Discussion
beanbag said:
Here's your negative comment. Mine is sat in a drawer.
Luckily I never paid for it but I tried to like it for two weeks without much success. It was slow, finicky to use and the battery charge was a royal pain in the arse. Also I felt it never left me alone! Constantly pinging, buzzing and just generally getting on my nerves a lot. I know you can customise the notifications, but the beauty of a phone is I can silence it and just leave it to one side with a flick of a switch. I don't want to waste my time configuring when I want to hear about something on my wrist. Maybe that's just me?
At the end of the day, it's not the amazing, life-changing watch Apple raved on about for so long and it's clear from the lack of news from Apple, it's no longer a priority product any more. The fact is, the technology isn't quite ready yet and the majority of people simply don't have a need or want for such a device.
Several things need to be addressed first:
- Battery life. It needs to last at very least a whole week. Constantly charging it is just annoying and another bloody cable to carry and my watch with my regular use would last no more than half a day. Useless. I want to keep my watch on my wrist. Not my desk charging.
- Speed. It's so slow doing anything at all. The last update I did took almost 3 hours to run!
- Purpose. What *is* the real purpose of an Apple Watch? Apart from health tracking which is fitbit does for a fraction of the price (and my Withings Activité minus the heart rate), there is no purpose for using an Apple Watch. The apps are just info screens of apps from the phone (which you need to have at all times to make it work), and it's well...useless! Why spend ages fiddling for a slow, app on your wrist when you can grab your phone and see all the info plus more in a fraction of the time.
- Design. OK this is very subjective but personally, I think it's ugly. Beautifully made, but so ugly. I really didn't like looking at my wrist while I wore my Apple Watch.
I get people love it, but you are quite unique. The fashion statement is now gone so it's geeks and tech aficionado's that have are the only buyers now. Only the other day I was in my local Apple store and the Apple Watch table has been moved into the corner and replaced with the iPhone SE's. Nobody was looking at the watches, but almost every other table was full. Even the store employees didn't wear them.
Another Newton for Apple? Maybe. In the initial sales, they've probably made back their money but I doubt it'll be classed as a successful product in years to come. Innovative, yes. Brilliant engineering, yes. Useful? No.
As a final thought, I would like to say I'm looking forward to seeing what the next generation watch offers. This kind of stuff drives innovation and technology so perhaps the new version will have the battery life I want, and be able to work more independently from my iPhone? Let's see what Apple offers.
In the meantime, I'll continue wearing my traditional mechanical watches, or my Withings Activité. Another beautiful piece of technological innovation.
Thanks for this in site i was tempted to buy a pre owned one as a stop gap till the new one comes out. But this has put me off. Will buy a cheap GPS running watch now.Luckily I never paid for it but I tried to like it for two weeks without much success. It was slow, finicky to use and the battery charge was a royal pain in the arse. Also I felt it never left me alone! Constantly pinging, buzzing and just generally getting on my nerves a lot. I know you can customise the notifications, but the beauty of a phone is I can silence it and just leave it to one side with a flick of a switch. I don't want to waste my time configuring when I want to hear about something on my wrist. Maybe that's just me?
At the end of the day, it's not the amazing, life-changing watch Apple raved on about for so long and it's clear from the lack of news from Apple, it's no longer a priority product any more. The fact is, the technology isn't quite ready yet and the majority of people simply don't have a need or want for such a device.
Several things need to be addressed first:
- Battery life. It needs to last at very least a whole week. Constantly charging it is just annoying and another bloody cable to carry and my watch with my regular use would last no more than half a day. Useless. I want to keep my watch on my wrist. Not my desk charging.
- Speed. It's so slow doing anything at all. The last update I did took almost 3 hours to run!
- Purpose. What *is* the real purpose of an Apple Watch? Apart from health tracking which is fitbit does for a fraction of the price (and my Withings Activité minus the heart rate), there is no purpose for using an Apple Watch. The apps are just info screens of apps from the phone (which you need to have at all times to make it work), and it's well...useless! Why spend ages fiddling for a slow, app on your wrist when you can grab your phone and see all the info plus more in a fraction of the time.
