39 lines
7.1 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
7.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Thoughts on the Apple Watch
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excerpt: My experience with the Series 3 Apple Watch, 11 months later.
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tags: ["apple watch", "apple"]
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---
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Since I started going to the gym regularly and kept watch on what foods I ate, I became more interested in monitoring my calories burned during workouts. Initially I thought I should get a Fitbit, but I wasn’t too fond of their lineup at the time. At the time of writing they also _still_ don’t sync to Apple or Android Health. When the Apple Watch was initially revealed I toyed with the idea of buying one, but had yet to come up with a compelling reason to buy it. Given my newfound interest in fitness and health, and that I had given the Watch a few months to bake - it seemed like now (June 2018) was good a time as ever to jump in. I decided one hot day that it was time for me to jump into the world of wearable tech.
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By this point in time the Series 3 was a few months old. They offered both the GPS and cellular models. Given that I always tend to keep my phone on me, I didn’t see any advantage in buying the cellular model. They also require an eSIM card to work, which is an additional charge for carriers here in Canada.
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The setup process is remarkably simple. After a brief initialization process, the Watch screen shows a sparkly cloud background. Your iPhone takes a picture of it, and the process is complete. I couldn’t believe how fast and easy it was to pair.
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One of the first things I noticed while using the Watch is the [Taptic Engine][] (what Apple obtusely calls their vibration technology). It’s subtle but still prominent enough to feel. It’s a small but appreciated detail... something I feel is often under-appreciated in today’s devices. If you’re not sure you can tell the difference - go back to an old iPhone (something before the iPhone 7) and _feel_ and _listen_ to the vibration. Compare it to the Apple Watch or a newer generation iPhone. It’s a night and day difference. The newest Taptic Engine makes almost no sound. It also does a serviceable job at making the Digital Crown (knob on the side) feel more tactile.
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[taptic engine]: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/watchos/user-interaction/haptic-feedback/ "A developer's guide for how to use Haptic Feedback on the Apple Watch"
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The wrist-tilt detection is generally pretty good, although sometimes it refuses to work. This happens seldomly, but enough to notice. I wish the screen were OLED so that it could be always on. I think it might also save on battery life too.
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The battery life has been great for me - I usually get about 2 days of consistent usage before needing a recharge. I think the expectation compared to other wearable tech might be longer (a Fitbit can go for a week before needing a recharge), but for my use case this is sufficient.
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The Watch will automatically detect when you start working out and is usually accurate. When doing a spirited walk, it will pick up on it within 10 minutes. For more intense workouts (elliptical and stationary biking in my case), it starts a workout within 3 minutes. All Workout app data is recorded to Apple Health so other apps can make use of the data. As an avid Pokémon GO player, this pairs well with the [Adventure Sync][] feature. What this means is that my distance travelled and calories burned are sent to Apple Health and Pokémon GO can pick up on that data. One complaint I have is that there is a limited variety of Workouts available. For example, there are no workouts for strength training.
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[adventure sync]: https://pokemongolive.com/post/adventure-sync "Niantic's explanation of the Pokémon GO Adventure Sync feature"
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Standing detection can be quite spotty sometimes. I’ll be standing completely upright and moving, and the Watch will refuse to acknowledge it. I’ve been sitting down sometimes when it triggers a “you stood up” alert. It has annoyed me enough times that I’m thinking of disabling the alerts entirely.
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I thought it would be great to have all of my phone notifications mirrored to my Watch - available at a moment’s notice, but it very quickly became overwhelming. I ended up disabling all notifications except for phone calls and reminders. I’ve personally grown tired of always giving my phone too much attention, and I found myself facing the same issue with the Watch.
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The interface is good enough for the odd time I’m forced to use it - dismissing notifications, starting workouts, setting alarms, etc. Anything beyond that though is a chore. The “circle grid” is an unpleasant mess. Thankfully, I later discovered that there is a [“list view” option][list-view] for the home screen which works much better. The Digital Crown is used for scrolling the current screen, but being so familiar with a touch screen I don’t see the use for it. Generally speaking, if there’s a way to avoid using the Watch’s interface then I will opt to do that. I’ve found most of the “Watch apps” are near useless. The ones I use the most are the Clock app (for timers), Workouts, Home (controlling lights), and Music (for controlling volume). Since I carry my phone with me all the time, why would I bother using a tiny, cramped interface when I have the full-featured app available right there?
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[list-view]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DVrPJXWV50&t=1m31s "7 Tips Every Apple Watch Owner SHOULD Know!"
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That said, I have found some unexpected uses from the Watch. Firstly, being able to control volume without using my phone turned out to be a handy shortcut. The Digital Crown can raise or lower the volume without the phone needing to be unlocked. I use the Home app as a Watch Complication which works most of the time, but sometimes it refuses to connect to my devices. Speaking of Complications - I wish there were more options available for the stock watch faces. I was hoping to use my Watch as a “super Notification Center” and have tons of information available at a glance. Instead, the most I can seem to get out of it is an icon, an unread count, or a single line of text.
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The [Scribble][] feature is one I see rarely mentioned and under-appreciated. It makes composing short text messages a breeze. You can write letters and short words using your finger. I’ve found it to be generally very accurate. It’s a rare occurrence for me to be without my phone, but it's served me well in a pinch.
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[scribble]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206907 "Details on the Scribble feature"
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Several months later I’m not using the Watch beyond a bunch of sensors. It does feel like I’m underutilizing the Watch, but at the end of the day I’m satisfied with what I get out of it. I wouldn’t recommend the Watch to everyone. The ideal use case is niche in my opinion. For the fitness enthusiasts I think there’s something to get here, but unless you value data being synced to Apple Health, a Fitbit might be a better option. For those who are already invested into the Apple ecosystem, an Apple Watch may perform better than a Fitbit. Unless you plan to really utilize the various health and fitness-related features of the Apple Watch, I don’t see the point in it. That said, I think it makes for a great piece of tech for the right use case.
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