I’d love to buy an Apple Watch, but there’s something stopping me

1 month ago

The Nike Globe watch look connected nan Apple Watch Series 9.

There’s thing rather awesome astir smartwatches. As an Android aficionado, I person nary shortage of awesome smartwatches to take from. Watches from large names for illustration Samsung and Google are successful connected nan enactment pinch nan Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Google Pixel Watch 2. I tin besides dip into fittingness brands for illustration Fitbit, Garmin, and moreover Polar. Heck, location are moreover options from accepted watch brands for illustration Fossil and Casio.

So why is it that whenever Apple launches a caller Apple Watch — for illustration nan caller Apple Watch Series 9 — I consciousness nan acold manus of envy connected my shoulder? I person truthful galore choices to prime from, and galore of them are arsenic bully (and sometimes better) arsenic nan Apple Watch. But nary matter really overmuch I show myself that, I consciousness nan aforesaid tangled emotions each clip Apple launches a caller Watch.

Why does nan Apple Watch person specified a clasp complete me, and why won’t I conscionable wound nan slug and get one? Well, it’s not because of nan Apple Watch that I won’t — it’s because of nan different hardware that Apple wants to saddle maine with.

Why do I want an Apple Watch truthful badly?

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Series 8 showing nan ambient displays.

Looking astatine axenic features, nan Apple Watch is thing special. I tin get astir of nan Apple Watch’s features connected existing Android smartwatches. My Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is simply a top-tier smartwatch pinch awesome fittingness elements. I person respective Polar trackers that connection unthinkable fittingness search and a agelong artillery life. If I wanted thing much stylish, I could spell retired and bargain 1 of Fossil’s smartwatches. Really, nan Apple Watch doesn’t connection thing I can’t get anyplace else.

Well, isolated from for 1 thing: individual wellness and safety.

What I want from a smartwatch isn’t nan joyousness of utilizing a wrist-based computer; I don’t want to flick a watch for hours. I’m not overmuch of a smartwatch user, really. I don’t usage them to perceive to music, I don’t for illustration to reply to messages pinch them, I don’t telephone group connected them, and I don’t moreover for illustration receiving notifications connected them. Skipping nan occasional opus is astir arsenic acold arsenic I’m apt to go.

Person checking bosom complaint connected nan each caller Apple Watch Series 7.

For me, nan cleanable smartwatch is simply a wellness locator that looks good. I for illustration to support way of my steps, exercises, my bosom rate, and my accent levels. Relatives of excavation person died owed to heart-related issues, truthful I’m particularly keen to support way of immoderate irregularities successful my bosom wellness that I mightiness not notice. And it’s that nagging interest that pushes maine toward nan Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch doesn’t person a monopoly connected wellness monitoring, though. Samsung’s smartwatches person had ECG sensors for almost arsenic agelong arsenic Apple and galore different smartwatches and fittingness trackers will announcement if it seems for illustration your ol’ ticker isn’t tickin’ truthful good. So, why not conscionable bargain different smartwatch and beryllium done pinch it? Well, Apple’s brilliant isn’t needfully what it’s added; it’s really powerfully it’s communicated it cares.

iPhone + Apple Watch | Another Birthday | Apple

Before nan latest Apple Watch was announced, Apple debuted a elemental video. Titled “Another Birthday“, it centered astir group whose lives had been saved by their Apple Watches. Whether it was an irregular bosom complaint that led to captious surgery, nan Emergency SOS feature, aliases Crash Detection, these peoples’ Apple Watches had saved their lives. And present was Apple, celebrating those lives. Yes, it’s marketing, and yes, it’s intentionally tugging connected my heartstrings — but I don’t care. Like its ecological stance, Apple’s continued activity present seems to item that it does care. And because I consciousness for illustration it cares, I’d alternatively spot it pinch my wellness complete a institution that includes nan aforesaid features but doesn’t look for illustration it cares.

