Skip to main content

Apple Watch hands-on and first impressions (Video)

Apple Watch is finally available to preorder, but if you missed the mark at 12:01 a.m. you might be waiting quite a while to get your hands on one. Luckily, Apple is providing try-on appointments that will allow you to get a taste of the experience and feel one out for yourself. Recently, we took that opportunity to get our hands on a few and offer some initial impressions on the hardware and software…

In the video below, we take a look at three Apple Watch models and the widely popular Apple Watch Sport in Space Gray. Along with that we took a tour of the software available on the demo models and it was quite interesting. Apple Watch is definitely a very different product from anything we’ve seen the company offer, but along with that it brings a unique experience that no other product can match up to.

We got our hands on the 42mm Apple Watch with the Leather Loop, Milanese Loop, and Link Bracelet band styles. Each band really does bring an entirely different look, feel, and experience to the table. The Apple Watch Sport comes along with a “custom high-performance fluoroelastomer,” but don’t let the generic term “rubber” turn you away. It actually feels very nice.

Is it all worth the hype? Well, that’s somewhat subjective, but check out our hands-on and first impressions video below for a closer look at Apple Watch hardware and software:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSKomvk4zPs]

We also took a brief look through the software UI and features with the demo models. While these demos are running loops throughout various portions of the interface, there’s still quite a bit that you can do to test out its functionality. It’s smooth overall, but we noticed a bit of lag here and there. Though the lag may have been due to WiFi/Bluetooth connection in the room. Software navigation isn’t nearly as difficult as it may seem and the Digital Crown is very helpful with this task. Check out the video above for a closer look at the software features we’ve tested.

Leather Loop band

First up we took a look at the 42mm Apple Watch with Leather Loop band. This combination is extremely comfortable. The leather used here is very similar to what you’ll find on Apple’s case accessories. With the Leather Loop, you’ll be able to rest your wrist relatively flat on a table when typing. The magnets securing the band around your wrist hold up well to shaking (and running), but you’ll probably prefer a Sport band for anything active. This band provides a classy look without being too flashy like some of the other band offerings.

Link Bracelet

Next we tried out a 42mm Apple Watch with the Link Bracelet. I’m not a huge fan of this style band, but it’s well-built overall. The Link Bracelet clasp mechanism isn’t the easiest to manage when compared to other models, but it definitely holds on tight. One thing that’s important to note is that the Link Bracelet comes in one size, so you’ll need to remove some of the links in order to make it fit. Overall, it’s a great classy option, but at $449, it may not be worth it for everyone.

Sport band.

Our third selection was the 42mm Space Gray Apple Watch Sport. As much as this is the “budget” option for Apple Watch models, it’s definitely has a premium build all around. I’d honestly recommend this model over any others if you’re on the fence about which one is right for you. The color is very sleek and has a matte-finished look to it. As mentioned above, the basic band that comes along with the Sport is great. This may be the cheapest Apple Watch configuration, but it’s still a solid option.

Milanese Loop

Finally, we got to check out the Milanese Loop option with the 42mm Apple Watch. Initially, I wasn’t a huge fan of this band style, but after putting it on I’ve realized that it’s a great choice. The woven stainless steel mesh feels great and the magnet clasp holds on tight. It almost feels like petting a snake with small scales. That’s probably the best way I can describe it, but at $149 for the band alone, is it worth it?

Overall, it was a great experience trying on various Apple Watch models and we’re excited to bring you our full review in the near future. Apple Watch is a very different product and every detail of this experience is proof. Like it or not, Apple Watch is here to stay and we’re excited to see this evolve over the coming years. You can read a little more about the Apple Watch Edition try-on experience here and read some FAQ regarding the Apple Watch retail process here.

Update (4/12/15): In case you were interested in seeing the 38mm and 42mm together, here’s another video (via Danny Winget) that was recently published which provides a look at both sizes:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMwU3rRcmVY]

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. darthque - 9 years ago

    thats a good video bro, thanks. The lag you experienced didn’t surprise me one bit. All the reviews I read mentioned it.

    • nonyabiness - 9 years ago

      I went a played around with one at my local Apple Store here. I walked away impressed – especially since I noticed very little/no lag. I was surprised, because like you, I too believed what I’ve read in a bunch of the reviews. Glad to see, at least in my experimentation, that it was without warrant. I suspect it’s possible that the review units may have an enhanced or simplified version of Watch OS. I guess I’ll see when my preorder arrives.

