If not fitness and health is their a point to owning an Apple Watch?

[Student of Life]

I agree with what others have said but here are a couple of specific instances where my AW7 has been useful.

I am 79 and forget what day of the week it is or where I have put things. The AW Alarms nudge me when to leave home on certain days of the week, at specific times to get to my exercise classes which start at different times e.g 10 a.m. on Tues but 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. It also helps me find my wallet and phone as I am about to leave the house.

On two occasions I have been close to but separated from my phone but have been able to make calls. Once to my wife when I was in Emergency and another time to the auto club when I locked my keys and phone in the car.

I have it setup to switch faces when I get to and leave the gym. When I arrive it switches to a face that shows complications I will need e.g. Stocard so I do not have to hunt around for my membership card. When I leave, it switches back to my everyday watch face..Snoopy. Also the workout app nudges me when my rate gets above 141.

Multiple timers going when I am cooking e.g 10 mins to flip the fish 15 mins to swap the trays in the air fryer.

I’m sure there are other uses that have become such a normal part of my day that I have forgotten them and none of them are absolutely essential but they just make life easier. The AW is what my son calls a quality of life purchase.

I got my dad his Apple Watch because while he might forget his phone, he wont forget his watch. The watch has cellular so i can wall him and help location wise if he needs it since he is on the older side. Currently he has the Ultra because its bigger screen and better battery life.

 

[NeonNights]

I got my dad his Apple Watch because while he might forget his phone, he wont forget his watch. The watch has cellular so i can wall him and help location wise if he needs it since he is on the older side. Currently he has the Ultra because its bigger screen and better battery life.

The irony is the 46mm Apple Watch 10 display is now a tiny bit bigger than 49mm Ultra models. Ultras still have larger batteries, of course.

 

[bettywilsonknd6689]

I guess mine is a fashion statement. I have a lot of different bands and cases and I change them to match my clothing sometimes.

I also like the fact that I can wear my watch and leave my phone behind whenever I just don't feel like taking my phone with me.

I also like the fact that I can wear it around the house and get calls, texts, other notifications without having to carry my phone on my person, worry about unlocking it when I might be busy cooking, etc.

And then there are several apps that come in handy, like Shazam, the calculator, weather...

I will admit that I find it less useful than some other smart watches I've owned, like the Gear 2 which had a camera and could actually play loaded music on the device's speaker.

(I keep waiting for the Apple Watch to get a camera but that will probably never happen.)

I said all that to say that it's worth it for my use cases to have a watch that I don't use first and foremost for fitness/health.

Same, i love what it looks like, and the watch ultra makes me feels i am getting bigger muscles

 

[Richard8655]

I bought it mostly for the excellent lap swimming app (tracking, statistics, and functionality). But it does do everything else well, just not sure how necessary for me.

 

[ignatius345]

I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone own/use an Apple watch where their use case isn't fitness/health tracking? If so, what do you actually use your watch for? Is there any point in owning one if not for that?

Hard to make a blanket answer on that last part. I bought mine primarily for activity/sleep tracking, but here are the other things I find it useful for:

- Apple Pay, especially on transit
- setting timers right on my wrist
- seeing my next calendar appointment on my watch face
- quick check of the temperature/weather outside
- being able to play music when running without carrying my phone

For the most part, I find fiddling with the screen quite tedious, so most of the information I get from it comes from complications I set on the watch face itself, versus rummaging around the UI. I personally also find many of the alerts super annoying, so I deliberately disabled almost all of them.

I think there's a use case for getting a cellular model and going out without your iPhone to wean yourself off using it too much, if that's an issue. I had some aspiration to that at one point, but I'm not quite there yet, myself.

 

[tysonhero]

Walking directions. Nothing says "mug me" like pulling out a phone every 25 feet while wandering around a strange city. I also use it to control Music, especially on airplanes. Notifications are also really useful, more than I expected.

Maybe stop visiting dangerous cities, its not normal to be afraid to use your own phone.

