Help choosing Apple Watch - and are they any good?

[Phooey]

I'm thinking of one of getting one of these so have a few questions

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

I'm sure there'll be more question

Cheers

[esuuv]

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

There haven’t been huge leaps for the last few generations

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

You can sync music etc. to the watch and use it without your phone. you can stream on wifi too or on a data connection if you buy a cellular version.

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

Yes - there are different modes, do not disturb etc

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

Yes

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

They’re the best “general use” smartwatch going - IF you have an iPhone, wether or not that’s good is a matter of debate

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

There are some novel things you can do, remote viewfinder for your camera, unlock the car if it’s got the right apps etc - not sure there are too many killer apps

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

Yes - but the battery life isn’t stunning - less so with gps going - like 2 hours so no all day rides, you wanta garmin etc for that.

I'm sure there'll be more question

Cheers
[/quote]

Edited by esuuv on Saturday 12th February 19:05

[Phooey]

esuuv said:

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

There haven’t been huge leaps for the last few generations

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

You can sync music etc. to the watch and use it without your phone. you can stream on wifi too or on a data connection if you buy a cellular version.

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

Yes - there are different modes, do not disturb etc

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

Yes

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

They’re the best “general use” smartwatch going - IF you have an iPhone, wether or not that’s good is a matter of debate

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

There are some novel things you can do, remote viewfinder for your camera, unlock the car if it’s got the right apps etc - not sure there are too many killer apps

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

Yes - but the battery life isn’t stunning - less so with gps going - like 2 hours so no all day rides, you wanta garmin etc for that.

I'm sure there'll be more question

Cheers

Thanks esuuv

Good point re syncing music - the gym I believe has wifi, so would I simply sign in to the gym wifi on the watch? I don't want to buy the cellular version.

re music streaming service - would I get better functionality etc with Apple Music rather than Spotify?

Thanks again

[esuuv]

With the wifi - maybe, my gym wifi needs “authenticating” each time via my phone. Depends on the gym wifi setup i believe.

I’m sure there are advantages to apple music but i’ve never used it - you need spotify premium for sure.

[Phooey]

esuuv said:

With the wifi - maybe, my gym wifi needs “authenticating” each time via my phone. Depends on the gym wifi setup i believe.

I’m sure there are advantages to apple music but i’ve never used it - you need spotify premium for sure.

That’d be a pita if WiFi needs Authenticating each time - I like it nice and simple, no faffing. I need to check out Apple vs Spotify.

Thanks again

[sjg]

The larger model does much better on battery life. Have managed over 6 hours of outdoor bike GPS tracking.

Best all-round smartwatch IMO. Garmin and others offer a little more for fitness stuff but at the expense of other functions.

[Jenny Tailor]

Apple Fitness is brilliant.

The video content is updated regularly and the watch ties into the excercises brilliantly.

[AJB88]

From the ops post , you just sound like you need earphones and your phone? Apart from listening to music what else do you need it for.

[sutoka]

I had the Series 1 now have series 4 and relative has a series 7 and to be honest apart from the fitness tracking I don't find theres a massive difference between the 4 and 7.

Series 1 would be pretty laggy now making it unusable for anything other than a digital watch.

[Tin Hat]

esuuv said:

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

There haven’t been huge leaps for the last few generations

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

You can sync music etc. to the watch and use it without your phone. you can stream on wifi too or on a data connection if you buy a cellular version.

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

Yes - there are different modes, do not disturb etc

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

Yes

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

They’re the best “general use” smartwatch going - IF you have an iPhone, wether or not that’s good is a matter of debate

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

There are some novel things you can do, remote viewfinder for your camera, unlock the car if it’s got the right apps etc - not sure there are too many killer apps

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

Yes - but the battery life isn’t stunning - less so with gps going - like 2 hours so no all day rides, you wanta garmin etc for that.

I'm sure there'll be more question

Cheers

Edited by esuuv on Saturday 12th February 19:05

Thanks for this - I have just got one for my birthday and it’s great to now know what it does!

[Phooey]

sjg said:

The larger model does much better on battery life. Have managed over 6 hours of outdoor bike GPS tracking.

Best all-round smartwatch IMO. Garmin and others offer a little more for fitness stuff but at the expense of other functions.

Good to know, especially re the battery life! Thanks

Jenny Tailor said:

Apple Fitness is brilliant.

