Apple Watch 2 review: An improvement, but still no must-have feature

The new Apple Watch Series 2 offers a nice package of upgrades but it's still not enough to make it a must-have gadget.

The Apple Watch Series 2 is a device for the fitness-minded – but it also comes with sleek metal and leather straps for when you’re finished sweating. Kiichiro Sato / AP Photo

Last year’s original Apple Watch was a beautifully designed smartwatch that felt frustratingly half-baked. The new Apple Watch Series 2 is a vast improvement, especially in its fitness capabilities, even if, like all smartwatches, it still lacks the killer app to draw in the masses.

Apple has left the exterior of the original Apple Watch largely untouched, which is no bad thing given its premium design prowess. The Series 2’s design is virtually identical to its predecessor, coming in around a millimetre thicker.

As before, it comes in both 38mm and 42mm models, both of which thankfully use the same strap fit as the original Apple Watch. In addition to the existing aluminium and stainless steel finishes, there’s now an eye-catching (and rather expensive) white ceramic option as well.

The external changes may be minor, but the internal are anything but. First up, Apple has cranked up the display’s brightness, making text and images far sharper and easier to read across all sorts of lighting conditions. Battery life has also been improved, comfortably lasting two days on moderate usage.

More significantly, Apple has listened to the complaints about its original Watch and added a GPS capability, allowing you to leave your phone behind on your runs. General fitness tracking, lacklustre at best on the original, is a whole lot better this time around, with distance and calorie tracking (via the built-in heart rate monitor) much closer than before to more expensive sports watches.

On top of that, the Series 2 is now water­proof up to 50 metres, meaning it can log your morning laps in the pool, as well as survive being dropped in the toilet by a small child.

Beyond such welcome upgrades, however, the Apple Watch Series 2, like all smartwatches, is still no closer to finding the app that will transform it into a must-have item; its usefulness is largely limited to its fitness tracking abilities and receiving notifications to your wrist.

If that’s enough for you for the mom­ent, the Apple Watch Series 2’s enhanced capabilities and its stylish design make it very much worth buying.​

Q&A:

John Everington expands on what the Apple Watch Series 2 has to offer:

How much does it cost?

Being an Apple product, the Series 2 ranks among the pricier smartwatches on the market, starting at Dh1,499 for a 38mm aluminium body with a simple white sport band and rising to Dh5,999 for a special stainless steel-cased Hermes edition. Before you ask, there is indeed a rose gold option.

I’ve already run five marathons this month. Is this the smartwatch for me?

Probably not, as you’ve probably already got a dedicated running watch such as the Garmin Forerunner 35. You’d might buy this if you’re an occasional exerciser who’s looking to get a bit fitter, and prefer a stylish Apple design to a hardcore chunky running watch.

But after you’ve gone running, who wants to wear a sweaty watch for the rest of the day?

Don’t forget that the wristbands are interchangeable, meaning you can swap out a rubber running watch band for a stylish leather or fabric option for your work day or evening out. Unlike the Samsung Gear S3, which lets you use virtually any wristband, Apple only lets you use its own, although the selection is pretty impressive.

So how successful has the Apple Watch been?

Tim Cook still isn’t releasing sales figures 18 months after the Apple Watch’s original launch. However, he claimed that Apple was the second-largest watchmaker in the world last year behind Rolex in terms of revenue, with the Apple Watch coming top in consumer satisfaction reports.

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