Personally I use my Apple Watch only for health sensors and fitness tracking, everything else is so much easier to do on the phone.

For simple checking time and as fashion statement there is just no competition, classic mechanical watch is on completely different level and its probably healthier to your body than Apple watch full of electronics and radios.

 

[zidarko]

I initially bought my watch to be able to quickly send my location to my wife while going out and about with my son.

 

[henrikhelmers]

[... ]does anyone own/use an Apple watch where their use case isn't fitness/health tracking? If so, what do you actually use your watch for? Is there any point in owning one if not for that?

1. It's a watch! With the always-on-display it works well as a watch. It can in some circumstances be harder to read than an analog watch. But the upside is that it works well in dark environments.

2. It is a way to find your phone quickly. If you don't remember where you put it, give it a ping and find it in seconds rather than minutes.

3. The notification relay means that it is much easier to leave your phone in your pocket, backpack or another room. If anything urgent comes up, you'll be notified.

4. As an extension of that, if you get a cellular model (my latest watch is cellular), you can walk as far as you want from your iPhone and still be reachable for an emergency phone call. This means you can go places without your phone.

5. Calendar widgets are super useful for work. In addition to telling the time, being able to constantly see my next appointment is useful. I don't have to constantly check my phone.

6. Checking your watch is more discrete than checking your phone. Being able to to see and quickly read notifications at a glance makes it easier to stay present and give the appearance of being present.

7. Apple Pay lets me pay in most (not all) stores using the watch. If you know where you are going, you can leave without your phone and your wallet.

8. Alarms. It is a convenient way to set short alarms for chores or cooking. There is also an alarm clock function that will wake you up without disturbing a partner.

9. Emergency flashlight. I think this might depend on the model, but mine has a fairly bright screen that may not light up a room, but is enough to find something in a completely dark space.

10. Even if you are not into fitness now, having historical health data is useful for finding a baseline and patterns. The trends can even help detect problems before you notice them yourselves.

11. Using watch faces and customising them can be fun. They work great with focus modes. I have one "regular" watch face, one for work and one for sleep mode.

As for downsides, in my opinion the biggest downside is the daily charging. I would recommend the Ultra for the larger battery. You still need to find a charging routine, if you are going to wear the watch at night.

 

[mpetrides]

While my primary use for my AW Ultra 2 is fitness and health, I bought it (and multiple previous iterations) because it is a computer and cell phone on my wrist.

I have wrist access to a calculator, to control my smart lights (in every room), to unlock my door with flick of the wrist, to ensure that I can call for help should I fall in the shower. I get notifications about the weather, that a package has been delivered, that I have a text from someone I've designated as a VIP, alerts from VTAlert about road closures due to motor vehicle crashes. I use the flashlight on my wrist so I don't wake the dog when I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

I *could* use my AW to store and play music and audiobooks independently of my iPhone, but I still prefer to use my phone for music and Audible audiobooks. Some people use their AW to get turn-by-turn directions via GPS; I find this feature annoying, so don't use it myself.

I'm sure there are more uses I'm forgetting at the moment, but suffice it to say that my Apple Watch serves many more purposes than a fitness/health tracker.

 

[Jackbequickly]

The Apple Watch will save you from having to pull out your phone constantly. To me that is the biggest advantage.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I'm not into the fitness or health tracking stuff. I understand many people are. I throw a watch on when I leave the house every so often as a fashion accessory. I never owned an Apple Watch and remember when they first came out and can't believe there are already ten versions of them plus SE and Ultra models. Feels like they only came out a few years ago. I kind of thought that might be a dud product category for Apple when they first released them. Tim's little Dick Tracy project that would turn out like the Apple HiFi or something. Guess I was wrong. Although I have to admit the gadget geek in me has always had a mild interest in them, even though I always felt like there wasn't really a point for me to own one. Which is why I never bought one.

