. I think there is much more to come but until
then I don't think it makes much sense for current non watch wearers.
Shameless blog link on my thoughts ([http://macnotes.com/apple-watch-first-
impressions/](http://macnotes.com/apple-watch-first-impressions/)).

------
orand
If you wear long-sleeve shirts then using the social signifier "feature" of a
watch is entirely up to you. I've had a stainless steel Apple Watch for over a
week now, and very very few people have actually seen it. I've made it a game
to keep it hidden and as unobtrusive as possible, and it's surprisingly doable
thanks to the Taptic Engine. In fact, that's one of the best "features" about
it - the ability to reduce the negative social impact of digital devices (if
that's your choice).

------
skywhopper
I think we'll see the low-end price come down somewhat in future revisions of
the watch. When it hits $199 or $149 or $99, it will stop signifying wealth.

As for its utility, meh, it's not for everyone. I'm on the fence about it. I
expect I'll get one eventually, but I don't expect it to change my life.
However, being able to track my steps without my phone in my pocket while also
being able to get reminders and texts without having to get my phone out will
be a nice benefit for me. When I'm mowing the lawn or doing renovation work on
my house or riding my bike, it's a real pain to pull my phone out to silence
an alarm or check that the text I just got isn't a server going down. The idea
that the wrist-taps might be less likely to be missed than silent-mode buzzes
from my phone in my pocket would be a big win. So I can see the watch being
really useful for me personally, and probably not for everyone.

In the end, it's never going to be as functional as a phone (unless/until it
can beam images directly into our brains). I'm glad the author pointed out the
review that sums it up for me. This thing is a watch. It just happens to be a
watch that can do a few more things, but you probably are going to want to use
it about the same as you would a regular old watch. So, if you think paying
$350 for a nice-quality watch that will likely last a few years is too much,
then the Apple Watch will not be your thing.

------
gress
I think it's reasonable to be concerned about how others will perceive you
when you wear an Apple watch, but this is a shallow and slightly breathless
article.

I had similar concerns about having the watch be so conspicuous a signifier so
I went for the space grey/black one. I've worn it in a lot of non-techie
places and not that many people have even recognized it as an Apple watch, and
those that do have been generally positively interested. I will also say that
I mix with people at all economic levels (at least by U.S. standards).

I would be curious to hear the author deconstruct their experience more:

Is is other people's reactions they fear?

Is it _having_ more money than some other people that embarrasses them?

Do they judge others for their choice of what to spend $600 on?

Have they actually received negative feedback? If so, have they checked it out
to make sure they're understanding it?

------
rabbyte
I'm glad there are a lot of people who aren't on board with smart watches. I'm
not one of them (I love my pebble and I would love an apple watch too) but to
me it's a sign the computing revolution is maturing beyond device classes that
target everyone to specializing into niches. Personally, I want an arm band to
replace both my watch and phone, a device that actually has a chance of
existing now as we cater to smaller and smaller markets.

------
Puts
The reason I wear a watch is because it constantly sits on my arm reminding me
about what great engineering is. And that is everything the Apple Watch is
not.

~~~
madez
Do you think the Apple Watch is not great engineering?

~~~
Puts
To me the Apple Watch is over engineered. Good engineering is like ergonomics
for your mind. When you find the most beautiful solution to a problem, you
know it in your guts. But with the Apple Watch, looking at it I don't know
what problem it solves, and I don't see anything in the design that
intuitively maps to its function.

~~~
falcolas
Try out a plastic pebble watch for a few weeks, you'll quickly understand the
value of what a smart watch can do for you. At which point, you have to ask if
it's worth the extra $300 or so to upgrade the features.

What I found a smartwatch does for me:

\- More reliable notification of messages and alerts

\- Tells time (!)

\- Simple tools (like a countdown timer) which doesn't require pulling out,
unlocking, and navigating the phone.

The first one is the only feature which isn't available in your average $20
watch, but it's such a useful feature that it's well worth the extra money to
me. So many fewer missed messages, calls, and notifications, all without
having to annoy those around me with my ringer.

------
7952
I would love a watch that can do what an IPod nano can; but the standard watch
UI is just uncomfortable for that.

Why not have a screen that is flat to the underside of your wrist. You would
use it with your hand held vertically swiping with the thumb on your other
hand (preferably using the skin as a touch surface to keep the screen free).
Then it could also be used for taking photos and selfies.

