AW Series 3 general impressions

[NYanakiev]

I’ve had my Series 3 LTE for a few days now and am currently in the process of evaluating its general usefulness.

As far as sports go:
1) GPS sampling is still not frequent enough with no option to fine tune it (same as with Series 2)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1203276218/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1506462437
2) No Stryd app/Stryd support, which is a huge omission
3) Music streaming works great- saw no Bluetooth earphones issues at all, unlike last year’s model
4) Running without my phone and still being connected was liberating
5) No way to customise the activity ring goals (save for calories burnt)- come on Apple?!
6) Few third party apps support LTE as of yet
7) No WhatsApp/Viber/Skype/Messenger LTE functionality
8) No barometric altimeter data anywhere (Apple buy a Garmin/Suunto watch for some inspiration)

The list goes on- I am really hoping that Apple gets it together or I’ll have to return this year’s watch as well :S

 

[havenyoung]

Half of the items in your list are due to the lack of 3rd party app support.

 

[NYanakiev]

I would have certainly expected for Apple to up their game by now and “buy” 3rd party support if they have to.

To me, being happy to continue with iterative updates and not improving enough a) smarwatch and b) fitness usefulness is just not being serious enough about the product truly succeeding.

The state of Strava on the Apple Watch is rather sorry.

 

[MH01]

How is the HR sensor ? My biggest gripe is the inaccuracy, and what I wanted most from my AW

 

[Aston441]

Impression: as the apps improve over the next three years, and as the battery life improves also, it will eventually replace my iPhone for most things.

Right now it still feels half baked, but I suspect it will be a polished product by the the sixth generation.

I'm keeping mine. It's still pretty useful even though it has a long ways to go.

 

[NYanakiev]

As a piece of advice from a competitive runner: never trust optical heart rate monitors (other than Scosche Rhythm+); It’s fine for all day HR tracking.

I like the new graph functionality/resting hr tracking.

 

[44267547]

How is the HR sensor ? My biggest gripe is the inaccuracy, and what I wanted most from my AW

There will always will be inaccuracy with a heart rate sensor unless you have one that's a chest strap. But I think the Apple Watch has improved with more consistent accurate readings.

 

[MH01]

There will always will be inaccuracy with a heart rate sensor unless you have one that's a chest strap. But I think the Apple Watch has improved with more consistent accurate readings.

I find a sensor in the strap to be far more accurate. I wish apple offered a strap with a HR

 

[NYanakiev]

I find a sensor in the strap to be far more accurate. I wish apple offered a strap with a HR

Just buy one...you can easily find hr straps at around 20-30 pounds. I own three at the moment lol

 

[MH01]

Just buy one...you can easily find hr straps at around 20-30 pounds. I own three at the moment lol

I was hoping for an Apple one build into the watch strap.

I can always get a Polar Strap, in which case I don't need the Apple Watch

 

[woozor1]

So no WhatsApp msgs come through on lte?

 

[NYanakiev]

I was hoping for an Apple one build into the watch strap.

I can always get a Polar Strap, in which case I don't need the Apple Watch

I’m sorry but that just doesn’t make sense...a) no one has ever done that b) that would equal Apple admitting the limitations of optical HR monitoring
[doublepost=1506508520][/doublepost]

So no WhatsApp msgs come through on lte?

Not yet but soon- hopefully!

 

[deeddawg]

I would have certainly expected for Apple to up their game by now and “buy” 3rd party support if they have to.

Why would they need to? They're pretty much selling the watches as fast as they can make them.

Sure, third party support for the features on a watch that's been out for three business days is pretty thin. *shrug* If third party support is important to someone it's usually best they not buy on release day, but instead delay their purchase 2-3 months to allow the aftermarket to catch up.

The state of Strava on the Apple Watch is rather sorry.

Probably best if you communicate that to Strava.
[doublepost=1506515375][/doublepost]

I was hoping for an Apple one build into the watch strap.

Even Apple is subject to the laws of physics.

Detecting the electromagnetic signals from the user's heart is pretty much going to always need the sensors to be placed on the skin of the chest. Tough to do that with a watch band.

Frankly it's pretty amazing that optical HR sensors are as good as they are when you consider they're measuring an indirect effect of an indirect effect of the wearer's heartrate.

 

[MH01]

Why would they need to? They're pretty much selling the watches as fast as they can make them.

Sure, third party support for the features on a watch that's been out for three business days is pretty thin. *shrug* If third party support is important to someone it's usually best they not buy on release day, but instead delay their purchase 2-3 months to allow the aftermarket to catch up.


Probably best if you communicate that to Strava.
[doublepost=1506515375][/doublepost]
Even Apple is subject to the laws of physics.

Detecting the electromagnetic signals from the user's heart is pretty much going to always need the sensors to be placed on the skin of the chest. Tough to do that with a watch band.

Frankly it's pretty amazing that optical HR sensors are as good as they are when you consider they're measuring an indirect effect of an indirect effect of the wearer's heartrate.

I had the Microsoft band, which measured from the bottom of the wrist, it was much more accurate, and it was not the greatest HR
[doublepost=1506516798][/doublepost]

I’m sorry but that just doesn’t make sense...a) no one has ever done that b) that would equal Apple admitting the limitations of optical HR monitoring

Its a fact, getting HR from the bottom of the wrist is more accurate. Apple have already admitted the HR sensor has limitation, they are not pretending is suited to everyone.

What it would be admitting is that apple went for form over function.