Just get an arm band, I have to tote around my iPhone anyways for music. The iPhones are so light once it is in the band and on my arm, I don't even notice it. As a matter of fact, having run with my iPhone and Pebble, I tend to notice the Pebble more
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No GPS? Fail for runners
- Thread starter Pewpewpew
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Lack of GPS is a disappointment, but not a deal breaker for me. I know how far my routes are, so all I really need (if I care at all) is time.
What was a deal breaker was my impression that it wouldn't even be able to replace my iPod nano due to its reliance on the iPhone for everything. But it turns out it can store and play its own music. No confirmation that it can play to Bluetooth headphones, and no talk of storage space, but it's something.
I'd love to get rid of my waterproof armband and headphone cord, though. I'd just have to figure out how to justify a tiny $350+ iPod. All the other features are useless to me.
What was a deal breaker was my impression that it wouldn't even be able to replace my iPod nano due to its reliance on the iPhone for everything. But it turns out it can store and play its own music. No confirmation that it can play to Bluetooth headphones, and no talk of storage space, but it's something.
I'd love to get rid of my waterproof armband and headphone cord, though. I'd just have to figure out how to justify a tiny $350+ iPod. All the other features are useless to me.
The BTLE on the Watch will likely talk to any compact Bluetooth GPS module, essentially a Garmin watch without the band, watch face and horrid UI, something tiny you could clip on your shoe. No need to run with an iPhone. Just wait for apps to do this.
From the website:
Music. Control the music on your iPhone without taking it out of your pocket. And when you leave iPhone at home to go for a jog, listen to music directly on Apple Watch.
I feel really disappointed. No GPS and the requirement of the iPhone makes it unuseful for running, and don't even mention swimming. So i have to wear my small pretty Apple Watch AND a big phone on a bracelet to get accurate GPS distance?
I assume that the accelerometer and gyroscope could give distance data without the GPS or WiFI, but no enough accurate to provide pace or distance information to athletes as they said on the keynote.
Maybe the next-gen. They are beautiful but useless for real sports mens or women.
A Bluetooth GPS module is smaller than a coin cell these days. Probably will be able to talk to the Apple Watch via a 3rd party WatchKit app. Clip it to your shoe or something. Separate because the extra coin cell battery won't fit in the Watch. No iPhone needed.
No iPhone needed, but it would need a GPS module that some third-party app have to make compatible with the watch. I'll wait until the watch features a built-in GPS (and i'm sure it will in 1 or 2 future generations) AND if it is waterproof for swimming. Right now it has no sense for real athletes
Agreed, this is one of the most disappointing omissions for me too. I was hoping for a band style device that could be used for all fitness activities (even team sports tracking positions on the pitch etc). No GPS makes this impossible without an iPhone, which you're not going to wear or have in your shorts during any kind of competitive sports activity. For the gym it's fine, for competitive sports or athletics it's not quite good enough.
I agree this one is disappointing. I prefer not to run with my iPhone most of the time mainly because it just feels annoying jumping around in my pocket. Was hoping to be able to just run with this watch and still be able to map and monitor my runs.
I currently own a Garmin 610 and for the most part, it gets the job done. Not well mind you but it works.
As an older runner, I carry my iPhone with me on my longer runs of 6+ miles. Not keen on getting stranded when I'm 10 miles out. I usually carry it in a Spider Belt. Works very well and it's hidden and not bulky. Like anything else, you get used to it. On the more scenic runs/races where I am not racing for time, nice to have the phone for pics (not to mention piece of mind). Anyway, lack of GPS is a bit disappointing.
Battery life. The 610's battery life is nothing to write home about. It burns about 20% an hour. My last Half (1:54) it was about 60% +/-. I will be interested in seeing what kind of life
Watch has.
Along with battery life, the charging method for the 610 sucks. When you run, you sweat. The battery contacts on the watch and charging unit get contaminated from water and salt. Makes charging very tough. Even after attempted cleaning. Anyone with a 610 and who's had it for a while, know what I speak. Watch charging is very promising!
Speaking of moisture. Most runners know we have to run in what the Good Lord gives us for the day. Could mean rain or snow. I don't need water proof to a 1000 feet. I just need water resistance of at least IPX7. Along with moisture, I need to know the interface can still be accessible when it gets wet. How will it do when it's 21 degrees. At the minimum, I can at least Stop/Start or Lap with a push of the button on the 610 in wet/cold conditions.
Also be interested if it can sync with Strava or at least have a path to it.