  2. Dan Peter - 9 years ago

    i’m 100% glad i got the black sport watch with space grey. it looked the most natural on your wrist. I think it will be a decent piece of tech…i guess ill have 14 days to try it out….if i dont cancel my preorder prior to that.

  3. Thomas Yoon - 9 years ago

    The Milanese loop was so comfortable, I’m glad I ordered one.

    • nonyabiness - 9 years ago

      I like the M loop as well. I didn’t order one yet, since I’ll need to decide if I want to keep the Watch or return it. If I keep it, it’ll probably be the band I upgrade to.

      • Thomas Yoon - 9 years ago

        The last I saw, the 38mm Milanese loop has in decent stock with a 2-4 week delivery time, but the 42mm is already pushed back to June. I’d maybe suggest getting one now before it gets worse, then returning them both if you don’t want them.

  4. cdm283813 - 9 years ago

    Not only was there lag but you looked confused on what to do next. There are so many ways and inputs to do something it’s not really clear to remember. I even believe you missed force touch in the process because you had your hands full trying to figure out the goofy thing. Looking at the home screen is already confusing because all the icons are just grouped in this odd circle with no labeling. Try taking away the labels from your iPhone apps but imagine 50 apps all in one spot on a tiny screen. What’s going to happen when you have a 100 of these tiny icons?
    And the way it pulls data is so slow; seeing spinning wheels on a watch that you’re suppose to quickly glance at ruins the experience. I have a iPad Air 2 and if I noticed lag or spinning wheels that sucker would have went back in a heart beat.
    You can easily tell that Steve Jobs had no part in the creation of this watch and that you have mashed up ideas throughout the entire experience. I’m pretty much confident that Steve would have never released a watch like this in it’s current form.
    Unless there are some super major day one patch(es) I see the honeymoon ending pretty quick on this watch. Even if the price was $200 lag and loading issues alone are very major concerns. And if you’re one of these dirty rich cat’s that can afford a $17,000 watch how would it look if it lagged out? I would be pissed if I’m seeing lag after paying $10,000 to $17,000.

    • darwiniandude - 9 years ago

      I use CarPlay for hours daily.
      CarPlay is, at a technical level, a second touch screen powered from iPhone.
      CarPlay has often been laggy for me.

      iOS 8.3 came out a couple of days ago. CarPlay is now rock solid and snappy. My guess is that iOS 8.3 greatly improves the watch responsiveness for apps.

      But, unlike a product from another manufacturer that may get a single update or two if you’re lucky, Apple watch will get massive software updates. Apple isn’t going to abandon it, it will improve.

      iPad shipped with no multitasking. It later gained multitasking, iCloud, all sorts of things.

    • nonyabiness - 9 years ago

      “I’m pretty much confident that Steve would have never released a watch like this in it’s current form.”

      You must not have had an original iPhone – or a 3G. They were quite slow and buggy. Additionally, they were large and clunky, and they had horrible screen resolution compared to today. Even before the original iPhone launch, Steve was worried that the software was going to screw up, because there were still so many bugs.

      Moral of the story? You have to start somewhere. The current Apple Watch is a great starting point in my opinion.

      As for no icon labels, I never use them on my iPhone, so I didn’t find it difficult to navigate the Watch springboard.

      • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

        Apple had a long time to work on this project. Even when the watch was announced last fall they had months to work on the functionality. And the operation of this watch has nothing in common to the iPhone and iPad. Did we really need a entirely new and complicated way to interact with a screen that is much smaller and more difficult to see. It literally took one of the reviewers 3 days to learn the watch and that person was tech savvy. Just imagine your mother trying to use this thing.
        It would have looked better, saved money and made the operation easier if they took away the confusing crown, crown button and side button and just focused on one finger swipes, soft taps and force taps; much cleaner and you take the guesswork out of what to do next. Do you really need a dedicated button for contacts on a smartwatch? I really don’t see the purpose of buttons and crowns on a digital touch screen with force touch. Force touch could have been presented as the new home button.
        I don’t see the operation issues fixed any time soon because their baked in. The lag and loading times I do see fixed but why is it there the the first place? If the iPhone 6S has lag out the box It would be a disaster.

      • vandiced - 9 years ago

        @cdm28buttface – don’t like? Don’t buy. Stop being a teenage girl.

    • akibbe02 - 9 years ago

      “I’m pretty much confident that Steve would have never …”

      *Drink*

      • rogifan - 9 years ago

        I just got drunk.

