Apple Watch 4 - all day use

[circatee]

Back in September 2018 I placed my Apple Watch 4, in a drawer, along with my iPhone XS Max.

Yesterday, for the first time since September 2018, I used my watch all day. During the day I realised a few things:

- I picked up my iPhone XS Max less than usual
- I also responded less to certain notifications
- not having my iPhone on me/in my pocket was welcomed around the house (while I worked on chores and such)

These are merely the few things that spring to mind. A quick reminder for me, how much I’ve actually missed wearing/using my Apple Watch 4. Along with the fact that to me, it is a worthy ‘accessory’.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I remember returning my S0 watch a few days after I got it thinking I had made a mistake and it would not be worth the price. It was about 4 months I bought it again and have never looked back.

 

[Tapiture]

Between my watch and my iPad, I find myself rarely using the iPhone. My series 4 doesn’t even have a cellular plan, but it still replaces the phone in a lot of situations

 

[oeagleo]

I love the Apple Watch S4, but there is one thing that I sincerely wish would come about, and that's one central place where there is a steps graph, heart rate graph, activities listing, along with HR info, etc, in one online website, like with the Garmin. I really like having everything in one place, rather than in 5 or 6 separate apps.

 

[PaladinGuy]

I love the Apple Watch S4, but there is one thing that I sincerely wish would come about, and that's one central place where there is a steps graph, heart rate graph, activities listing, along with HR info, etc, in one online website, like with the Garmin. I really like having everything in one place, rather than in 5 or 6 separate apps.

Totally agree. It’s a bit annoying having to use multiple apps for these things. I’d probably even be willing to pay a company like Garmin a monthly subscription to allow me to use my Apple Watch with their platform.

This is probably the only thing I really miss about my Garmins.

 

[oeagleo]

Totally agree. It’s a bit annoying having to use multiple apps for these things. I’d probably even be willing to pay a company like Garmin a monthly subscription to allow me to use my Apple Watch with their platform.

This is probably the only thing I really miss about my Garmins.

I still use Garmin Connect, as I do wear the Fenix for various things, depending on mood. There is an app, (RunGap) that charges something like $1.99 a quarter to port almost any activity app to any other. I use it to keep track of my activities on GC, and also Movescount (Suunto) as they offer different metrics for this data hound. It would really be nice to be able to port steps/HR/sleep, etc to Garmin Connect though.

 

[44267547]

Between my watch and my iPad, I find myself rarely using the iPhone. My series 4 doesn’t even have a cellular plan, but it still replaces the phone in a lot of situations

I’m sort of the opposite, I would rather have the LTE ‘functionality’, simply because I don’t always have my iPhone in range with me, and of course my iPhone is large enough where it’s cumbersome, where I would rather leave it stationary somewhere.

The problem with LTE many are facing, is that it’s not ‘price point Friendly’ with the carriers charging $10 plus tax a month, and that to me, cost prohibitive when you consider consumer monthly carrier bills are expensive as it is. I mentioned it before in a main page article, but I would really like to see Apple corroborate with carriers and implement a plan together that would be more feasible to allow the LTE functionality more attractive.

 

[circatee]

Hmm, curious, is there not a health section on the iPhone, that would give you that information?

I love the Apple Watch S4, but there is one thing that I sincerely wish would come about, and that's one central place where there is a steps graph, heart rate graph, activities listing, along with HR info, etc, in one online website, like with the Garmin. I really like having everything in one place, rather than in 5 or 6 separate apps.

 

[oeagleo]

Hmm, curious, is there not a health section on the iPhone, that would give you that information?

Health tries, but it's not granular. Heartbeat, steps, calories are all in "ranges" for the hour. To look at the metrics for an activity, you need the activity app. Sleep, needs a sleep app, I'm using SleepWatch, for an actual HR graph, you need something like Heart analyzer, and still can't get recovery time, or training effect. Both are important to determine if you're actually improving your health, or simply making the ring go round.

Not to mention that if you go for a bike ride, you can't get cadence, or speed from sensors, the AW/Phone won't pair with these, nor a power meter for the bike.