The video content is updated regularly and the watch ties into the excercises brilliantly.

I'm not interested in the (paid) Fitness service but good to know anyway, thanks

AJB88 said:

From the ops post , you just sound like you need earphones and your phone? Apart from listening to music what else do you need it for.

I just hate taking my phone in the gym, can't resist the urge to check emails etc so have a strict rule of leave it in the locker. Aside from the music I quite like the idea of the fitness monitors, plus I don't currently wear a watch so it'd have a permanent place on my wrist. I quite like the idea of one too

[frisbee]

I think you can load music from iTunes if you don't want to splash out for an Apple Music subscription.

I run while listening to music and have tried a few different headphones. The Apple Airpods stay in place brilliantly, cheap ones were crap as soon as I started moving and sweating.

[Cybertronian]

Phooey said:

I'm thinking of one of getting one of these so have a few questions

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

I'm sure there'll be more question

Cheers

1. The fitness functionality is identical between the Series 6 and the Series 7. The processor is also identical underneath - the only real difference is the larger display that reaches further into the bezels and corners. Look on the Apple refurb store for a Series 6, as you get the same warranty and ability to add Apple Care.

2. You have a couple of options: Apple Music, Spotify Premium, and syncing music in your iTunes library. Apple Music and Spotify Premium will allow you to stream and download to the watch. Syncing with your iTunes library is the belts and braces approach, however requires a bit of forward planning on your part.

Note also that streaming requires that your watch is either in range of your phone (may be impossible if it's in a locker), on the gym's Wi-Fi (I'm not 100% on whether the watch will auto connect after your phone has established a connection), or is a cellular version with a monthly connection. Personally, I do have the cellular version and pay O2 £5 a month to connect it - to me, it's worth it as I can go running and I have full connectivity whether I'm near or far from my phone.

3. Just disable notifications on all apps. You can have the watch mirror your phone notifications or customise what does and doesn't come through.

4. It is water resistant, yes. Heat isn't great for electronics or batteries, so I tend to just rinse it off in the sink with lukewarm water.

5. My wife and I got ours through a deal with Vitality, our life insurance. We both thought they were naff before actually using them, but neither of us would be without ours now.

6. Lots you can do. Apple Pay is handy as you don't actually need your phone to be nearby for it to work. Plenty of YouTube videos and articles online for all the things you can do.

7. Yes, you just initiate it as a workout before you set off and end it when you finish. It can connect to things like bluetooth heart rate monitors.

If you buy from Apple, you get 14 days to try and return if you decide it's not for you. Just don't damage the watch and they'll accept the return, marking it as "buyer's remorse" on their system.

Edited by Cybertronian on Sunday 13th February 09:37

[Phooey]

Cybertronian said:

1. The fitness functionality is identical between the Series 6 and the Series 7. The processor is also identical underneath - the only real difference is the larger display that reaches further into the bezels and corners. Look on the Apple refurb store for a Series 6, as you get the same warranty and ability to add Apple Care.

2. You have a couple of options: Apple Music, Spotify Premium, and syncing music in your iTunes library. Apple Music and Spotify Premium will allow you to stream and download to the watch. Syncing with your iTunes library is the belts and braces approach, however requires a bit of forward planning on your part.

Note also that streaming requires that your watch is either in range of your phone (may be impossible if it's in a locker), on the gym's Wi-Fi (I'm not 100% on whether the watch will auto connect after your phone has established a connection), or is a cellular version with a monthly connection. Personally, I do have the cellular version and pay O2 £5 a month to connect it - to me, it's worth it as I can go running and I have full connectivity whether I'm near or far from my phone.

3. Just disable notifications on all apps. You can have the watch mirror your phone notifications or customise what does and doesn't come through.

4. It is water resistant, yes. Heat isn't great for electronics or batteries, so I tend to just rinse it off in the sink with lukewarm water.

5. My wife and I got ours through a deal with Vitality, our life insurance. We both thought they were naff before actually using them, but neither of us would be without ours now.

6. Lots you can do. Apple Pay is handy as you don't actually need your phone to be nearby for it to work. Plenty of YouTube videos and articles online for all the things you can do.

7. Yes, you just initiate it as a workout before you set off and end it when you finish. It can connect to things like bluetooth heart rate monitors.

