Apple Watch

WhatMeRunning

First off, let me preface this by saying I was never the biggest fan of Apple. While I naturally appreciate the innovations they have helped to spur, I always thought they were way overpriced considering what "slave drivers" they had been. They were legendary for that.

I have been an Android devotee since it was first announced. Started developing apps on them before the first devices came out using the API and plugins for some IDE's.

I suspect this will be a revolutionary device, and unless the initial reviews are that they simply failed, or it doesn't work right, that sort of thing, I am pretty sure I will get one. This means I will need to get an iPhone too, of course, but I'm due for a phone upgrade anyway.

This thing will do what every other health monitor does. plus a whole lot more. Apple is making some big inroads into a lot of interesting territory with their new HealthKit and HomeKit API's. This watch will, in my opinion, bridge taht gap to bring technology to the person, and detach them from having to carry something around with them, like a phone, laptop, whatever for a lot of daily conveniences.

I think it is their game to lose. The only way I see this not being revolutionary is if they blew it and the product is a dud.

glenmchale

i think this highlights my biggest issue with the whole iCult business

arijaycomet

I've just posted on my blog about the Apple Watch as compared to other fitness/activity trackers on the market, check it out here:
http://arijaycomet.com/2014/09/09/preview-apple-watch-versus-fitbit-flex-versus-jawbone-up-versus-misfit-shine-versus-garmin-vivofit-versus-striiv-touch-versus-withings-pulse-versus-lg-lifeband-touch-versus-polar-loop/

Bottom line for the TL;DR crowd:
The Apple Watch is going to be a GREAT smart watch device, but it isn't meant to compete with the sub-$149 devices like the Misfit, the Fitbit, the Jawbone, etc. This will instead compete against the likes of the LG, Samsung, and Moto 360 type devices. Still, it should prove to be an AWESOME option for those who can afford $350+ for a device like this.

mantium999

My take is this:

1. Generally wrist based (non-chest strap) HRMs are notorious in their lack of accuracy.
2. If I am not mistaken, the Apple watch must be tethered to your iphone for GPS tracking and such.

So, if I have to have my phone with me anyway, and my phone does everything and more than the watch, and the watch is likely to suck as a proper HRM, I am not gaining anything by getting the watch.

Conclusion, taking a proper HRM and my phone on my runs is cheaper, more accurate, and just as convenient as having to carry my phone and wear a watch.

Pass.

cwrig

Seems pretty useless to me. It has to be paired with an iphone to be useful at all. If you are running/working out with your iphone strapped to you then the iphone can track everything for you. How is the watch helping?

A watch would be helpful if it wasn't dependent on being linked to a phone. And there are such things; Garmin sells the more popular ones. Much better choice for fitness tracking than this apple watch.

If you are looking for an expensive gadget that is a pretty unattractive watch that has to be linked to a phone to be useful, then go for the apple watch. If you want to track fitness with a small device that doesnt require a phone, is waterproof, look at the garmin gps/fitness watches.

JoMFrasca

Now that the Apple Watch has been officially unveiled and orders will start next month, I would like to know whether MFP plans to integrate the Apple watch data with MFP. My Fitbit Charge HR currently syncs and integrates with MFP. I would like to be able to do the same with the Apple watch data such as the active calorie estimate derived from the hear rate monitor but there appears to be no information available as to whether and how this might be possible.

As it stands now the Healthkit IOS App is not an option since it only syncs dietary calories and does not sync active calories. You would think MFP would be interested in this as many many people will be buying the Apple Watch and I suspect many of them also use MFP. The utter lack of information on this is disappointing.

Does anyone have any insight on this?

rainbowbow

I'll take the $17,000.00 version. thanks.

kristinegift

I don't really see the point of a smart watch right now, but especially for using the Apple Watch as a fitness device; you have to run with it and your phone for the GPS to work properly (and iPhones are not great at accurate GPS-ing anyway...) so that's a huge no-no for me. I bought my Garmin specifically to AVOID running with my phone day-to-day because it was too cumbersome to take on runs (though I take it on long runs for safety reasons).

Edit: If Apple wants me to buy more of their stuff, they should make an iPhone "mini." I want a phone I stick in my running short's pocket, and all the models past the iPhone 4 definitely won't fit. I don't need to have a tablet-phone, thanks.

athena61

I'm waiting for actual user reviews for the heart rate feature. Reviews of other HR monitors worn at the wrist, no chest strap, have not been stellar. Otherwise, the high end models are beautiful.

jflaur71

Polar has some good options out for Watches/Activity Trackers at several price points depending on what level you need. I got a Polar v800 for Xmas.....Tracks: Activity, Training(Sport Specific), Sleep, Swimming, Cycling....connects with strap HRM and other sensors as well. Polar's App now syncs with MFP!!!!

