Dubai: The Apple Watch may be finally hitting its stride, thanks largely to its new focus on fitness. No longer just a watch with some novelty social media functions, this device is ready to challenge FitBit and even Garmin in the increasingly popular fitness device market.
For you fans of the original Watch Series 1, Apple hasn’t removed anything from the smartwatch. You can still have your Mickey (and now Minnie) Mouse watch face; you can still get your WhatsApp and Twitter notifications; and yes, you can still answer your phone with your Watch. But fitness is clearly where Apple is heading.
The rebirth of the Watch as a fitness tracker isn’t just due to its new internal components; the new WatchOS 3 interface is much simpler to use. The ability to take your pulse and start a new workout are a simple push away, instead of being buried in the system.
Video: Here is our review of the Apple Watch! Gulf News Business Editor Scott Shuey analyses one of Apple's latest products.
In general, this Watch has better performance. I wouldn’t have thought to call the original Watch sluggish, but the new device comes with a dual-core processor that provides a noticeable improvement to performance. Apple has also boosted the screen’s brightness by about 25 per cent, which I found to be helpful when outside.
But one of the best things that Apple has done is cut down on the Watch’s reliance on the iPhone. The new Series 2 watch has a built-in GPS and ability to store and play music, which means that you can leave the iPhone at home when you go on a run, hit the gym or go for a swim.
Yes, you can take the new Watch for a swim. It’s waterproof down to 50m, and the built-in GPS will even count laps for you.
Interactions
All of this sounds good on paper, but using the previous version of the Apple Watch — and a number of other fitness trackers — usually required some prep before you can get started, especially if you are doing an exercise that the device wasn’t programmed for. But the new interface required just a few interactions to get you running, or in my case, swimming. Hop in the pool, tap the exercise button, choose pool swim, tell the Watch I’m in a 25m pool, set my goal, and I’m off. It took less than 15 seconds.
My 1K swim with the Watch was uneventful, with the Watch successfully counting 40 lengths of the pool, giving me my calories burnt and average heart rate. The only issue I had was with the watch’s band. I prefer using the magnetic band, but the friction from the water while swimming continually loosened the watch on my wrist, forcing me to re-tighten it. It wasn’t a big deal, but it did force me to stop swimming. So if you prefer the water, a band with a fastener might be a better bet.
The only disappointment was that the Watch itself is not capable of playing music — apparently its speakers aren’t designed for it. It does have a Bluetooth connection, so you can connect your wireless headphones to the Watch. For you swimmers, that of course means finding a pair of wireless, waterproof headphones — and unfortunately the new AirPods aren’t.
Synching music to the Watch does take some preparation, though. Don’t expect to just download a few tunes and get going. You have to sync your music to your Watch using an iPhone, and you can only sync when the Watch is charging. It’s not that complicated, but I didn’t find it taking more time than I would have liked.
I also really appreciated the array of new fitness Watch faces. Sure, Mickey is cool, but being able to look down and see my fitness goal progress is better, and the addition of a button to monitor your pulse to the home screen was smart.
Social media sharing component
For those of you feeling the urge to compete with — or simply brag to — your friends, the new WatchOS comes with a social media sharing component. Unfortunately, we tested the Watch before most of our friends could upgrade.
Apple, of course, isn’t giving up on the Watch as a fashion accessory. The company has also announced new watch bands with Hermes and Nike. Both collaborations actually do add significantly to making the Watch stop looking like just a tech gadget and more like a piece of everyday apparel. The Apple Watch Nike+ particular is designed so well as a Nike accessory that you almost forget it’s an Apple Watch. Apple may not like hearing that, but it’s the ability to make technology blend in to our everyday activities that we need more of.
There is also one non-workout feature that is included in the new WatchOS 3 that is also worth mentioning — the easy to use emergency call feature. Hold down the side button and the SOS button appears. Apple says they have programmed this to be country-specific and should work wherever you are. Fitness trackers are good, but safety features are awesome.
The Apple Watch Series 2 will be available in the UAE on September 17. Prices start at Dh1,499.
