So the Watch does a lot more than I thought without a phone

[amirite]

I turned my phone off before coming home. The Watch automatically connects to Wifi networks that it knows.
In addition to the non-internet related features, I can send and receive messages, and I can look up things using Siri (including Wolfram Alpha questions). I imagine with a future update Apple could easily implement downloading of email, weather, stocks, and so on. Why are more people not talking about this?!

Also, when we have native apps, they'll almost certainly be about to use the internet independently of the phone! The Watch has just gained so much more value in my eyes. Imagine the possibilities!

 

[amirite]

Also hand-off with no phone

 

[Night Spring]

I turned my phone off before coming home. The Watch automatically connects to Wifi networks that it knows.
....
Why are more people not talking about this?!

Personally, I don't find this feature very useful, because my known networks are at home and at work, where I have my computer and my iPad to do Internet stuff. I hardly even use my iPhone when I'm home or at work, and I would never even think to use the watch to look up things or read email.

 

[amirite]

Personally, I don't find this feature very useful, because my known networks are at home and at work, where I have my computer and my iPad to do Internet stuff. I hardly even use my iPhone when I'm home or at work, and I would never even think to use the watch to look up things or read email.

But you still get notifications. I can see it being very useful if your phone dies.

I'm also quite sure Apple would hypothetically be able to push all notifications intended for your paired phone directly to your Watch, bypassing your phone, if it's out of range or turned off. If they decided to of course.

Imagine going to the gym, you could leave your phone at home and do pretty much everything you might otherwise do with your phone while at the gym.

 

[amirite]

Another overlooked thing is due to how fast the Watch charges, one can easily sleep wearing it. I've done it almost every night since I got it Friday. The only problem with that is it then keeps telling you to stand up and move.

 

[ZebraDude]

I turned my phone off before coming home. The Watch automatically connects to Wifi networks that it knows.
In addition to the non-internet related features, I can send and receive messages, and I can look up things using Siri (including Wolfram Alpha questions). I imagine with a future update Apple could easily implement downloading of email, weather, stocks, and so on. Why are more people not talking about this?!

Also, when we have native apps, they'll almost certainly be about to use the internet independently of the phone! The Watch has just gained so much more value in my eyes. Imagine the possibilities!

I wonder what I am doing wrong? my watch does not connect to the net with my phone off...

 

[amirite]

I wonder what I am doing wrong? my watch does not connect to the net with my phone off...

What are you trying to do? A lot of apps will just not work as the phone isn't connected. Try asking Siri something like "what's 5+5?"
I assume you're in a place where your phone is/was connected to Wifi?

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Another overlooked thing is due to how fast the Watch charges, one can easily sleep wearing it. I've done it almost every night since I got it Friday. The only problem with that is it then keeps telling you to stand up and move.

Hahaha, that would be so funny. Wakes you up to stand up and you're like, fk man im sleeping

 

[ZebraDude]

What are you trying to do? A lot of apps will just not work as the phone isn't connected. Try asking Siri something like "what's 5+5?"
I assume you're in a place where your phone is/was connected to Wifi?

I think I now understand. The disconnect icon was on but I was able to use Siri and messages. That is great!

 

[amirite]

Hahaha, that would be so funny. Wakes you up to stand up and you're like, fk man im sleeping

Haha yeah, luckily those reminders aren't too intrusive

 

[The Doctor11]

I got my phone taken away in school the other day and I don't connect to the school wifi so it was pretty much a brick. However I did manage to stand outside the office at lunch and connect with my phone to see my new notifications

 

[mikezmac]

The stand up notification has been garbage since the get go. The update was supposed to help it, it did a little but the app is still useless.

I still get the stand up notification when standing, just not as much.
The most anoying thing is when it tells me to stand and I do and it never registers it. I'll stand for up to 10 minutes and nothing.

That app is great in concept, 100% useless in reality.

