Is it worth upgrading to an iwatch
Discussion
Hello,
I have a really cheap fitness tracker - one of the £25 jobs from amazon that tracks steps, HR, and does alarms.
It's handy to let me know what sort of day I've had and motivates me to be a bit more active.
I don't make heavy use of it for fitnes but I see it as a bit of a good thing to help me be a bit more healthy. I've had it for nearly 3 years and still get a week or more charge out it.
Been looking at the iWatch. They do look nice and yes I have an iPhone so can tap into all that linkup stuff.
Whilst it's good to get a new gadget every so often, I do wonder what I would gain other than making Tim Cook a bit richer.
Is it worth the change - are there things it can do that I've missed from the specs or is it probably stuff I wont use? Is there a killer feature that I don't know I don't know about?
Thanks in advance.
I have a really cheap fitness tracker - one of the £25 jobs from amazon that tracks steps, HR, and does alarms.
It's handy to let me know what sort of day I've had and motivates me to be a bit more active.
I don't make heavy use of it for fitnes but I see it as a bit of a good thing to help me be a bit more healthy. I've had it for nearly 3 years and still get a week or more charge out it.
Been looking at the iWatch. They do look nice and yes I have an iPhone so can tap into all that linkup stuff.
Whilst it's good to get a new gadget every so often, I do wonder what I would gain other than making Tim Cook a bit richer.
Is it worth the change - are there things it can do that I've missed from the specs or is it probably stuff I wont use? Is there a killer feature that I don't know I don't know about?
Thanks in advance.
I’ve been wearing my Withings steel HR sport daily for a couple of years now. Doesn’t have as much functionality as an Apple Watch but does everything I want and only needs charging monthly (more if you use gps tracking).
https://www.withings.com/uk/en/steel-hr
https://www.withings.com/uk/en/steel-hr
no
I have plenty of apple products and being honest, I don’t know if i would replace this one when it dies. Don’t get me wrong, when you first get it, you’ll be all over ‘closing the rings’ to complete your day, sending messages from your wrist, seeing what apps you can use from your watch, answering calls on your wrist thinking you’re a spy......
but there’s not really any ‘killer feature’ I think that justifies the price- except it syncs seamlessly with your phone. At the moment i’m being particularly lazy and not doing anything remotely fitness related so that part is wasted on me for now. Maybe i need to kick myself up the bum and get back out doing stuff and using some of the sports tracking features.
I have plenty of apple products and being honest, I don’t know if i would replace this one when it dies. Don’t get me wrong, when you first get it, you’ll be all over ‘closing the rings’ to complete your day, sending messages from your wrist, seeing what apps you can use from your watch, answering calls on your wrist thinking you’re a spy......
but there’s not really any ‘killer feature’ I think that justifies the price- except it syncs seamlessly with your phone. At the moment i’m being particularly lazy and not doing anything remotely fitness related so that part is wasted on me for now. Maybe i need to kick myself up the bum and get back out doing stuff and using some of the sports tracking features.
I had the original Apple watch and it had to be charged every night, so you could never understand your sleep patterns etc of that's important. It was a nice thing but the charging just isn't acceptable, and that was non-GPS. Not sure how long the battery lasts now but as soon as you fire up GPS it will consume the battery very quickly.
I switched to a Garmin Fenix 5 a few years ago, it's not as glitsy, but I get notifications and I would suspect this has to be the best in class for sports activity tracking, there are several variants and it's been superseded by the Fenix 6 now. However just day to day wearing I get 2 weeks out of a single charge. If I'm doing exercise and using GPS probably 7-10 days.
I switched to a Garmin Fenix 5 a few years ago, it's not as glitsy, but I get notifications and I would suspect this has to be the best in class for sports activity tracking, there are several variants and it's been superseded by the Fenix 6 now. However just day to day wearing I get 2 weeks out of a single charge. If I'm doing exercise and using GPS probably 7-10 days.
I have an Apple Watch 4 with cellular, so it works away from my phone. It wakes me up, tracks my runs, let's me pay for stuff, gives me my messages, tells me the weather, plays my music, connects to my AirPods, unlocks my Mac and I'm sure a lot of other stuff I've forgotten!
It probably the gadget I use most, and if broke I think I'd buy another immediately.
It probably the gadget I use most, and if broke I think I'd buy another immediately.
While I admire the looks of the iWatch / Apple watch, I'd be going Garmin for fitness, or fitbit for health.
I've had several fitbits and a garmin. The fitbit devices have got progressively better, but overall I prefer the garmin. I currently have a fitbit that I received a deep discount on. When it's time to replace it, I'll be looking at one of the garmin devices.
I've had several fitbits and a garmin. The fitbit devices have got progressively better, but overall I prefer the garmin. I currently have a fitbit that I received a deep discount on. When it's time to replace it, I'll be looking at one of the garmin devices.
Mine lasts around 2 days, and even then, it is still showing appox 36% battery remaining.
It is the latest AW6, and i am sure it will be very usage dependant, but it's not exactly a chore to chuck it onto the charger every night if needs be.
And the sleep apps for the AW are crap anyway.
