Apple Watch: It's About Time

Apple Watch: It's About Time

I promised an update on the Apple Watch after living with it for a week or so... The #1 question that I get is, "What do you really use it for?"...  Well, I have figured out what the magic of this little supercomputer on my wrist truly is: It's About Time.

Time of day, sure. It's a great timepiece... I love all of the watch faces, and the information available to me at a glance without having to touch a button - time, date, day, temperature, exercise status, world clock, and more. 

More importantly, though... Apple Watch is about my time. The moments I save by not having to reach for my iPhone to check on these things (time, weather, calendar...) so often throughout the day. By avoiding my iPhone, it's not just the couple of seconds I would have spent reaching for it, unlocking it, and reading the screen - I save many more minutes than I ever realized I spent caught up in all of the other badge notifications, icons, and apps that draw my attention whenever I check my phone screen.

With Watch, I see only what I need at the moment, and nothing more.

This may sound insignificant if you don't yet have an Apple Watch - and I believe it's a point the Apple marketing team must have tangled with as well... It's just not easy to express the value of having this type of information on your wrist, until you actually have it. Then you wonder why you put up with not having it for so long!

Watch is also about "Me Time"... This, I really didn't expect at all. I'm not a fitness junky, but I also considered myself to be fairly active. That is, until Watch showed me my stats. I was shocked to see just how sedentary I am most days! The Activity App is well integrated, and the gamified tracking of calories, movement and standing has actually helped me to be more mindful of my movement (or lack thereof!) every day. This is a nice bonus for Watch owners!

But, the very most important Time that Watch is all about is the time that I now have back to spend face to face, eye to eye, with the people around me. When I'm out in public now my face is looking up far more often... Often enough, in fact, to be saddened by noticing that everyone else around me has their face glued to a smartphone.

I can't help but to think about how many of us are literally missing the moments of life by staring at the screen of a smartphone.

 So, Apple Watch really is all about time. And, it's about time... We need more freedom from our smartphone, and surprisingly, Apple Watch delivers exactly that.