I believe they are working on connectivity for phone calls/ text messages displayed on watch....if thats important to you

Mr_Knight

The rule of thumb for new Apple products is to wait for 2.0 - whatever model they release in 2016 will likely be a killer product and do things none of us have thought of yet.

EquineSunshine

jason_adams wrote: »

But is it on the market already? Before I bought my fitbit last week, I did lots of research and I couldn't find any device that tracks steps, sleep etc AND monitors heart rate. All the forums on here seem to say this also, which is why many people have two devices. Maybe I'm missing something....

@AglaeaC - well, yeah!

Galaxy Gear Fit does all these things.

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/wearables/gear/SM-R3500ZKABTU

All reviews I read were that the Galaxy Gear stuff just didn't deliver much. Although I'm not sure if I read about one that had a HR monitor & movement tracker. Overall the opinion I got for reviews and a few folks I spoke to that had them was "meh".
So if Apple can deliver one that actually delivers a good and meaningful experience, then they'll deserve the praise. Otherwise, they'll deliver a different"meh" product.

That is actually the point to me. I have never known Apple to deliver a "meh" product. They may or may not have the very first on the market of a particular technology, but they d*** sure get it right when they do make it. Think about the difference between the "first smartphone" (Blackberry) vs Apple's first iPhone. Is there any comparison? I have a feeling the Apple Watch will make the Galaxy Gear stuff look like a Blackberry.

About a year ago, I lost my Garmin HRM/GPS and was looking to replace it. I made the mistake of buying the LG version of the "fitbit" type wristbands. Hated it. Took it back. You couldn't even turn off the step counter thing and because I had paired it with Runkeeper right out of the box, it was logging all my steps in little increments throughout the day to RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal. Like I said, I took it back and started looking for something else.

For years, I had been using my phone to track my runs, cycling, etc. The only time I broke one of my iPhone screens (and I've had one since about 9 months after the first one came out) was when it fell out of the case I had strapped to my bike handlebars and I ran over it. I was constantly struggling on my runs to hold my phone and the dog leash. (I have an energetic dog). Whether it has to be paired with a phone or not, I would LOVE to have my HR on my wrist along with speed and distance. I totally don't mind having to keep my phone in my pocket or on an arm band if I could just have both hands free for the dog or bike and be able to check HR/speed/distance on my wrist. Bonus if it also controls my music!

So back to shopping for my dream fitness device last summer. I'm not going to switch phones so Android devices are not on my menu. I enjoyed the Garmin HRM/GPS but it was big/uncomfortable/ugly and had to use the chest strap which is also uncomfortable, plus it would be, guess what...$350 to buy another and all it would do was HRM and GPS...oh and time/date. Meh. Also, Garmin didn't play nice with the treadmills and ellipticals at my gym to display my heart rate.

At this point in my quest (last summer) I heard a rumor that Apple was going to come out with a watch/fitness device. Okay now we're talking. Apple will do it right. I didn't know how long it would be before it was available, but I knew they would deliver my dream device. So I bought a Polar FT80 and Bluetooth chest strap to get by until Apple got it done. The chest strap talks to the cardio equipment at the gym (and my iPhone) and the watch gives me time and HR on my wrist, but it doesn't have GPS, still uses an uncomfortable chest strap and doesn't have any of the functions the Apple Watch will have with messaging, phone, and all the other apps that will be available. Guess how much it cost to get the Polar HRM and chest strap! Yup. $300. Can it receive phone calls? No. Can I text on it? No. Does it tell me the temperature/weather? No. Does it map my run/bike ride on GPS? No. Does it use an accelerometer to determine how much I move during the day? No, but I don't care about that. Does it control my music? No. Can I check email on it? No. Can I buy stuff with it? No. Does it show when my next calendar item is? No. Can I use it to show my airline boarding pass when I go through security or to open the door to my hotel room or to remotely open the garage door or reset the thermostat at my house? No and I probably don't need that but it's still cool. Does my Polar FT80 look cool? Yeah it kinda does, but I can't change the look depending on whether I'm working out at the gym or going to dinner at a nice restaurant. Does it automatically reset the time when Daylight Savings starts and stops? NO! I have to actually set it! (just did that yesterday). So anyone who says the starting price point on the Apple Watch is unreasonable hasn't shopped for HRM's and/or GPS enabled watches. The stuff I mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg. Developers haven't even gotten started working their magic. So does the Galaxy Gear Fit REALLY do everything the Apple Watch will do?