And, finally, if you're on an elliptical, rowing machine, stationary bike, or other stationary type apparatus that generates a "miles traveled", you can't edit the Apple Health/Activity app to indicate the length of the activity, only the time spent, and calories. It is useful for me, to see the exertion, time, mileage, and training effect from one day to the next to actually see if I'm improving, or coasting.

 

[Tapiture]

I’m sort of the opposite, I would rather have the LTE ‘functionality’, simply because I don’t always have my iPhone in range with me, and of course my iPhone is large enough where it’s cumbersome, where I would rather leave it stationary somewhere.

The problem with LTE many are facing, is that it’s not ‘price point Friendly’ with the carriers charging $10 plus tax a month, and that to me, cost prohibitive when you consider consumer monthly carrier bills are expensive as it is. I mentioned it before in a main page article, but I would really like to see Apple corroborate with carriers and implement a plan together that would be more feasible to allow the LTE functionality more attractive.

Definitely sympathize with the second paragraph. I actually have a stainless model so I was forced to get it equipped with cellular, but I still haven’t activated it. It costs 30 for the “activation fee” bull crap, then around 12 per month which really adds up, 144 per year. Can buy a new watch with the added up fees from a few years pretty quickly.

 

[PaladinGuy]

Health tries, but it's not granular. Heartbeat, steps, calories are all in "ranges" for the hour. To look at the metrics for an activity, you need the activity app. Sleep, needs a sleep app, I'm using SleepWatch, for an actual HR graph, you need something like Heart analyzer, and still can't get recovery time, or training effect. Both are important to determine if you're actually improving your health, or simply making the ring go round.

Not to mention that if you go for a bike ride, you can't get cadence, or speed from sensors, the AW/Phone won't pair with these, nor a power meter for the bike.

And, finally, if you're on an elliptical, rowing machine, stationary bike, or other stationary type apparatus that generates a "miles traveled", you can't edit the Apple Health/Activity app to indicate the length of the activity, only the time spent, and calories. It is useful for me, to see the exertion, time, mileage, and training effect from one day to the next to actually see if I'm improving, or coasting.

I also don’t really understand why Apple can’t provide recovery data and training effect, since they already license the V02 Max data from FirstBeat. If I recall correctly, Garmin gets their algorithms for recovery and training load from FirstBeat, along with V02 Max.

I guess maybe Apple doesn’t want to pay for the extra feature from them?

 

[oeagleo]

I also don’t really understand why Apple can’t provide recovery data and training effect, since they already license the V02 Max data from FirstBeat. If I recall correctly, Garmin gets their algorithms for recovery and training load from FirstBeat, along with V02 Max.

I guess maybe Apple doesn’t want to pay for the extra feature from them?

Yes, Garmin does get their algorithms from Firstbeat, they "proudly display" that information somewhere deep in their listings. I didn't know that Apple got the VO2Max from Firstbeat, but back when I was using "Firstbeat Athlete" software, I do seem to recall that they licensed separate parts of their technology, and it wouldn't surprise me that the inclusion of recovery/training effect would cost Apple quite a bit more money per unit to satisfy a relatively small portion of their target audience. I wonder just how many Apple Watch/Health users would actually use that data...

 

[MisterSavage]

I definitely agree. For me being able to glance at my wrist and in two seconds be able to tell it's something unimportant that can wait until later instead of getting out my iPhone is wonderful.

 

[bluespark]

The problem with LTE many are facing, is that it’s not ‘price point Friendly’ with the carriers charging $10 plus tax a month, and that to me, cost prohibitive when you consider consumer monthly carrier bills are expensive as it is. I mentioned it before in a main page article, but I would really like to see Apple corroborate with carriers and implement a plan together that would be more feasible to allow the LTE functionality more attractive.

Strongly agree. At $5/month, I'd do it. And I'd be a great deal for phone providers as my data usage via the watch would be minimal. But as is, they've frozen me out of the market.