    • therackett - 9 years ago

      If the button and crown are truly confusing to you, this watch should be low on your list of things to figure out. Major concerns? Let’s find you a girl, mate.

    • vandiced - 9 years ago

      Jesus Christ Steve is dead. Let it go already my god. We definitely need to find you a girlfriend. Or a donkey with a big D

    • guacho8 - 9 years ago

      so the original iPhone and iPad never ever not once lagged?? Are you kidding me? Killing the watch just because it lags?? sigh !!!

    • guacho8 - 9 years ago

      Did you ever hear the story about the first iPhone and the keynote! They had to use several iPhones for different demos because it was buggy and slow like hell… Look how it ended

    • tenormasta - 9 years ago

      Have you forgotten about the 6th generation iPod Nano? How do we know that they weren’t already working on it back then? It had the pedometer and also clock faces which resulted in multiple companies creating bands for it. I’m pretty sure that the watch is one of the many ideas/projects that Steve Jobs left behind.

  5. Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

    So the watch comes in two sizes, yet finding just one reviewer who actually compares them both – you know, for us the readers/viewers – seems impossible. They all focus on the watch THEY want. Not helpful.

    You would think that would be the very first comparison we see.

    • Dom Esposito - 9 years ago

      Well this wasn’t a review, but I’ll have both size for that. I’ve ordered them.

      • Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

        I realize it wasn’t a review. However, a person is going to share their try-on experience, it would seem logical to pretty quickly say something like, in case you were wondering – as many people are – here’s what the other size looks like for comparison. I know if I was doing it, that would be the very first thing. You did after all take the time to show us I believe 4 different bands.

      • Dom Esposito - 9 years ago

        You should setup a try on appointment. That’s what I would recommend. We will be taking a look at both sizes in the best future. Thanks!

      • Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

        I realize the try on appointment can be done, but my point is if you are going to share your experience with us, presumably because you are trying to be helpful, it should be a comprehensive look.

        There are people like me who avoid crowds and would rather not endure the store experience.

        The FIRST question on everyone’s mind is which size.

        You could have also told those interested in the 42mm to go try on, right? But you didn’t. You showed the 42mm in several bands because you knew people were interested.

        Take a look at Seamus Byrne’s try on experience CNET. He even had both on his wrist at the same time, because he thought about what his viewers would want to see. That’s how it should be done.

        A more impressive response from you would have been a simple, ‘I guess a could have show both. Will try to remember that for next time.’

      • Dom Esposito - 9 years ago

        We will have both sizes on hand very soon. Glad you found what you were looking for. :)

    • nonyabiness - 9 years ago

      Having tried them both, and also not liking large face watches, I still preferred the 42mm case. Unless you’re a very thin male with thin wrists, I would recommend the larger of the two (42mm).

      • therackett - 9 years ago

        Um. The 38mm is clearly a ladies option. This has existed in the watch world for ages. Why is this even an issue or something that guys are having to make a decision between?

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        @ nonyabiness @ therackett This is such BS. You teenage boys shouldn’t be commenting on threads on the Internet without your mothers permission.

        The average wrist is 175mm (male or female), if your wrist is average sized or lower (more than half of all people in other words) you should actually be going for the 38mm one if you want it to “fit.”

        If you want to be the average teenaged male idiot, you will go for the biggest one you possibly can (42mm of course) and in black (of course), because for you it’s all about looking like a bigshot, while simultaneously being as cheap as you possibly can. Meanwhile, you are all looking as stupid as stupid can be with a giant f*cking blob that takes up the entire top of your wrist.

        If the Apple Watch has a single, giant flaw, it’s the fact that it’s a huge, chunky, “fat” watch.

        If you want to be the *smart* person wearing a smart watch, you will realise that there is basically no difference in function between the two sizes, that the 38mm one works exactly the same way, is just as easy to use, and that it will look far better on your wrist, assuming you aren’t a giant fat guy.

        All you skinny little boys that bought the 42mm one are looking like idiots IMO. You might as well tie an iPhone to your wrist with some rubber bands. You will look about as good wearing it.

      • heathsnow - 9 years ago

        Gazoo Bee I’m guessing you have not tried one on yet. I went to an Apple Store ready to regret my 42mm pre-order but once I saw how tiny the 38mm one was I’m glad I got the 42mm. My wife has tiny wrists and the 38mm looked just right on her.