~~~
stephengillie
Many people that have tried wearing a watch that way - oriented with the face
under the wrist (next to the palm), instead of above the wrist (next to the
back of the hand) - have found the watch face comes into direct contact with
all kinds of counters, tables, desks, and other hard surfaces that could
scratch the watch's sapphire crystal face.

------
natch
Give it time. While the number of watch supporting apps is large, the apps
designed specifically for watch have just barely started to appear. So judging
its usefulness now is making a premature call with insufficient information.

------
walterbell
Alternate social signifiers: Japanese LED watches,
[http://www.tokyoflash.com/en/watches/1/](http://www.tokyoflash.com/en/watches/1/)

------
tdkl
The same could be said for any flagship smartphone that arrived in last couple
years - it's a couple hundred $/€ device in your pocket, while someone has a
smaller monthly salary compared to that.

------
juliangregorian
This page says OP is the CTO of Monsoonco:
[http://www.hunzekerhesed.com/about/](http://www.hunzekerhesed.com/about/)

This page says CTO of Monsoonco is a different person:
[http://www.monsoonco.com/featured-article-in-infoworld-is-
an...](http://www.monsoonco.com/featured-article-in-infoworld-is-angularjs-
ready-for-the-enterprise/)

~~~
ahunzekerhesed
Sorry, I don't update the blog very much. I am currently a Senior Software
Engineer at Munchery. The page has been updated.

------
baby
it doesn't do much stuff it lasts less than 24hours it is expensive. Don't
tell me it's expensive for a watch because a watch is timeless whereas the
iwatch will fade out of trendy in a few years when the new iwatch will come
out.

I know the thing is going to be a success anyway, but I would never buy that
for myself and I don't understand why people would, except for short trend.

------
Animats
_" Watches tell the world about us, about what we find important and I am not
sure my life is aligned with what the Apple Watch says about me."_

That sounds like a joke from a bad sitcom. The writer used to be a circus
clown, after all. That whole site is a running joke. See his other articles,
such as "How I have been missing my commute". He seems to be satirizing the
mindset of people who think that the Apple Watch is important.

~~~
gooseus
I didn't get that at all, it sounded like a genuine review from a self-aware
(or self-conscious) individual who used some introspection for context.

I definitely agree with the idea that there is social status/baggage that goes
along with wearing a watch. I got a nice Citizen as a graduation present a
long time ago and I used to wear it regularly, but was always uncomfortable
when people would comment on it or ask to see it because I got the sense that
the assumption was that I was showing off some status and to me it was just
the watch my grandfather gave me.

I don't come from the performance side of life, but I've had a similar life
experience growing up and becoming friendly with a set of people that cross-
cuts a wide range of income levels, so I can understand how one group of
friends may find it interesting, while another could find it pretentious and
alienating.

In any case, I thought it was a though-provoking piece. My only criticism
would be that it could use some proof-reading.

~~~
01Michael10
> I definitely agree with the idea that there is social status/baggage that
> goes along with wearing a watch. I got a nice Citizen as a graduation
> present a long time ago and I used to wear it regularly, but was always
> uncomfortable when people would comment on it or ask to see it because I got
> the sense that the assumption was that I was showing off some status and to
> me it was just the watch my grandfather gave me.

I don't understand why that would be uncomfortable? When someone would comment
about it or ask to see it, you could just have responded "it's a watch my
grandfather gave me as a graduation gift who has since passed away". Why would
that cause social status/baggage issues?

~~~
gooseus
Cause different people experience different situations differently?

Sure, I could have responded like that, or punched them in the face or just
stared at them until they walked away or given them the watch as a gift since
they liked it so much...

You're you and I'm me, you maybe you get uncomfortable when you see people
making out in public, maybe you don't. Maybe you get angry when you see people
litter, maybe you don't. Maybe you get uncomfortable when people compliment
you, maybe not.

I'm sure you get the point... or maybe you don't? Assumptions are stupid and
using them to make other people defend their subjective experiences of
situations you have little insight into seems self-righteous and arrogant to
me.

