First Apple Watch in Spain

Possibly the first Apple watch in Spain

There is the possibility that other people living in Spain have done similar to myself. Having connections in one of the first waves of countries that Apple debuted the watch, I was able to put in my order and even get it on day one. Getting the watch on 24th April was pure luck after having initially I was given a date window between the 12th and 26th of May. It was also very handy that it coincided with my trip to England for a wedding or I would have had to wait longer. I would have had to use one of the parcel services to redirect the watch to my home in Catalonia. I had my mom put the watch on charge for me the day before I was due in England. As soon as I arrived I was able to put the watch on and start the setup process. It takes a few minutes to get it ready with the pairing to the iPhone, which is done by photographing a moving image on the watch. This process was fancy in the extreme and as pretty as you would expect from Good and Geeky Apple Watch.

Setting up the Apple watch

I took the advice of other Apple watch users not to set up all of the applications available at set up. It is far better to get the setup done quickly and then to choose just the applications you really want at a later stage. If you set them all up at the initial stage, you end up with too many beeps and buzzes on your wrist with all of the notifications. There are enough things to consider and to work out. Enough things to get used to with the operating system of the watch and it is better to do without too many distractions. I was in a bit of a rush anyway as I had to go out and meet somebody. I was still delighted with my Apple Watch first impressions using just the pre-installed applications.

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I like to have a digital readout on a watch and so I chose the modular watch face as it gives me the most information in one small digital screen. I use the timer quite often so I have the bottom left-hand corner to give me a readout for the timer. The one in the lower centre, I use to show my health application stats so I get quick access to how much I am moving, exercising or standing during the day. The bottom right complication I have set to show me the battery level. In the centre of the display it shows me the calendar, which is handy to see the next item coming up for the day. The top left corner is where I have the date and day showing. I have just about everything on the watch I need. I might change the battery level indicator at some point, now I know I don’t need to monitor it quite so much.

The best things about the Apple Watch

Apple Watch health and fitness

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After being a Fitbit user for a few weeks prior to getting the watch, I knew I would be making good use of the health and fitness facilities of the watch. I like that I can quickly check my pulse rate and it is marvellous I’m able to make a game of using calories, exercising and not sitting down too much during the day. Initially I set the goal for the calories too high and I’ve had to reduce it to something more manageable. It is pretty easy for me to be standing for the one-minute of each of 12 hours. It is not too difficult either for me to hit the exercise mark for the day. For example, this morning with a normal walk of the dog I have racked up 22 of the 30 minutes required of the daily exercise. I like to see the colourful rings on the fitness application spinning around as the hours pass to make up the completed circles.

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Sending and receiving messages on the Apple Watch

Apple Watch Messages

Apple Watch Emoticons

It is extremely useful to quickly see a message arrive on the watch and to respond even quicker. I don’t tend to use the canned messages too much at the moment, although I might if I set up some new, more personalised messages of my own. When using Siri to reply to a message I’m finding it is very accurate with the speech to text. It really isn’t necessary to have any sort of keyboard and if I wanted to create a more complicated message then I can hand off to the iPhone. If the message is correctly interpreted or good enough to send (perhaps just one small mistake) I can choose to send it off as it is. If Siri hasn’t done a good job with the conversion of my voice into text, the best thing to do is to send it off as an audio. With Apple giving us that option messaging on the Apple watch works just right. As of now, I have only used the emojis just once, sending a smiley face to my mother. When my wife gets an Apple Watch then I will be able to send her the hearts as well as being able to send little drawings. At the moment, I don’t know anybody else with an Apple Watch to whom I can send any drawings. I can’t imagine any instances either when I will be sending my heartbeat to any other person.

Controlling Overcast

Apple Watch Overcast

With my initial try of using the Overcast application on my Apple Watch, I didn’t think it was going to work out too well for me. This is because when I wanted to get to Overcast I would have to find it in the glances or to have the application already open. I would have to make a number of presses or gestures on the screen to get into the application. It wasn’t really going to do what I wanted it to do. I have recently found that it is possible for me to set the watch so instead of opening up to the watch face when I lift my wrist, it will open up to my last used application. It is working out okay with Overcast if I set it as the application presently being used. I can then lift my wrist and press the pause or play button. I still have the option of controlling Overcast from the iPhone as I often have to reduce the volume quickly, for example if I need to answer a phone call.

Looking at photos

You would think with it being such a small screen, it wouldn’t be very useful for showing photos. On account of the fact I have a grandson who is as cute as a box of kittens, I do like to have one or two photos available if I get the need to have a quick look.

Other applications on my Apple Watch

Apple Watch Heyday

Some of the applications are quite slow to operate. An application I use for automatic life logging is Heyday. Is quick enough on the Apple Watch. It is quite simple and gives me the opportunity to add a quick note which is useful. Or I can have a look at the Heyday for the day. A good application and it will be staying on the watch.

Another application I use all the time on both my iPhone and on my Mac is Day One. I have just set up Day One so it can access my location and show it on the Apple watch. I can do a one touch for a simple post such as if I am working. DayOne App on the Apple Watch gave me the opportunity to add a photo, but you have to be really quick in choosing before the screen goes blank. Same with adding any text using Siri, you have to be quick or the screen goes blank and you lose the text you put in. The application Day One on the Apple Watch is not perfect, but is moderately helpful for the moment. We are only on version 1 and I do expect it to get better.

It’s a good start for the Apple Watch

Messages Apple Watch

I do love technology and part of using the Apple Watch is about living like I’m already in the future. It seems fantastic to be making phone calls using a watch or sending messages from the wrist. It is, as Apple says, a very personal device. It is a computer you wear. I like it and I am very pleased that I have got it. Although the Apple Watch is quite expensive, I feel that I am getting good value from the money spent considering what the device can do. I don’t have to be playing with the watch all the time and I can leave my phone in my pocket more often. That is a good thing and may result in better battery life in the phone. I can certainly see the Apple Watch is going to play a big part in my techno inspired life. I love my tech having an influence upon my life in terms of organising myself and being healthy. Something like this might not be for everybody, but I think it is totally bloody brilliant.