Do you really need your iPhone all the time?

[houssein31]

They said that you need an iPhone to use the watch, but do you need it at all times??? Could I go for a run using my watch and keep my phone at home??

I really hope so because I hate running with a phone

 

[iBug2]

They said that you need an iPhone to use the watch, but do you need it at all times??? Could I go for a run using my watch and keep my phone at home??

I really hope so because I hate running with a phone

You can, but it won't track your running distance, just your heart rate.

 

[Yr Blues]

They said that you need an iPhone to use the watch, but do you need it at all times??? Could I go for a run using my watch and keep my phone at home??

I really hope so because I hate running with a phone

I wonder how many functions will be lost if you just took your Watch for a run.

 

[Velin]

I wonder how many functions will be lost if you just took your Watch for a run.

Most.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

It will be interesting how they spin this. In their videos there isn't an iPhone to be found! They are showing all of these people working out and running 10 miles with no mention or sighting of an iPhone. Hmm

 

[Monique1]

It will be interesting how they spin this. In their videos there isn't an iPhone to be found! They are showing all of these people working out and running 10 miles with no mention or sighting of an iPhone. Hmm

My observations as well. And honestly, had I not known the watch fed off the iPhone before the event I'd have never guessed that this "accessory" actually needed one.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

Do you really need your iPhone all the time?

My observations as well. And honestly, had I not known the watch fed off the iPhone before the event I'd have never guessed that this "accessory" actually needed one.

So after looking at the apple site in a little more detail I found something. Under the features section of the apple watch page it says two things that have me excited.

1 is that it says you can play your music from you watch when you leave your iPhone at home and go for a run!

It also says in a different section that your phones wifi and gps is needed for activity that step tracking won't measure. Such as cycling.

So from what it sounds like we will be able to put some music on the watch, leave your iPhone at home or in a gym locker then go for a workout or run. Based on the steps the watch tracks I believe it will then calculate distance and keep time. It will use that stuff in combination with heart rate to measure calorie burn. Awesome.

I couldn't find the one referencing cycling. (Found it)

 

[samiznaetekto]

Maybe some built-in apps can run in standalone mode, but no love for 3rd party apps:

"Apple Watch must be paired with the user’s iPhone for your app to run."

https://developer.apple.com/library...y.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014992-CH4-SW1

 

[nebo1ss]

So after looking at the apple site in a little more detail I found something. Under the features section of the apple watch page it says two things that have me excited.

1 is that it says you can play your music from you watch when you leave your iPhone at home and go for a run!

It also says in a different section that your phones wifi and gps is needed for activity that step tracking won't measure. Such as cycling.

So from what it sounds like we will be able to put some music on the watch, leave your iPhone at home or in a gym locker then go for a workout or run. Based on the steps the watch tracks I believe it will then calculate distance and keep time. It will use that stuff in combination with heart rate to measure calorie burn. Awesome.

I couldn't find the one referencing cycling. (Found it)


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If they put GPS in the watch the battery will last for an hour. Have you tried using GPS on the phone for any type of sporting activity. I am unable to do a three hour cycle ride on a single charge on the phone with GPS running and always take a backup battery pack.

 

[bransoj]

If they put GPS in the watch the battery will last for an hour. Have you tried using GPS on the phone for any type of sporting activity. I am unable to do a three hour cycle ride on a single charge on the phone with GPS running and always take a backup battery pack.

I managed a 15 mile walk on one charge tracking with RunKeeper which took just over 5hrs and 20mins.

 

[nebo1ss]

I managed a 15 mile walk on one charge tracking with RunKeeper which took just over 5hrs and 20mins.

I cannot imagine how you manage that. I use Runtastic PRO and ride every weekend. I do not make any changes to my phone like switching off 4G. After 2.5 hours the alert to recharge battery comes on and I plug in my external 5,200 mAh charger.

 

[bransoj]

I cannot imagine how you manage that. I use Runtastic PRO and ride every weekend. I do not make any changes to my phone like switching off 4G. After 2.5 hours the alert to recharge battery comes on and I plug in my external 5,200 mAh charger.

Was back on my 3GS but all i did was turn off Wifi as recommended by Runkeeper for better tracking i suspect and probably didnt really use it for anything else as we were doing it. Fairly sure i finished with about 3% or 4% battery.

Raises questions about how the different apps handle the GPS tracking? I regularly track walks of about 4/5/6 miles when out with the dog and from 100% will return home with 70%/75%.

 

[Julien]

Maybe some built-in apps can run in standalone mode, but no love for 3rd party apps:

"Apple Watch must be paired with the user’s iPhone for your app to run."

https://developer.apple.com/library...y.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014992-CH4-SW1

This is actually a very smart long term strategy designed to insure a satisfying customer experience. Apple wants to be sure battery life meets expectations. 3ed party apps could significantly shorten battery life if allowed on the aWatch. Apple needs a few months to study how and what these apps do and how they effect the aWatch. Apple can then fine tune the next SKD before allowing full 3ed party app installs on the aWatch.

 

[Rogifan]

This is actually a very smart long term strategy designed to insure a satisfying customer experience. Apple wants to be sure battery life meets expectations. 3ed party apps could significantly shorten battery life if allowed on the aWatch. Apple needs a few months to study how and what these apps do and how they effect the aWatch. Apple can then fine tune the next SKD before allowing full 3ed party app installs on the aWatch.

