Amaya Toman Anyone who has used any piece of wearable electronics for a long time, which made their life more pleasant or easier, would probably hardly like to get rid of their smart companion. Along with how the smartness and thus the usefulness of wearables grows, it also tends to be harder to get rid of them. What does it feel like to suddenly say goodbye to your Apple Watch after three years of intensive daily wear?
Andrew O'Hara, Server Editor AppleInsider, has, in his own words, used Apple's smartwatch since the very beginning, and is a self-described big fan. We're just days away from the launch of the fourth-generation Apple Watch, and O'Hara decided to take this opportunity to try life without this piece of wearable Apple electronics for a while. He decided to say goodbye to the watch for a week, but before that, several important steps had to be taken.
The right replacement
One of the first steps in choosing an adequate replacement for the Apple Watch was a detailed examination of habits. O'Hara writes that thanks to the Apple Watch, he paid little attention to his iPhone - relying on notifications from the watch. He was also more active with the help of the Apple Watch, as the watch always alerted him to the need to get up and move and helped him to exercise regularly. An important function of the watch, which O'Hara used as a diabetic, was - in cooperation with the corresponding accessories - monitoring of blood sugar levels. After evaluating these factors, O'Hara found that he couldn't get a full replacement for his Apple Watch, and finally decided on the Xiaomi Mi Band 2.
Start of the week
From the beginning, the fitness bracelet met the requirements for notifications of messages and incoming calls, as well as notifications of inactivity. The bracelet also tracked steps, calories burned, distance or exercise. As another advantage, O'Hara mentions that there was no need to recharge the bracelet for the entire first week. The rest of the tasks were done by iPhone and HomePod. But on about the third day, O'Hara began to miss his Apple Watch painfully.
He noticed more frequent and intensive use of his iPhone, which was also confirmed by the new feature in iOS 12 Screen Time. As soon as he took his smartphone in his hand to perform any action, O'Hara automatically started scrolling through other applications as well. As a sports fan, O'Hara missed the Siri watch face that could always give him an overview of the current scores of his favorite sports teams. Other things O'Hara missed was the ability to play music on his AirPods — if he wanted to listen to his favorite playlists while running outside, he had to bring his iPhone with him. Paying was also more difficult - putting a card or smartphone to a payment terminal does not seem like a complex and time-consuming operation, but when you get used to paying with a "watch", the change is noticeable - it was the same with unlocking the Mac, for example.
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Personal matter
The Apple Watch is, without a doubt, a highly personal device. Everyone uses this watch in a different way, and although the Apple smartwatch has a number of functions in common with other, sometimes cheaper devices, it is designed in such a way that most people who have had the opportunity to try it cannot imagine changing it. O'Hara acknowledges that the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is a great wristband, and even considers it better than some of the Fitbit models he's used in the past. Apple Watch offers similar functions, but with much wider options for settings, customization and choice of applications. Although the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 (and a number of other fitness bands and watches) offer seamless synchronization with the HealthKit platform, O'Hara admits it "just wasn't there".
However, O'Hara found one advantage in the absence of the Apple Watch, which is the opportunity to wear other watches and change them at will. He admits that when you get used to the Apple Watch and the functions associated with it, it is difficult to exchange the smartwatch for a regular watch that you got from someone for a holiday, even for a day.
Finally
In his article, O'Hara makes no secret of the fact that he knew from the beginning that he would eventually return to his Apple Watch - after all, he hasn't been wearing it non-stop for the past three years just for nothing. Although the experiment was not easy for him, he admits that it enriched him and reinvigorated his relationship with the Apple Watch. He considers the simplicity, naturalness and obviousness with which they become a common part of everyday life to be one of their greatest advantages. Apple Watch is not just a simple fitness tracker, but a multi-functional smart device that allows you to pay, unlock your computer, find your phone and many other things.
Do you use an Apple Watch or other smart watch or fitness tracker? What features would you like on the Apple Watch 4?
Apple pay would be enough to start with
You are telling the truth.
That's why I was surprised by the recent support of garmin pay and moneta.
But come on... He took off a smart watch for at least 7000 and took a fitness bracelet for 700. Why didn't he choose an equivalent replacement? Just comparing any smart watch with a fitness bracelet is stupid.
A story retold like a sheep grandmother's fairy tale... someone read it to me before bed, I'll sleep like a baby :)