My Unexpected Obsession with the Apple Watch SE

Hello everyone!

I'm super stoked to share my thoughts on the Apple Watch SE 40 mm - a device that's quickly become an essential part of my daily routine.

I've been an Apple fan for over five years now, starting with my first iPhone and later upgrading to AirPods. I never thought I needed a smartwatch, but my friends and family all had them. I'd see people checking their Apple Watches, and I'd think, why do I need that?

Fast forward to autumn 2022, I started thinking about getting a smartwatch. I read reviews, checked out what others had to say, and I have to admit, I was intrigued. I'm not one of those people who gets 20 calls a day, but I do like the idea of having a separate device for fitness tracking and health monitoring.

At first, I thought, do I really need a smartwatch? But the more I read, the more I thought, why not? It's not just about making calls or checking notifications - it's about tracking my activity, monitoring my health, and seeing how I can improve my daily routine.

At around 24,000 rubles, the 40mm gold-colored watch was almost on par with Samsung or Huawei in terms of price. I'd buy it, knowing I can resell it to someone else if needed. I picked it up from an M.Video store, specifically looking for the gold color in stock so I wouldn't have to wait for shipping. As usual, the one-year warranty kicks in from the moment it's activated.

I've gotta say, I don't think Apple is just about being pretentious. Sure, the brand is well-known, and many people want to own Apple products, but Apple truly delivers incredible features, convenience, and comfort in every moment. I only accept constructive criticism about their devices. If someone's used a product for 1-3 months and can point out what they dislike or what's lacking, I can understand that. We all have different preferences, and you won't know what you like unless you try it.

Design:

I have to mention the packaging - it's a real treat to open. The excitement is palpable.

Everything's been thoughtfully designed and organized.

The box included two straps - a thicker, shorter one in size S and a longer one in size L.

The box also includes a charging cable, but the adapter isn't included. That's a bummer. I encountered a problem, but luckily I had bought a separate adapter for charging my phone. The cable from the watch won't fit into old adapters from iPhone 7, for example. If your phone can still be charged with the old cable, then the watch needs its own adapter.The cable is medium-length, almost the same as my phone's. The magnetic charging dock is round in shape. You attach the watch to it for charging. I also just place the watch on it - it's visible and stays put.

The strap I got is light-colored, but it doesn't match the color of the watch. The watch is more of a rose color, while the strap is a beige color.

The strap feels nice on my skin, it's silicone, doesn't slip, and doesn't damage anything.

The display is just a plain black, glossy screen. I don't have any protective glass on my watch.

I have to admit, as someone who's never worn a watch before, it took me a while to figure out how to properly secure the strap. I fiddled with it a bit, but then I needed a little help to get it sorted out. It's not even about the magnetic clasps, it's more about how to secure the strap in the first place. Here's what I did:

To be honest, I just fastened the watch like a tongue into the wristband.

I also bought a non-original chain strap for around 300 rubles, but for that price, I didn't get what I wanted. One of the links on the strap is slightly bent and now it's constantly getting caught on everything. Plus, the chain is losing its magnetism and sliding off, and the finish is getting scratched. So, I'd recommend buying either the original strap or a silicone one, but in a different color. However, with prices skyrocketing, I'm putting this purchase on hold.

Setting it up took about 30 minutes. Everything was super simple and intuitive. The display reflected everything, just like on my phone. Connecting it to my phone was so fast that I was actually surprised.

I wear my watch on my left hand, it's way more convenient to tap on the display with my right.

At first, I had a hard time getting used to how to turn on the menu, how to lock them. It's super handy to cover the display with my hand and it's instantly locked.

The menu is super intuitive, everything's clear and easy to understand.

I can choose from a ton of wallpapers, I've got butterflies right now, I change them often, but only from collections, I don't put my own photos on it.The wallpapers with animation are awesome, everything's moving and the picture changes constantly.

Make sure you've got an adapter, the charger that comes with it is a cable, but you can't charge the watch with just a cable.

The watch dies super fast, I have to charge it every day, it's exhausting. Even my brand new watch drains so quickly, so you just have to get used to it.

For Apple Music subscribers, it's super convenient to manage your playlists. You can even start playing music without your phone nearby. Whether you're in the middle of something, you can still adjust the volume.

. The display shows everything, including the album artwork for the music you're playing.You can keep your phone on silent mode and still receive calls. Leave your phone in another room, and you'll know who's calling you.

Walking outside on a cold day, I love that I can see who's texting me right from my wrist. If it's not urgent, they can wait until I pick up my phone. I've really grown to love these watches for that reason alone. Sometimes you get random texts that aren't important. In the past, I'd have to take off my gloves, grab my phone, and check who it was from. Now, I can just leave my phone in my pocket and not have it constantly under my nose. You can even respond to calls from your watch. If you're wearing headphones, it takes just a second to swipe across the screen and answer. Responding to texts is a bit trickier, as you're limited to short replies. You can always respond with your voice for a more detailed answer.

For fitness enthusiasts, these watches are an absolute must-have

. One thing I've been trying to do is walk more - at least 5,000 steps a day. When I'm out on a walk, the watch itself starts tracking my workout after a while, and it shows me how long I've been working out, my heart rate, and distance covered. I can even set up the type of workout I want in the workout section.I was hesitant to use the watch in the pool at first, but I've since given it a try. I mean, it's a pricey device, and I wasn't sure how it would react to water. I've seen people using watches in the water, but I've been too nervous to try it out myself... yet!

The watch also tracks your heart rate.

It's like a portable ECG monitor. It can also track heart rate over 24 hours. If your pulse is over 100, the watch will alert you after 10 minutes that you're not in a normal state. That's super helpful for me. I'm trying to keep an eye on my pulse due to my diagnosis, and it's also great for having more insight into my health. Unfortunately, this model doesn't come with blood pressure measurement, which would be super useful too. Models with that feature cost around 35,000 rubles.What else won me over - sleep tracking. Falling asleep and waking up are two different things. I was surprised that I'd go to bed at 10 PM and wake up at 6 AM, but I'd still be tired. After a few days of tracking my sleep with the watch, I realized I'd fall asleep around 11 PM and my sleep wouldn't be that deep, and I'd wake up a lot during the night. Overall, I think you can influence the quality of your sleep. A calm environment before bed, physical activity, fewer stressors, and less anxiety can all help you sleep better at night. And it's better to sleep solidly rather than in fits and starts.

Takeaway:

I'd definitely recommend the Apple Watch SE to you!

This is an amazing device for its price. It has tons of features and functions, yes, not all of them will be useful to you, but still. You get so used to having it on your wrist that you'll find yourself checking it all the time.

Thanks for reading!

I hope my review was helpful to you!

That's it from me, Katya. Check out my other reviews on gadgets and devices here.

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