The Apple Watch goes on sale Friday. It’s an enticing new Apple gadget that has a lot of people clamoring to slip one on their wrist.
But you may want to think twice before you rush out to buy today’s most-talked about piece of wearable technology. Here are five reasons NOT to buy the Apple Watch:
No. 1: It’s complicated
According to some reviewers, like The New York Times’ Farhad Manjoo, Apple’s smartwatch has a complex user interface. Though Apple has received accolades in the past for delivering user-friendly devices, Manjoo said the watch is for the tech-savvy. “It is designed for people who are inundated with notifications coming in through their phones, and for those who care to think about, and want to try to manage, the way the digital world intrudes on their lives,” Manjoo said
No. 2: It’s unnecessary
The Apple Watch requires an iPhone (version 5 or later). But if you have a smartphone, why do you need a smartwatch? Most reviewers agree that the watch is a luxury item, not a must-have gadget (at least not yet). “The first Apple Watch may not be for you — but someday soon, it will change your world,” Manjoo said.
No. 3: It’s distracting
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a watch tap-tap-tapping my wrist all day with notifications. It’s one more unwarranted distraction. “Isn’t the promise of the Apple Watch to help me stay in the moment, focused on the people around me and undisturbed by the mesmerizing void of my iPhone? So why do I suddenly feel so distracted?” asked Bloomberg Business’ Joshua Topolsky.
No. 4: It’s expensive
The Apple Watch starts at $349 for its Sport model. For Apple lovers with expensive taste (or entirely too much money on their hands), there’s an 18-karat-gold $17,000 model as well. That’s a lot of money to pay for a nonessential tech gadget.
No. 5: It’s new (and therefore probably buggy)
Like any other first-generation device, the Apple Watch will undoubtedly have hardware and software glitches. It always takes time to work out the kinks. So it makes sense to save your money and wait until Apple delivers a better model. As Gizmodo’s Mario Aguilar said: “Even if future versions of the Apple Watch eventually offer wildly unique and valuable features that range far beyond the power of alternatives like the Pebble and are more than just gimmicks, the first generation version you buy this year won’t ever get there.”
The Apple Watch is available for preorder April 10 at 3:01 a.m. EDT. It will hit stores April 24.
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