A Humble Proposition: How to Fix the Apple Watch

Yesterday, Apple was supposed to release Watch OS 2.0, a new version of the software for the Apple Watch. At the last minute, the company announced that it had discovered a bug that’s so important, it’s postponing the software’s release.

Whenever the actual release comes to pass, it will bring many small improvements to the operating system, which you can read about here. 

But you know what? Upgrading the software at this point is like rearranging the crackers…on a plate…on a deck chair on the Titanic.

Apple has been strangely silent—or maybe understandably silent—on how many people have bought Apple Watches. But one thing is clear: You don’t see Apple Watches on a lot of wrists.

Most of the reasons are easy to spot. The watches are very expensive. They require an iPhone. And you have to charge the battery every night.

But there’s a fourth obstacle to the Watch’s success that not many people seem to mention: This watch is complicated. And that’s a very unusual thing to say about an Apple product.

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Here’s the central problem: Apple went overboard with input mechanisms.

How many ways are there to interact with the touchscreen of a phone or tablet? Four: tap, swipe, tap-and-hold, or pinch.

How about navigating your laptop? Four ways: Click, right-click, or slide on the trackpad, or use the keyboard.

But on the Apple Watch, there are eight ways to operate: Turn the crown (the knob on the side). Click the crown inward. Tap the side button. Hold in the side button. Tap the screen. Hard-press the screen. Swipe across the screen. Pinch the screen.