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APPLEFAN8

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
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Apple watch is 100 bucks off right now, do I get that one or do I wait for number 2? Currently have a fitbit HR band and like it because it does what I need it to do but also want their new one(that looks like the apple watch but it only $199) vs the apple watch. I do like tracking my sleep tho throughout the night and that's the one advantage the fitbit has over Apple. I have everything apple tho and its such a sleek design too! Can anyone help lol
 
The Blaze is the first Fitbit that looks more like a watch than a fitness band, but it is still limited when it comes or smartwatch functionality. If you want the better fitness band and can live without the features of the Apple Watch that the Blaze lacks, it's the nicest looking Fitbit I have seen. If you want both worlds you could get the Apple Watch Sport for 100 bucks off and then use your Fitbit for sleep tracking. That's all I still use my Fitbit One for. If you really want the Apple Watch and the discount doesn't mean that much to you, might as well wait to see what Apple announces in March.

Sean
 
Apple watch is 100 bucks off right now, do I get that one or do I wait for number 2? Currently have a fitbit HR band and like it because it does what I need it to do but also want their new one(that looks like the apple watch but it only $199) vs the apple watch. I do like tracking my sleep tho throughout the night and that's the one advantage the fitbit has over Apple. I have everything apple tho and its such a sleek design too! Can anyone help lol

There are sleep tracking apps on Apple Watch. The one that i use is HeartWatch, which is $2.99 but it is worth it! There is a free Sleep++ too. HeartWatch measures your arm movement AND heart rate while you sleep. Sleep++ just measures your arm movement.
 
I've tried Sleep++ because I'd like to get rid of my Jawbone UP which right now I keep only because of the sleep analysis.
Funny thing is that my UP measures less sleep time than the watch does - in particular, small (< 5 min) awake times are not measured by the watch. So I'm wondering which one is more reliable.
 
I've tried Sleep++ because I'd like to get rid of my Jawbone UP which right now I keep only because of the sleep analysis.
Funny thing is that my UP measures less sleep time than the watch does - in particular, small (< 5 min) awake times are not measured by the watch. So I'm wondering which one is more reliable.

None of these sleep tracker and its algorithm are worth it. Bogus algorithms.

I can imagine that Apple is working on this in the background. Here is my dream sleep tracker:

1. Measures activity (via arm movement; but also what type of arm movement; tossing and turning your body is more restless than just simple arm movement).

2. Measure heart rate and determine energy expenditure (similar to what HeartWatch is doing now).

3. Measure blood oxygen level...this is key and with enormous potential!!

Oxygen measurements can be done now because our Apple Watch heart rate sensor can measure oxygen saturation. Apple just needs to turn it on. Of course, turning it on requires more software to support it.

But imagine a device that can HELP diagnose SLEEP APNEA! AW is not a medical device...but it can aid in diagnosing and monitoring sleep apnea...a huge help for the medical field! I can see where it will alert users if their oxygen level drops during the night and encourage them to seek medical help. Sleep apnea is a very UNDER-diagnosed disease.

Hopefully, we will see some advancement (esp in the medical side of things) next month.
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Wait for the 2. The hardware on the 1 is very slow and the software still beta like...

I don't know...Apple own software apps run just fine IMO.
 
I gave up sleep tracking with my Fitbit long before the Apple watch was announced. Mostly because it's just data -- you can't do anything with it. Does it help you to know that you roll over at 2 a.m. every night? If your tracker shows that you're not sleeping, but you wake well-rested, what does that mean? And if you sleep fitfully and can see you're not sleeping well -- what do you do about it?
 
I gave up sleep tracking with my Fitbit long before the Apple watch was announced. Mostly because it's just data -- you can't do anything with it. Does it help you to know that you roll over at 2 a.m. every night? If your tracker shows that you're not sleeping, but you wake well-rested, what does that mean? And if you sleep fitfully and can see you're not sleeping well -- what do you do about it?

None of these smartwatches or fitness bands should be used for self-treating severe sleep disorders instead of seeing a professional, but the information they provide can be useful depending on the situation and the person. I have used a Fitbit One for sleep tracking for a couple of years (I used to use it for other fitness tracking as well before I got my Apple Watch). My main reason for sleep tracking is to simply log how much sleep I am getting. Of course you can log that manually into an app or a notebook, but you're really just logging the time you got into bed and the time you wake up. The time you are actually asleep can vary from night to night and it is difficult to capture when you actually fall asleep or all the middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks and crying kids breaks. The Fitbit does this automatically. I can look back at the log for a given night and see a bathroom break or a crying-kid break. I have also found that the restless sleep thing does make a difference for me. Most nights I'm not that restless. Other nights I'm all over the place.

What do I do about it? It inspires me to go to bed earlier for starters. Just as with exercise, tracking yourself helps you recognize when you need to try harder to meet your goal... whether it's a sleep goal or an exercise goal. It's much more difficult to know what to do about the restless nights, but it does make me question what I was doing, thinking about, eating or drinking before I started to get ready for bed. I have certainly stopped drinking liquids earlier in the evening to avoid those late night bathroom breaks. Sometimes I won't even remember getting up in the middle of the night, so the automatic logging helps me see exactly how often that happens.


