Apple Watch Review Diary - The Hardware


I had some concerns on size and weight of the 42mm models. After I realized the specs are actually slightly smaller and lighter than the Pebble, that changed my thinking a bit. Like everyone, my first impression of the Apple Watch was the promotional photos and videos. There's something about the marketing materials to me that make the watch look much bigger and clunky than it is. The design reminded me the original iPhone, which at the time was pretty impressive, but obviously tired and dated. In the photos and videos, it looked thicker and bulkier to me with the rounded design.

In person this is not the case at all. The watch appears modern, slick, and thin for a smartwatch. Certainly more could be done with the design, but it's not a negative. The watch weight is also perfectly fine and the 42mm size seems a natural size for my wrist. It looks a little big on my wife, so the 38mm would seem a more natural choice. The space gray Sport model I find to be not at all flashy to draw attention, particularly with all the smart watches and fitness devices out there over the past few years.

I think Sport band is fine. It's very similar to my Pebble and I've had no beef with that. The design is kind of clever as it tucks in. It's a little awkward for me to put on compared to more conventional buckle style, for some reason, but I'm getting the hang of it. The sport band is comfortable and I don't think it looks at all cheap. I think I might dig a leather band better, but for extra money I'm good with the rubber model. I'll be curious for third-party solutions that might be more practical. Apple ships a second half of the band to change the overall size of the watch band. This is the size of the watch band with the notches The band slips out really easy and it's a nice design.

The magnetic inductive charger is great. Inductive charging is nothing new, but this is a cool and practical solution to charge the watch without having exposed charger ports. The 2 meter cable is quite long and should work well for cable routing from wall plugs around dressers and bedside tables. I've ordered the smaller 1 meter cable as a backup at work. The Sport model is a plastic charger where the more expensive models appear to be aluminum. Other than ascetics and presumable cost, there's no difference.

The box is surprisingly large and heavy. Apple over the years has made efforts to decrease packaging size and weight, and here Apple seem to be going all out for the unboxing experience. The watch comes in a long plastic case. You could store your watch in this case, but I'd probably prefer some kind of watch stand or simply setting it on the table.

The screen is very nice and basically what you'd expect from a Retina display. Graphics are sharp and colors are bright. So far, no real issues using the watch outdoors, but it's just my first day.

Overall the fit and finish meets what anyone would expect from Apple. My biggest takeaway is it's different than I expected based on the photos. The Apple Watch is definitely something people will have to try on to really judge.