Two years on, Apple Watch finally delivers on its promises

APPLE pushed out watchOS 3.0 almost two years to the day after it first unveiled its wrist-worn computer to cheering Apple fans. This software update is transformative, and finally allows the Watch to deliver on the vision CEO Tim Cook promised customers, some two years earlier.

watchOS 3 has allowed Apple to start again with its wearable device GETTY

watchOS 3 has allowed Apple to start again with its wearable device

Apple Watch was a problematic device when it launched.

The operating system, dubbed watchOS, was brimming with ideas about what the wearable device could be - ranging from a way to send your heartbeat to those closest to you, an advanced fitness tracker, a remote for your television, and a one-tap solution to summon your next Uber taxi.

There was a lot going on. And it was more than a little daunting.

Granted, some of the Apple Watch's plethora of functions immediately made sense – like the ability to ask Siri to set a timer, or being able to instantly read a text by glancing down at your wrist. It allowed Apple Watch owners to detach themselves from their smartphone a little bit more – and unobtrusively get access to the information they need, when they need it.

The most rewarding interactions with the Apple Watch are always the briefest.

But Apple’s debut wearable also brimmed with ideas that simply did not work.

The most rewarding interactions with Apple Watch are always the briefest

Dedicating one of only two physical buttons on the device to a proprietary messaging service that could send doodles and haptic taps to fellow Watch wearers was a baffling decision, a pointless gimmick, and was never useful.

Apps were frustratingly slow to load - leaving your wrist tired, as you stared at the spinning load wheel, safe in the knowledge that you would already have finished whatever you’re trying to do had you bypassed the Watch altogether and pulled your iPhone from your pocket.

After wearing the Apple Watch for a calendar year, .

"If you put in the time, Apple Watch can make certain aspects of your life a little bit more convenient. But it isn’t as revolutionary as your first smartphone," .

"If my iPhone died this afternoon, I’d immediately rush to the Apple Store to replace it. If the same thing happened to the Apple Watch, I’d spend the next 365 days with bare wrists."

Apple Watch handles notifications beautifullyAPPLE

Apple Watch handles notifications beautifully

With watchOS 3.0, Apple has started again. 

The US technology firm has thrown out huge swathes of the functionality introduced and tweaked with the first two iterations of watchOS, and has fixed a number of the bugbears that filled my original review of the Watch.

I cannot think of an operating system update as transformative to existing hardware as the latest edition of watchOS. It has made the Apple Watch faster, easier to use, and more importantly, has streamlined the confusing jostle of contrasting ideas that made the cut first time around.

Pressing the Side Button no longer summons the baffling Digital Touch and Friends panel – that’s gone.

Pressing the Side Button now launches the Dock, which holds 10 frequently-used appsPressing the Side Button now launches the Dock, which holds 10 frequently-used apps [APPLE]

Apple has relegated the functionality to the improved Messages app, where it arguably should have been the whole time.

Instead, watchOS 3.0 introduces the Dock. 

Borrowed from macOS and iOS, users can populate this carousel with 10 frequently-used applications, that will be constantly kept up-to-date in the background to ensure load times are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fast.

Scrolling through the Dock provides users with a quick preview of the apps, similar to the ill-fated Glances mode, which has been ditched in the latest version of the Apple Watch operating system and replaced with quick access to some of the smartwatch’s settings.

Like when multitasking debuted on iOS 4 in 2010, the addition of the Dock is a revelation. It allows Watch owners to bypass the clunky honeycomb of apps completely – which is a blessing. Apps held in the Dock load incredibly fast, and more often than not, you can just skim through the preview cards to get the information you need.

But despite the dramatic improvements to load times and access to apps, I rarely find myself spending any extended time within standalone Watch apps.

The most rewarding interactions with Apple Watch are always the briefest.

For example, glancing at the Watch to check the location of my next calendar appointment, checking a text when it’s too cold to take the iPhone out my pocket, being nudged by CityMapper about a service update for my next train.

Otherwise, for any extended interactions, you’re probably better off using your  iPhone, which has a larger screen and a faster processor.

Apple Watch’s other strength are its health features.

Granted, it does not offer the same deep-dive into data as the Microsoft Band 2, nor does it include the ability to monitor and track my sleep, like the FitBit range – but the Apple Watch does enough.

The Watch tracks calories burned, total steps, mileage and the number of times I stand-up from my desk during an average day. 

It’s not the most incisive data, but the small notifications are just enough to convince me to take the stairs over the lift at the end of the day – or prompt me to reassess my commitment to the gym after a particularly dismal weekly report from the Watch.

watchOS introduces Scribble which lets Watch owners type-out messages on the displayAPPLE

watchOS introduces Scribble which lets Watch owners type-out messages on the display

watchOS 3.0 brings the ability to compare your fitness results against other Apple Watch equipped friends. You can keep an eye on their total steps, daily mileage, calories burned and stand goals. It’s nowhere near as fully-featured as Fitbit’s offering, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Summoning Siri and using the virtual assistant to set a timer, quick reminder or add something to an ongoing To Do list, works incredibly well. But honestly, you will not want to be seen using this feature outside the comfort of your home.

Fortunately Apple appears to be aware of the social stigma of chatting to your wrist in public, and has introduced handwriting recognition in watchOS 3.0.

Apple Watch owners can now spell-out replies to messages on the small display. It is eerily accurate, if a little slow. But it is a great alternative to using the limited canned responses and the interactive emojis offered in the first two iterations of the operating system.

Double-tap the button under the Digital Crown to launch use Apple PayGETTY

Double-tap the button under the Digital Crown to launch use Apple Pay

Unfortunately, the ability to scrawl replies on your wrist does nothing to solve one of the biggest problems with the Apple Watch – the fact that each time you check a notification it sends the distinct impression you’re bored with present company.

It’s not a problem specific to the Apple Watch, but it is a problem with the Apple Watch.

Running watchOS 3.0 on the first-generation Apple Watch has impacted battery life, which is undoubtedly shorter but more than worth the trade-off.

Raising your wrist to wake-up the display works reliably, but having to do it at all is annoyingGETTY

Raising your wrist to wake-up the display works reliably, but having to do it at all is annoying

Since the initial launch of the Apple Watch back in April 2015, the Cupertino company has clearly learnt a lot about how it wants its smartwatch to work.

The latest version of watchOS strips away a number of key features demoed alongside the initial release of the device – and doubles down on interactions, not full-blown applications. It’s a staggering improvement, and ensures the Apple Watch remains years ahead of its Android Wear rivals.

It you’re not yet sold on the idea of wearing a smartwatch, there isn’t enough here to convince you to start queuing outside your local Apple Store.

Unfortunately, watchOS 3.0 does not make the Apple Watch as indispensable as the iPhone it is paired with. However, those who were on the fence about the Apple Watch at launch should probably take another look.

It takes courage to admit you were wrong. And watchOS 3.0 highlights a lot of the mistakes that were made in the first two years of the Apple Watch.

But the Apple Watch is now on track. And Apple is finally starting to deliver on the promise of its wearable revolution.

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