Sean
 
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The Blaze is the first Fitbit that looks more like a watch than a fitness band, but it is still limited when it comes or smartwatch functionality. If you want the better fitness band and can live without the features of the Apple Watch that the Blaze lacks, it's the nicest looking Fitbit I have seen. If you want both worlds you could get the Apple Watch Sport for 100 bucks off and then use your Fitbit for sleep tracking. That's all I still use my Fitbit One for. If you really want the Apple Watch and the discount doesn't mean that much to you, might as well wait to see what Apple announces in March.

Sean

I got the Blaze on pre-order and if it works well my AW will go back in the drawer.
 
I got the Blaze on pre-order and if it works well my AW will go back in the drawer.
I eagerly await your report. I am very curious how well the Blaze does the notification stuff. And, if there is any kind of useful weather complication available.
 
Ahhh what to do still. Yahoo did a video today on the Blaze vs Apple watch. Blaze is a little more bulky it looks like on the wrist compared to the apple watch. I'll figure out what to get because I like my fitbit now but feel like there is more for me.
 
For sleep tracker it is not. Sleep++ from Complication is almost instant.

That's one app.... and it wasn't instant for sure.
Doesn't change the overall app eco system or the poor battery life of the device. If you were to wear it for bed you certainly can't get through a day. So what other data do you not want to record? But i agree with approve, the sleep tracker doesn't really tell you anything anyway so its certainly not a good reason to get an AW. Many other devices on the market for that.
 
That's one app.... and it wasn't instant for sure.
Doesn't change the overall app eco system or the poor battery life of the device. If you were to wear it for bed you certainly can't get through a day. So what other data do you not want to record? But i agree with approve, the sleep tracker doesn't really tell you anything anyway so its certainly not a good reason to get an AW. Many other devices on the market for that.

I can get by without sacrificing anything just fine, by charging a little bit after waking up and before bed.
 
That's one app.... and it wasn't instant for sure.
Doesn't change the overall app eco system or the poor battery life of the device. If you were to wear it for bed you certainly can't get through a day. So what other data do you not want to record? But i agree with approve, the sleep tracker doesn't really tell you anything anyway so its certainly not a good reason to get an AW. Many other devices on the market for that.

HeartWatch is instant.

I charge my 42mm SS watch ONCE a day at supper time when i get home from work (1.5 hours of charging)...then wear it to bed. Plenty of juice at 24 hours. Below is my data...35 hours of battery life with 4% battery life left. No power reserve use. And during these 35 hours, i used my watch often (3 hours and 38 min of use).
 

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Well I do like the track my sleep, but i'm curious if i'll like the apple watch. Maybe i'll wait to see what upgrades they do software wise in March and go from there
 
I tested the apple watch for over a week and was not happy with the product. I really wanted to like it but found myself most often frustrated with how it functions and does not function.

For a fitness tracker I really didn't like how the Apple watch worked. I ended up getting a Fitbit Charge HR and I find it much more useful for fitness tracking. And the Fitbit app is great for overall activity and weight management goals.

I personally will be waiting to get an AW until it adds more fitness related functionality and even then it will be more of a vanity purchase rather than something I need.
 
Doesn't change the overall app eco system or the poor battery life of the device.
I guess I'm "different"... I am getting around 18-20 hours of life out of mine with no real issues (and the least I've had left when I've taken it off was 34% left). Of course, I'm not "playing" with it all the time either. I use it as a watch (and I'm not checking my time every 10 minutes) and have my alerts sent to it (and check them when they come in) and fantastical and 2Do syncing and running Carrot Weather. Overall I've been happy with it (especially since I got it for free).
 
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I guess I'm "different"... I am getting around 18-20 hours of life out of mine with no real issues (and the least I've had left when I've taken it off was 34% left). Of course, I'm not "playing" with it all the time either. I use it as a watch (and I'm not checking my time every 10 minutes) and have my alerts sent to it (and check them when they come in) and fantastical and 2Do syncing and running Carrot Weather. Overall I've been happy with it (especially since I got it for free).

Yup...I'm "different" too when it comes to battery life. I have never come close to running out of battery in the seven months I have been wearing mine for 17 or 18 hours per day. Usually have between 20% and 40% left. I do use mine quite a bit and I am also quite happy with the few third party apps I use. A watch isn't a platform for tons of apps... I only need a handful of useful ones.

Sean
 
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Guess i must have made a mistake then - my AW device was at best 10-12hours.
No one else in the office got close to the 18hours above either, but i guess YMMV...
 
Guess i must have made a mistake then - my AW device was at best 10-12hours.
No one else in the office got close to the 18hours above either, but i guess YMMV...

Did you turn on all notifications and you are a socialite? I have NEVER had my watch under 12 hours.
 
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