Basic functionality questions I haven't quite figured out.

[gwynne]

I currently use my iPhone for two audio-based entertainment options, along with Bluetooth headphones:

1) Podcasts.

2) Text-to-speech playback of textfiles using an iOS app called Voice Dream.

In this setup, I have a certain amount of transport functionality on the LG Tone BT headset, although certain things still require fumbling with the phone.

I can't quite figure out the synergy between the phone and the watch for this sort of thing.

--Does the Watch handle its own podcasts, or is it simply acting as a transport-control mechanism for podcasts stored from and transmitting from the phone? (Or does it even do that much?)

--Ditto text-to-speech apps. I know the developers would need to make a Watch-specific version, but the voice files are pretty large. I guess this is not a function likely to become untethered from a phone?

--If I'm on the treadmill at the gym, and my phone is in a locker about 200 feet away, I can still ... receive phone calls, texts, play back ... what media? on the Watch?

Thanks. I've watched a lot of the media and read several of yesterday's reviews, I'm just still not clear on some of it.

EDIT: I just read the thread below, so I'll add into the mix that the gym has wifi, if that matters for question 3.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1863551/

 

[mprofit]

I currently use my iPhone for two audio-based entertainment options, along with Bluetooth headphones:

1) Podcasts.

2) Text-to-speech playback of textfiles using an iOS app called Voice Dream.

In this setup, I have a certain amount of transport functionality on the LG Tone BT headset, although certain things still require fumbling with the phone.

I can't quite figure out the synergy between the phone and the watch for this sort of thing.

--Does the Watch handle its own podcasts, or is it simply acting as a transport-control mechanism for podcasts stored from and transmitting from the phone? (Or does it even do that much?)

--Ditto text-to-speech apps. I know the developers would need to make a Watch-specific version, but the voice files are pretty large. I guess this is not a function likely to become untethered from a phone?

--If I'm on the treadmill at the gym, and my phone is in a locker about 200 feet away, I can still ... receive phone calls, texts, play back ... what media? on the Watch?

Thanks. I've watched a lot of the media and read several of yesterday's reviews, I'm just still not clear on some of it.

EDIT: I just read the thread below, so I'll add into the mix that the gym has wifi, if that matters for question 3.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1863551/

This may not completely answer your questions, but I think I can help.

Podcasts: It doesn't look like you can sync podcasts onto the Watch, the way you can sync music onto it, per The Verge's review here: http://www.theverge.com/a/apple-watch-review (under "Walk it Off"-"Music"). Looks like you can still control playback though.

As far as answering calls and such at the gym, I think the Watch needs to be within either Bluetooth or WiFi range to pull from your iPhone. I read somewhere on here that Bluetooth range is ~30 feet, so if you're connecting via Bluetooth, that's your limit; if you're on WiFi, I'd guess you would be able to do all of that from much farther away. There's also this article to consider: https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/09/apple-watch-limited-functions-iphone/.

Hope this helps.

 

[gwynne]

This may not completely answer your questions, but I think I can help.

Podcasts: It doesn't look like you can sync podcasts onto the Watch, the way you can sync music onto it, per The Verge's review here: http://www.theverge.com/a/apple-watch-review (under "Walk it Off"-"Music"). Looks like you can still control playback though.

As far as answering calls and such at the gym, I think the Watch needs to be within either Bluetooth or WiFi range to pull from your iPhone. I read somewhere on here that Bluetooth range is ~30 feet, so if you're connecting via Bluetooth, that's your limit; if you're on WiFi, I'd guess you would be able to do all of that from much farther away. There's also this article to consider: https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/09/apple-watch-limited-functions-iphone/.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

After spending a couple of years swearing I would never get a 'phablet', I caved and got a 6+. I like it, but I hate hauling it around with me at the gym, as I am obliged to do when I'm on call at work (and for music/podcast/other audio delivery to my bluetooth headset). Since the Watch will already replace my oft-washed fitbit, I was hoping to be able to untether (not literally, more physically) from the phone as well.