Apple Watch Ultra 3 Boasts Best Ever Battery Life

[Alan Wynn]

I didn't find your onslaught of questions a challenge, i found it lazy. Garmin has numerous models which support phone calls and text messages, whether directly through the watch via its microphone and speaker or via phone.

Really? By supporting phone calls, you mean acting as a Bluetooth speakerphone to a phone? I was not asking about its ability to be a speaker phone, I was asking about its ability to make calls without carrying a phone at all. Garmin currently has one announced cellular capable device, and it does not support standard voice calls. It can be used to send text messages to people without Garmin messenger, but the messages will come from random Garmin numbers and not from ones own number.

A number of functions are hamstringed by apple though specifically on iphones due to their heavy restrictions of third party devices, i.e. responding to text messages is on some garmin models best done via voice commands as a workaround.

Again, it does not matter why they cannot do it, it matters that they cannot do it.

I don't follow your second sentence, many garmins have incident detection.

No, only one can do this standalone, while almost every Apple Watch offer cellular as an option. I often do not carry my phone with me when I run/jog/walk. That is only soft of possible with one announced (but not yet shipping) Garmin device (the Fenix 8 Pro). I am not looking for a Bluetooth speakerphone attachment, I am looking to be able to use my watch as a standalone device.

Garmin has an extensive third party app and widget library, I don't know every single option that exists but you’re free to search for the specifics.

I did search and there are no apps that support HomeKit. There are also no apps that support Apple Music, although since they have only one announced cellular capable watch it is not a surprise that they do not support streaming music.

Garmin does offer the same functions and more, I stand by this and if there is some minute feature that it doesn't have I don't view that as invalidating

Being able to act as a standalone device and not just as an adjunct is not a “minute feature” it is a major one. So is being able to open my home and office doors. Garmin Pay does not support the largest Credit Union (not to mention most of the smaller ones) in the U.S., nor several of the largest banks. All of which are supported by Apple Pay. It does not have apps from any of the big three U.S. airlines. I could go on, but that is the point. These things make my Apple Watch a complete device for me (and many others). I do not need to carry my iPhone with me everywhere, nor would I need to take it out my pocket were I carrying it to open access any of these functions.

I'm speaking to functionality of a smart watch, not every single thing that's possible

The point of the discussion is that many of the functions Apple users want in a smart watch are just not available from Garmin products.

if that's your angle Garmin still wins there in a comparison of what watch can do more.

No, my “angle” is the things that many Apple users and I want to do just are not available with any product from Garmin.

i can tell you with certainty there are more functions that Garmin has which apple watches do not have than vice versa.

First as I said above, it is not about a raw list of “functions”, it is about the value of those functions to most users. As an example, Garmin supports more sports types that my Apple Watch, but there are of interest to a very small number of users, while many Apple users want to be able to pay with their credit card or open their door.

I imagine apple music app not being on garmin being a limitation set by Apple, it's not available on android watches either.

There is no reason for an Apple Music app as there is no ability to stream standalone to their watches (it is possible that Fenix 8 Pro might support data streaming to Connect IQ apps, but it is not yet clear).

Apple supports Apple music on many android devices and even competitive smart speakers. I would guess there is no wearOS Apple music app is due to the low penetration of those products.

You can however control apple music playing on your phone via media controls with the watch.

You seem to focus on having your watch be an adjunct to you phone, many people want it to be a standalone device, not just a peripheral.

Garmin pay is actually not bad, its supported by a lengthy list of financial institutions.

What strong praise: “not bad”.

It is unsupported by the largest credit union in the U.S, as well as most of the smaller ones. It is not supported by American Express, Citibank, Capital One, Fidelity, Morgan Stanley and many of the other financial institutions many people including me use.

That is a restriction set by apple, you can make your complaints to apple.

I am perfectly happy with the situation as it is, as I am not a Garmin user. It does not matter why it is not supported, it is not supported. I could complain to Apple all I wanted, but it would not change the lack of the feature.

Also, i checked and you can control unifi on garmin if setup through home assistant

First, the UniFi HomeAssistant integration does not support NFC unlocking doors, nor would it work for my office where I do not control access to the UniFi system. It also does not work any of the university systems that support Apple Watch for ID and access control.

 

[alongdingdong]

I use my AW10 42mm in standalone mode via LTE every day for 9 hours per day, leaving my phone at home.

With cinema mode on (AOD off) and turning off some settings i easily get through 24 hours with daily sleep tracking 50% left.

BUT

When i listen to music in standalone for a hour when skateboarding, and doing some tracking at the gym or walking it sucks the battery dry to around 25% left at the end of the day. And obvious i turned off some settings to achieve that in the first place, so i crimpled my AW a bit in order to get more battery life out of it during the day.

Less then ideal for anyone who uses a AW standalone a lot.

So this is a nice upgrade, and could give me another 25%~ battery life during the day for emergency calls or other things i may want to do on the watch.

BUT having owned the UW 1 i dont want to go back because its too bulky and uncomfortable for me to wear, and this one seems to be even bigger and heavier, so no thank you.

I fancy my 42mm AW10 a lot.