If you buy from Apple, you get 14 days to try and return if you decide it's not for you. Just don't damage the watch and they'll accept the return, marking it as "buyer's remorse" on their system.

Edited by Cybertronian on Sunday 13th February 09:37

Great reply - thank you

Looks like I need to think the bit about music streaming - it won't be in range of my iPhone so need to make sure it'll easily connect to the gym wifi. Good point about outside running though. Mmmmm

[Podie]

If you’re not really wanting to use the smartwatch functions, it sounds like a Garmin might be a better option?

Some models do music (Spotify, Deezer, etc).

[ToNyC1]

I have a Garmin Venu and it's great. I get 2 full days of use out of the battery, probably more if I tweaked some of the settings. Garmin connect is really good, will give you training plans and will show you the activity on the watch. If you are into running they do 10k- marathon training plans, I used it to train for Great North Run.

You can store Spotify play lists direct onto the watch, then connect with wireless headphones. Not sure how many tracks it will save.

They have just released the Venu 2 so prices will be quite a bit lower, can probably pick one up for less than £200!

[steveatesh]

Just a point on the battery life on outdoor cycle rides and walks - I have a 4 and have no problem being out 4 hours plus on cycle rides or walking with the GPS on, and I still have a lot left at the end of the ride.

Not sure where the 2 hours battery life came from unless the 7 series isn't as efficient?

I've never ran out of battery on the watch since getting it in fact.

[robsa]

Phooey said:

I'm thinking of one of getting one of these so have a few questions

1/ I'm buying it mainly for the gym in mind, so would the new 7 be best?

Depends what you use it for. The 6 introduced an O2 monitor, otherwise I think the SE pretty much does the same. The 7 has a slightly larger screen. I think the weatherproofing on the 6/7 is slightly better than other versions.

2/ Does it play music without my phone nearby? Basically I never take my phone into the gym nor use headphones, nor currently subscribe to a music streaming service, but the gym music is crap so I have no choice but to bring my own. Am I right in thinking with the 7 I can sign up to something like Apple Music or Spotify (I imagine Apple Music works best with the Apple Watch?) and simply sign into the watch with the music service then listen to it on headphones?

Yes. It has 32GB storage you can use to save playlists via Apple Music (probably Spotify too) and you can listen to headphones directly from your watch. I have AirPod Pros and when I go running I only use the watch to listen to music. It's excellent.

3/ I don't want to receive notifications, iMessages, or phone calls etc on the watch. Is there a way of setting it up whereas nobody can disturb you??

Yes, absolutely.

4/ Can you wear it in the shower?

Yes.

5/ Genuine question - are they good?

Well, I tried going back to my automatic for a while as a change and realised how dependent I had got on it. I really love mine, only pain is daily charging faff as I wear it during sleep to check for sleep apnea (eg low O2)

6/ Anything else I should know like any neat tricks you can do on them?

If you get the SIM version you can take calls on it, but really the music and all the data and GPS logging during exercise is just ace.If you have an iPhone it can unlock your phone whilst wearing a mask, you can pay for stuff with your watch, and if you have a MacBook you can unlock if you have a watch too

7 Does it record your milage on (outdoor) bike rides?

Yes, and local temp and route and calories burnt etc

Edited by robsa on Sunday 13th February 17:57

Edited by robsa on Sunday 13th February 17:59

[robsa]

steveatesh said:

Just a point on the battery life on outdoor cycle rides and walks - I have a 4 and have no problem being out 4 hours plus on cycle rides or walking with the GPS on, and I still have a lot left at the end of the ride.

Not sure where the 2 hours battery life came from unless the 7 series isn't as efficient?

I've never ran out of battery on the watch since getting it in fact.

Yeah that sounds like bks as I have used my 6 for all-day rides and it was fine.

[nordboy]

I have an Apple watch, it was great for syncing with the iphone, BUT, I got totally fed up with charging it every day/ night.

So after a bit of research, I didn't want to spend craploads on Garmin etc. I went for a Amazfit T-Rex Pro. For the money, it's so much better than my apple watch. Can do most of the same stuff, but the battery is currently at 28%, but it was last charged 17 days ago, so it has genuine 20+ days charge. Loads of gps etc would eat into that, but I think it's bloody brilliant bit of kit for the £119 I paid for it.

My Apple watch has been on it's charger ever since I bought the Amazfit.