I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone own/use an Apple watch where their use case isn't fitness/health tracking? If so, what do you actually use your watch for? Is there any point in owning one if not for that?

There are many non-fitness AW usages. The ones I use routinely are:
Time-day-date
Timer
Stopwatch
Microphone
Camera Remote
Dive depth
Cell phone
Fall security

YMMV of course. I also use the fitness apps.

 

[L23]

I was interested when the Apple Watch was first announced but then became less interested when they demonstrated apps like Instagram on the march 2015 Keynote. Then years went by and I bought my first Apple Watch last year, the Ultra 2. I bought it primarily for listening to music and track my runs while running. But I also use it to track other exercise activities. While I expected to listen to music while running I mostly listen to music when going to the gym.

If not for fitness or health I use it primarily as a time-piece. While most notifications on my Apple Watch have been turned off I use my iPhone less (great unexpected feature). I also like that I can wear my watch and leave my phone behind whenever I just don't feel like taking my phone with me. I use it for Apple Pay when going to the supermarket and connect my AirPods to the Apple Watch to listen to music. Reading iMessage family messages. Use Shortcuts to turn on/off the lights. I think that's it.

 

[Cunir]

it's handy being able to see when the next bus or train is coming.
it's also handy for messages and email notifications, but i only ever reply to them on my phone because the keyboard on the watch is far too small to type anything beyond a simple "ok", and short stuff like that. so if you always have your phone with you anyway then you're not gaining much

i also think it might be handy one day (or hopefully not!) if my phone ever gets lost or stolen when i'm out. because you can use FindMy to get notified, track and lock it

 

[jz0309]

I'm not into the fitness or health tracking stuff. I understand many people are. I throw a watch on when I leave the house every so often as a fashion accessory. I never owned an Apple Watch and remember when they first came out and can't believe there are already ten versions of them plus SE and Ultra models. Feels like they only came out a few years ago. I kind of thought that might be a dud product category for Apple when they first released them. Tim's little Dick Tracy project that would turn out like the Apple HiFi or something. Guess I was wrong. Although I have to admit the gadget geek in me has always had a mild interest in them, even though I always felt like there wasn't really a point for me to own one. Which is why I never bought one.

I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone own/use an Apple watch where their use case isn't fitness/health tracking? If so, what do you actually use your watch for? Is there any point in owning one if not for that?

So with all the responses here - have you ordered/bought your AW yet?

 

[Night Spring]

it's handy being able to see when the next bus or train is coming.

How do you do that? Is it a third party app, or is it a function of the Maps app?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The silent alarm is super slept on

 

[Lift Bar]

I'm not into the fitness or health tracking stuff. I understand many people are. I throw a watch on when I leave the house every so often as a fashion accessory. I never owned an Apple Watch and remember when they first came out and can't believe there are already ten versions of them plus SE and Ultra models. Feels like they only came out a few years ago. I kind of thought that might be a dud product category for Apple when they first released them. Tim's little Dick Tracy project that would turn out like the Apple HiFi or something. Guess I was wrong. Although I have to admit the gadget geek in me has always had a mild interest in them, even though I always felt like there wasn't really a point for me to own one. Which is why I never bought one.

I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone own/use an Apple watch where their use case isn't fitness/health tracking? If so, what do you actually use your watch for? Is there any point in owning one if not for that?

The Apple Watch excels in fitness and sports tracking, and its ability to help locate a misplaced phone is genuinely useful. For most other purposes a smartphone remains superior. Also the Apple Watch shines as a great option for kids, providing a “dumb phone” experience attached to their wrist. It limits screen time while keeping them connected.

It’s interesting you bring up the original launch, it reminds me that under Tim Cook, Apple has effectively dismantled the myth that it’s a marketing powerhouse. While the company continues to create fantastic products, its advertising efforts miss the mark by a mile again and again. The Apple Vision Pro campaign was a disaster, an egregious misfire. The latest iPad campaign was so bad they had to pull it and apologize. The whole thing is so far out of wack it’s hard to describe. But it scarcely matters because the products and ecosystem are so good and the profit margins so high the company is worth what 4 trillion? Incredible.

