First Impressions of Apple Watch: Incredibly Comfortable, Unique and Easy Setup

While the first Apple Watch reviews published over two weeks ago, the devices are now making their way onto customers' wrists, allowing us to see broader first impressions of Apple's first new product since 2010's iPad.

image


Several posters in our forums have pointed out an unboxing experience fairly unique to new Apple products as it appears that the traditional Apple stickers are not included with the packaging. Additionally, several posters have reported receiving emails notifying them that they can schedule an online Personal Setup where Apple will, through a video session, walk a user through setting up the Apple Watch and pairing it with their iPhone.

Another aspect of the Watch that users are noticing is how comfortable it is to wear. One user on Whirlpool pointed out that while he was originally going to use the sport band for exercise, he thinks its nice enough to wear regularly. One MacRumors reader told us that the Watch is indeed comfortable to wear with the build quality being "perfect", but that he found the sports band slightly awkward to put on at first.

I have a 42mm Apple Watch Sports in Space Grey. Watch is incredibly comfy. However the [black sports band] feels backwards to me, the holes and the pin make it slightly awkward to do up. I’m sure I’ll get used to this. Setup was simple and intuitive, asked me if I wanted to transfer all my current apple watch apps across during the process.


Other bands that have seen favorable impressions include the Milanese Loop, which also has a post dedicated to its unboxing in the MacRumors forums. Other early impressions include users finding certain less advertised features of the Apple Watch, such as the "Ping" feature that allows users to ping their iPhone from their Watch, to be very useful.

Finally, while most users are reporting easy setup and pairing processes, some are having difficulty pairing their iPhone and Apple Watch, with the Watch not displaying the needed pairing code (Update: Restarting appears to fix the problem). Others are noting that syncing a 1 GB music playlist is taking longer than desired.

For ongoing coverage of photos and first impressions, readers are welcome to follow our Apple Watch impressions threads in our Apple Watch forum.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

Ipadilac Avatar
116 months ago
No Stickers?? I always look forward to more stickers that I never stick on anything!
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OneMike Avatar
116 months ago
Still not really interested in owning one. I am interested in seeing how those who did order like it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
heeloliver Avatar
116 months ago
Incredibly jealous right now.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NoahK17 Avatar
116 months ago
My first impression is pissed, you MUST pair it with the iPhone in order to use it. Is the iTunes-to-activate-your-iPhone **** all over again. No buy for me ##
I'm sorry, why is that surprising to you? Apple has said from day you MUST have an iPhone 5 or newer in order to USE the Apple Watch.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksuyen Avatar
116 months ago
...and processing..., and processing.

The reviews seem to indicate that many apps are soooo sloooow that you might as well use your phone.

Please, other than much better fit and finish and a good Apple Pay implementation, how is this better then a decent Android Wear watch, and what is the real point of it?
For one thing, many Apps are soooo much faster the best Android Wear could offer. :D
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Keirasplace Avatar
116 months ago
All these fools buying an overpriced digital watch, which is not even waterproof. Plus Apple removed a few of the health features (everyone seems to forget this - http://www.techtimes.com/articles/33784/20150220/apple-nixes-certain-health-features-watch-will-affect-sales.htm) - in effect its a cut down version at full price. Prefer my swiss made mechanical watch - fully automatic - no battery no charger, and sapphire crystal face and see-through back where you can see the mechanics working.

I have checked out these watches personally, and even 42mm is too small for my liking. The curved edges of the display have no functionality. Your thumb takes up 3/4's of the watch. I even managed to get the main screen locked to the left and nothing happened - it froze. It takes over a minute to kick over which proves its either a bloatware / bug issue or the processor is not powerful enough. Even the Apple employee said a lot of people are complaining about its size and its mainly an accessory device, and very limited function without an iPhone. So you have two devices with battery drain - the watch plus the iPhone - all using power at once to keep each other awake. We are going backwards.
This has to be comedy... Bad one. Otherwise you're months late on the comment.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...