Yes, not surprising at all. I find it amusing that after the Watch launch some criticized it for even having an SDK and now with the SDK out others are criticizing it for not having native apps out of the gate.

 

[BvizioN]

You can, but it won't track your running distance, just your heart rate.

It will, but not the GPS location.

I would have the phone to listen to the music anyway. If I could store the music on the watch and use wireless bluetooth earpeace that would be cool.

 

[diamond.g]

Yes, not surprising at all. I find it amusing that after the Watch launch some criticized it for even having an SDK and now with the SDK out others are criticizing it for not having native apps out of the gate.

Was there any mention in the SDK of custom watch faces?

 

[jclardy]

You can, but it won't track your running distance, just your heart rate.

I'm pretty sure it will still count steps as well, along with being able to play (local) music to bluetooth headphones.

 

[Andropov]

The 6th Gen iPod Nano tracks running distance and pace without an iPhone. It's just not as accurate as using GPS, but I'm sure the Apple Watch will track distance, pace and heartbeat without an iPhone. And it can play local music too.

 

[Tanegashima]

They said that you need an iPhone to use the watch, but do you need it at all times??? Could I go for a run using my watch and keep my phone at home??

I really hope so because I hate running with a phone

Yes, you can pick your Apple Watch for a Run, and leave the iPhone behind.

Yes, it will track your run, with better resolution than a GPS, without it having a built-in GPS.

Apple Watch, just like the iPhone 5S onwards, will use inertial tracking. It will integrate accelerometer data to know where you are.

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If I could store the music on the watch and use wireless bluetooth earpeace that would be cool.

Yes, it will store the music you have on your playlist, and will keep playing after you lose connection to your phone.

Apple holds the patent for that.

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Most.

Do you own one?

 

[Julien]

Yes, you can pick your Apple Watch for a Run, and leave the iPhone behind.

Yes, it will track your run, with better resolution than a GPS, without it having a built-in GPS.

Apple Watch, just like the iPhone 5S onwards, will use inertial tracking. It will integrate accelerometer data to know where you are.

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Yes, it will store the music you have on your playlist, and will keep playing after you lose connection to your phone.

Apple holds the patent for that....

Accelerometer/pedometer tracking is highly inaccurate and is often+/- 30% off on distance accuracy. You can't get any map or location data either. It will NOT know where you are. You must have GPS to determine location info. Tracking WILL require you to have your iPhone paired to your aWatch on the run or bike ride.

For music you will be able to sync (copy) a small Playlist over to the aWatch. You would have to use this Playlist without the iPhone. You can't just be listening on your iPhone and and it "will keep playing after you lose connection to your phone". You would need to switch to the aWatch's music player and will also need BT-LE earphones.

 

[tagy]

Yes, you can pick your Apple Watch for a Run, and leave the iPhone behind.

Yes, it will track your run, with better resolution than a GPS, without it having a built-in GPS.

Apple Watch, just like the iPhone 5S onwards, will use inertial tracking. It will integrate accelerometer data to know where you are.

Approximate distance yes, but without GPS it will not know where you are/have been.

 

[cmChimera]

1. The Watch can store music locally.

2. Has anyone thought that your iPhone can track your Apple Watch even if you leave the phone at home. It seems like it would be relatively easy for them to leverage their ability to track devices like they do in "find my iPhone" to track the Watch, which would give runners a look at where they ran and how far.

 

[Julien]

....2. Has anyone thought that your iPhone can track your Apple Watch even if you leave the phone at home. It seems like it would be relatively easy for them to leverage their ability to track devices like they do in "find my iPhone" to track the Watch, which would give runners a look at where they ran and how far.

Tracking doesn't work by magic but requires radio communication. The aWatch only has a BT-LE and WiFi radios. BT and WiFi are high frequency/low power (short range). Find My iPhone requires cell radio to work which the aWatch doesn't have. The aWatch (just like an WiFi iPad) can only use Find My iPhone if connected to a location known WiFi.

 

[Tanegashima]

Approximate distance yes, but without GPS it will not know where you are/have been.

They can trace a path of where you exactly have been.

The add the starting/ending point, and you have a perfect trace.

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Accelerometer/pedometer tracking is highly inaccurate and is often+/- 30% off on distance accuracy.

BS... source?

You can't get any map or location data either.

Map/location data is done through the Internet, not GPS.

It will NOT know where you are. You must have GPS to determine location info.

Phone for that.

Tracking WILL require you to have your iPhone paired to your aWatch on the run or bike ride.

No.

For music you will be able to sync (copy) a small Playlist over to the aWatch. You would have to use this Playlist without the iPhone. You can't just be listening on your iPhone and and it "will keep playing after you lose connection to your phone". You would need to switch to the aWatch's music player and will also need BT-LE earphones.

Show me your Apple Watch... you see to already know everything about the Apple Watch, including contradicting what Apple says.

 

[tagy]

They can trace a path of where you exactly have been.

The add the starting/ending point, and you have a perfect trace.

Do you have a source confirming this? I have never seen any device that can trace your path using only accelerometers and gyros.

Due to the way an accelerometer works I don't see how this is possible, but willing to be proved wrong.