I will be watching this (pun intended). They may not get it on the first generation run.
As an older runner, I carry my iPhone with me on my longer runs of 6+ miles. Not keen on getting stranded when I'm 10 miles out. I usually carry it in a Spider Belt. Works very well and it's hidden and not bulky. Like anything else, you get used to it. On the more scenic runs/races where I am not racing for time, nice to have the phone for pics (not to mention piece of mind). Anyway, lack of GPS is a bit disappointing.
Battery life. The 610's battery life is nothing to write home about. It burns about 20% an hour. My last Half (1:54) it was about 60% +/-. I will be interested in seeing what kind of life
Watch has.Along with battery life, the charging method for the 610 sucks. When you run, you sweat. The battery contacts on the watch and charging unit get contaminated from water and salt. Makes charging very tough. Even after attempted cleaning. Anyone with a 610 and who's had it for a while, know what I speak.
Watch charging is very promising!Speaking of moisture. Most runners know we have to run in what the Good Lord gives us for the day. Could mean rain or snow. I don't need water proof to a 1000 feet. I just need water resistance of at least IPX7. Along with moisture, I need to know the interface can still be accessible when it gets wet. How will it do when it's 21 degrees. At the minimum, I can at least Stop/Start or Lap with a push of the button on the 610 in wet/cold conditions.
Also be interested if it can sync with Strava or at least have a path to it.
I will be watching this (pun intended). They may not get it on the first generation run.
What kind of battery life would you have if it had GPS? Man, people would be crying about that. I think the way they implemented it was perfect.
No GPS is a big thing for me as well. Was really loving the watch still do like it but I plan on getting a 6 + and I find carrying my iphone 5 a bit of a pain already.
I don't carry my iphone with me all day in work so was looking forward to the watch picking up other health metrics throughout the day to link up with health book app but it's not a major deal. Maybe gen 2 will have GPS
Was holding off purchasing a Garmin but I think I will now.
I don't carry my iphone with me all day in work so was looking forward to the watch picking up other health metrics throughout the day to link up with health book app but it's not a major deal. Maybe gen 2 will have GPS
Was holding off purchasing a Garmin but I think I will now.
It doesn't have a GPS, so I'm wondering how this will work when I use it for my fitness tracking. I need to be able to leave the i6+ in the car (because even carrying the 5S when running or working out is a PITA) while The Watch takes the measurements and records data. Also, I'm confused about the music app? Is there some connection for headphones so I don't have to have the phone on me?
Think of the size of a Garmin 610, including the hard "strap" (I mean the satellite receiver below the watch face that on other watches is strap.
Then think of having all that, PLUS what's in theWATCH and it's easy to see why there's no GPS.
Then think of having all that, PLUS what's in the
WATCH and it's easy to see why there's no GPS.
Going for a run. Apple Watch + iPhone?
I've got a question: it seems like some functionality of the watch is actually only possible when having the iPhone with you. The Apple Watch can track your steps and reads your heart rate, so it will screen your fitness when going, let's say, for a run. But what if I go for a run and leave my iPhone at home like probably most people would do... It can't track the route you ran since it is using the M7/8 in the iPhone for that, right? So that kind of data will not be accessible when just taking your Apple Watch. I think this is a major drawback. I thought the Apple Watch would track all of this data together.
Am I right or is it working somehow different?
Thanks!
I've got a question: it seems like some functionality of the watch is actually only possible when having the iPhone with you. The Apple Watch can track your steps and reads your heart rate, so it will screen your fitness when going, let's say, for a run. But what if I go for a run and leave my iPhone at home like probably most people would do... It can't track the route you ran since it is using the M7/8 in the iPhone for that, right? So that kind of data will not be accessible when just taking your Apple Watch. I think this is a major drawback. I thought the Apple Watch would track all of this data together.
Am I right or is it working somehow different?
Thanks!
Running with apple watch
Hi
I have researched this quite a bit over the last day as I really wanted to use the apple watch to record my runs when on a treadmill in a gym or when I am playing tennis indoors (i.e not using gps). I believe you are correct that the apple watch uses the accelerometer to track distance (although not as accurately using GPS when paired with the iPhone) if it is not paired with the iPhone. Therefore for runners who wish to use the apple watch for outside runs, they will have to use their iPhone as well (which in my view is pointless and the apple watch should come with in built gps) if they want more accurate details of the run. So, the apple watch can used to track run data without the iPhone, it just won't track the exact route and won't be as accurate without the iPhone.
