{"id":183023,"date":"2019-10-31T17:15:36","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T00:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=183023"},"modified":"2019-10-31T17:49:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T00:49:12","slug":"why-i-dont-like-the-apple-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/31\/why-i-dont-like-the-apple-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Don’t Like the Apple Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tested the Apple Watch (new Series 5), and I really don’t like it. Some of my candid thoughts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

First of all, I think the Apple Watch ADDS more complexity and complication to your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, there is something disorienting about focusing so closely on the tiny LCD screen on the Apple Watch UI. When I am really focused on changing something (inside the settings of the Apple Watch), I kind of get a small headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why are there two buttons?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I first unpackaged the Apple Watch, I couldn’t figure how to turn it on. Intuitively I kept pressing on the crown. I couldn’t figure out how to initially turn it on until an Apple employee showed me the secondary button BELOW the crown. I believe that second button shouldn’t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just use the iPhone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I don’t really see that much of a benefit of the Apple Watch vs just having an iPhone. iPhone still tracks your walking and such and daily activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upside of Apple Watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I think the cool thing about the Apple Watch is the health-related stuff. Perhaps for people with super bad insomnia, the sleep-tracking can help them. Also, it can monitor your heart rate, which is interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distraction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But this is the funny thing — even though the Apple Watch can track heart rate, it doesn’t tell me any information that I don’t already intuitively know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I did deadlifts at the gym today (420 pounds, one rep max attempt, sumo style):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"barbell
Deadlifting 420 pounds (four 45-plates on each side, with a 2.5+5 pounder)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before attempting my one rep max, the watch was getting in my way, and was a distraction. Before lifting, I thought to myself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder how high my heart rate will be before and after my lift — if I had the Apple Watch on.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

But this thought totally messed up my focus. And I need 110% focus before attempting a ‘one rep max’ in my deadlift<\/a>. Therefore I took off the Apple Watch, and put it into my backpack before attempting my “one rep max”.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"barbell
Four (45 pound) plates, and a 5 pound+2.5 pound “potato chip” on each side.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After I successfully lifted 420 on my deadlift, out of pure curiosity I put on the Apple Watch and checked my heart rate. It read 157 BPM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Apple
Apple Watch series 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here is the information of my heart rate from today — from a range of 73 BPM to 159 BPM (after successfully completing my one-rep max in deadlift).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Today my heart rate ranged from 73-159 BPM.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But this is the thing: OF COURSE I knew my BPM would go WAYYY higher after deadlifting my ‘one rep max’. How does this information actually practically help guide me in any useful way? It doesn’t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will having an Apple Watch encourage me to move and exercise more?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I don’t think so. For the most part, it will tell you information after the fact<\/em> in terms of how much you moved today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One useful thing: if you sit too long, or stand too long in one spot, it will notify you (of your sedentary behavior), and encourage you to move around. I think this is useful, but perhaps instead of telling people to stand up after sitting too long, a better thing is for us to simply embrace standing desks, and perhaps have a job which doesn’t allow us to sit too long.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anti-notifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I personally hate notifications and being disrupted or interrupted. The best way to NOT get distracted<\/a> is to shut off ALL your notifications!<\/p>\n\n\n\n