I’m an Apple guy.
I have an iPhone and a MacBook Air and AirPod Pros. Love them all.
So, when I saw that the price dropped on the Series 3, I contemplated getting one. I’ve always thought they looked cool, but questioned how useful it would be for me. I asked on the LOH Facebook Page about the watch and 50+ comments rolled in, many of them from people with one hand who said they love theirs!
My friend Madelyn, who is missing her entire left arm, even shared her video about how she uses hers!
My video is not quite as instructional. Take a look:
So…I don’t love it.
I’m not going to rant about accessibility, but…I will say a few words about it. Apple is not required to make this watch accessible for me. They can make it however they see fit. That said, I think it would behoove them to make it as accessible for as many people as they can. I think that about any product.
As you can probably see in the video, I was really frustrated with the band. I’ve used a multitude of different types of watch bands and have never had this much difficulty. I’m actually interested to know if two-handed people have difficulty with it, too. It just seems like an odd and overcomplicated design. And one of the things people love about Apple products is that you can open the package and use the item right away! Unfortunately, I have to spend an extra $50 to buy a different band just to be able to put it on by myself. That’s a pretty terrible user experience.
After I stopped recording, I paired it with my phone and played with it for a while. Again…frustrating. I got the 38mm, which just seems too small to be able to do anything worthwhile. The end of my left arm is not pointy(?) enough to be able to use it to do anything on the screen. And using the tip of my nose or having to talk to Siri about everything does not appeal to me.
So, in theory, the watch seems awesome. But in real life…not so much. At least for me.
My FitBit One works fine and I always have my phone on me, so I’m struggling to find a reason to keep it.
I haven’t returned it yet, though, so… What am I missing?
Convince me otherwise.
Ryan… The problem, and solution, is simple. Ditch Apple, go with the Pixel line, full gesture navigations.
I have all my limbs, but I’m crazy lazy and I like being able to just shake, twist or just tell my watch or phone what I want it to do.
Plus with any of my 5 Wear OS watches (I have a problem) I can change the bands to whatever I like. Easy as a Amazon search for a band that work for your preferences. No “only x-brand” accessories for x-brand products.
But, I like being the devil’s advocate and picking on Apple sheep.
There was supposed to be a couple emoji at the end there… A shrug and a wink
Baaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! lol
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hey Ryan!
I came across this blog as I was searching for other one-handed users after purchasing my first watch because I wanted to see if the struggle is REAL with changing the band Like me I see you struggled to put it on yourself. I ended up going with a nylon loop band, which, while it worked for awhile, I was always afraid I’d break it, so I switched to a magnetic band and it’s much easier. Did you struggle with changing the actual band yourself? If no, any recommendations on how to do it one handed? As a fiercely independent person, I hate to inconvenience people every time I want to put a new band on, haha. I only have use of my right hand, and haven’t yet been able to maser the release button while sliding. Any tips or tricks?