The Samsung watches are way bigger, something those people conveniently forget, like it doesn't matter... In a watch.
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Hands-On With the New LTE-Enabled Apple Watch Series 3
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The Samsung watches are way bigger, something those people conveniently forget, like it doesn't matter... In a watch.
Oh that's interesting, I didn't realize that. Makes sense. I was wondering how they got the battery life claims to where they are if it's constantly connected to LTE with a nickel sized battery haha.
I'd still take a Submariner or Daytona over it any day. The Apple watch is a great Chinese watch until the battery runs out, but nothing beats the style and substance of a quality Swiss watch. Combine one with your phone and a Garmin band, and you have a far more powerful set up.
Same here, I have the series 0 SS, but it’s worth the upgrade. Everything is so much smoother and faster. I’ve been conditioned to expect a delay or an animation stutter but the series 3 is just buttery smooth and is very responsive, including Siri.
This is akin to going from the original iPhone to the 3GS. If you decide to upgrade, I think you’ll be happy you did.
When it's contacting the towers, to tell them were the calls should be routed, the power used is very low.
It's only when LTE reception goes down (bad area), that power would increase. Still, its only a fraction that would be used during a call.
They also put the antenna in the screen sides, not on the skin side. Those few mm (power related to distance squared) make a huge difference in the power getting to the skin, especially if the propagation of the wave is on the horizontal plane.
You have to remember those very fast communication chips are almost always idle and using almost no power when not transmitting data or calling (packets are sent for a fraction of a very small fraction of a second and then goes back to sleep). How would a few milliwatt of rf energy harm your skin... Considering going outside gives a lot more than that from the sun.
To put out enough RF power to "maybe" actually hurt you, the battery of the phone would have to be run down in a matter of 1-2 minutes.
As for your other comment. Even though the Analog phones used to emit a lot more RF energy and people had those huge antenna next to their brains, there is actually still no conclusive proof that it actually caused anything. Just tons of contradictory data, most coming from very poor research (that's why there is no conclusive proof).
Modern phones use A LOT less power than that and people don't even make phone calls anymore.
The RF energy coming off this watch for a decade is probably less than the energy coming off a single XRAY.
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For me it'll be more about making a call if I should get injured or something while on a long run. Mostly I'd turn off LTE when out for a run, as I leave my phone behind for a reason.
Yep, used to do the same stuff years ago. Kinda got pretty tiresome either preplanning a route every time and remembering every turn when doing a tempo run, or trying to remember the route afterwards. Not to mention the complete lack of freedom to just go do a five miler by going "thataway" until my watch said I'd covered 2.5 miles.
My first GPS running watch in 2011 was a really big plus and I've used a couple different models since then. *shrug* Not for everyone of course.
I guess it's one of those things where we won't know for some time. And who's to say someone's brain tumor is a result of their phone, and not the wifi signals in their house, or standing too close to the microwave, etc. I guess it's a risk we put ourselves in to use technology. LOL
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Does the Apple Watch actually have a GPS chip, or is it just the cell triangulation aGPS type of thing? I'd imagine due to size it's the later. I think it only would have true gps when paired to the phone. Not that it much matters as we're talking yards of accuracy instead of feet. But I'm curious if anyone knows if the Series 3 LTE has true GPS in it.
The LTE (cellular) models have 16GB of storage. The GPS only models keep the same 8GB as before. Apple lists it on their comparison page ("features" part of the page):
https://www.apple.com/watch/compare/
Garmins suck at smartwatch capabilities. I've owned various models since 2011, including a current model. Basically just unidirectional communication; can't reply to a text or actually accept a phone call from the watch. May not matter if you're just sitting around watching TV, but if you're doing home improvement projects it makes a big difference not needing to stop what you're doing and go to the next room to where you phone is when your kid calls or texts a question needing a fairly quick answer.
Good running watches though, which is why I keep one while wearing an Apple watch at the other times.
