Skeptics of the Apple Watch Speak Up

Much like every release of every Apple product ever, Monday morning’s debut of the Apple Watch has spurred plenty of debate, drawn a heap of comparisons, and quickly divided consumers and industry pros into “for” and “against” camps.

Since the internet has now had five long days (an eternity online, really) to chew on the smartwatch, strong opinions from the dissenting to the approving have taken shape — all well before the watch is even available for pre-order. And right now, the skeptics are speaking up in a chorus of doubt. Take a look at some of the biggest statement makers below.

Forbes considers how the Apple Watch breaks away from the typical Apple model, forming a new one that inconveniently adds a layer to our arsenal of tools and products rather than minimizing.

No one wears a watch. A watch is utterly redundant to their smartphones and a relic of a different age.

I’m not saying Apple Watch will flop. I don’t think it will, over time. However, what I am noting here is that this product does not follow the Apple way. It does not conform to Apple’s tradition of improving human efficiency through the genius elimination of other things. Instead, it’s playing into the wind by adding a new level of complexity to our lives. A new thing to wear, no less.

Allan Ripp for CNN finds the potential evolutionary impact worrisome, cheekily asking “Will your Apple Watch program YOU?”

As the wearables wrist race heats up, it’s worth considering how these meta-timepieces — with their tactile messaging, biometric loops and eye-controlled display screens — could alter everyday behavior and spur new codes of etiquette, not to mention a few novel personality disorders.

Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist for Money, chalks much of the fervor up to the product’s “slow striptease” rather than its actual capabilities.

I have nothing against smartwatches or Apple, mind you. I love my many Apple products, but for those considering a pricey new purchase, consider how much of your desire is real and how much is the result of emotional manipulation.

And if you’re wondering why those prices are so high, Wired’s Cliff Kuang actually applauds the company’s bold attempt to move its price points up and up, calling Apple’s economics “insanely great.” However, can Apple pull it off?

But the broader test is one of Apple’s brand. Can they really sell to heads of state, rappers, soccer moms, social marketing gurus, and 17-year-olds at the same time, with a gadget that functions exactly the same at every price point?

Gizmodo writer Mario Aguilar says don’t buy a first-gen — like, ever.

You should chill out on plans to buy an Apple Watch. Even if future versions of the Apple Watch eventually offer wildly unique and valuable features that range far beyond the power of alternatives like the Pebble and are more than just gimmicks, the first generation version you buy this year won’t ever get there. But if you hold on even one year for version two, it is all but guaranteed to be measurably better in countless ways. Granted, this is always true to some degree, but it’s extra true for first-gen gadgets.

The New York Times reminds consumers that Apple products really only come alive with apps.

For the Apple Watch to be remotely as successful, Apple will have to find a way to take that world of apps to the wrist. But a watch presents unique challenges with its tiny screen. And the way app developers make money from it will be different than with other Apple products.

Unlike the iPhone or iPad, the Apple Watch is not a stand-alone product. It relies on an iPhone to fully operate, partly because the brains of watch apps will live on the iPhone. So users will have to install watch apps on the iPhone as well.

And finally, a small yet positive refrain to the onslaught of reluctance comes from Business Insider, which breaks down what it sees as the stand out features as compared to Android Wear. Among them are the abilities to send a heartbeat, use Apple Pay or employ Force Touch.

So, now we wait. Impatiently. We here at Wearables.com look forward to ripping apart those demo units in order to form even more opinions about what can — and cannot — be done with the most anticipated wristable in history.

Until then, enjoy actress Anna Kendrick’s fantastically succinct statement on the subject — which collected over 20 thousand retweets and 34 thousand likes:

We should be thanking Apple for launching the $10,000 "apple watch" as the new gold standard in douchebag detection.

— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) March 9, 2015

The post Skeptics of the Apple Watch Speak Up appeared first on Wearables.com.