      • therackett - 9 years ago

        Gazoo Bee – so let’s examine why very feminine ‘modern buckle’ is only available in 38mm, while the more masculine ‘leather loop’ is only available in 42mm. You can’t ignore the obvious, that is 42mm = predominately male, while 38mm = predominately female. Now if your body type works for 38mm, then that’s the one for you, but you’re defending the exception, not the rule. Thankfully Apple was clever enough to make both sizes close so that a given body type can go either way. There are equally women that are tall/big enough to justify the 42mm just the same. Having tried on both, 42mm is definitely not large, and 38mm looked too small on my wrist, which is average in size.

    • acslater017 - 9 years ago

      The 38 mm truly is cute and dainty. Just yesterday, one man at the store and one male friend on Facebook both regretted preordering the 38.

      For a guy, I have pretty small wrists at 165 mm. But the 42 is definitely a better fit. 38 really is for petit folks, kids, or a special use case where you’re reaching into things a lot(?)

      • therackett - 9 years ago

        Most likely (just a thought) it was designed, very simply, for women who…who’d have guessed…tend to have smaller arms and historically wear smaller watches. Quite a simple conclusion. Any male who ordered it who isn’t below average in size wasn’t thinking, or likes small watches.

      • guacho8 - 9 years ago

        I’m a guy too with a 165mm wrist, ordered the 42mm and I’m having second thoughts.. I have an appointment tonight to try it on so we’ll see how it goes.

    • therackett - 9 years ago

      Depemds on your body, man. You big? Don’t get a pinner watch. You small? Don’t get the big one.

      • Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

        Exactly. I am a small guy with small wrists. I am just guessing at this point that the 42 will be too big based on the videos I’ve seen so far. It would be good to see someone try them on back to back. For many of us, that would have answered the question before pre-ordering. This is particularly true for the people who ended up ordering both versions. (I ordered just the one)

    • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

      Yeah, I found that really disappointing as well. All the reviews, all the try ons, and all the people showing off the watch and not a single one of them tells us which size they are trying on.

      More crucially, we need to know the wrist size of the person in the video as well, which none have included so far. Too late now that everyone has ordered, but you’d think one reviewer would have been smart enough to do that.

      Dom tells us lower down that his wrist size is 175 or so, so this kind of proves my point about anyone below 175mm needing to order the 38mm one if they don’t want to look ridiculous.

      • guacho8 - 9 years ago

        Search in tweeter for Lauren Goode, a tech journalist, she tried the 42 mm and she seems to have small wrists , it looks pretty big but It kind of looks good on her.. I have a 165 mm wrist and I’ll go to the App Store today to try it on..

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        @ gaucho8 I saw that yes. It’s one of the few videos that confirms to me that the 42mm watch looks like ass on a small wrist. I would tend to disagree with the statement that it “looks good on her.” It’s interesting that she is a female and picks the large one as IMO most folks picking the large one are picking it for “male” reasons only. Maybe as a female in tech she feels the need to “do what the boys do,” or something.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        Wrist circumference isn’t near as important as wrist width. Measure the top width of your wrist if you want an idea of how it will look. Anyway, the pictures don’t give you s great idea at all. In person they seem much smaller, you’ll be surprised.

    • Having just seen both sizes in the Apple Store, the 38mm looked way too small for the average male. Most onlookers gravitated to the 42mm even though both sizes are merchandised equally. It’s remarkable how different the sense of scale comes off in photographs and videos. The 42mm is a lot less chunky than I was expecting.

      • acslater017 - 9 years ago

        I feel like Apple should use more real-world photography. The abstract renderings, as well as photos of it in isolation, make it look uglier. The silver aluminum looks toyish, the Crown looks awkwardly large, the case looks thick.

        In reality, I can see them shaving off a mm or two down the road, but the aforementioned aren’t nearly the problems that the press photos make them out to be.

    • flaviosuave - 9 years ago

      You must be a ton of fun at parties!

  6. trich1228 - 9 years ago

    Seems to me they tried on the watches that have been voted most popular on online polls I have no issues with the watches “they want” . The space grey 42 sport with the sport band did seem like the one to go with . The 38 seemed to hard to view maps and other features. Some people say ohh the big one will look ridiculous yea well they both are going to be instantly spotted by people so why not get one where you don’t have to squint so hard. Just sayin

    • acslater017 - 9 years ago

      The “big one” really isn’t all that big :) If I had to put it in shirt terms, the 38 is an Extra Small/Small, and the 42 is a Medium. Neither is an XL when you see them in real life!