Tim Cook borrowed Steve Jobs’ legendary “three devices in one” iPhone pitch but diluted it with awkward messaging about the Apple Watch being the “Most Personal Device Ever.” The central pitch of sending your heartbeat to someone or tapping them through the watch, was bizarrely contrived. It’s hard to think of anyone who embraced such odd and frankly creepy features.

Battery life complaints are common, but they’re overblown, it’s perfectly adequate. The design remains polarizing even years later. So much so that some wedding invitations specifically request guests not wear Apple Watches, acknowledging how out of place they seem in formal settings. Defending their appearance doesn’t change the fact that they look awkward to many, and insisting otherwise only adds to the social disconnect.

Fantastic for fitness. It’s also a solid alarm clock and kitchen timer, and works well for activities like golf, swimming, and hiking. Apple eventually realized this and focused on what the thing does well after the market essentially did its marketing for them. It’s a great product, but not the revolutionary, deeply personal 🙄 device that Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and Apple’s overpaid marketing team initially envisioned.

 

[VulchR]

I think this might depend on one's age. I am waaaaay old, so bear that in mind when considering my response.

I use my AW Ultra 2 for:

The obvious:

• Time keeping (watch, alarms, timers, stopwatch). Includes turning off alarms on my iPhone when I just.can't.be.bothered to get out of bed to fumble with my iPhone.
• Notifications
• Controls for house heating and lights.
• GPS and compass when hiking/camping. Obviously electronics can fail, so I also have these functions on my iPhone and I carry a physical map and traditional compass just in case. (I live in Scotland and people do sometimes get into serious trouble when they hike/camp in the wild and get disoriented.)

Emergency backup:

• Backup for Apple Wallet (includes Apple Pay, discount loyalty cards, and tickets of various sorts)
• Backup mobile phone - there are too many stories in my family of older folk having some sort of medical issue in which they were incapacitated and couldn't make it to a phone but were alert nonetheless. Also, members of my family have had their iPhones stolen.
• Emergency flashlight (the red version is good for preserving night vision when camping)
• Backup emergency alarm - Again, when I hike/camp I have my iPhone and a separate personal locator beacon with a panic button for redundancy.
• Fall detection
• Vital sign monitoring (blood oxygenation, ECG). I recently had a minor heart condition diagnosed when I felt a little off and took an ECG with my AW. The somewhat alarming result was put into a PDF and e-mailed to my GP. I didn't get the usual UK NHS 'get back to us after two weeks if you are still feeling off' because my abnormal ECG was documented for them. Also, with all the respiratory infections going around, every one of which I have managed to catch, it is reassuring to confirm with the blood oxygenation sensor that I am not, you know, dying for lack of oxygen.

And, yes, exercise tracking - this should not be underestimated. I don't get obsessive about my exercise statistics but I use the AW to try promote healthy exercise habits.

 

[TallManNY]

While health (namely heart rate tracking) was probably the main reason I bought the watch when it first came out, I use it for many reasons.

First, of course, is time. I've worn a watch since I was a kid and I'm used to checking the time on my wrist.

Second, I like checking the temperature outside.

Third, I like having my timers mainly for cooking on my wrist, both to quickly set them up and to check them as they count down.

Fourth, I use Apple Pay on it fairly regularly (though probably use my phone just as often, it kind of depends if I've waited on a line and taken my phone out while waiting to pay for something).

But without any interest in health stuff (heart rate, sleep, and activity), the use case isn't super strong. The time portion, which is the main use, would be better handled with my nice mechanical watch that self winds and looks much better.

 

[Howard2k]

While health (namely heart rate tracking) was probably the main reason I bought the watch when it first came out, I use it for many reasons.

First, of course, is time. I've worn a watch since I was a kid and I'm used to checking the time on my wrist.

Second, I like checking the temperature outside.

