Apple's event last week landed in a very unexpected way for me.
My possible excitement for - and even ability to focus on - the Duo was completely clouded by new watch features.
It started gently with the new health features.
You would think I would be the prime target for this. Not only still wearing my Apple watch all the time, but actually watching the presentation on a exercise bike at the gym. But it just came across as … too much. I was making jokes to myself branding all the new measuring and detail as Apple Health Anxiety - always measuring. When they mentioned the ability to order some kind of detailed health overview from a company, I felt like they had found a way to sneak in-app purchases into the health app itself.
No excitement there from me, but nothing very upsetting either. But then they moved on.
In retrospect, they should have skipped straight to the Duo. That could have kept me a lot more interested. But no, they had to introduce new features based on the watch secretly transcribing everyone around you. There was of course a lot of privacy talk - all about how the audio and text was handled after being captured from the people who have no idea they are being recorded.
I have never before seen Apple - or any other company that I can think of - introduce a new device which my first reaction to is wanting to ban other people from wearing it anywhere near me. Arguments about how it just summarizes, tries to filter out sensitive information and so on matter very little, you are still secretly recording people around you without giving any indication. They even make it easy for you do to so all the time, or even according to a schedule.
Sure, privacy. Sure, careful design. Sure, others will do much worse versions. I do not care, you still should not build stuff like this. It can be the start of a slippery slope, but it is more than bad enough right here and now, no slipping whatsoever required.
Walking home, only half noticing details of the Duo, I caught myself thinking:
"I might be done with the Apple watch."
And, the first feeling was a short burst of relief.
One device less. Less tracking. No thinking about circles or distances. One less thing to charge or break. A lighter wrist.
Later
It has been a couple of days. My old (series 7 if I am not completely mistaken) watch is still on my wrist, still tracking my every move. But when it does give up, I have a hard time seeing it being replaced by another Apple watch. It is very possible that some type of Garmin will take its place for exercises, but I should probably try to go completely wihtout for at least a while to see how it feels.
Strange as it may sound, I hear exercice still counts even if you do not track it.