      • xprmntr - 9 years ago

        Yea, I went to a store yesterday, the 38 looked like a little chicklet piece of gum, I unfortunately ordered that thinking the ” actual” sizes in the Apple store app were accurate, they are NOT, you can’t tell from videos either, since I ordered at launch time, I’ll wait for the 38 and take it for a test drive for 13 days, hopefully it’ll come on launch day. Then I’ll see if I can keep it but most likely return it , I ordered the sport space grey 42 after visiting the store, the watches are still pretty thick, but the feel and display are really smooth and refined, gotta wait till June for the space grey, MORE WAITING! “EARLY 2015!” Us 9to5 maccers have been waiting for this AT LEAST since last SUMMER! oh well!

    • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

      I just wanted to say that all you guys talking about the size of the watch are basically filling the air up with nothing until you include the size of your wrists in the post. It makes no sense to say something like “the 38mm one is small,” without knowing your wrist size. It’s basically entirely useless information.

      To those who think the 38mm is small … do you really think that the few pixels difference is going to make it unworkable relative to the 42mm one? Do you really think that the battery difference is going to be anything but the slightest variation? Do you think Apple would release an unworkable product? You are fools if you do.

      Ultimately, more people will ultimately will buy the 38mm one than the 42mm one. Guaranteed.
      The statistics of human wrist sizes alone will make this so.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        You can’t accurately know until you try it on. I assure you. I don’t care about the battery or slightly larger UI elements, but once I saw the watches for me I felt like the 42mm really wasn’t anywhere near as big as id pictured and been made to believe by pictures.

      • I was at the Apple Store a couple of hours ago, and everyone huddled around the display case had their eyes on the 42mm, despite the fact that both watches were displayed equally. I was worried that the SS Black with Link Bracelet I ordered would be too chunky, but all models are much smaller in real life than in photographs. My sense was that even though the 38 would be more aesthetically appropriate for the average woman, most users instinctively want a UI with as much surface area as they can get without being cumbersome.

        I don’t know my wrist size, but for the last two years I’ve worn a 45mm Ziiiro Saturn gunmetal watch.

      • rhyddin - 9 years ago

        I have a 180mm wrist and usually wear a Tag Kirium, which is not that big a watch compared to many. When I tried on the 42mm Watch, it was the perfect size for my wrist: about the same size as my ‘regular’ watch. I have to admit, after that I didn’t even try the 38mm. Interestingly, the Watch wasn’t as deep as my Tag so didn’t feel bulbous at all. The Watch looked very classy with the classic buckle so ordered that.

      • acslater017 - 9 years ago

        OK, I’ll bite. I’m 5’9″ (1.75 m), 145 lb (65 kg), skinny build, with 165 mm circumference left wrist.

        I’m pretty self-conscious about my skinny wrists but having tried them on, the 42 is definitely the better fit. A 38 would simply accentuate them, and the display size difference is noticeable, especially with such small tap targets and text constraints.

        A smaller person could potentially rock the bigger watch and vice versa. But I’d say to look fitting, you’d have to be roughly 5’5″ (1.65 m) and 130 lb (60 kg) or smaller.

  7. msmithj567 - 9 years ago

    Reblogged this on Mohit – The caretaker.

  8. jsarpong - 9 years ago

    Well some people comments are not subjective, but to make unnecessary comments.. in every product development you will have issues, until the product gets into hands of masses who in diverse ways test the device for the true picture of the device. Whether you like it or not watch is still going to sell.

    • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

      No doubt the watch is going to sale to the hardcore fan. But how long will it take to make it a must buy item

      • jsarpong - 9 years ago

        Almost every Apple products has received some bad commentary from critics but still the masses adopted it. You don’t need to be hardcore fan to love Apple products.

    • cdm283813 - 9 years ago

      This could have been a nice gift for my wife but I see her easily confused with this watch. It’s the same reason why I don’t buy her Android phones; I learned that lesson back in 2010 with the iphone 4. I really don’t want to be tech support.

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        I don’t understand why anyone is saying (and it seems lots are) that the UI is “confusing.” It’s so absolutely straightforward, I just don’t get this comment at all.

        The only thing that’s different from the iPhone or the iPad is that the “home screen” and the “app screen” are now different things. On regular iOS devices, the screen with the apps is the “home screen” but on the watch the Watch Face is the “home screen” and the apps are on a second screen.

