A little over a month since the Apple Watch Series 2 was officially released to the market, critics have logged in their reviews, most of them positive.
However, most of the critics are also one in saying that despite the improvements of the Apple Watch Series 2 over its half-baked predecessor, the Apple Watch, the smart wearable from the American tech giant still lacks that particular killer app that would transform it into a must-have gadget, notes The National.
They believe that the smart wearable must have something other than its stylish design and enhanced capabilities in order to really draw in the masses and force them to buy the Apple Watch Series 2.
But the problem does not just lie with the Apple Watch Series 2 or its predecessor but the whole plethora of smartwatches all over the market these days.
A vast improvement
Compared to the Apple Watch that was released in March last year, the Apple Watch Series 2 is a vast improvement especially with its fitness capabilities, swim-proof feature, and its GPS capability.
The external changes to the Apple Watch Series 2 may be minor but the internal improvements are huge. Apple has worked on improving the display’s brightness by making text and images far sharper and easier to read all across all sorts of lighting conditions.
The American tech giant has likewise improved the battery life of the device, which would enable it to last two full days on moderate usage.
Apple has also infused the much-sought GPS capability, allowing users to leave their phones behind because unlike the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 2 can already operate tracking without having to depend on an iPhone or any other smartphone for that matter.
The American tech giant has also improved on the fitness and tracking features of the Apple Watch Series 2, and now includes distance and calorie tracking through the built-in heart rate monitor. Because of such feature, the Apple Watch Series 2 has become much closer than before to more expensive sports watches.
The Apple Watch Series 2 is also waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters so it can log a user’s morning lap in the pool and even survived being dropped in the toilet by a young kid.
A good alternative for the Maps app
One critic who made a review of the Apple Watch Series 2 recently recalled how the smart wearable became a viable alternative for using the Maps app on his iPhone.
He said that the battery of his iPhone was drained after a long day of travel. Just before the iPhone died, he was using the Maps app for directions. However, his Apple Watch Series 2 was also following the same directions on his wrist.
So despite losing cellular connection after his iPhone passed out, the Apple Watch Series 2 continued keeping up with his location and updating along the route to his destination, details 9to5mac.
Once he arrived at his destination, the Maps app on his Apple Watch Series 2, which is triggered by the device’s GPS capability, also ended the route.
It is actually the same concept that Apple showed on stage at its keynote with the third-party Viewranger app, using GPS to navigate pre-loaded routes. The critic says that he is happy to learn that the feature extends to Apple’s own Maps app. Future versions of the watchOS could benefit from saving multiple, pre-loaded routes that the GPS can use.
The swim feature of the Apple Watch Series 2 is what is clearly lacking in the first watch. The Apple Watch claimed to be a fitness tracker, but it excluded one of the most popular fitness activities in the world.
The American tech giant addressed that particular issue on the Apple Watch Series 2 and the smart wearable is now swim-proof which means the water won’t kill the phone and the new software that can accurately track what the user is doing, turning it into a great all-around fitness tracker.