The Apple Watch: is it worth the money?

When one of the world’s leading technology companies brings out a watch that reaches prices of around £13,500, there’s bound to be a lot of buzz.

Everyone knows the Apple brand has an excellent track record. From the iPhone to the iPad, Apple know what consumers want – and they know how to give it to them.

But is there really a market that is going to buy into this wearable technology? We all remember how the Google Glass faired (and that wasn’t great).

This blog is going to explore everything we know so far about the Apple Watch, both the pros and cons. Then we’ll answer the main question at the back of everyone’s mind: ‘Is the Apple Watch actually worth the money?’

Apple Watch – The Overview

So far, we know the watch is going to hit the stores on April 24th, and that it will come in the following three formats:

• Apple Watch
• Apple Watch Sport
• Apple Watch Edition

We also know that the cheapest version of the watch will come in at around £299, with the most expensive being the gold plated version complete with the £13,500 price tag that we mentioned earlier.

What’s more, there is also going to be a wide variety of different straps available, so that users can really add a personal touch to their device.

We think you’ll agree that, so far, the Apple Watch sounds like quite an interesting product.

Apple Watch – The Pros

There are going to be pros and cons to any new tech, but in this section we’re going to focus on what the Apple Watch gets right.

The first thing that we’re excited about is the watch interface. As it is quite a bit smaller than regular Apple products, the software has had to be redesigned in order for the apps to effectively fit on the screen.

Now, the apps are circle instead of square, which saves a large amount of room compared to their square cousins.

We’re also quite impressed with the function of the watch’s crown. This small watch staple acts as a zoom in/zoom out toggle on the watch, which is definitely needed considering how tiny the interface is. And what’s more, if you tap it head on, it will return you straight back to the homepage.

The Apple Watch is also a great tool if you’re into fitness. You can use it to keep track of any exercise you do as well as your daily fitness goals.

On top of this, you can also send your heart rate via vibrations on someone else’s wrist if they also have a watch. There’s also features that will allow you to send doodles in the same way, as well as giving you the chance to literally ‘tap’ someone else’s wrist via your watches.

It’s this innovative, unique tech that really does make the Apple Watch stand out. But what are the cons of this device?

Apple Watch: The Cons

Although the Apple Watch comes with great features, and is also a way to keep track of things like your emails and messages, you won’t be able to get much out of it if you don’t already have the iPhone.

The watch works by syncing with your mobile, yet if your smartphone is not of the Apple brand, it suddenly makes the performance of the watch somewhat limited.

On top of this, although the watch is a great way to track your fitness, it doesn’t really do anything new. By this, we mean that there are already a variety of wearable fitness bands available on the market that do exactly what the watch does.

When it was first in production, Apple did try to create technology such as stress testers, but these never made it to the final cut – sadly.

As we also mentioned earlier, the watch has caused Apple to create a new type of software that can specifically function on that device.

Yet like many Apple products, they centre around the use of apps.

A new interface will mean app designers will have to return to the drawing board and create new applications that will be compatible with the watch. To do this, they will probably need significant evidence that the watch is actually going to sell, or else what’s the point into putting any capital into it if it’s just going to go the same way as Google Glass?

So is the Apple Watch worth it?

It’s ultimately quite difficult to give a fair assessment of the Apple Watch without actually handling and using it ourselves.

From the information Apple have already supplied, we have to say we’re sceptable of how good this latest offer from the techie kings is going to be.

Yes, there are some great features such as the heartbeat monitors, the ease of accessing emails and messages from your phone and also the fitness trackers.

But we can’t shake off the big problems.

It’s one of the first Apple devices to require a completely different device to get the most out of. You don”t need an iPod to work an iPhone, and vice versa. We can’t help but feel the watch may have too many limitations if you don’t have an iPhone – and we can’t say we’re going to invest in two expensive pieces of tech just to get the most out of the watch.

On top of this, although you can send your heartbeat, we still believe the features are a little limited. Our greatest fear is also that this won’t change – and that app developers won’t be willing to spend money creating applications that will work on the Apple Watch.

And what’s the point in having a watch that can’t do anything beyond basic tech functions? Smartphones have become central to daily life, so any new pieces of technology can’t really afford to be lacking in any areas.

So for now, we have to say, we don’t really feel the Apple Watch is worth the money.

Will it be in the future? Maybe.

And would we feel different if we were holding it in our hands? Perhaps.

But once the novelty has worn off this piece of wearable tech, we’re just not entirely convinced it’s going to last.

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