        That’s it. That is pretty much the entire difference between the two. The damn buttons even work the same and in the same combinations. It’s way easier than trying to figure out some iOS apps.

      • The UI’s reputation for being confusing largely comes from reviewers binge navigating the Watch for a sense of “comprehensive” coverage. Just go and an Apple Store and play with one for a few minutes without reference to the score of self-conscious reviews looking for some elusive epiphany. It’s really not rocket surgery.

  9. jsarpong - 9 years ago

    Reblogged this on IDC GH and commented:
    Apple watch first hands on by ace youtube star, shows how unique the product is and how powerful it is different from the rest of apple products.

  10. So the sleep button (on iPhone) is only for contacts? I hope it has more features otherwise it seems like overkill.

    • acslater017 - 9 years ago

      Single-click: contacts. Double-click: Apple Pay. Hold down: power off. Combine with Digital Crown: screenshot.

  11. Jasper Huisman - 9 years ago

    Hi Dom, could you tell what the circumference of your wrist is?

    • Dom Esposito - 9 years ago

      Yeah, it’s right about 175mm.

  12. vandy75 - 9 years ago

    OK I’ve read most everything I could get my hands on regarding the Apple Watch. With some reviews it seems the author has some agenda against Apple. That said, I don’t especially like the sales process they have put in place and, as I predicted, it failed in many areas. Specifically when I went in to one store for try on, the process past getting you to the assigned person was jumpy. They had one person to help you try on and show you various models. Not all agents were equally talented at this. The agent I had was mediocre. The agent helping the guy across from me was quite good. They didn’t have a seamless way to transition you from trying on to the demo models. Overall the process was grossly inefficient and is not sustainable. The space grey watch was much better looking that I imagined it would be. I was vacillating between the space grey sport and the stainless steel with black band. I didn’t like the leather straps at all. They were not supple and seemed like a man made material. The milanese band exceeded my expectation. Because it has a slight dark cast it looked sensational with the space grey watch. At the second store I went to, the agent didn’t know you could interchange bands and had to ask someone else who wasn’t sure. This was an epic fail on a critical issue. The website wasn’t up at 12:01 PST. The person at the 800 number was at the mercy of a sluggish web site too. I got my order through on the app. The phone, web and app didn’t mirror each other so I wound up without Apple care on my preorder. Remembering the iPhone 6 experience, I had set up a command post to get through one way or the other all live at 12:01AM PST. Even with that I was at 4-6 weeks delivery by the time my preorder was in queue. The means of setting up a “try on” appointment was a disaster. All in all it was alot of work and more effort that it should have been but I wound up with what I wanted. Trying to make Apple into Van Cleef and Arpels is not going to work nor should it.

    • therackett - 9 years ago

      Whuddya expect. Half of those people can’t sell an iPhone case properly.

      FWIW, the store app is always faster, and if you have Apple pay set up it processes payment immediately vs credit card which requires additional authentication before the payment is considered approved. I ordered at 12:01 and received my conf email at 12:02 to get the original 4/24 ship date. I’ll bet that most everyone who got the first ship dates did so via app and ApplePay.

      Phone is a joke, as is the web store for timely things like this.

  13. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    The occasional lag and loading time I experienced playing with a store demo reminded me of the very first iPhone. I was almost nostalgic for performance issues.

    I also noticed the unattended demos were in a white stand that had a USB type-C port on the back. Too big to be lightning but it had the same profile. Interesting…

  14. rporter2 - 9 years ago

    Surprised no one pointed this out yet. The links are removeable in the link band. You don’t have to “have them removed”, there is a little button on the inside of a bunch of the links. If you push the button, the link releases and you can take some out to resize it yourself. I tried it at the store, it was easy, but not so easy that you would have to worry about hitting the buttons by accident. It’s out of my price range but it’s really nice looking and well-engineered, so I get why they priced it as high as they did.
    As far as the Milanese loop, that band was way nicer in real life than I ever would have thought from the photos online. It doesn’t look or feel like metal to me. I like that the reviewer refers to the feeling as snake skin. The magnet is super strong. You can really tighten that strap and the magnet is not going to let go.

    • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

      I like the look of a Milanese Loop, but seeing as it was originally designed for very “flat,” thin watches and definitely looks a lot better on those watches, I think it’s a poor choice for the big fat Apple Watch.

      Maybe the thinner, version 4 of the watch will look good with it, but today, the fatness of the Watch sort of makes a mockery out of that band IMO.

