And now the Wall Street Apple Watch takes are rolling in.
After spending two weeks with an Apple Watch, Bank of America's research team is out Friday with a note reviewing the device, and its review says the device is, well, just OK.
"A solid product all things considered," the firm writes. Not exactly the sort of blockbuster, blow-you-away review some may have expected or hoped for from Apple's first new major product release in a few years.
Bank of America said the Apple Watch worked best as a supplement to an iPhone, which is something others have noted, and BofA adds that because of supply constraints, it is remaining conservative in expectations for Apple Watch sales. Bank of America expects Apple to sell 8 million watches this year and 30 million in 2016.
After spending two weeks with the device, though, Bank of America still wanted these five things from the Apple Watch:
- Responsiveness of third-party apps and an easier setup with less dependence on iPhone.
- Built-in GPS.
- More health apps and sensors, including oxygen monitoring and sleep monitoring.
- Wireless charging and the elimination of having to carry a separate charger for Apple Watch.
- Longer battery life.
The firm liked notifications from breaking news sources such as Twitter. Another positive was Passbook, which allows you to easily check in at the airport and pay for a drink at Starbucks.
So a bit better than the tech community's first take on the device, which was quietly brutal, as characterized by Business Insider's Nicholas Carlson. But again, still just a lukewarm reception to a major new product for the world's largest, and most closely followed, company.