Now the upper end (Edition) at $10K-$17K yeah, that's crazy! They've left the realm of functionality and are trying to create a status symbol like a Rolex or Tag Heuer by putting a gold case on it. Seems to me its like taking a Honda Accord and making it look like a Ferrari and expecting to sell it for a Ferrari price. There will probably be some Beyonce and Kardashian types that will buy it because they can, and maybe that's all Apple wants, but it seems silly to me. I would have liked the Rose Gold case, but would never consider paying even a tenth of what they're asking, especially for the first generation so I'll have a silver one instead of rose gold. I know it would be smarter to wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation of a new tech product, but I'll have one pre-ordered by April 12th or so.

The only thing that will ruin the Apple Watch IMO is if the HRM doesn't work well without a chest strap. I agree that up until this point, no HRM has worked well without a chest strap. But I have faith in Apple that it will work...or at least they will make it right with updates...but I really think it's going to work from the start. They are marketing it not just as an extension of the iPhone, but as a fitness device, so I really have to believe that they've got that part figured out. I never would have thought the accelerometer would work as well as it does for games and all the various applications that use it but it does so I think they can do the same with the HRM.

Now the reason I came on this forum was to see what MyFitnessPal's plans were for integrating with Apple Watch. So? Will my dream fitness app work and play with my dream fitness device? Lets hear it MFP!

EquineSunshine

Hehe, when I started writing that LOOOOONG post, the most recent post on this thread was September 11. While I was writing/editing JoMFrasca came on and asked the question I'd come here to ask originally and woke up the thread.

kristinegift, I agree I would prefer a mini phone over the enormous ones they are making now. I bet it will just take a couple generations for them to get the watch untethered from the phone, unless their relationships with AT&T, Sprint, etc. prohibit it.

Jflaur71 thanks for the heads up that the Polar app syncs with MFP. I've been wishing it did but hadn't checked in a while.

athena61 and Mr_Knight, y'all are smarter than me, but I'm just too impatient.

PAV8888

Since no one else has bothered mentioning it, also suppposedly shipping (and with better hrm reviews than android watches to date) is the Microsoft Band.

Of course when I tried ordering one a month ago.... I ended up with the Fitbit charge hr that was ACTUALLY available, in a store, for the asking (assisted by a gentle credit card swipe)

Oh well. There is always version 2 or 3 ; - )

sunburntgalaxy

My bf has the Microsoft band and other than the looks, which I actually prefer to the apple watch, it does most of what the apple watch will and it works with all varieties of smartphone, while the apple will only work with the iphone. Unfortunately it is still to big and clunky for my wrist so I am sticking to my fitbit flex because it does everything I need and I can cut up the bands and make them look like actual jewelry without making it unusable (which is why I am not upgrading to any of the new fitbits either).

Packerjohn

fwhittaker wrote: »

So.... I can't believe no one's replied to my earlier post about this. Anyone drooling over it like me? Seems so much easier than using something like a fitbit AND a heart rate monitor.

What do you all think?

If it's like the iPhone it will be broke in a week with normal use. How often do you bang your wrist on something?

MeanderingMammal

fwhittaker wrote: »

But is it on the market already?

All of the other market players have had something in the market for some time, and all of them last longer than three hours in use. None of them are dependent on carrying a phone for GPS tracking.

Essentially it's limited functionality compared to the competition, and it has p!ss poor energy performance.

KarenJanine

d0mcat wrote: »

I'll be getting one for sure. Hope they make the UK price right and don't change the dollar sign for a pound one!

I'm afraid they pretty much did - the Apply Watch Sport is on pre-order through Apple Store for £299 or £339, and this is the 'budget' end of the range.

Apple Watch is available in three collections at various prices:

Apple Watch Sport is priced at £299 inc VAT and £339 inc VAT, depending on the face size.
Apple Watch is available from £479 inc VAT to £949 inc VAT.
Apple Watch Edition, in 18-karat gold alloys, starts at £8,000 inc VAT.

