Apple Watch Isn’t Shatterproof, Doesn’t Work With Wrist Tattoos, Could Irritate Skin — So What’s It Good For?

The Apple Watch is facing a lot of problems lately. Just days after its launch, users have reported numerous problems with the new gadget. It’s been reported that the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can’t tell when the user is wearing the watch when worn on a tattooed wrist, according to the Register.

Michael Lovell demonstrated his new device for the news source. He had no problems on his left wrist, which doesn’t have a tattoo. When Lovell wears the Apple Watch on his right wrist, he noticed that “the wrist detection is playing.” He also noted that his watch “keeps asking for the passcode.”

No, it’s not a faulty issue with the Apple Watch. It interferes with wrist tattoos. A redditor with the user guinne55fan, had the same issue with his watch.

“So I thought my shiny new 42mm SS watch had a bad wrist detector sensor… The watch would lock up every time the screen went dark and prompted me for my password. I wouldn’t receive notifications. I couldn’t figure out why especially since the watch was definitely not losing contact with my skin.”

iMore looked into this problem and found that certain colors interfere with the Apple Watch’s sensor. For example, dark and solid tattoo ink causes the biggest problems with the sensor. Test readings with black and red ink caused heart rate readings of 196 BPM, while lighter colors caused misreading of 80 BPM, according to the report.

Why are wrist tattoos a problem for the Apple Watch? It uses light to track the user’s blood flow. Dark ink reduces the watch’s ability to reflect light, which causes the wacky heart rate misreadings.

But that’s not the only problem with the Apple Watch. CNet found that this new gadget shatters easily when impacted with metal. The tech news sourced conducted several drop tests from four or five feet drops that had no effect on the Apple watch. However, a head-on drop can make the screen shatter quite easily, as YouTuber TechRax demonstrated in his video below.

Other problems associated with the Apple Watch have to do with skin sensitivity issues with the plastic or metal components, or the sensors itself. Tech Times read through the user guide and found that “You may be more likely to experience irritation from any wearable device if you have allergies or other sensitivities. If you have known skin sensitivities, please take special care when wearing Apple Watch.”

The Wall Street Journal also noticed that the Apple Watch has a defect with the watch’s taptic engine, which causes the device to “tap” users when they receive notifications. Two suppliers are producing this component, and only one of the suppliers has reported the faulty hardware off its assembly line. That means the taptic engine would fail to notify the user about incoming messages and alerts. AAC Technologies Holdings found that the taptic engines “break down over time.” Apple has scrapped the Apple Watches that were completed by this supplier.

If you have any problems with your Apple Watch, the device has a 14-day return window, according to MacRumors. The tech giant also has the AppleCare+ plan, which extends the warranty for up to two years and provides damage coverage. The plan costs $49, while service for screen replacement costs $69 per watch.

What are your thoughts on the issues associated with this device? Does it make you want to own an Apple Watch?

[Image: Photo by David McNew/Getty Images]