Apple Watch disappoints: battery life, apps fail

Reviewers of Apple's Apple Watch say it's convenient for on-the-go users but gets a bad rap on battery life and slow-loading apps.

The Apple Watch will be the first new product category released by Tim Cook since he took over as Apple CEO and will be officially launched on April 24.

"For now, the Apple Watch is for pioneers," wrote Jeffrey Fowler of The Wall Street Journal. "I wouldn't spend $1,000 on the model I tested and expect to see significant improvements soon."

Many of the comments from industry insiders on Wednesday were about the device's relatively poor battery life. According to Apple, the Apple Watch's battery life is up to 18 hours. In addition, reviewers also pointed out that the product's applications need to be updated to load faster. Nilay Patel of the American technology blog TheVerge said after reviewing it: "Except for checking the time, there is really nothing that can't be done faster or better on a laptop or phone."

Patel said loading apps requires the Apple Watch to pull a lot of data from the iPhone, adding that Apple told him a future software update would fix the problem. Fowler said: "Maps is the answer to the 'wandering traveler's' dream, but it's so slow that it makes me want to look at a paper map."

Lauren Goode of Re/Code, an American technology blog, said that the battery life of the Apple Watch is not comparable to some other wearable smart devices. Scott Stein of CNET also said that the battery takes a long time to charge.

Apple Watch can be used with iPhone to check emails, listen to music and make calls. It can also help users track their health, such as monitoring heart rate. However, Fuhad Manjoo, a reviewer sent by The New York Times, said that the Apple Watch software is too complicated and not suitable for technology novices, which is an anomaly for Apple products.

In addition to Apple, Samsung and Sony also want to enter the wearable smart device market. The price of Apple Watch will start at $349, and the high-end "Edition" version will start at $10,000. Fowler said: "If you can tolerate a battery life of only one day, immature applications and the inevitable obsolescence, then now you can wear this device that represents the future on your wrist."

Analysts at Societe Generale expect Apple to sell 8 million Apple Watches in 2015, accounting for about 1.7% of the company's total sales, or $4 billion.

Since Apple released the Apple Watch on Sept. 9, the company’s stock has risen about 24 percent.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.