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aGPS is not triangulation. It's a means to help get a fast initial fix by obtaining the satellite ephemeris from the cell network instead of the low-data-rate copy the GPS satellites broadcast. Triangulation from cell towers was used in the days before cellphones had GPS chips built into them. Also not to be confused with wifi-geolocation a la skyhook.
Anyway, yes as of the AW2 the Apple Watch has a real deal GPS chip. Compared to my garmin FR235 it's of similar accuracy. The AW3 should be as good or better.
With the new LTE Series 3 Apple Watches now out in the wild, we got our hands on one of the new devices to give MacRumors readers a closer look at its design, features, and improvements compared to previous-generation Apple Watch models.
In the video below, we took a look at one of the new 42mm Aluminum Sport models connected to the AT&T network.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Design wise, the new Apple Watch LTE models are almost identical to the Series 2 models, with the exception of a 0.25mm thicker back glass that houses the heart rate sensors and the glaringly red Digital Crown that denotes its LTE status.
That red Digital Crown definitely stands out, and it's kind of a love it or hate it aspect of the new Apple Watch.
Inside, the Apple Watch Series 3 is sporting an upgraded S3 processor, and this thing is fast. It's noticeably quicker than the Series 2 Apple Watch and if you're coming from a Series 0 or a Series 1, you're going to see some serious speed gains.
Quite a few new LTE Apple Watch owners have been running into activation issues trying to get their new devices set up, but we had no problems getting it connected to the AT&T network and up and running. When using cellular, it's going to drain a decent amount of battery, so while this watch can work without an iPhone, you're still going to want one around at least some of the time.
The Series 3 Apple Watch can be purchased from the online Apple Store and Apple retail stores around the world starting today. There are both LTE and non-LTE models available, with LTE models starting at $399 and non-LTE models starting at $329. LTE models are largely sold out and harder to come by, so you may need to wait a few weeks to get your hands on one.
Article Link: Hands-On With the New LTE-Enabled Apple Watch Series 3
Can emergency calls be made to 911 on the LTE watch if it's not activated under a plan?
What's the maximum storage allowed to sync music onto the watch? Is it greater than the 2GB/250 song limit now?
Sure I can appreciate the order, but consumers should decide how they want to connect! apparently the watch can act as a stand alone unit always on LTE, sure it may need to be charged more often. There are many I suspect like myself, that bought the phone simply for the ability to use LTE whenever.If you are paying $10 a month, to get LTE use it. I might want to turn my phone off at night and just want to sleep with the watch on and if I get a call I can answer it? if the watch connects to wifi as it is doing now and the phone is off, it will not ring?
I must add that I do not appreciate it that Tim Cook said today on CNBC that this is a small problem and it will be fixed in a future update? Small problem? This is the reason it is different then the stand alone wifi watch, this is what makes it distinct! People paid more money for this feature and if this is how apple wanted it to connect in that order then they should have said it, but they wouldn't have because that's why many bought the phone, TO HAVE IT ON LTE WHEREVER AND WHENEVER!
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No way to put AT&T cellular plan for watch on my personal account and link to my iPhone which is on a company paid (AT&T Premiere Business) plan. The plan and the watch have to be on the same billing account.
What a total fail! Heading to the Apple Store to return my new Watch :-(
What a total fail! Heading to the Apple Store to return my new Watch :-(
I like the red dot. It gives a little accent to the watch, although most of the time you won't even see it. I have an Omega Planet Ocean which has orange accents on the dial and strap, which I really like. That watch needs repair because I managed to strip the threads on the screw-in crown. I think the repair will cost more than an Apple Watch.