  15. longtermsolutions - 9 years ago

    All the naysayers who think that one interface works for all devices should stop and look at why Apple has been so successful.

    Microsoft tried to use the same UI with tablets as they do with desktops and laptops; it failed miserably. They tried to use the same tired UI on a tablet, and people didn’t like it.

    Blackberry’s tired chiclet keyboard was supposedly the be-all-and-end-all, and devoted users swore they could never give up a physical keyboard. Blackberry failed miserably.

    Command-line users swore that a graphical UI was stupid, slow, a waste of screen real estate, and so on… how many users to do you see who do all their work in a command-line? None. The only time I use command-line is when I’m programming or in Terminal.

    The iPhone doesn’t use the same UI as Mac OS; that’s why it works–the UI fits the device, and is tailored to the hand.

    The Apple Watch can’t use the same interface as the iPhone or iPad, because many of the gestures that we use on iOS aren’t going to work on a tiny screen. Hence the digital crown. How many of you bash-trolls have actually gone to an Apple Store and tried out an Apple Watch? Answer: none.

    Lastly, for those who say that Steve Jobs wouldn’t have embraced the Apple Watch–how do you KNOW? How do you know that he didn’t have input into this device before he died? The iMac project started before he came back to Apple, and then he refined it and was largely credited with its success. Steve may have been talking about the proper UI long before his death… we’ll probably never know, but here’s what I *do* know: my Apple stock is going up and I’ve made a lot of money by betting on Apple. And I will continue to do that while bash-trolls play with their toes, use their Seiko Data watches and Microsoft Surfaces.

    • Joshua Hart - 9 years ago

      lol, don’t knock the MS Surface :P it does its job perfectly amongst my MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad ;)

      Lol but in all honesty when apple gives me a tablet I can take for uni that can run full desktop apps, with a full size keyboard, then maybe the surface won’t be as good :P Like I get the MacBook Air/MacBook argument, but having a tablet form factor, means getting up and showing people on the other side of class my work is simple, picking up a laptop means taking the keyboard/trackpad/palmrest with me :P

      Lol, but yeh, the interface on the watch is mostly fine, like it took me maybe 2-3 minutes to get my head around the various ‘ideas’ that it uses, like the Digital Crown and stuff, I’m sure once my pre-order arrives i’ll be able to fluently navigate it with little thought :)

    • midiac - 9 years ago

      So well said. Seriously, Thank you. Honestly amusing watching the morons call other morons to make themselves feel better – with no real direct personal experience with the product – thus really have no idea what they are speaking of. Talk about sheep?

      Have heard direct personal reviews from people who have worn Gear and LG models and were amazed at how much this actually felt like a major step up – in comfort / style / function / usability.

      Saw a direct reaction to a man who came directly from spending $8k on a Rolex a few stores up, and immediately wanted to return it and wait for the Watch.

  16. Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

    For those curious about the 38mm watch, this review on techcrunch was helpful.

    http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/09/hands-on-with-the-apple-watch/

    A paragraph from the article….

    “Overall, though, I preferred the 38mm. As a watch fan myself, the smaller case felt more like the classic designs I prefer in standard time pieces, and it still wore well on my relatively large wrist. This isn’t a women-specific design by any means; it’s just another option, and I suspect it’ll be a popular one despite the slightly smaller screen.”

  17. Notice how there was no line at the Apple store.

    • Joshua Hart - 9 years ago

      Lol, when I went there were plenty of people around looking at it, and about a 10min wait for try ons… but that was in Australia, where we could go look at it like 8 hours before pre-orders started :P (and also initially couldn’t book try ons)

      I think the no lines thing (especially for people in the US) was to be expected, like why go line up for ages, to look at something you can’t even buy yet, especially since pre-orders sold out so quickly…

      Like I wen’t and tried it on, tested it, and then had like 3 hours to ponder if I should pre-order or not, but if I was in the US, then I woulda pre-ordered at midnight, and then like trying on/testing could be done any time in the next two weeks… like no real urgency to see it if its already pre-ordered, may as well wait for any busy period to finish before checking if u should cancel or not :P

    • midiac - 9 years ago

      Apple is doing things differently – reservation times – ridiculous lines of scalpers in front of Apple Stores is a thing of the past . . . online purchases only … with limits – controlling the chaos… they have had PLENTY of spotlight that it is funny when one comes upon someone who does NOT know about the Apple Watch. . . and this wasn’t to purchase, but to see / play with / test / lust …

    • freshpressedguest - 9 years ago

      Yes, no line because it was a pre-order day. The “line” was digital, between midnight and 6am PST, where it proceeded to sell out for the next 6 weeks. You’ll see a line the day it’s available for pick-up by pre-order buyers.

