So, it’s kind of become my thing to “review” significant new Apple announcements. Since there really isn’t any announcement that they make that’s more significant than iPhones and Apple Watch, here it goes.
To cut to the chase, if I had to grade this announcement overall in the context of previous ones, I’d probably give it a “B”. Not bad, not great.
I think Apple Watch stole the show. It has been astonishing to me how far the watch has come in four relatively short iterations. As I’ve written in the past, I hated Apple Watch Series 1. Hated. It was the first product that Apple came out with that I felt wasn’t ready for prime time.
I stopped using it after about three months and thought I’d be done forever with Apple Watches, especially considering that I am a bit of a watch guy and own several nice mechanical watches. Apple Watch 2 I sat out entirely — though as a runner, I was compelled by the GPS chip. But at the time I was running with a Garmin Fenix and didn’t see the need for Apple Watch.
However: Apple Watch 3 was a lot more compelling. LTE? Now you’re talking. Super fast processor? Check. Altimeter and barometer? Ok, time to buy.
So buy I did and I have been blown away by its every day utility. From closing my exercise rings, to playing music to checking my texts and baseball scores to checking in at the airport, I am using my Apple Watch every day, in a multitude of different manners.
I thought and still think that Apple Watch 3 would have been fine for another year but was majorly intrigued by the additional real estate of Apple Watch 4 (44 millimeter case), coupled with it’s big new offering, the ECG. Now I know that the ECG is useful to a small population, but as fate would have it, my family has a history of atrial fibrillation (my dad in particular) and I believe I may have suffered a handful of occurences in the past. It will be a great insurance policy for me to be able to confirm whether this is in fact the case.
So, I bought one. It is worth the peace of mind. Apple says that this watch is significantly faster than Version 3 which should also be interesting to see. I felt that the 3 had literally zero lag. Anyway, Apple Watch — which is THE best selling watch in the world — truly has become one hell of a useful product and it’s now just really hitting its stride from a technology and utility perspective.
On to the phones. In a word: meh. Apple has a problem with the phone which will soon also be the case with watches: they have become SO good, there is literally little left to improve. This was a typical “S” upgrade, meaning at the end of the day it was all about speed and feeds. I have a feeling that when the reviews come out next week they will be extrmely positive and talk about how the speed makes a “massive difference,” “makes it feel like an entirely new device,” etc, etc. That’s generally what happens with under the hood “S” version announcements. Fact is though, the iPhone X is more than just fine. It is the first phone which I have been completely happy with: not once this past year did I find myself pining for a new feature of function. It is awesome in every respect.
All that said, I did upgrade to the Xs because 1. I am an idiot and 2. I upgraded to a new package whereby I can upgrade my phone each year at nominal cost. I’m also a sucker for improved cameras (I’ve gotten into photography these past few years) and look forward to what this new one brings from that perspective as well.
For whatever it’s worth, I had no interest whatsoever in the “Max” version — after a year of lugging around the 7 Plus I have no interest in going back to a phone that size. And I think that for the masses, the “R” — which isn’t out until October — offers a very interesting value proposition. I look forward to these reviews.
So that is my take. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that it was a two product announcement (no iPads, AIrpods or Air Mat), but I think there’s more to come later this fall.
Anyway, when I get these new products next Friday I’ll be sure to write up a brief review.
