Back in October I finally caved in and bought the Apple Watch. I had been on the fence for a while, and until that point had tried several different Fitbits, the last being the Fitbit Surge. The part I really liked was the motivation to move – while I consider myself active, my “day job” has me at a desk where it’s easy to spend a little too much time staring at the computer and not enough time moving.

First off, here’s a look at my watch:

I went with the 38mm watch face (the smaller one), which is perfect for my little wrist. I chose my signature color, blue, for the band. This is one of the first things that’s pretty cool – you can remove and change the watch bands.

I absolutely LOVE how seamlessly it works with my iPhone… once they were connected, everything just worked. Most of the apps on my phone have a watch version – basically a pared down skeleton version. It’s awesome to be able to check the weather or pull up maps without having to get my phone out of my purse.

Apple also did a great job on the customization options – there are 12 different watch faces that you can choose from, and within each of those are color and app customization options. My favorite is the big one in the middle – I like being able to access the apps from the home screen.

At first I was worried about battery life… but have no fear – even with using the apps to track exercise and throughout the day, I haven’t yet had the battery die on me. I do charge it every night.

Here are some of the features that I absolutely love:

• Phone calls: Yes, I know I look like a dork talking to my wrist. It’s definitely not ideal (the caller is on speaker), but having the ability to take a quick call from your wrist is pretty cool.
• Text messages: This is probably one of my favorite features. I love being able to read and reply to messages from my watch.
• Fitness Apps: There are two the come with the watch – Activity and Workouts
  • Activity: This is the app shows you your “rings” for the day and your goal is to close them all buy the end of the day. There are three “rings” that you try to close each day:
    • Red: Move – this goal is changeable. This is the number of calories burned throughout the day
    • Green: Exercise – your goal is 30 minutes of exercise a day. This is not just working out – this includes walking and all general movement.
    • Blue: Stand – this one is really cool. The idea is that you stand for at least one minute in twelve different hours during the day.
  • Workouts: This app tracks your specific workouts – Indoor Running, Indoor Walking, Outdoor Running, Outdoor Walking, Elliptical, Rower, Stair Stepper, and Other to catch the rest of your exercises. You’ll capture more detail about the specific workout you’re doing.
• Apps: Love them. CNN actually sends news alerts to my wrist. I can check my exercise trending for the day. I can check my Starbucks card balance and even PAY for my coffee with Apple Pay.

Here are some of the things I wish the Apple Watch would do:

• Function without my iPhone. Let me caveat this one – it works without my phone. I just wish that all of the features worked when I didn’t have my phone nearby – like text messages and phone calls. Some of the apps require your phone as well.
• Be waterproof! This is what ultimately killed my Fitbit Surge – giving Sue a bath. I wish they made one that was more the just splash resistant!

At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a fun, functional, motivational timepiece, the Apple Watch is the watch for you! I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!