Apple watch is like the definition of dorky looking - so much for that theory.

Also flip phones aren't dorky and have a 2000s vibe - but they don't fit Apple "you can have any color as long as it's black" approach to design.

In some ways I can't even fault them - fragmenting your device shapes/experiences to chase a niche look is not good business. But this is exactly what's pushing me out of Apple ecosystem - it's so locked down that if you don't want to fit into their narrow product lines you have no other options. There are no third party watch makers using apple watch hardware and software. No other phone makers with access to iPhone internals and iOS. Nobody can hack a PC OS onto an iPad or build a 2in1 MacOS device.

I feel like this is the last gen of Apple tech I'm in on - I just find there are so many devices that are compelling to me personally but don't fit into the walled garden. Plus Google seems light-year ahead on delivering a smart assistant.

▲

seec 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

I'm with you. Long term Apple customer and it feels like they really don't care about anything that I would like them to do.

It's OK but it feels bad because you are kind of trapped with their stuff if you invested in their ecosystem.

▲

FirmwareBurner 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

>Apple watch is like the definition of dorky looking

Meanwhile my Casio calculator watch: "bonjour"

▲

rafaelmn 6 days ago | parent [-]

I was going to write that the only nerdier thing I can think of is wearing a calculator watch - but even that's like nerd fashion and having a rectangular screen strapped to your wrist is just all about utility.

▲

NetMageSCW 4 days ago | parent [-]

Rectangular watches have been around for over 100 years and have just been regular fashion for much of that time:

https://teddybaldassarre.com/blogs/watches/rectangle-watches...

	▲	rafaelmn 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		If you mistake any of these for an apple watch at less than 100m you need glasses. There's nothing wrong with rectangular watches - a fat bezel less screen rectangle around your wrist is not the same thing. The pro comes closest to a proper watch look but even that's "inspector gadget" teritory, not fashion accessory.

▲

bigyabai 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Don't know why you're downvoted. My boyfriend wears the Apple Watch Ultra in public and looks like a complete dork. He's got a pretty big wrist, too!

I left the ecosystem after Catalina, and my experience with macOS at work has horrified me enough to stay well away. Nowadays I'm happily using NixOS on the desktop, laptop and homeserver. My biggest gripe is that I didn't switch sooner, probably could have saved a decent amount of cash eschewing the Apple tax, SaaS fees and macOS migration hamster-wheel.

▲

RyanOD 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with the Apple Watch being labeled "dorky". I think they look pretty nice - and I don't own one. I wear a Timex Ironman.

	▲	rafaelmn 6 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		There's no mistaking it for any watch out there - which means people wouldn't wear a watch like it if it wasn't for the function.
	▲	dingnuts 6 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I definitely think everyone with an Apple Watch looks like a schmuck

▲

hombre_fatal 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

That Apple Watch is ubiquitous suggests that it's not seen as dorky.

Apparently in 2022, 80% of iPhone owners also had the AW.

▲

macNchz 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

I found this stat a little hard to believe so I looked up what appears to be the source—it’s 81% of iPhone owners who own a smart watch https://www.statista.com/chart/31973/likelihood-of-iphone-us...

It’s hard to find a source of how many iPhone owners specifically also own a smartwatch, but in the US it seems like 35% might be a decent estimate of smartwatch ownership, so it’d be more in the realm of ~28% of iPhone owners also having an Apple Watch.

	▲	hombre_fatal 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		True, it did seem a bit unbelievable. Either way, if you look around, Apple Watch is worn by all walks of life and just doesn't have the dorky vibe HNers might insist it has.

▲

bigyabai 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

100% of iPhone users also use the App Store. Anyone who owns a Mac will tell you that's not due to immense satisfaction or competitive zeal, though.