Third, I like having my timers mainly for cooking on my wrist, both to quickly set them up and to check them as they count down.

Fourth, I use Apple Pay on it fairly regularly (though probably use my phone just as often, it kind of depends if I've waited on a line and taken my phone out while waiting to pay for something).

But without any interest in health stuff (heart rate, sleep, and activity), the use case isn't super strong. The time portion, which is the main use, would be better handled with my nice mechanical watch that self winds and looks much better.

I agree with everything except your last statement. The AW is far more accurate than most other watches, particularly mechanical. Looks, sure, different story, but time keeping, barring the collapse of civilization, no comparison.

 

[Lift Bar]

I think this might depend on one's age. I am waaaaay old, so bear that in mind when considering my response.

I use my AW Ultra 2 for:

The obvious:

• Time keeping (watch, alarms, timers, stopwatch). Includes turning off alarms on my iPhone when I just.can't.be.bothered to get out of bed to fumble with my iPhone.
• Notifications
• Controls for house heating and lights.
• GPS and compass when hiking/camping. Obviously electronics can fail, so I also have these functions on my iPhone and I carry a physical map and traditional compass just in case. (I live in Scotland and people do sometimes get into serious trouble when they hike/camp in the wild and get disoriented.)

Emergency backup:

• Backup for Apple Wallet (includes Apple Pay, discount loyalty cards, and tickets of various sorts)
• Backup mobile phone - there are too many stories in my family of older folk having some sort of medical issue in which they were incapacitated and couldn't make it to a phone but were alert nonetheless. Also, members of my family have had their iPhones stolen.
• Emergency flashlight (the red version is good for preserving night vision when camping)
• Backup emergency alarm - Again, when I hike/camp I have my iPhone and a separate personal locator beacon with a panic button for redundancy.
• Fall detection
• Vital sign monitoring (blood oxygenation, ECG). I recently had a minor heart condition diagnosed when I felt a little off and took an ECG with my AW. The somewhat alarming result was put into a PDF and e-mailed to my GP. I didn't get the usual UK NHS 'get back to us after two weeks if you are still feeling off' because my abnormal ECG was documented for them. Also, with all the respiratory infections going around, every one of which I have managed to catch, it is reassuring to confirm with the blood oxygenation sensor that I am not, you know, dying for lack of oxygen.

And, yes, exercise tracking - this should not be underestimated. I don't get obsessive about my exercise statistics but I use the AW to try promote healthy exercise habits.

Love this list. It’s such a practical and helpful device.

 

[mizmor]

Notifications - My phone is in silent mode 100% of the time. Coming from Android, the lack of a notification LED is annoying since unlike many people, I do not live on my phone. (Average SoT is just over an hour per day)

Payments - Tapping my Watch is simply way more convenient than pulling out my wallet.

Timers - Again, I don't live on my phone. My phone tends to live on my desk if I'm at home so when cooking I can just set a timer on my watch instead of going into my office to grab my phone.

 

[TallManNY]

I agree with everything except your last statement. The AW is far more accurate than most other watches, particularly mechanical. Looks, sure, different story, but time keeping, barring the collapse of civilization, no comparison.

Agree with your clarification, far more accurate than any mechanical watch and certainly more accurate than the one I own. But I'd still say inferior for time telling because the Apple Watch needs to recharged regularly, while the mechanical watch stays wound by simply wearing it and is definitely accurate enough for almost all purposes (and definitely my purposes) and maybe needs to be adjusted once or twice a year to get its time updated. So as a time telling device, my mechanical watch was superior for me. And it looks better while doing that sole function.

 

[5167767]

Apple Pay, notifications, Apple Music and also fitness tracking.

 

[Cunir]

How do you do that? Is it a third party app, or is it a function of the Maps app?

It’s part of maps. I have it as one of my widgets, if you put the block of 3 shortcuts on then you can have one go straight to public transport, then it brings up the times for the closest buses and trains