The Death of the Apple Watch
With the announcement of the controversial Apple Watch Series 7, I think that I am finally giving up on my Apple Watch. I have written a few articles about an experiment I did with not wearing my Apple Watch for a month. I wrote about the initial FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to the unexpected joy of not having to worry about the battery dying every day and everything in between. It was eye-opening and a much-needed break from the constant barrage of notifications and pings on my wrist.
At the end of the experiment, I went back to the watch and enjoyed it for a very short time. I found myself not using it nearly as much, and the habits I broke during my sabbatical didn’t come rushing back. I used Apple Pay with my iPhone; I checked my messages a few times a day. Everything that I relied on the Apple Watch for was replaced, and it was not a big deal. I think that unlocking my Macbook with my finger is easy enough to live with and hardly a reason to keep wearing the watch.
I now see the apps on the watch as something that is somewhat silly — checking the weather, checking a sports score, replying to a text, getting a ping on your wrist when your next turn is approaching. They all can be done very quickly with your phone, and do you need to check the weather ten times a day or be reminded to breathe?
The health sensors are great, but do I need to wear a medical device on my wrist, just in case? All of the marketing and five years of drinking the Apple Kool-Aid about the Apple Watch was washed away in a single month.
Exercising was a little tricky. I would want to check my steps and distance when I walk, but I do the same basic route every day, so I know the distance, and any watch can tell me the time it takes to…
