It’s been 10 years since Apple launched the Apple Watch. Originally unveiled on September 9, 2014 as the company’s big “One More Thing” surprise announcement, the watch took another seven months to ship, arriving at price points varying from $350 to upwards of $10,000. It was Tim Cook’s first new product since the death of founder Steve Jobs, so there was a significant amount of pressure to deliver a product people would care about.
And it worked. Apple’s “most personal device ever” was quickly adopted by all sorts of users, from nerds and geeks to fitness folks and fashion-forward trendsetters. It became the watch you must own, despite being a piece of consumer electronics. Shortly afterward, it was followed up with updated hardware and new features, keeping the product alive and exciting well after its original ship date.
Over the past 10 years, the Apple Watch has gone from a square to a squircle, growing in size and shrinking in bezel width, and jamming in all the advanced health tracking technology that the company can. That includes heart rate monitors, blood oxygen sensors, temperature sensors, and more, all in addition to the features that turn it into an extension of your iPhone, like notifications, messaging, phone calls, and the wide library of available apps.
And I’m still hooked on it all. I got my first Apple Watch in 2017 from a dear friend who gifted me the Series 3, and I’ve since owned the Series 8, the Ultra 2, and the Series 10. I feel naked leaving the house without my Apple Watch on, and it’s rare for me not to have it on at all. I’ve become dependent on it for a variety of reasons, all of which Apple has worked years to refine and improve upon.
I’ve tried ditching the Apple Watch numerous times before, and it never works. I wind up missing it more than I anticipate when I have another watch on, even another smartwatch. There’s a certain charm about the Apple Watch that keeps me hooked, which I’m sure many of you can relate to.
Here’s what keeps me addicted to my Apple Watch, all this time later.
⌚️ Convenience and simplicity. Strap the Apple Watch to your wrist and you’re off to the races. You don’t need to worry about whether it connects to your phone correctly, whether all the apps will work, whether your notifications will be delayed, and so on. Everything just works; it syncs with your Apple Account, it pairs perfectly with your iPhone, it lets you unlock your Mac when you sit at your desk, and it does all of that in a simplistic form factor that goes with anything. It’s the ultimate no-brainer gadget. Put it on your wrist and watch it enable features that are only possible thanks to Apple’s ecosystem.
❤️ The health-tracking experience. The Apple Watch has become synonymous with working out and staying healthy, all thanks to the work that Apple has poured into its health-tracking experience. Activity rings are easy to understand and glance at, tracking workouts is simple and customizable, the companion Health app on iPhone is well-detailed, and sleep tracking is indispensable from my nightly routine. I’ve tried other fitness trackers before, and there’s none that matches what it’s like to use the Apple Watch.
💬 Notifications. Every smartwatch can send notifications to your wrist, but there’s no watch that does it like the Apple Watch. I’m of the belief that watchOS just does it right: a gentle tap when a new one comes in, followed by a quick glance at the app’s icon and the details of the notification afterward. Other watches I’ve used feel slower to deliver notifications and don’t look nearly as good. Plus, I don’t like missing important notifications and having them sent right to my wrist is an impossible convenience to give up.
📍 Navigation. One feature I never expected would become essential in my daily routine is navigation. I hate to give it credit, but Apple Maps on the Apple Watch is killer. Fire up directions to a destination while driving, walking, or cycling and your Apple Watch will gently notify you when it’s time to take a turn, switch to a new route, and more. Plus, it looks more visually appealing than Google Maps. I use it constantly when navigating New York City. The experience is simply top-notch.
📞 Staying in touch. The novelty of pretending to be Inspector Gadget when wearing an Apple Watch fails to die down when you regularly communicate with it. I frequently take phone calls on this thing when walking around, respond to texts, check in on emails, and more. I use my voice for a lot of the typing but occasionally, I’ll whip out the keyboard and swipe away. My Apple Watch also has a cellular line so I can stay in touch without my iPhone. I didn’t realize I’d depend on this functionality so much, but I do.
🌤️ Weather, tides, and other widgets. The complications available on Apple Watch faces are unmatched. They all have high-quality UI and display up-to-date information 24/7. I rely on a weather complication for quickly glancing at the temperature outside, as well as the current tide levels at the bay near my house so I know when it’s time for kayaking.
⚙️ Versatile utility. I can take the Apple Watch basically anywhere. In a kayak? Check. Out to a nice dinner? Check. Casually around the city? You bet. The versatility of the watch is something I appreciate immensely. It’s built for all sorts of occasions, and it does a fine job of providing value in each of them. That’s why so many people flock to the Apple Watch – it’s dependable in a way that other smartwatches aren’t.
🧠 Peace of mind. With features like the cellular line, fall detection, crash detection, and health notifications, the Apple Watch gives you peace of mind when you don’t think you need it. I love knowing I have a spare phone line in case I lose my phone and need to call/text someone, and it’s great knowing that a call will be placed in case I’m in an accident. Is all of this necessary? No, but it’s much appreciated.
I have no plans to give up the Apple Watch any time soon. It’s become a permanent fixture in my everyday carry, and chances are the experience will only get better over the next 10 years.
What do you use your Apple Watch for? Do you have one or plan to pick one up in the future? Let us know in the comments.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
