UPDATED 15:44 EDT / APRIL 30 2015

NEWS

Apple Watch’s first worsts: Tattoogate, trypophobia + more

The Apple Watch, typical of all Apple products, looks great. Deemed remarkable by some, the Apple Watch sets new precedents for wrist-worn technology. But every first-run gadget has its kinks. With just two weeks on the market, the Apple Watch is collecting its first criticisms. Ranging from minute to unforgivable, here’s a look at the Apple Watch’s first worsts.

It’s not that easy to set up

Setting your Apple Watch may not be as quick as setting up your iPhone. It needs to be both charged and paired with your iPhone. You need to choose which wrist to use; agree to Apple’s Terms of Service; tinker with the settings for your location, security and apps; set up the watch face and set up Apple Pay. You must generally tinker with and figure out what else you want your Apple Watch to do or show you upon setup.

It can take quite awhile to finally set the device up, especially when you want to customize everything to your liking. So get comfortable.

Tattoogate

There have been a number of reports from the permanently inked, saying the Apple Watch doesn’t work well when placed on a tattooed wrist, especially dark ink tattoos. Many have aired their confusion and dissatisfaction on a Reddit thread regarding the issue, including anecdotes that skin tone does not seem to play a factor.

@BBCNewsbeat

Via Twitter @BBCNewsbeat

 

So what happens when an Apple Watch meets a wrist tattoo? Reports indicate unsolicited locking of the device, unreadable heart rates and undelivered notifications, to name just a few issues. One Redditor has updated his post, stating that Apple support has been very helpful and, “They are reporting to engineering, and I should hear back from him this week regarding my call issue and the detection issue.”

Batterygate

The Apple Watch has a battery life of 18 hours based on the following usage: 90 time checks, 90 notifications, 45 minutes of app use, and a 30-minute workout with music playback from Apple Watch via Bluetooth. Or that’s three hours of talk time, 6.5 hours of audio playback, 6.5 hours when used with the heart rate sensor or for workout, 48 hours on standby watch mode and 72 hours on power reserve. And it takes 2.5 hours to charge to 100 percent.

The Apple Watch’s battery life may be enough to last you a full day, but unfortunately, it will drain your iPhone’s battery as it needs to constantly talk with the other device. This results in people having to charge their iPhone a few times a day.

Scratchgate

Apple Watch offers three versions: Watch, Watch Sport and Watch Edition. Watch Edition is the high-end model, the Watch edition the mid-model and Watch Sport the most affordable model. If you’re thinking whether to get Watch or Watch Sport because the Watch Edition is simply out of your budget, you might want to opt for the Watch Sport.

Via Twitter BI Tech @SAI

Via Twitter BI Tech @SAI

 

More prone to scratches, the Watch version features a stainless steel frame compare that to the aluminum frame of the Watch Sport. Not to mention the Watch Sport is $200 cheaper.

It can trigger a phobia

Apps on the Apple Watch are shown in clusters of colorful circles in various sizes that can be fun to look at unless you have trypophobia, a condition wherein irregular patterns of holes such as beehives, ant hills and lotus seed heads, freaks you out. Some people have taken to social media in airing their thoughts on how the Apple Watch’s app screen is sending them into a tizzy.

Though trypophobia has yet to be recognized as a legitimate condition by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it still bothers some people and is enough reason for them not to purchase the device.

photo credit: Fanatic via photopin (license)

Since you’re here …

… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.

If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.