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.
Agreed. Disturbing and, given the overt anti-Christian actions of the Apple-polishing managment, disgusting.
Then why bother to reply?
When there are 700 Apple list members on Free Republic ... that’s called catering to the list ... :-) ...
This is going to be such a great device. I wish I had three hands so I could wear three of them.
sorry, i'm not going to support their agenda to normalize homosexuality by using the 'g' word
homo, homosexual, queer, and fag are the options. which do you prefer?
“I can’t for the life of me think of a reason to start wearing something like this.”
Ok, so don’t.
Some of us do, and see it as cost effective. Let us without heaping insults on us.
Do you see the list of names on the address line on the ping on this thread? Although they don't show all of them, there are over SEVEN HUNDRED of your fellow Freepers who are members of an interest group on FreeRepublic who have asked me to do this. That is why I do this. . . no billing necessary.
Check out DayGloRed's Microsoft/Windows interest group ping list, or the other interest groups on FreeRepublic. I maintain two others at this time including the Shroud of Turin interest group and the Electric Universe interest group. Neither of them is as active as the Apple/Mac/iOS interest group. . . but I don't post all of the article for any of them. I just ping the groups to the articles.
FreeRepublic offers many types of articles and interests for its members. If you don't like a topic, skip over it and move on to something that does interest you and leave the members who are interested in peace to read what they ARE interested in reading and commenting on. It is not your place to decide what Jim and John Robinson permits on their website. Find something that suits your tastes and enjoy the diversity of thought and subject matter Jim offers on FR.
the android is not locked to a company.
t-mobile sells them w/ a plan for only $50/mon.
call it what ya want . your over the top pushing a product.
I haven’t seen any ads ... but ... news articles on Apple products, services, business and software ... all of which the 700 FReepers who are signed up on the list want to see.
Being an Apple customer means you want to see what’s happening with the product, with the software, with the services and with the business ... all aspects of what Apple customers want to see.
It’s the same thing Microsoft users want to see, which is why they post their news articles ... :-) ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;q=quick;s=Microsoft
Why should I go with Android, which I consider to be an inferior system, when I’ve been using the iOS on Apple products, and have been very pleased?
No more than Microsoft ... :-) ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;q=quick;s=Microsoft
I’m not the one consistently and aggressively expressing an unhealthy obsession with homosexuality here.
“Stumbled”? Title is pretty clear. And so what if some people are excited?
If you have the moolah, look at the Apple Watch Edition in 18K rose gold with a light grayish pink leather strap. . .
Apple Watch Edition in 18K Rose God only $17,000
Or perhaps this one:
Apple Watch Edition 18K Yellow gold Bright Red Leather Strap same price
look I’m Linux user don’t have a dog in the fight.
but I see the difference of the post. your both pimps for apple. Sorry.
Sodomite
Because I’ve learned to, in due time, stand up to bullies and other disruptive types.
I write iOS apps and have a professional interest in the Watch. Learning about its capabilities helps me better society.
Why are you here?
You can get a samsung android on tracfone for a years service and 1200 minute, plus rolling over any prior minutes, for about 80 dollars.
It was cheaper for me to get the new phone plus service than just buying the service card itself.
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