 

[PaladinGuy]

Yes, Garmin does get their algorithms from Firstbeat, they "proudly display" that information somewhere deep in their listings. I didn't know that Apple got the VO2Max from Firstbeat, but back when I was using "Firstbeat Athlete" software, I do seem to recall that they licensed separate parts of their technology, and it wouldn't surprise me that the inclusion of recovery/training effect would cost Apple quite a bit more money per unit to satisfy a relatively small portion of their target audience. I wonder just how many Apple Watch/Health users would actually use that data...

What confuses me is why they provide V02 max and HRV readings, but they don’t do anything with it. It’s sort of pointless.

 

[circatee]

Now I’m wondering how I have gone so long with my watch in a drawer.

Ugh...

 

[Starfia]

By now, I consider the Watch one of my main devices, especially someone who travels mostly on foot and tries to walk every day – it's the only one I always have with me.

 

[PatrickNSF]

I love the Apple Watch S4, but there is one thing that I sincerely wish would come about, and that's one central place where there is a steps graph, heart rate graph, activities listing, along with HR info, etc, in one online website, like with the Garmin. I really like having everything in one place, rather than in 5 or 6 separate apps.

This is the closest I've found to replicating what I've been compiling in Garmin Connect. But I still prefer the Garmin site.
https://gyrosco.pe

 

[xDKP]

Now I’m wondering how I have gone so long with my watch in a drawer.

Ugh...

Wait... So you purchased a S4 in September and left it straight in a drawer?

I have had a couple of days on my holiday lately and now on work, where my mechanical watches have had some wrist time for first time in years... Have missed them quite a lot, even though I miss the weather and a couple of other features

 

[circatee]

Yes

Wait... So you purchased a S4 in September and left it straight in a drawer?

I have had a couple of days on my holiday lately and now on work, where my mechanical watches have had some wrist time for first time in years... Have missed them quite a lot, even though I miss the weather and a couple of other features

 

[oeagleo]

This is the closest I've found to replicating what I've been compiling in Garmin Connect. But I still prefer the Garmin site.
https://gyrosco.pe

Yes, I've used Gyroscope, but the main deterrent for me is the $10 a month subscription to get the real data. Plus, on several occasions, it got several of the data groups all wrong. That may be my bad, as I tend to vacillate between the Apple Watch, and my Fenix 5+, and confusing the app. Finally, Gyroscope wants to keep location services on all the time, and for me, that's a real battery killer.

 

[xDKP]

Yes

Why?

 

[circatee]

To confirm, the watch was not purchased in September. I merely placed it in a drawer, in September.

Why?

Because I was using a Samsung S9+...

Why?

 

[PatrickNSF]

Yes, I've used Gyroscope, but the main deterrent for me is the $10 a month subscription to get the real data. Plus, on several occasions, it got several of the data groups all wrong. That may be my bad, as I tend to vacillate between the Apple Watch, and my Fenix 5+, and confusing the app. Finally, Gyroscope wants to keep location services on all the time, and for me, that's a real battery killer.

I paid $49/year for the Pro version during a promotion after Thanksgiving last year, so I was willing to take the leap. That being said, I like it but don't love it...and I doubt I'll renew it.

I also to vacillate between the AW and a Fenix 5+, but I tend to only wear the F5+ for workouts. And I take my AW along for those. Although the F5+ is mediocre as a smartwatch, I sometimes consider dumping the AW specifically so that I can have all of my data in Garmin Connect.

 

[oeagleo]

I paid $49/year for the Pro version during a promotion after Thanksgiving last year, so I was willing to take the leap. That being said, I like it but don't love it...and I doubt I'll renew it.

I also to vacillate between the AW and a Fenix 5+, but I tend to only wear the F5+ for workouts. And I take my AW along for those. Although the F5+ is mediocre as a smartwatch, I sometimes consider dumping the AW specifically so that I can have all of my data in Garmin Connect.

Well, clutch my pearls! Another with the same dilemma as I! LOL Yes, I keep asking myself "Which one am I going to sell?", but never can come to part with either. I get a monthly challenge for the AW, and the OCD kicks in, and I HAVE to complete that, but then, I look at the Garmin, and I'm a couple hundred "intensity minutes" from completing that for the week...... sooooo..... *sigh*