{"id":7081,"date":"2016-10-17T13:18:40","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T20:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hellotech.com\/?p=7081"},"modified":"2021-06-16T03:34:52","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T10:34:52","slug":"apple-watch-2-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/apple-watch-2-a-review","title":{"rendered":"Apple Watch 2: Is Now the Time to Splurge on this Device?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">T<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">he first-generation Apple Watch didn\u2019t exactly blow anyone away<\/span><span class=\"tm7\">. With the Apple Watch 2, Apple made it a priority to make some crucial adjustments so the accessory could be closer to how they envisioned it to be. <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">In its latest iteration, Apple\u2019s smartwatch now enjoys better durability, an extended battery life, and GPS capability. However, the built-in software (watchOS 3) operates with the bare essentials. This shows that Apple no longer has ambitions of making the device a potential smartphone alternative, but more of a nice addition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">With all its useful upgrades, <\/span><em><span class=\"tm8\">does the Apple Watch 2 give enough compelling reasons to make you need one?<\/span><\/em><span class=\"tm7\"> Before we make any conclusions, let\u2019s take a good look at what this sophisticated timepiece has to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sharper-display\">Sharper Display<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">At 1,000 nits&nbsp;(the measurement of brightness), it\u2019s twice as bright as the original Apple Watch. You can now read the content displayed on the screen even when you\u2019re outdoors. However, it may be tough to see anything in direct sunlight because it\u2019s still using a retina OLED display.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-waterproof-construction\">Waterproof Construction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">Whether you want to go for a swim, a surf, or you&#8217;re just sweating, it doesn\u2019t affect the Apple Watch 2. The smartwatch has enhanced water resistance to make it&nbsp;withstand depths of up to 50 meters. In addition, the watch\u2019s speakers are engineered to expel excess liquid once you take it out of the tub or pool.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eye-catching-styles\">Eye-Catching Styles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">In addition to the familiar stainless steel and aluminum hardware, Apple\u2019s newest smartwatch also comes in a new style: the appealing ceramic finish.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">Meanwhile, you\u2019ll be excited to hear that there are plenty of options for straps\/bands on Apple Watch 2. There\u2019s the usual range of stainless steel, sport, leather, and woven nylon straps. Aside from these, you can go for the fancier leather Herm\u00e8s<\/span> <span class=\"tm7\">or the sporty Nike+ band.&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"tm7\">Whichever style you go for, it\u2019s clear you there is better personalization capabilities with the Apple Watch 2.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-feature-packed-watchos-3\">Feature-Packed WatchOS 3<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">Activity sharing, instant app launching, faster switching among watch faces, and an enhanced messaging are just some of the new features on WatchOS3. Apple Watch 2 is packed with several features that put&nbsp;it safely above the fitness tracker category. Not only that, the watch is even <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">Pok\u00e9mon Go-ready <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">so you can easily integrate <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">Pok\u00e9training <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">into its existing activity tracker!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-powerful-chip\">Powerful Chip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">What makes the Apple Watch 2 perform twice as fast as its predecessor is the fact that it runs on a dual-core processor and packs a fresh GPU with its new SiP chip. A further testament to its technological prowess is the fact that the watch can run the astronomy app, <em>Dark Sky<\/em>, at 60fps.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-built-in-gps\">Built-In GPS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">A major deal-breaker for the previous Apple Watch was its curious exclusion of GPS. With Apple Watch 2, the company made sure to include it. <\/span><span class=\"tm7\">Now, you can go on a run, hike, or bike ride without your iPhone and still be able to receive GPS signal to calculate distance covered as well as show a map of your exercise regimen in the Activity app on the iPhone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"tm5 Normal tm6 wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-else-can-the-apple-watch-2-do\">What Else Can the Apple Watch 2 Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">You sure can do a whole lot on the smartwatch. However, the timepiece largely relies on its connectivity with the iPhone to do anything substantial other than tell time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">Here are <em>a few<\/em>&nbsp;of the coolest features on the Apple Watch 2 and WatchOS3:<\/span><span class=\"tm7\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"tm5 Normal tm11 wp-block-list\"><li><span class=\"tm7\">Monitor your heart rate.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Show directions using Apple Maps.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Answer a call using the watch as a Bluetooth speaker phone.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Read SMS or an iMessage and reply with canned messages.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Sync music from iTunes and Apple Music so you can listen via Bluetooth headphones.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Customize the information shown on the watch face besides the time.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Show configured push notifications from your iPhone.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Track where you misplaced your iPhone within the home.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Turn the Apple Watch as an alternative remote control for Apple TV\/iTunes.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"tm7\">Connect to your BMW or Tesla to see its charging status, unlock it, or honk the horn.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">Despite all of its potential, though, the Apple Watch 2 is still simply an extension of your iPhone. While a lot of crucial upgrades have been put into the device, it\u2019s may still be far from doing enough to make the smartwatch a necessity rather than a novelty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"tm5 Normal tm6\"><span class=\"tm7\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first-generation Apple Watch didn\u2019t exactly blow anyone away. With the Apple Watch 2, Apple made it a priority to make some crucial adjustments so the accessory could be closer to how they envisioned it to be. In its latest iteration, Apple\u2019s smartwatch now enjoys better durability, an extended battery life, and GPS capability. However, the built-in software (watchOS 3) operates with the bare essentials. This shows that Apple no longer has ambitions of making the device a potential smartphone [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7094,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17597,17585],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accessories","category-products-and-reviews"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.10 (Yoast SEO v20.10) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Apple Watch 2: Is Now the Time to Splurge on this Device? - The Plug - HelloTech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The first-generation Apple Watch didn\u2019t exactly blow anyone away. 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