  18. Marc Hoag (@MarcHoag) - 9 years ago

    Agreed on the space gray sport 42mm. Only criticism: it was a bit alarming when the sales rep offered (almost insisted; I had to pull my hand away) to fasten it on my wrist for me. I even joked saying “wow I hope I don’t need help doing this” — but alas, it is a little bit tricky.

  19. brianskoog - 9 years ago

    I have pre-ordered a 38mm, as all but one of my personal watch collection fall into the 37-39mm range. Got into the store today for a fitting, and I was shocked at how small the 38mm Apple Watch looks. Since the sport band doesn’t include any lugs, the 38 looks much smaller than it would on a watch with even average lugs, like a Timex weekender for example. I’ve attached pictures of both on my 175mm wrist. The space black is the 42, white 38.

    Apple Watch Fitting

    • brianskoog - 9 years ago

      Still not canceling 38, will try it out for a week or so when it comes in, but have also ordered a 42 which will most likely end up being my watch.

      • kpom1 - 9 years ago

        I went with the 38mm and am glad I did. I tried on the 42mm and it looked OK, but the 38mm still looked better. My wrist is about 165mm. I also did the credit card measurement (i.e. lay a credit card lengthwise on your wrist – if it covers your wrist entirely, go with 38mm, if it doesn’t, consider the 42mm), and it’s consistent with that, as well.

  20. George Christopher - 9 years ago

    Good pre-review. I keep finding out that people are really trying to make this Watch thing work/justify it. I just dont see this market getting any real traction once everyone has their hands on one… We will see though.

  21. Tony C (@Muadibe10) - 9 years ago

    Most helpful try on video I’ve seen so far from Seamus Byrne at CNET shows you what the two sizes look like on his wrist. This is the kind of comparison I was expecting here.

    http://www.cnet.com/news/what-an-apple-watch-in-store-fitting-is-really-like/

    • irockapple - 9 years ago

      Would you give it a rest already. This was NOT supposed to be a review. It was simply him recording his PERSONAL try on appointment. Why should he waste time in his appointment to view a watch that he is not going considering, especially when 9to5mac is going to do a very in depth comparison of the two models?

  22. kpom1 - 9 years ago

    I’m actually pleasantly surprised by the Classic Band. While it’s a fairly plain design, combined with the stainless steel Apple Watch, it looks very professional and is perfect for those who don’t want to stand out in an office setting.

  23. tenormasta - 9 years ago

    A few things I remember from Friday.

    1) GPS was not working with Maps on the anchored Watch. That’s what the phone is for I believe.
    2) 42 is a perfect fit for just about anyone. 38 is for a child in my honest opinion.
    3) Most importantly, it didn’t seem like any of the try-on employees had any training and/or knowledge on the watch whatsoever.

  24. Gunay Oksar - 9 years ago

    I had a long try on session and played with the demo kit for about 15 minutes. Experienced no lag at all. However, I did see two demo watch being taken away as it seemed they stopped working.

    There wasn’t a single third party app so I am guessing they maybe the reason for lags..

    I thought the watch UI was very good, not confusing but yes, it does need some exploring..

    I think the sketch feature is not going to be useful.. I wish they kept the walkie-talkie feature. I thought it would be really useful. The other thing I felt is that watchface’s will get old very quickly. Despite the customizations the master view of each of them doesn’t change. Again I am sorry they have removed the picture and lapse photo options..

    Otherwise, I think Apple watch has a great a potential..

  25. On of the most interesting thing about Apple Watch is its strap lock mechanism. I would guess Apple probably has patented that. What I am curious to know is that how much Apple will be willing to go after the infringers. If any of you is interested in detail explanation of the strap mechanism, you can visit the following article.
    http://makememaker.com/hackability-of-apple-watch/

  26. truth42 - 9 years ago

    I fall into the category of people who just don’t wear watches. I just don’t find it particularly comfortable wearing one. It’s going to take a lot to persuade me to purchase an Apple Watch. My 12-year-old daughter’s desperate to have one, though.

  27. Martha Mcnelly - 9 years ago

    I know I will want one of these new Apple watches ; probably the least expensive is one I can get.