I also have a Garmin Fenix 5 with sapphire crystal. I'm out of town at the moment, and the watch is at 78 percent battery after 3 days of use (without constant GPS). It gives me alerts from my iPhone, has pretty accurate full-time wrist HR tracking, step count, altitude, GPS tracking, etc. The Garmin F5 is a great watch for tracking exercise data. The model with the sapphire crystal has WiFi in addition to Bluetooth. The non-sapphire version just has Bluetooth. When I walk into my house after some exercise, it automatically uploads the data to my account via WiFi. The Garmin doesn't have a touch screen, but has lots of mechanical buttons which work well. It's rated to 100 meters.
I ordered the Apple Watch 3 LTE in black stainless steel, and almost canceled the order when the LTE connectivity problems were publicized. I'm also questioning the inconvenience of having to worry about the remaining battery level during only one day of use. But the Apple Watch would allow me to respond to communications without having to use my phone, and the Garmin is a one-way street in this regard. They seem to have different strengths with a lot of overlap. I think I'm going to keep the Apple Watch order open and give it a chance.
I also have a Garmin Fenix 5 with sapphire crystal. I'm out of town at the moment, and the watch is at 78 percent battery after 3 days of use (without constant GPS). It gives me alerts from my iPhone, has pretty accurate full-time wrist HR tracking, step count, altitude, GPS tracking, etc. The Garmin F5 is a great watch for tracking exercise data. The model with the sapphire crystal has WiFi in addition to Bluetooth. The non-sapphire version just has Bluetooth. When I walk into my house after some exercise, it automatically uploads the data to my account via WiFi. The Garmin doesn't have a touch screen, but has lots of mechanical buttons which work well. It's rated to 100 meters.
I ordered the Apple Watch 3 LTE in black stainless steel, and almost canceled the order when the LTE connectivity problems were publicized. I'm also questioning the inconvenience of having to worry about the remaining battery level during only one day of use. But the Apple Watch would allow me to respond to communications without having to use my phone, and the Garmin is a one-way street in this regard. They seem to have different strengths with a lot of overlap. I think I'm going to keep the Apple Watch order open and give it a chance.
Yes you are able to turn off LTE on the watch itself. I have Verizon and suspect that the others will make you pay the monthly charge whether you use or not.
No, but there's no indication from apple that its GPS is any different from the series 2. I hope I'm wrong.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/02/apple-watch-series2-nike-edition-review.html
If you don't know him, DC Rainmaker (Ray) is pretty much the most comprehensive GPS watch tester on the internet and has been for many years. Here's his conclusion about the series 2 for fitness uses:
Lots more detail about why in the linked review.
Worth noting that he also agrees with a lot of what you were saying when he writes
As to lack of features, that's not really debatable... just have a look at some of the metrics that even mid-range Garmins (and others) can do:
https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/forerunner/
Could be, but what's your source of comparison? Have you measured it on running tracks or known distances? The DC Rainmaker review above explains that its accuracy is not very good compared to other GPS watches.
IMO, the question is whether you want an excellent smart watch that you can use for running or an excellent running watch that can do some "smart" functions (e.g. Fenix 3). Unfortunately, neither Apple nor anyone else yet offers a product that is both an excellent running watch and an excellent smart watch - though I imagine we'll see one (or more) within a few years.
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Thats how I went about it give it a chance knowing that Apple was aware of the problem, and is in the process of fixing it. Though my BIG concern is what happens if apple comes out and states that this is the order of how it was made to connect and nothing can/will be done, but they take past the 14day return policy on Verizon, and Att etc...I may want to bring it back if I cannot use LTE whenever/wherever?
That's what I'm planning to do. Take advantage of the free 3mo then remove the data plan off the watch from T-Mobile. They give you the option on removing the data plan on the Apple watch app on your iPhone.
The only reason I would like LTE while working out is to stream music but honestly that’s not worth another $120 p/y IMO.
Taking calls, no thanks if I take my seriously I don’t want to be interrupted.
That said, I can put my music on my AW, so I see not much of an advantage of LTE. If it was without the additional plan cost, sure why not.
If I am paying $120 a year to have LTE you better bet that I should be able to use it whenever/ wherever!