Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Is Apple Watch still useful now that we have iPhone X?

daijholt

daijholt

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 14, 2013
1,113
343
Wales, UK
Looking for opinions.

Ive had an Apple Watch since it’s first ever day on the market, and it’s been extremely useful.

But I feel like iPhone X does a lot to nullify what makes Apple Watch so useful in the first place. Raise to wake, tap to wake, faceID to view notifications with a glance rather than making an effort to unlock, the recent notifications section of the lock screen, to name a few.

What are your thoughts on this? Is Apple Watch stilll useful with all these features in iPhone X?
 
I also use my watch primary for the fitness stuff (heart rate, workouts, step count)

Notifications on the watch is just a bonus for me and I always thought the price of a smart watch is not worth it if you just plan to use it for notifications.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bradbomb
Strapping the X to my wrist is uncomfortable.

In fact, I use my X less and turn to my watch for acknowledging call, texts, previewing mail, controlling music, looking at nest alerts, used it for boarding passes, Apple Pay and so on.

I unlock my watch with my phone and then most of my interactions start with the watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newtons Apple, HandsomeDanNZ, nekonokami and 2 others
daijholt said:
Looking for opinions.

Ive had an Apple Watch since it’s first ever day on the market, and it’s been extremely useful.

But I feel like iPhone X does a lot to nullify what makes Apple Watch so useful in the first place. Raise to wake, tap to wake, faceID to view notifications with a glance rather than making an effort to unlock, the recent notifications section of the lock screen, to name a few.

What are your thoughts on this? Is Apple Watch stilll useful with all these features in iPhone X?
Click to expand...
But you still have to remove it from your pocket/purse, desk, couch, counter, nightstand, etc. Yes? Not so with the watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nekonokami and KrisLord
Not got an X (still proudly rocking my 7+), that said my daily use case with would indicate I'd still use it just as much if I did.

I invariably now leave my phone in my purse when I'm out and about.

If I get a text message, I can read it instantly on the watch and decide what to do.

Got a phone call? I decide whether to ignore it, answer on the watch, or yank out me phone.

Need the weather? Carrot on the watch has me sorted.

Driving? Apple Maps sees me home.

Playing music on my phone through Bluetooth? The watch delights my ear by allowing me to quickly skip over tracks.

Checking in with Swarm? One quick twist of the wrist, press, click and done.

Buying my coffee at my local coffee shop or groceries at the grocery store? Hold up, press and done.

And, oh yes.. Need the time? Oddly the watch has that sorted as well :D

The list goes on, but that's the first set of things that came to mind when reading this thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WenV, HandsomeDanNZ and bluespark
Not sure which phone you have matters as the Apple Watch is always a different usage. It would annoy me checking my phone for every notification which is why the Apple Watch is badly needed for me.

Apple Pay is great on the watch. Never used it once on my iPhone x
 
  • Like
Reactions: KrisLord
Would you go workout or swim with a dual sided glass device strapped to your arm? After all it may cost you that arm (and a leg) if you crack that screen!
 
  • Like
Reactions: nekonokami
The Apple Watch is a tool on its own. It can be used in so many different ways to conevenience the users where iPhone does not have to. It’s more of a in between tool for fitness, messages, Apple Pay, Ect. Ultimately if somebody really wants to leave their iPhone behind more often, then LTE would be another considerable option.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nekonokami
LoveToMacRumors said:
I just use my watch for notifications and heart rate.
Click to expand...

I find myself using mine more for notifications than anything else. But what I like about the Apple Watch, is it has so many capabilities, you don’t have to use them all to appreciate the watch, but they are there if you need or want to use certain features.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: LoveToMacRumors
+ the iPhone X is horrible with ApplePay, the watch is a breeze to use for that
+ the LTE watch provides basic phone functions and music streaming even without your phone
+ the watch is much more convenient if you're running out quickly or heading out to the gym or to walk the dog
+ all the health functions (except pedometer) are not available without the watch
+ it's still way easier and more convenient to just raise your wrist and check a notification instead of pulling out your phone and placing it so FaceId works

