Apple Watch Reviews: 10 Things We Learned From The Critics

There are a number of things that can be learned from the cornucopia of the Apple Watch reviews that were released on Wednesday. Read on to see the most important things Benzinga learned from those reviews.

1. Consumers Won't Love It Overnight

The New York Times' Farhad Manjoo said that it took "three long, often confusing and frustrating days" for him to fall in love with the device. "But once I fell, I fell hard," Manjoo wrote. This might be why Apple Inc. AAPL will reportedly encourage consumers to purchase an Apple Watch online -- to prevent them from being turned off by an in-store demo that's too brief to foster the kind of love affair that Manjoo spoke about.

Related Link: Apple Watch Shows 'Innovation Is Back'

2. You'll Enjoy Wearing It 'All Day Long'

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern might have given the biggest praise yet. "The Apple Watch succeeds where the fitness trackers have failed," Stern wrote. "Not only does it provide more accurate data and a platform with big promise, but it's an accessory I love to wear all day long."

What I'm getting from all these early Apple Watch reviews: Could fail because: It's not that great. Could win because: Apple makes it.

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 8, 2015

3. It's Not Good For Making Calls

In his review, USA Today's Ed Baig said that being Dick Tracy is "overrated." "Making or answering phone calls from your wrist gets a lot of attention," Baig wrote. "It's not a great experience though. The speakerphone on the watch isn't very loud. I struggled to hear the other person during watch calls in my car and in Times Square."

4. The Side Button Is 'Extraordinarily Confusing'

Critics have complained about this for months. Now, after using the final Apple Watch shipping to retail this month, The Verge's Nilay Patel can confirm that this element has not been improved. "This side button is extraordinarily confusing — it looks and feels so much like an iPhone sleep / wake button that I still hit it to turn the screen on and off, even though I know I'm doing the wrong thing," Patel wrote.

5. It Failed To Set The Standard

With all the hoopla behind the Apple Watch, you'd think that Apple would have figured out why consumers actually need a smartwatch. According to The Verge, that isn't the case. "For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it's not clear that anyone's yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for," Patel wrote.

I have read most of the $AAPL watch reviews. Upshot. It's cluncky, not easy to use, slow & will most definitely look like relic after 1yr.

— Douglas Kass (@DougKass) April 8, 2015

6. It's Like A 'Fashionable Toy'

CNET's Scott Stein is a fan of the Apple Watch, but that couldn't keep him from recognizing its shortcomings. "The Apple Watch is the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen, but first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool," Stein wrote.

7. It's Not Timeless

Re/code's Lauren Goode has a warning for those who mistake the Apple Watch for a timeless collectible. "Apple Watch is not a cure-all, and it's likely not a timepiece you will pass down to your grandkids," Goode wrote. "It is a well-designed piece of technology that will go through a series of software updates, until one day, years from now, when the lithium ion battery can no longer hold much of a charge and it won't seem as valuable to you."

8. It Could Curb iPhone Usage

Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry is among those who believe the Apple Watch will reduce the number of times consumers check their iPhones. After using it for a week, Men's Journal's Marissa Stephenson found that to be true, at least some of the time.

"The Watch curbed my iPhone usage in those specific moments — but I still went back to my phone to deal with all of that info later," Stephenson wrote. "What Apple has created is a brilliant way to hold my attention for even more time over the day. And with the onslaught of new apps made just for the Watch, the device can only capture more and more of it. You have to decide for yourself if that's a good thing."

9. It's Not Necessarily Worth Buying

Critics have warned that consumers may not want to buy the first-generation Apple Watch. Stern summed it up nicely in her review: "…Every time I gaze down to admire it, I start seeing how the next one will look better," she wrote. "You could say the same about many fashion objects, but watches should be timeless (ironically). Unlike the Cartier I got for college graduation, the original Apple Watch's beauty will soon fade. Unless you opt for the cheapest $350 sport version, you should really wait for the future."

10. But You Might Still Want One

Bloomberg's Joshua Topolsky declares up front that "you'll want one, but you don't need one." He concluded his review by saying that the device is "cool," "beautiful," "powerful" and (contrary to other reports) "easy to use." "But it's not essential," Topolsky wrote. "Not yet."

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.