Apple Watch with no iPhone

[rw89]

Hi,

I'm hoping people on this forum will be able to shed some more light on this situation:

I currently have a way of getting a 'cheap' Apple Watch through a work perk - whereby if I am active and do a certain amount of exercise each month I won't have to pay off the full cost of the watch, making it an attractive proposition. I am very active and would love to use the watch as a running tracker, using the Nike Run Club app, which I already use.

However, my day to day phone is Android. I do have access to an iPhone, which would be able to run the watch app necessary to set up the Watch, but this will be left at home all the time and won't have a data plan. It could be connected to my home wi-fi.

Will it be simple enough to use the Apple Watch and Nike Run Club to track my runs, then sync it with this unused iphone when I get home, say every few days or so? Would this also be the case for the Apple health app?

How much of a hassle would it be to connect to, say, my girlfriend's iPhone and sync Nike Run Club on that phone? Would it then al be linked to her Apple account?

I understand that I won't be able to use a load of the functions of the watch without having an iphone, but really I just want it to use as a running/fitness tracker, as it still works out cheaper than buying an Android connectable watch such as a Garmin etc.

Thanks

 

[matrix07]

Yeah, it will work providing the Apple Watch you’ll get is not an original, Series 0, watch. Don’t pair to your GF iPhone. Pair to that iPhone you rarely use.

 

[Starfia]

The Watch becomes strongly coupled with the iPhone user's Apple ID and iCloud account when you pair it. So, what matrix07 said – use your own iPhone if you want to avoid that kind of entanglement.

Not having a data plan for your iPhone is no problem – I've never used one, and I switched from iPod touch to iPhone four years ago just to use the first Apple Watch. Once it's activated, there's no need to manually "sync every few days" – the iPhone and the Watch communicate automatically when they're connected to the same Wi-fi network to keep things like health data current with each other. Bigger things like system updates and syncing music, podcasts and photos to the Watch (if you choose to set that up in the iPhone's Watch app) happen when the Watch is on its charger.

 

[rw89]

Thanks guys that's helpful.

Another question: Will I be able to use the maps feature on a AW4 with GPS but not cellular? When I say 'use it', I mean see where I am and navigate to an entered point. Can you download certain maps (eg. a part of London) to access offline, like you can on Google maps?

Thanks

 

[CobraPA]

Something like WorkOutdoors app can save maps to the watch like that. Not sure about the Apple maps app, I believe it relies on data from the phone to navigate.

 

[matrix07]

Thanks guys that's helpful.

Another question: Will I be able to use the maps feature on a AW4 with GPS but not cellular? When I say 'use it', I mean see where I am and navigate to an entered point. Can you download certain maps (eg. a part of London) to access offline, like you can on Google maps?

Thanks

I think there are some 3rd party apps that will do that.

One tip is when you pair your watch to your iPhone bring your iPhone to the office for a couple of days to let the watch know your office WiFi so it can be online while you’re there.