Apple Watch: Nothing ground-breaking here, feel tech critics

The Apple Watch (nope it’s not called iWatch) is here, well actually it’s coming out in 2015, but at least Apple has shown us what their smartwatch is capable of. There are different editions, two sizes, and six straps, so the Apple Watch will clearly comes in all shapes, colours and sizes.   But is that going to be enough for the Apple Watch to succeed? Evidently not. As this Forbes report by Brett Arends points out, the market wasn’t too happy about the Apple Watch or the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus either and Apple’s share fell from $102.91 to $97.99, a loss of $4.92.   The report noted that $30 billion of Apple’s market value was wiped out merely hours after the announcement. Clearly ‘one more thing’ for Tim Cook hadn’t worked to impress the investors. As Arends writes, it is too early to call the Apple Watch a flop, but in his opinion it doesn’t look “any more stylish” than other smartwatches in the market.   As far, first impressions of the Apple Watch go, most of the press that was present at the event has pointed out that demo zone didn’t actually have watches that were working but rather demo watches, which just kept showing the functions of the watch in a loop. The only people with Apple Watches that worked were the Apple employees. In such a scenario, it’s actually hard to gauge what the watch is capable of.  And the 2015 release date means, nobody is getting the Apple Watch anytime soon.   So what’s the verdict like on the Apple Watch? According to The Verge’s, Dieter Bohn Apple has managed to “deliver a smartwatch that looks great and can last all day,” but he adds that company hasn’t really answered questions around batter life. And yes as Bohn notes, there’s “nothing so immediately striking about the Apple Watch as to seem really, truly groundbreaking.”   As far as the Taptic feedback is concerned, it has gotten positive response. According to TechCrunch’s Darrell Etherington the taptic feedback is “definitely pleasant though and “does make it feel like another person is lightly tapping your wrist”. He also thinks Apple has done some “genuine innovation” when it comes to how users can explore wearable devices.   Ars Technica’s Andrew Cunningham also praised the taptic vibration noting that it “was indeed as subtle as Cook said it was.” He’s also write that Apple “would take left-handed folks into consideration” when they launch the final version.   Engadget’s Joseph Volpe however wasn’t too impressed and notes that the Apple Watch “lukewarm, at best” and “at most, it’s prettier than the smartwatches that’ve come before.” He also says that the Apple Watch can never completely replace a cellphone and is “just one more thing to remember to charge throughout our busy days.” He’s particularly critical about the Apple Watch feature which shows how long a user has been sitting and calls it the “saddest part” adding, “Hang your collective head, humanity – it’s a poor reflection on us all.”     Re/Code’s Lauren Goode felt that this was one watch that she could wear, and “was struck by how much it looked like a normal watch and not an oversized concept watch.” Given that Apple Watch comes in two sizes, women should be able to wear it as well, something not easy with a lot of Android Wear watches.   With the Apple Watch, where design is concerned, it often boils down to personal preferences. For some people, the squarish shape can be appealing while others might still want a round watch. And sure Apple has added a new way of navigating on the watch with the Digital Crown, but given that most people actually get enough time to spend on this, it’s a little too early to say how well-thought out this concept it.  Overall, it would seem that while the stock market isn’t too impressed, the press still prefers to remain cautious.