- Design. OK this is very subjective but personally, I think it's ugly. Beautifully made, but so ugly. I really didn't like looking at my wrist while I wore my Apple Watch.
I get people love it, but you are quite unique. The fashion statement is now gone so it's geeks and tech aficionado's that have are the only buyers now. Only the other day I was in my local Apple store and the Apple Watch table has been moved into the corner and replaced with the iPhone SE's. Nobody was looking at the watches, but almost every other table was full. Even the store employees didn't wear them.
Another Newton for Apple? Maybe. In the initial sales, they've probably made back their money but I doubt it'll be classed as a successful product in years to come. Innovative, yes. Brilliant engineering, yes. Useful? No.
As a final thought, I would like to say I'm looking forward to seeing what the next generation watch offers. This kind of stuff drives innovation and technology so perhaps the new version will have the battery life I want, and be able to work more independently from my iPhone? Let's see what Apple offers.
In the meantime, I'll continue wearing my traditional mechanical watches, or my Withings Activité. Another beautiful piece of technological innovation.
As heart rate and tracking was the main reason i wanted an Apple watch.
Don't be put off by the above post, trivia ....charging is very simple, and as I say charge it overnight at your bedside, makes a good night clock, hardly an effort
Yes the health tracker stuff is useful, had a basis peak, had a Microsoft band, fitbit...all crappy in comparison to the apple watch in my opnion...all buzzing & alerts can be turned off..you want the battery to last longer then put it in airplane mode whilst you don't need it to be using your phone etc, saves loads of battery life as its the bt connection to the phone that uses it...it still records all your data etc and just updates your phone when you connect again
If you are in the market for a health tracker/watch, I Really struggle to see why you would get a fitbit or anything else that does half the job ...you might as well just wear a heart strap and log date on your phone if its just the fitness thing you are after
everyone has their opinions, but as I say I think the apple watch it great for my lifestyle. I did actually have a play with a Samsung watch the other day..pretty much designed from the apple watch I think, but just felt like a cheaper imitation...
Yes it can improve, and I am hoping this is the start of the smart watch wave and that their becomes lots more choice in the future...I would like the watch to look more traditional etc, but as I Say I am sure designs will improve along the way like they have done with smartphones etc
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
Yes the health tracker stuff is useful, had a basis peak, had a Microsoft band, fitbit...all crappy in comparison to the apple watch in my opnion...all buzzing & alerts can be turned off..you want the battery to last longer then put it in airplane mode whilst you don't need it to be using your phone etc, saves loads of battery life as its the bt connection to the phone that uses it...it still records all your data etc and just updates your phone when you connect again
If you are in the market for a health tracker/watch, I Really struggle to see why you would get a fitbit or anything else that does half the job ...you might as well just wear a heart strap and log date on your phone if its just the fitness thing you are after
everyone has their opinions, but as I say I think the apple watch it great for my lifestyle. I did actually have a play with a Samsung watch the other day..pretty much designed from the apple watch I think, but just felt like a cheaper imitation...
Yes it can improve, and I am hoping this is the start of the smart watch wave and that their becomes lots more choice in the future...I would like the watch to look more traditional etc, but as I Say I am sure designs will improve along the way like they have done with smartphones etc
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
Emonda03 said:
Don't be put off by the above post, trivia ....charging is very simple, and as I say charge it overnight at your bedside, makes a good night clock, hardly an effort
Yes the health tracker stuff is useful, had a basis peak, had a Microsoft band, fitbit...all crappy in comparison to the apple watch in my opnion...all buzzing & alerts can be turned off..you want the battery to last longer then put it in airplane mode whilst you don't need it to be using your phone etc, saves loads of battery life as its the bt connection to the phone that uses it...it still records all your data etc and just updates your phone when you connect again
If you are in the market for a health tracker/watch, I Really struggle to see why you would get a fitbit or anything else that does half the job ...you might as well just wear a heart strap and log date on your phone if its just the fitness thing you are after
everyone has their opinions, but as I say I think the apple watch it great for my lifestyle. I did actually have a play with a Samsung watch the other day..pretty much designed from the apple watch I think, but just felt like a cheaper imitation...
