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Apple's Kevin Lynch Explains Method Behind Apple Watch's Precise Timekeeping
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I was one of the biggest proponents of smartwatches (check my post history) and the Apple Watch in particular. I bought one in May and I'd say that I couldn't do without it. I'd use the fitness tracking features. Going out for a run? Make sure my Apple Watch knows! A long walk? Same. Double tapped the side button to use it for Apple Pay wherever I could.
Then after several months, the newness wore off (and so did the incentive to use it at any possible opportunity) and I realized I was barely using any of the features.
OS 2 didn't really do much for me. I can't remember the last time I used any app or even Apple Pay with the watch. It essentially became just a digital watch, one which I'd frequently forget to charge (it lasts almost two days for me so I don't charge it every night) and so I'd have to press the button and wait a few seconds just to see the time.
And now over the past month I've barely worn it. And to be honest I don't really feel like I'm missing out on much. I talked it up to some distant family while wearing it over Christmas, but I guess I didn't really wanna say "yeah it's pretty unimportant to my life and I barely use it". I have a conflict of interest in that I'm heavily invested in AAPL, and with the drop from 130 to 105 lately I'm starting to worry. I'll hold for now but I fear I may regret it. I think I got too caught up in the new technology and the hype.
I guess smartwatches and wearables are the future. I just don't know if we're close right now, or if the Watch is heading in the right direction. It tries to do so much but it doesn't really do any of it that well. I used Apple Pay with my phone today, it wasn't really any slower.
Feel free to change my view guys.
Then after several months, the newness wore off (and so did the incentive to use it at any possible opportunity) and I realized I was barely using any of the features.
OS 2 didn't really do much for me. I can't remember the last time I used any app or even Apple Pay with the watch. It essentially became just a digital watch, one which I'd frequently forget to charge (it lasts almost two days for me so I don't charge it every night) and so I'd have to press the button and wait a few seconds just to see the time.
And now over the past month I've barely worn it. And to be honest I don't really feel like I'm missing out on much. I talked it up to some distant family while wearing it over Christmas, but I guess I didn't really wanna say "yeah it's pretty unimportant to my life and I barely use it". I have a conflict of interest in that I'm heavily invested in AAPL, and with the drop from 130 to 105 lately I'm starting to worry. I'll hold for now but I fear I may regret it. I think I got too caught up in the new technology and the hype.
I guess smartwatches and wearables are the future. I just don't know if we're close right now, or if the Watch is heading in the right direction. It tries to do so much but it doesn't really do any of it that well. I used Apple Pay with my phone today, it wasn't really any slower.
Feel free to change my view guys.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
You clearly don't work in IT.
Everyone's computer checks NTP EVERY NOW AND THEN.
Windows is especially famous for only syncing on key dates, if not you have to make it check now.
OS X checks daily, not constantly. My Mac has sped itself up. I open system preferences and it resets, to match my watch which is always on the spot.
It's definitely not smarter. Be proud of your GPS watch, but it can't do more. While you're convinced the aWatch isn't more special than a computer sync (it is), your only remaining argument is that it needs the phone to sync.
Yes, and who doesn't have their phone next to it when it charges?
You're just looking for something to argue.
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It isn't ugly—it's lacking in character. It has one design that has to appeal to as many people as possible, and in doing so it is simply plain and inoffensive. Apple doesn't make ten versions of the same product; that's one advantage that Pebble et al have.
That's nice, yet it takes 7 or 8 seconds for the fitness app to load. Perhaps App speed should have been more of a focus then this ridiculous stuff. Talk about having priorities screwed up.
Lovely feature, but I am more curious how many people bought their Apple watch as a super accurate watch (I am sure someone will not quote me that the watch is the NUMBER ONE FEATURE they use and that I am wrong lol). I am willing to bet that most people that wear watches are happy to just set their watch manually (most assuredly not within 50ms of the world standard) and carry on with their lives.
Thanks to Apple for again bringing not so well known tech concepts to the knowledge of the general public. Their efforts at communicating with their customers is one of the things that sets them apart. I personally found this information interesting.
Yes. In theory, they are accurate. In practice, I was frequently forced to fumble through obscure UIs to adjust time. Same goes for every change in time zones.
The old days... I won't miss them.
Right here :
Plus, that's plainly wrong. If what they say is true, then :
- The military server is Stratum 0
- Apple's NTP server are Stratum 1
- iPhones are Stratum 2 and sync the time to the watch (which thus is a bit off since bluetooth connection).
My Casio G Shock stays within a second a month and only cost $50. Runs years on a single charge! I don't think folks buy the Apple Watch for the timekeeping accuracy. What a silly article....
Probably everyone's - mine is nowhere near empty when I go to bed (often after midnight) and I'm up at 6:00am every day: I've got 67% left at the moment and it's 21:50 where I am
At a bare minimum, a watch or clock should keep accurate time. The WWVH-radio clocks and watches are within 200 milliseconds of Universal Time every day. However, my watch won't need a battery for at least five years. Fix the problem with the battery I might consider an Apple Watch.
Confused about the crystal that is inside the Watch for timekeeping. If it's calibrated based on GPS and bluetooth from the phone, what's the point for the crystal?
So for you, using the Apple Watch was like people joining Weight Watchers on the first of the year: Uplifting for a short time and then quickly forgotten.
Fair enough . I love mechanical watches and my iPhone tells me the exact time when I need to adjust em
What other inference could be made? The lead article stated:
That makes it sound as if iPhones and Apple Watches kept time at "Stratum One" accuracy, which means they would be just microseconds (not milliseconds) from the true time held by a Stratum Zero device. Pretty much impossible.
Perhaps some of the mistakes are typos on MacRumor's part? Perhaps they actually meant to say that iPhones are within milliseconds of the Stratum One time, which itself is within microseconds of Stratum Zero.
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This is a big deal. I changed my Casio's time like twice in 5 years... it was such a pain in the ass...
Meh, it's nothing special... My nearly 10 year old Casio Waveceptor (my everyday watch before the Apple Watch), just sits around and keeps accurate time (it auto adjusts too).
Time is identical vs Apple Watch.
![accurate.jpg]( "accurate.jpg")
Time is identical vs Apple Watch.
Ever try to fit a rectangular peg in a round hole? Yep, the hole has to have a greater diameter than the diagonal dimension of the rectangle. So, to display a rectangular photo or document, either the image/text is smaller to fit within the dimensions of a round watch of reasonably sane diameter, or the round watch face needs to be ridiculously large.
If "simulation of analog watch" is the top priority, then by all means, let's have a circle. If using the display for apps, text, and images is a priority, then gimme a rectangle any day. I choose the latter. If you'd prefer the former, there are companies making just what you want, too.
And for a pure flight of rationalization...
The round analog watch face evokes the round gears and coiled mainspring within. The circular arrangement of the dial markings is highly effective when you have indicator needles rotating from a central point - perfect form-follows-function. Even so, I have my grandfather's rectangular, wind-up, Hamilton wrist watch - a classic!
On the other hand, digital displays are rectilinear, x-y coordinate grids, Digital timing signals are square waves... A rectangular case is both more efficient and more closely evokes the digital environment, the chips within, etc.
Great explanation, thanks. What would cause an NTP server to slightly lose track of time?