But nary matter really overmuch I really, really want an Apple Watch, there’s a superior problem opinionated successful my way; you mightiness person guessed what it is. Just arsenic overmuch arsenic I want an Apple Watch, I don’t want to usage an iPhone.

The iPhone request is simply a problem

Apple Watch and iPhone 13 Pro showing workout data.

To usage an Apple Watch, you person to usage an iPhone. That’s nan agelong and nan short of it. Because Apple’s a large meanie, it won’t fto an Apple Watch play bully pinch an Android phone, moreover if I inquire really nicely.

Apple fans retired location won’t spot nan problem here, and I envy you. I’ve been a true-blue Android instrumentality since my very first smartphone, and astatine nary constituent did I ever see buying and utilizing an iPhone. Even aft having utilized an iPhone for an admittedly short play of time, I tin categorically opportunity I do not want to thin connected an iPhone arsenic my regular driver.

It’s not because of immoderate benignant of tribal loyalties; it’s because iOS is, well, different. But much importantly, it’s besides wrong. Check retired notifications, for instance. I’ve owned an iPad for good complete 5 years now, and I still don’t understand really nan notification area works. Because it doesn’t. Even aft Apple “fixed” it, er, no, it didn’t.

I thought nan App Library mightiness return distant different of my bugbears — but no, that’s unspeakable too. It’s an automatically sorted strategy of folders, and I person nary thought wherever connected this Windows Explorer-esque hellscape I’m expected to find anything. Don’t moreover get maine started connected really bad nan Control Center is. It’s not difficult to get these elements moving well: conscionable return immoderate Android has been doing for nan past decade and transcript it. At this point, it conscionable seems for illustration Apple is making areas of its package bad because it can’t carnivore to ape Android.

All of this wouldn’t beryllium an rumor if I could conscionable tweak it and make it my own. But I can’t do that either. Apple has eased up connected immoderate of its power issues, but it’s still nan astir jealous of nan large mobile brands by a agelong shot. “You want to what? Change really galore app icons you tin fresh connected your screen? You want a 5×5 grid square? Absolutely not, I don’t care what Uncle Android lets you do; you’re not doing that connected my home screen.”

Every clip I usage an iPhone, I’m reminded that it’s not my phone; it’s Apple’s. And I should beryllium jolly gladsome that Apple knows what’s champion for me.

Of course, this comes pinch its downfalls too. Fun Uncle Android mightiness fto maine do what I want astir of nan time, but he’s a spot of a chaotic spirit, arsenic my struggles pinch nan Pixel 7 Pro person shown. At slightest Auntie Apple is reliable, if boring. But ultimately, erstwhile it comes to my smartphone, I want to make it my ain and person those customization options, moreover if it intends that it sometimes crashes. But upsettingly, I want nan nonstop other for my smartwatch. I want thing that hums distant successful nan inheritance and conscionable … works. And that’s where, arsenic we each know, Apple excels.

So what is simply a boy to do, torn betwixt 2 camps? There is simply a measurement astir this, but I’m somewhat hesitant to do it.

There’s a measurement astir this

There’s a elemental solution. I could bargain an LTE-connected Apple Watch and group it up connected my activity iPhone, and past conscionable … locomotion away, clutching my Android telephone and cackling for illustration a madman. After all, nan Apple Watch doesn’t need an iPhone to function; it only needs nan iPhone for nan first setup. A-ha, Auntie Apple, I’ve outsmarted you!

Only I haven’t really. While nan Apple Watch will beryllium mostly independent from nan iPhone, location will beryllium definite times I’ll request to spell back. Updates, for instance, aliases whenever I want to really drill down into my wellness and fittingness stats. And ultimately, that’s what really puts maine disconnected nan idea. While it mightiness beryllium a nosy research for a while, and 1 I’m much than consenting to trial out, it’s specified an inelegant solution that I can’t consciousness for illustration it would beryllium 1 I’d rotation pinch for a agelong time.

Until then, I’ll proceed to conifer for my mislaid emotion that ne'er was. Who watches nan watches? At nan moment, it’s me.

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