Yes it can improve, and I am hoping this is the start of the smart watch wave and that their becomes lots more choice in the future...I would like the watch to look more traditional etc, but as I Say I am sure designs will improve along the way like they have done with smartphones etc
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
Will use a tom-tom runner2 for now as ordered one last night, As does everything i need for training. But will get the next apple watch as soon as it comes out. Yes the health tracker stuff is useful, had a basis peak, had a Microsoft band, fitbit...all crappy in comparison to the apple watch in my opnion...all buzzing & alerts can be turned off..you want the battery to last longer then put it in airplane mode whilst you don't need it to be using your phone etc, saves loads of battery life as its the bt connection to the phone that uses it...it still records all your data etc and just updates your phone when you connect again
If you are in the market for a health tracker/watch, I Really struggle to see why you would get a fitbit or anything else that does half the job ...you might as well just wear a heart strap and log date on your phone if its just the fitness thing you are after
everyone has their opinions, but as I say I think the apple watch it great for my lifestyle. I did actually have a play with a Samsung watch the other day..pretty much designed from the apple watch I think, but just felt like a cheaper imitation...
Yes it can improve, and I am hoping this is the start of the smart watch wave and that their becomes lots more choice in the future...I would like the watch to look more traditional etc, but as I Say I am sure designs will improve along the way like they have done with smartphones etc
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
I don't own one but have been able to use one for a few months now. As a sports watch it's really not very good, nobody serious about sport would buy this and think it's a good solution. It isn't. it needs the phones GPS, it can't be used for swimming ,it can't link to any cadence sensors or food pods. It's just a smaller, poorer display of what your phone can do but on your wrist, There are far far better watches from Garmin and anyone else that makes sports watches.
Seriously, if you're looking for a sports watch, don't buy this. You'd only buy this if you wanted an Apple Watch and are trying to convince yourself of its usefulness.
As an activity tracker it isn't very good either, again loads of companies make much better and cheaper ones. The optical heart rate monitor isn't even very good. I've tested it against an accurate heart rate monitor and it's often inaccurate.
I really wanted to get by with it as a sports watch but it's poorer in every way, (and much more expensive) than pretty much any garmin watch I've ever used.
To me the only use of this watch is at you can changes the faces a bit. Everything else about it is a compromise. I'm surprised it's even been released as an apple product really.
Anyone wanting non biased accurate information about the usefulness of the Apple Watch as a fitness device should read dcrainmaker's excellent review. He also does fantastic reviews of most other fitness devices and activity trackers.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/02/apple-watch-rev...
Seriously, if you're looking for a sports watch, don't buy this. You'd only buy this if you wanted an Apple Watch and are trying to convince yourself of its usefulness.
As an activity tracker it isn't very good either, again loads of companies make much better and cheaper ones. The optical heart rate monitor isn't even very good. I've tested it against an accurate heart rate monitor and it's often inaccurate.
I really wanted to get by with it as a sports watch but it's poorer in every way, (and much more expensive) than pretty much any garmin watch I've ever used.
To me the only use of this watch is at you can changes the faces a bit. Everything else about it is a compromise. I'm surprised it's even been released as an apple product really.
Anyone wanting non biased accurate information about the usefulness of the Apple Watch as a fitness device should read dcrainmaker's excellent review. He also does fantastic reviews of most other fitness devices and activity trackers.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/02/apple-watch-rev...
Edited by el stovey on Friday 22 April 19:54
neilbauer said:
GarryDK said:
Emonda03 said:
Emonda03 said:
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
GarryDK said:
neilbauer said:
GarryDK said:
Emonda03 said:
Emonda03 said:
To get the HR on the front screen you need to download the heartwatch app...then when you go to customise any watch face it shows as a function you can add, where you pick the things to show on the watch face....