Hi
I have researched this quite a bit over the last day as I really wanted to use the apple watch to record my runs when on a treadmill in a gym or when I am playing tennis indoors (i.e not using gps). I believe you are correct that the apple watch uses the accelerometer to track distance (although not as accurately using GPS when paired with the iPhone) if it is not paired with the iPhone. Therefore for runners who wish to use the apple watch for outside runs, they will have to use their iPhone as well (which in my view is pointless and the apple watch should come with in built gps) if they want more accurate details of the run. So, the apple watch can used to track run data without the iPhone, it just won't track the exact route and won't be as accurate without the iPhone.
Yeah and that's, sadly, where the point is for me... I would like it to track my route as detailed as with an iPhone and I seriously expected it could do that. I don't know why apple left this out. I certainly wouldn't want to have my 5.5 inch iPhone with me when I am running outside just wearing a shirt and shorts. I just don't see the point in there decision.
I agree, the battery is an issue, it would be useful if the GPS could enabled and disabled. Furthermore, most people are not going out for runs that are 2 hours plus etc. Plenty of other sports watches have gps. In my opinion the apple watch has really let down runners here (unless the accelerometer is good at tracking distance), especially if people go for the iPhone 6 plus, imagine lugging that about.
Yes there are challenges of creating a real product vs a concept, and constraints placed on the desires of the product designers by actual manufacturing. I imagine an awful lot of sensors and functionality has been shelved from the initial product brief stage to meet the aesthetic design required to make this a mass market device. I know GPS would probably have added size and drained battery faster when active. It's a compromise, but not perfect by any stretch (for me any way).
Perfect would have been to design and engineer it with a longer battery life while maintaining gps functionality and the desired size / form. They have compromised by the need to have your phone with you.
Is there anything better out there? It's a difficult question but possibly. I am considering something like the Atlas Wearable (while don't like the "look" of it the ability to learn exercises and track movement very accurately appeals) or Moov that both appear to give me much more precise fitness tracking information for multiple sports as opposed to just heart rate and steps apparent from the Apple demo.
The trade off is that while both are priced well, there is no direct link to IOS other than via an app and no smart watch functions for notifications etc.
Again these devices have no GPS so they aren't perfect either, if something out there exists that is similar and does have GPS I'd be all over it!
I like the idea that both Atlas and Moov could be used not just for basic "activity" tracking. I know my fitness regime well enough not to worry about that.
My ideal device would give me specific data recording and feedback for:
1) Weightlifting (including checking your form, number of reps, speed, recovery time between sets).
2) Cardio including running and swimming (accurate distance, speed, pace, calories).
3) Body weight exercises (form, number of reps, speed, recovery time).
4) Golf swing tracking (speed, swing plane and club distances).
5) Plus (I think this would need to be a separate app) team sports, (position on pitch, distance covered, map out "plays"). This latter would need GPS on the device.
6) Some smart watch functions would be nice (notifications, respond to texts/emails, maps) but non essential for me.
I'm aware this is a lot to ask for but this is what I would expect apples own expectations of a real sports oriented device to be, particularly given the amount of hype built around the event.
I am now leaning towards a fully featured dedicated fitness device as opposed to a smart watch / with basic health functions (which is where I see the apple watch currently unless it develops otherwise in the coming months). If they were after the serious fitness market they didn't really give me much that doesn't exist already.
It may be that Apple hasn't showed it's hand completely yet. I know they hired one of the Atlas Wearables guys so it may be that some of those features are being worked on and the hardware is capable. I don't know exactly what sensors are in the watch and it may be that it can already do this stuff but it just isn't possible to show us right now.
If this is the case then I could be swayed and it would come down to the question of whether the smart functions and apple brand is worth the extra cost to me, I'll make that decision when (if) I see more detail.
As someone who runs 3 to 4 times a week and has always carried an iPhone since I first did this on Jun 30 2007. So I have a lot of iPhone running time/distance. I have tried every method from in pocket to armbands. For me the best method is a fanny pack. It makes the iPhone disappear and offers some additional storage.
Also for rainy days here is neat trick. Cut the corner out of a plastic baggie and run your headphone cable through it. Also being behind you it is sheltered from most of the rain.
Also for rainy days here is neat trick. Cut the corner out of a plastic baggie and run your headphone cable through it. Also being behind you it is sheltered from most of the rain.
There are GPS runner watches with black and white displays indeed. They only do one thing, so their battery could indeed last. I did not expect a GPS inside this watch, it's way too much of a battery hog today.