Apple Watch review: Stylish, sophisticated but slow

I have only worn Apple Watch for a day and one thing is already clear: this is the best smartwatch on the market today.

However, that is not much of a compliment, even though Samsung has released several smartwatches in the past 18 months and start-ups such as Pebble have won plaudits for pioneering this new category of "wearable technology".

To really succeed, Apple must convince millions more consumers - not just geeks - that they want to swap their mechanical or digital watch for something "smart" - or even that they want anything on their wrist at all.

Unlike other smartwatches, Apple Watch looks alluring. It asks for no compromise in style for functionality, with endless possibilities for personalisation. Apple is pitching Watch as a fitness tracker, messaging device and app platform but fashion is just as important.

Striking looks aside, Apple Watch owners can indicate their early adopter status with a unique set of animated emoji - smiley faces, pulsing hearts and waving hands - that can be sent between Watches and via text message. I'm unsure of the long-term value but being able to brag to friends far and wide was as entertaining for me as it was annoying for them.

After my first day with Apple Watch, what surprised me most was the subtle way it notified me of a text message or app alert. Most mobile phones and smartwatches vibrate like a wasp trapped in a jar. Apple says its "Taptic Engine" gives a " gentle tap on the wrist". It is crisp and arresting, a sophisticated sensation that is hard to appreciate until it is worn for a while.

The problem is when, where and how often that tapping alert comes in. The default setting of sending every notification from my phone to my wrist got overwhelmingly fast. I do not want to hear from Twitter every five minutes, get a ping from Slack every time a colleague posts a message, nor a "standing alert" from Apple's fitness app during dinner with friends.

Indeed, it will take more than a day to figure out exactly what Apple Watch is best at. While driving, its turn-by-turn navigation is excellent, although getting all those other taps at the wheel raises new questions about distracted driving. There are thousands of third-party apps available, but many are only limited today.

Already, Apple Watch's biggest shortcoming is clearly its speed. For something designed for quick glances, its software runs slow. Often I was left staring at a loading screen as an app strained to pull even simple information from my phone.

The first hints of how the Watch is selling may come on Monday, when Apple reports its earnings. With supplies of the device handily outstripped by demand, Apple will probably sell all the Watches it can make for many months yet.

But with Apple refusing to disclose sales figures, it will take more than a few days to find out whether it can truly reinvent the smartwatch market as it did with mobile phones and tablets. 

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