[Review] Apple Watch 9, Between Health Assistant and Shackles (ft. Double Tap)

Daily Exercise Amount, Sleep Data Check
After a Walk, "You Must Be a Morning Person"
Versatile Even Without a Phone but Also Feels Like 'Restriction'

Using the double-tap feature on the Apple Watch 9 allows you to scroll through widgets, answer or end calls, and play or pause music.
[Photo by Apple]

I used the Apple Watch 9, released last month, for two weeks. Its role in health management, such as exercise and sleep, stood out the most. The newly added Double Tap feature was impressive enough to make me say "amazing." As a first-time smartwatch user, I liked that I didn’t miss any contacts even when I wasn’t holding my phone, but sometimes when I wanted to distance myself from digital devices, the watch felt like a shackle.

The Apple Watch 9 was most useful for health management. By entering simple information such as date of birth, gender, height, and weight, it provided exercise and health data. It set daily goals like how many calories to burn, exercise targets, and standing goals, acting as a personal assistant managing my health. Thoughtful consideration for people with disabilities was also evident. For users in wheelchairs, it measures the pushing motion to track how much they have moved.

It displays how much you move throughout the day, how often you stand, and how long you exercise with three rings. When you reach your goals, the Apple Watch 9 praises you. After a morning walk, on my way home, the watch vibrated, and I saw a message saying, "You have achieved your exercise goal. Are you a morning person?" It felt good to be praised. However, I felt a bit disappointed that it recognized my 50-minute walk as only 30 minutes.

The watch also informed me whether I was sleeping well and my body condition during sleep. Although it was a bit inconvenient to have to wear the watch while sleeping after setting bedtime preparation time and sleep goals, I could check sleep data such as awake time, REM sleep, core sleep, and deep sleep. It measured breaths per minute during sleep and also provided heart rate information.

Sleep Data Analyzed by Apple Watch 9

With fall and crash detection features, it seems very useful in emergencies. The Apple Watch has a function to call emergency services if the user falls hard or is involved in a serious car crash. Through the ‘Mindfulness’ app, you can also get help for mental health, such as meditation.

The most innovative feature of the Apple Watch 9 is undoubtedly the ‘Double Tap.’ With the recent release of watchOS 10.1, the new Double Tap feature became available. When you tap the tips of your index finger and thumb twice in succession on the hand wearing the watch, you can execute various actions. From switching widgets to answering calls, ending calls, taking iPhone photos, pausing music, and turning off timers, all can be done with Double Tap. You can select which Double Tap actions to use in the iPhone settings.

As a smartwatch beginner, the most convenient aspect was being able to receive calls, KakaoTalk messages, and texts without having to take the phone out of my pocket. Even when doing work where looking at the phone is difficult or during meetings and events, I didn’t miss external contacts. There were many times I discovered calls late when the phone was on silent, but wearing the Apple Watch eliminated that worry.

However, during a live jazz performance, when a popup appeared on the watch saying, "Noise level has reached 90dB (decibels). Exposure to this level for about 30 minutes can cause temporary hearing loss," I thought, "Just leave me alone." Also, with so many devices like laptops, smartphones, and Bluetooth earphones needing charging, it felt tiring to carefully charge the Apple Watch with its dedicated charger as well. When fully charged to 100%, the battery lasted for a day and into the next afternoon (36 hours).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.