That being said:
- battery on the watch will drain pretty fast if you use talk/streaming/exercise tracking heavily
- you can accomplish a lot but the watch will never emulate the full experience of an iPhone
- no camera
- you still need your phone for some apps
 
I think the question is kind of analogous to "Now that I upgraded my car from a BMW to a Tesla, do I still need a bicycle?" While cars and bicycles have overlapping functionality, they'll both get you from A to B, the reasons for owning them are very different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bradbomb
I’m still on a 6s so can’t comment on the X but I can’t see it replacing my watch which mostly gets used for sleep and fitness tracking but is also invaluable for the times when I forget to put my phone in my pocket in the morning.
 
parseckadet said:
I think the question is kind of analogous to "Now that I upgraded my car from a BMW to a Tesla, do I still need a bicycle?" While cars and bicycles have overlapping functionality, they'll both get you from A to B, the reasons for owning them are very different.
Click to expand...

The watch will always be an accessory to the iPhone unless the technology supersedes the iPhone, which is highly unlikely due to battery efficiency requirements. But where the iPhone the Apple Watch truly differ, is the Apple Watch will ultimately lead to being primary as a health monitoring device versus where it started as a novelty fashion device coupled with basic notifications.
 
sartrekid said:
I am an entirely different use-case. I use the watch to monitor my heart-rate, to record my exercising, and other health-related features that a smartphone cannot offer for obvious reasons.

So, yes, the Apple Watch is extremely useful to me, despite having an iPhone X.
Click to expand...

Yep. Same here :)
 
Endorphine88 said:
+ the iPhone X is horrible with ApplePay, the watch is a breeze to use for that.
Click to expand...

I agreed with everything you said BUT this. While the watch still is the fastest for Apple Pay the new system for activating Apple Pay on the iPhone X is SO, SO much easier and reliable than on the "old touchID " iPhones.
 
canyonblue737 said:
I agreed with everything you said BUT this. While the watch still is the fastest for Apple Pay the new system for activating Apple Pay on the iPhone X is SO, SO much easier and reliable than on the "old touchID " iPhones.
Click to expand...
We'll agree to disagree on that. To me touchID is way easier for ApplePay than FaceID.
 
Regardless of which iPhone is supposed to be an *easier* transition for using Apple Pay, it’s still interesting to see the looks on others faces when using Apple Pay with the Apple Watch in stores. I think many consumers don’t realize that’s annadded function of the Apple Watch or just simply don’t take advantage of it.
 
Last edited:
abdulkar.im said:
I also agree, you put your hand in your pocket and activate it while pulling out your phone, much better!
Click to expand...

Not when your thumb print never stayed registered for more than a day. Always had to use my finger. More awkward for me. Touch ID was fine, but Face ID is way better for me. Especially when opening web accounts requiring passwords. IMHO
[doublepost=1526415266][/doublepost]Plus, I don't get the thread. The watch will never replace an iphone. Unless your needs are very narrow. Screen size and Apps like Notes are critical to me.
 
rugmankc said:
Plus, I don't get the thread. The watch will never replace an iphone. Unless your needs are very narrow. Screen size and Apps like Notes are critical to me.
Click to expand...

I don't think most of us get this thread. This is definitely an Banana replacing an Orange conversation. The phone and the watch share functions, but overall have different markets and purposes. For people who don't normally wear watches and aren't really interested in fitness tracking, the Apple Watch will never be better than the iPhone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rugmankc
bradbomb said:
I don't think most of us get this thread. This is definitely an Banana replacing an Orange conversation. The phone and the watch share functions, but overall have different markets and purposes. For people who don't normally wear watches and aren't really interested in fitness tracking, the Apple Watch will never be better than the iPhone.
Click to expand...

True, I am not an Apple expert or Fanboy. But, find most these threads entertaining to an old man. ;)

I like the SS S0 I am trialing from my son and waiting to see what the SS S4 offers. If nothing medically beneficial to me, will get a discounted SS S3. Or, better yet hope he gets the S4 and gives me his SS S3--lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newtons Apple
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back