It is the latest AW6, and i am sure it will be very usage dependant, but it's not exactly a chore to chuck it onto the charger every night if needs be.
And the sleep apps for the AW are crap anyway.
pistonheadforum said:
Is it worth the change - are there things it can do that I've missed from the specs or is it probably stuff I wont use? Is there a killer feature that I don't know I don't know about?
For me - Yes.I bought an series 3 Apple Watch last summer just to see what it was like.
All the general stuff it could do was quite handy - messages, reminders, emails, maps, etc. but would have probably been more useful had I been in an office, checking my watch rather than pulling out a phone.
Similarly other things were handy, such as the Hive app, or setting timers without pulling a phone, but not 'killer' features.
Tracking gym sessions and exercise were also quite handy, although the 'badges' it awards to motivate seem a bit childish.
Charging - not an issue. It is normally still has 40-60% at the end of the day, and just take it off and put it on the charger on the bedside table.
The sleep app is a bit 'meh' and I can't really see the point.
However the two 'killer features' for me were -
Apple Pay on the watch. Two clicks on the button and wave your wrist near the terminal to pay. Marvellous.
Being able to listen to synced music and podcasts from the watch on AirPods at the gym so I could leave my phone behind. The Apple podcast app downloads the latest podcasts and syncs them to the watch automatically so fresh episodes every time with no action needed from me.
I was so impressed with it that a couple of months ago I sold it and bought a series 5 cellular version when they were being remaindered when the series 6 came out. Part of the reason was they were heavily discounting the stainless steel versions which are more hardwearing, but also for the cellular capability.
The latter I haven't been able to test yet as I am just in the process of changing from Three who don't support the e-sims needed for the watch to O2 who do (along with EE and Vodafone), as I can foresee that it will be even more helpful to be able to stream Spotify from the watch to my AirPods when in the gym or out running/cycling than listening to downloaded music/podcasts. Taking or making phone calls or sending or receiving messages without the phone, might also be helpful on the odd occasion.
Edited by PF62 on Monday 22 March 18:56
okenemem said:
charging everyday is a headache
Really? Going to bed you put your phone on the charger and the Watch in the charger, it’s not difficult. Admittedly my old Fenix 5 lasted for a week or 2 but I’d still put it on my bedside table overnight so not really any different from putting an Apple Watch on its charger each night.OH has am amazfit pace. It was £65, GPS tracking, heart rate, some good fitness tracking features, Bluetooth MP3, messages etc. Battery lasts a few days.
Its quite a decent bit of kit, looks decent enough of the wrist, and a half way house from what you have to an apple watch (Or 90% of the features for 10% of the cost...). But we're not tied into the apple ecosphere.
Its quite a decent bit of kit, looks decent enough of the wrist, and a half way house from what you have to an apple watch (Or 90% of the features for 10% of the cost...). But we're not tied into the apple ecosphere.
I bought the original first one; rubbish.
So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
ReformedPistonhead said:
I bought the original first one; rubbish.
So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
That's odd, I had the original and never had an issue with it other than charging it.So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
But like you I'm not sure I'd get another, my solar g shock is far more reliable battery wise.
Zoon said:
ReformedPistonhead said:
I bought the original first one; rubbish.
So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
That's odd, I had the original and never had an issue with it other than charging it.So I bought the newest bestest one 5 months ago. Not much better. It congratulates me on a great nights sleep when I was up from 1-3am unable to sleep walking around. You still have to shake it to wake up up, the lifted wrist detection is terrible.
It’s clunky to use and I often have to hard re-boot it.
Would not buy another.
But like you I'm not sure I'd get another, my solar g shock is far more reliable battery wise.
The wife had a AW3 Cellular and its now also on an AW6 Cellular and between us we have had zero issues.
I used to use my AW0 for swimming when it wasn't waterproof with zero issues.
Raise to wake I dont like so its turned off but the Mrs uses hers flawlessly, I just tap the screen and it comes alive easily.
Never had to hard reboot any of our Apple Watches, ever.
Ive flitted between other fitness and wrist based approaches like Fitbits, MiiBand, Chronos Smart Disc, etc. and have always come back the AW as its so simple and works seamlessly (which for me is the killer feature - there are no extra apps, no extra hoops to jump through, just set it up, put it on the wrist and go ... and charge it obvs(!))
My AW6 lasts roughly 2days when I turn our security camera notifications off, otherwise with them on it reduces it to about 1.5days.
Mt 3rd gen is in a drawer, because I find the battery life too short for the usefulness to outweigh the hassle of charging it. When charged, I find it really useful, especially for dictating reminders, controlling music, and checking texts without having to find my phone. So when they make one with decent (36 hours) battery life I'll be back on board.
lizardbrain said:
Mt 3rd gen is in a drawer, because I find the battery life too short for the usefulness to outweigh the hassle of charging it. When charged, I find it really useful, especially for dictating reminders, controlling music, and checking texts without having to find my phone. So when they make one with decent (36 hours) battery life I'll be back on board.
My battery will last 36 hours, that is the main improvement I see. I charge it every other morning for 25 minutes and that’s fine for the next 36 hours.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff