Posted on 04/20/2015 3:22:57 PM PDT by Swordmaker
he Apple Watch is, first and foremost, an iPhone accessory. It might be even more than that eventually, a truly independent gadget, but a vast majority of its current core functions -- making calls, sending messages, getting information, even playing any third-party games -- require your iPhone to be on, have Internet service, and be paired with the Watch via Bluetooth or a shared Wi-Fi network. If you're thinking about getting one, make sure you know that. It requires an iPhone 5 or later, and it can't even be set up without one.
Still, the Apple Watch can do a few things without your iPhone around -- more than I even realized. I left my iPhone behind and went for a stroll with just the Apple Watch to try it out.
Here's everything the Apple Watch can do when away from your iPhone:
Music
The Apple Watch has 6.2GB of available storage, of which 2GB can be used to store music. You sync music with Apple Watch via your iPhone and the Apple Watch app, no Mac or iTunes required (but, the music must be on your phone in the Music app, or in iTunes in the Cloud). Once your music is synced, you're free to listen as long you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones. I paired a few sets easily via the Apple Watch's Bluetooth settings: the ones I tested in the video above were the Plantronics BackBeat Fit, a highly-rated comfy pair of fitness-targeted wraparound wireless sport earbuds. In the Apple Watch Music app, you need to Force Press and select "Source" as Apple Watch. Once that awkward step is done, music plays just like on an iPod.
Fitness
Apple has two built-in fitness apps called Activity and Workout, and both work away from the iPhone. You can measure heart rate, too. Activity tracks steps, time spent standing, and active exercise. Workout allows timed exercise sessions that measure pace, distance, heart rate, and calorie burn estimates for various activities. The only thing you can't do away from your iPhone is track your walk or run with GPS: that requires your iPhone. Third-party fitness apps can't be used away from your iPhone, either. In fact, all third-party apps -- those not created by Apple -- need an iPhone connection to work.
Apple Pay
Once you set up a credit card for Apple Pay to work on Apple Watch, it keeps working even when your iPhone is not attached. Double-click the flat side button, and you can tap to pay at any Apple Pay-ready store. It's easy to use and addictive. If the watch is taken off your wrist, you'll need to enter a passcode to use it again. Because Apple Pay doesn't use your actual credit card number, you can cancel it from your iPhone and deactivate your Apple Watch's Apple Pay function, even if the watch isn't online at all.
Passbook
You can store boarding passes, tickets and gift cards in Passbook in the form of QR codes, and it's a great alternative to Apple Pay for a lot of stores and services. It's easy to open your cards and tickets, and QR codes even get brighter when you display them, for easy scanning.
Photos
There's a small photo album app on the Apple Watch that stores up to 500 photos from your phone library or iCloud. It's hard to see pics on the small screen, but it's a cute replacement for the itty-bitty wallet photo.
Alarms, timers, world clock, stopwatch...and watch faces
Apple has several timer and clock apps apart from the stylized watch faces, which also work when your iPhone is disconnected and offline. You can use Apple Watch like a full-featured chronograph and watch, or as an alarm clock. And of course, you can use Apple's own beautiful watch faces, too, which will still tell time.
Reading messages, recent calls and even offline voice mails
You can't make phone calls away from your phone, but you can see who's called recently, and read already-sent texts. Shockingly, you can even listen to voice mails! The Apple Watch syncs visual voice mail, and most of them will play back on my watch even with Airplane mode turned on. You won't be able to receive new messages without connecting your phone again, but at least you can browse missed connections.
That's it for now
Hopefully, someday, the Apple Watch will use its Wi-Fi antenna to get data on its own, or to pair with other devices like the Apple TV and Macs (it already has an Apple TV remote mode, but it's somewhat simple in its range of function).
In the meantime, you can experiment with the key features outlined above.
That it!! The rose gold with rose grey strap. Soooo beautiful. The gold with the red strap ain’t to shabby either. :))
I read that Bruce Jenner is going to buy an Apple watch as a gift to himself for his courage in getting that sex change operation. It takes real courage to put your d*** up on the chopping block. What better gift!!
I am thinking of buying an Apple watch to evaluate it for a day or two. When I find out how lame useless it is I am going to buy a top of the line Casio. Then I will stomp that Apple watch to bits and post the video here. Then I will mail back the pieces to Tim Kook for a refund. Or get a refund from Bruce Jenner.
That’s all I want.
Then you need a Casio Waveceptor.
Sets itself automatically via WWVB (US government time signal station). Charges its battery via the photocell embedded in its face (no battery changing or winding needed).
However, it doesn't detect timezone changes — you have to change the timezone offset manually. If you want to automate that function as well, then the Apple Watch is a good choice. Or you could go with Seiko Astron, which uses GPS instead of WWVB, thus automatically knowing your location and, hence, your timezone, as well as the exact time.
Of course, if you already have an Apple phone, then the Apple Watch is the logical choice, since, in addition to telling time, it acts as UI extension of your phone.
That’s all I want.
Then you need a Casio Waveceptor.
Sets itself automatically via WWVB (US government time signal station). Charges its battery via the photocell embedded in its face (no battery changing or winding needed).
However, it doesn't detect timezone changes — you have to change the timezone offset manually. If you want to automate that function as well, then the Apple Watch is a good choice. Or you could go with Seiko Astron, which uses GPS instead of WWVB, thus automatically knowing your location and, hence, your timezone, as well as the exact time.
Of course, if you already have an Apple phone, then the Apple Watch is the logical choice, since, in addition to telling time, it acts as UI extension of your phone.
Some years back, the popular line was “I have yet to hear what’s so special about the Apple iPhone, except that Apple has sold a lot of them.”
I am genuinely open to minded about those reasons. Apple has a reputation of putting some functionality in different products that other Apple products don’t have in order to not cannibalize each product line by allowing consumers to “have it all” in one product (some products have better screens, others have power, yet others have USB ports, but none have all features that customers want). I am therefore expecting the watch to have something that the iphone doesn’t have. I have yet to hear of one even though I would expect that working out with an apple watch is easier than with an Iphone. If someone can make a major purchase for that small a period of time (even though a cheap tiny mp3 player could do the same), then by all means the watch would make sense.
The Watch’s advantage: size. Untethered, it’s a 1” iPod Touch. Leveraging a nearby iPhone, it’s an iPhone Nano.
My own increasing complaint about the iPhone is _size_. It’s too big, and getting bigger. The 4 was fine. The 5 is a bit bigger than I want. Needing an upgrade, there’s the even bigger 6. The 6+ is so big I won’t even consider it. They’re getting large enough that my pocket, prone to carrying other things, is too small.
Strap an iPhone Nano to my wrist, though, and it should resolve the hassles of the growing “phablet” format. My iPhone, whatever the size, will still be nearby (and here’s hoping it will pair with the iPad soon enough; if I’m going to haul anything around as a “base” I’d rather it be the tablet).
Don’t underestimate the hassle of “digging the phone out of my pocket”. Flick of a wrist, get to do most/all of my “quick check” actions (time, phone, weather, location, etc). The Watch handles those “quick check” actions very well ... and, as not everything need be cellular-connected always, the Watch will do much of its basic actions without the iPhone around all the time.
For those of us buried deep in the Apple ecosystem, it makes sense.
(I just wish those for whom it doesn’t make sense, starting with not having an iPhone, would quit acting like they’re being compelled to get a Watch anyway under threat of imprisonment.)
I can think of three potential serious uses without even trying hard:
Home automation: not an issue for me. I arm the alarm when I leave using my key fob (can use an app on the phone if I prefer, but the key fob is easier). Turning on the pool lights or spa jets can be done easily with the phone.
If I want to turn on/off the light in a room, I have conveniently mounted electrical switches on the walls I can easily flip with little effort. Wall switches are so easy to use my wife can do them without any instruction, so can the maid or house-sitter or anyone. Besides... the extra exercise in getting up to flip a switch is good for me... being too sedentary isn't good.
Apple Pay: whipping out a credit card is real easy... probably much easier than firing up some app on a phone or a little watch. I can also leave the card on the bill to be dealt with while I go hit the john in preparation for leaving the restaurant. Splitting the tab with friends is easy too.. we both plop our cards down and it's dealt with by the waiter.
Don't get me wrong... I have always been a friend of cool gadgets and technology. But we seem to have reached a point where stuff like this is really a matter of "solutions in search of a problem". None of this stuff is "needed" by anyone, and it's really a stretch to even suggest that any of it is even useful or time-saving.
Writing, reading. How big is the screen? About the size of the small ipod?
So, my question again... can you dictate or is there a keypad that can be used >while it is not tethered<?
And how clumsy is the UI while you are trying to use the apps?
It’s a watch. Screen is about 1”. Don’t expect a dense complex UI ... but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to use. You likely won’t be reading/writing long emails, but certainly can read the heading and decide whether pulling out the phone is worthwhile, or deciding that a quick voice/dictated response is appropriate. I had no problem reading it. Your vision may vary.
UI is not clumsy. Might take a little getting used to (touch, swipe, force-touch, crown spin, crown button, other button), but so did the iPhone. Untethered, probably just have mostly audio recording.
It is what it is, and isn’t everything else too.
It's like these Apple Haters have an obsession with gays. Maybe we can book them on Dr. Phil, I'm sure he can straighten them out. LOL
The trolling on Apple threads is getting out of hand again. If you take a look at the Microsoft threads, they are night and day. it took 6 posts for the insults to start on this one. My troll filter is filling quickly.
Here's an actual topical question for the thread. (imagine that!)
Let' say you have an iWatch. You answer the call. If you find it's a conversation you need to extend can you pull out your iPhone, and have the watch hand the call off to it? I would imagine it would, as the call actually seems to be processed on the phone and is forwarded to the watch via bluetooth.
Lying again, DennisW. You read nothing of the kind, and you'll do nothing like that. LIES! DennisW, Freerepublic's resident Baron Munchausen.
I saw another big one this morning on the news. . .
Wearing a health tracking device to help you know your exercise levels will get you a discount on your health and life insurance policies. One company is so convinced of the benefits they are providing a cheap tracking band for their policy holders.
Simple answer. Yes.
So Apple is hawking a downgraded Dick Tracy watch. I can see you speaking into your wrist like some kind of loon and the guy standing next to you yells out— “What’s the frequency Kenneth?”
Like I predicted. Asians are the biggest suckers for this bogus Apple watch. Gays are going to boycott it. They don’t need the headaches
Cool. That would be useful.
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