Interesting points Mr Stovey,and an interesting review by Mr Rainmaker. I have to agree to an extent, I more use my apple watch as a general interest kind of activity device/watch, I don't rely on it particularly for performance in a given discipline. When cycling I use a garmin edge 1000, I have SRM power meters on my bikes, use TSS & Intensity factors & NP a lot from Garmin connect to judge my performance,likewise on the rower I have the Concept 2 control head, again which shows watts & various info and logs onto the ergo app via the iphone to keep records
I also have a wattbike at home & very much use the wattbike power app & trainer road to provide all the info needed to judge performance
I wear a heart rate strap during all the above to get accurate HR readings, I do have to say in general though the apple watch it not vastly different ,maybe 2 or 3 beats over a few hours exercise etc, so again as a guide its useful
My point about the apple watch is clearly with all the above I still find it useful to see how many steps I have done,and give me a very good general overview of how many active calories I am burning, and logged nicely in the app...clearly its a watch that tells the time and has a few more functions as well, hence it fits in very well into my life, and yes I do find it encourages me to take more steps , burn more calories etc a bit too. Its far better looking & useful than a fitbit/band/basis peak etc...but then I wouldn't rely on one of those particularly either to be my sole gauge of exercise goals & efforts etc..the apple watch is useful in that you can tell it the type of exercise you are doing which gives a better indication, rather than just counting steps or calories etc from h/r
As I say its a useful thing to me as a daily wearer, BUT it would not be a one stop device that I would rely on totally ..each discipline has its own monitoring equipment better placed to do that
I also have a wattbike at home & very much use the wattbike power app & trainer road to provide all the info needed to judge performance
I wear a heart rate strap during all the above to get accurate HR readings, I do have to say in general though the apple watch it not vastly different ,maybe 2 or 3 beats over a few hours exercise etc, so again as a guide its useful
My point about the apple watch is clearly with all the above I still find it useful to see how many steps I have done,and give me a very good general overview of how many active calories I am burning, and logged nicely in the app...clearly its a watch that tells the time and has a few more functions as well, hence it fits in very well into my life, and yes I do find it encourages me to take more steps , burn more calories etc a bit too. Its far better looking & useful than a fitbit/band/basis peak etc...but then I wouldn't rely on one of those particularly either to be my sole gauge of exercise goals & efforts etc..the apple watch is useful in that you can tell it the type of exercise you are doing which gives a better indication, rather than just counting steps or calories etc from h/r
As I say its a useful thing to me as a daily wearer, BUT it would not be a one stop device that I would rely on totally ..each discipline has its own monitoring equipment better placed to do that
GarryDK said:
AstonZagato said:
Does the Apple Watch do heart rate monitoring 24/7? I Use the Fitbit charge HR which does that. I thought the Apple Watch only did it when you are exercising.
Thats correct though, the heart rate app mentioned above seems to track constantly.Strange thing happened on my recent flight to Tokyo on Thursday......
I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
HoHoHo said:
Strange thing happened on my recent flight to Tokyo on Thursday......
I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
Time from the GPS chip?I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
Zoon said:
HoHoHo said:
Strange thing happened on my recent flight to Tokyo on Thursday......
I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
Time from the GPS chip?I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
el stovey said:
Zoon said:
HoHoHo said:
Strange thing happened on my recent flight to Tokyo on Thursday......
I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
Time from the GPS chip?I had a look at the Internet to see how to change the time on the flight to move forward from GMT but it appears you can't do that, you can't fool the watch into thinking it's in a different country (albeit some describe how to do it, but it doesn't work).
About 8 hours into my flight having not done anything prior to the flight and with my iPhone and watch in flight mode the time moved into Tokyo time by itself.
How the feck did it do that?
Put the iPhone in airplane mode but keep Bluetooth on so the watch is taking to the phone etc.
Then open google maps which tracks GPS 24/7 and as you go through different time zones the phone is automatically updated and that in turn updates the watch.
As I flew back over 12 hours my watch simply told me the time of the earth beneath me.
Simples really!
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