In the US those prices are as follows:

Apple Watch 38mm $549 to $1049, Apple Watch 42mm $599 to $1099
Apple Watch Sport $349 to $399
Apple Watch Edition will cost from $10,000

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/apple/apple-watch-iwatch-release-date-uk-price-specs-features-launch-date-3425479/

EquineSunshine

KarenJanine wrote: »

d0mcat wrote: »

I'll be getting one for sure. Hope they make the UK price right and don't change the dollar sign for a pound one!

I'm afraid they pretty much did - the Apply Watch Sport is on pre-order through Apple Store for £299 or £339, and this is the 'budget' end of the range.

Apple Watch is available in three collections at various prices:

Apple Watch Sport is priced at £299 inc VAT and £339 inc VAT, depending on the face size.
Apple Watch is available from £479 inc VAT to £949 inc VAT.
Apple Watch Edition, in 18-karat gold alloys, starts at £8,000 inc VAT.

In the US those prices are as follows:

Apple Watch 38mm $549 to $1049, Apple Watch 42mm $599 to $1099
Apple Watch Sport $349 to $399
Apple Watch Edition will cost from $10,000

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/apple/apple-watch-iwatch-release-date-uk-price-specs-features-launch-date-3425479/

You said "I'm afraid they pretty much did" but actually no they didn't just change the dollar sign for a pound one. If they had, it would be starting at £349 for the Sport, £549 for the Watch, etc. which would be a much higher price with the exchange rate. Also you said that is including VAT? The USD price is not including taxes, so I'm no expert in exchange rates, but it seems like at least as good a deal for people in the UK.

MeanderingMammal

EquineSunshine wrote: »

but it seems like at least as good a deal for people in the UK.

If one thinks that being ripped off by Apple is a good deal...

Mr_Knight

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

fwhittaker wrote: »

But is it on the market already?

All of the other market players have had something in the market for some time, and all of them last longer than three hours in use. None of them are dependent on carrying a phone for GPS tracking.

The best-reviewed of the non-Apple bunch has been the LG watch - it has no GPS (ie, tethers to a phone) and is bigger and heavier with a worse screen and less functionality than the Apple product.

I don't think any of them are particularly compelling at this point...will revisit next year.

MeanderingMammal

Mr_Knight wrote: »

The best-reviewed of the non-Apple bunch has been the LG watch - it has no GPS (ie, tethers to a phone) and is bigger and heavier with a worse screen and less functionality than the Apple product.

I don't think any of them are particularly compelling at this point...will revisit next year.

I was thinking more about the specific health related functionality, Suunto, Polar, Garmin all have superior devices out there.

dgarrett1976

It's interesting to see all of the pre-release posts slamming the Apple watch with mostly inaccurate assumptions. The Apple watch is an excellent device and as a HRM it tracks HR spot on to the Polar HRM chest strap and a mobile EKG monitor in the Cardiac Rehab Fitness Center. It could actually do a lot more but Apple chose not to try and clear the medical device hurdles the goobermints throw down. Battery life has not been a issue either, always at 30% or better at the end of the day and I use it for a daily hour long work out. Like I said interesting to see all the "experts" before a product even hits release.

cdcruizer05

not interested...android has much better options

csimmonsmfp

Well, as someone who actually owns an Apple Watch (42mm Black Sport model), I can say that's it absolutely blows every other similar device out of the water, especially when it comes to fitness tracking. I've tried the 3 best reviewed Android-based devices (Moto 360, Galaxy Gear and the LG device), and there simply is no comparison. The HRM is quite accurate, IF you wear it tight enough on your wrist. It is just as accurate as the MIO HRM watch, which is a dedicated device. For a device that does more than just heart rate monitoring, that's pretty impressive. The battery life is surprisingly good, given the amount of detail put into the user interface (fluidity of menus, speed, etc.) The myfitnesspal Watch app is, unfortunately, kind of useless at this point; I'm very much looking forward to future versions. The built-in Workout and Activity apps are very good and the info that it feeds to the Health app is also synched with the MFP iPhone app. Some quirks yet, but I'm hoping they'll be worked out soon.

I've never understood the notion of "Apple Hate"; they make great products that last a lot longer than most of their competitors. If you own an iPhone and / or aren't an Apple Hater, you should definitely check out the Apple Watch for fitness.

TAsunder

The Workout app is not "Very good." It lacks very rudimentary features such as statistics, maps, split times, etc. And they have locked out apps from accessing the HRM so it effectively is not a useful device for runners or cyclists who do any sort of heart rate training. I'm guessing it will eventually be a good app, but I have actually opted not to buy the device despite being pretty excited about it because the workout app is so anemic.