The Apple Watch reviews hit the blogosphere a short while ago, and with a generally fair-to-positive consensus, looks well-placed with pre-orders looming. As well as offering a better insight to the Apple Watch as a whole, a number of the reviews tapped into features that weren’t previously apparent, and notably, we now know that the wearable can hook up to Wi-Fi to gather certain information even when the connected iPhone is completely dead or out of range.
Most smartwatches released so far, like Android Wear and Pebble, have been heavily dependent on their paired handsets for most functionality, and we were led to believe that the Apple Watch was no different.
However, it is, as highlighted by David Pogue of Yahoo! Tech in his review of the device:
When the watch is in a known Wi-Fi hotspot, the watch can perform the most essential online functions even when your phone is completely dead, turned off, or absent. It can query Siri, for example, send and receive texts, and send/receive drawings and tap patterns to other watch owners. That’s impressive.
Indeed it is impressive, and a major turn up for the books. Sure, you will need to own an iPhone to get any substantial use out of the Apple Watch, but that was never in doubt. The fact that the Watch can send texts, utilize Siri and goodness knows what else means that if your iPhone does die on you, you’ll still be able to dredge some use from the smaller-screened Apple gadget.
While most of the reviews painted the Apple Watch as a solid device with a number of flaws, most were united in assessing that it’s far ahead of current market rivals. Whether the ownership of Apple Watch – or any other smartwatch – is entirely necessary, remains a matter of fierce speculation. But if this new product group is to take off, you feel that the Cupertino is best poised to grab the initiative, and while, as we mention, you will need a relatively new iPhone to use Apple Watch, Pogue’s insight also proves that it’s not mandatory at all times.
Given what you’ve heard from the reviews, will you still be buying the Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Source: YahooTech)
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