 

[TimUSCA]

The stand up notification has been garbage since the get go. The update was supposed to help it, it did a little but the app is still useless.

I still get the stand up notification when standing, just not as much.
The most anoying thing is when it tells me to stand and I do and it never registers it. I'll stand for up to 10 minutes and nothing.

That app is great in concept, 100% useless in reality.

That's odd - it works perfectly for me. I can't fool it when I'm sitting, and it always registers when I'm standing.

 

[AAPLBull]

Another overlooked thing is due to how fast the Watch charges, one can easily sleep wearing it. I've done it almost every night since I got it Friday. The only problem with that is it then keeps telling you to stand up and move.

Put the watch in 'Do Not Disturb' mode. The alarm will still work but no other disturbing notifications. I've been sleeping with mine as well as I have always worn a watch and feel uncomfortable when it's not there. I make sure it is charged fully before I go to bed and always have enough for the next day.

 

[Mac 128]

But you still get notifications. I can see it being very useful if your phone dies.

Imagine going to the gym, you could leave your phone at home and do pretty much everything you might otherwise do with your phone while at the gym.

The irony is that the watch is responsible in part for draining your iPhone.

People are already leaving their phones in locker rooms out of bluetooth range and actually communicating with the phone on the gym's wifi network. Once the watch is set up, then sure, leave the phone in the car.

But yes, just visit your favorite hangouts, like the local coffee house, with your phone, and then you can stop in without your phone and still use your watch. That's been a huge draw for me if I can use the watch for surfing, since I can't carry keys, or money in my board shorts or wetsuit. When I stop into my local coffeehouse after a session, then my messages should pop up. Now they just need to make a waterproof case and I'm set.

 

[amirite]

I've been sleeping with mine as well as I have always worn a watch and feel uncomfortable when it's not there.

I've only been wearing one since the Apple Watch was rumored/announced and I already feel naked without one! Thanks for the tip.

 

[amirite]

The battery life on these things is seriously underrated. It's 9pm and I'm at 85%, woke at 11am and have topped up the charge maybe two times today.

I think Apple will realize people sleep in them anyway and add a sleep tracking feature. I hope so anyway... my sleep is something I really want to track, to help improve it.

 

[KojiH]

I had no idea that the Watch was able to do this.

I just tested it out at home by switching the paired phone to airplane mode and sending texts to that phone number from a different device. There was some delay but the Watch did seem to continue to receive the messages via my home WiFi network despite the phone's Wifi and Bluetooth antennas being turned off. There was a tiny red iPhone icon at the top of the Watch screen with a line through it to indicate that the Watch had lost contact with its paired phone.

My question is does the Watch remember each of the WiFi hotspots that the paired phone has connected to before? Or does it only remember the WiFi that it is currently connected to when the phone goes out of range or is turned off.

 

[amirite]

I had no idea that the Watch was able to do this.

I just tested it out at home by switching the paired phone to airplane mode and sending texts to that phone number from a different device. There was some delay but the Watch did seem to continue to receive the messages via my home WiFi network despite the phone's Wifi and Bluetooth antennas being turned off. There was a tiny red iPhone icon at the top of the Watch screen with a line through it to indicate that the Watch had lost contact with its paired phone.

My question is does the Watch remember each of the WiFi hotspots that the paired phone has connected to before? Or does it only remember the WiFi that it is currently connected to when the phone goes out of range or is turned off.

I think all of them, but I'll experiment when I can.

 

[Night Spring]

But you still get notifications. I can see it being very useful if your phone dies.
....
Imagine going to the gym, you could leave your phone at home and do pretty much everything you might otherwise do with your phone while at the gym.

Like I said, only places where I go regularly and have wifi is home and office. If my iPhone dies while in those places, I have a charger.

Someone else suggested hangouts like coffee shops with wifi. Yes, great for people who have regular hangouts like that. But I don't, and I'm sure there are other people like me. You asked why this feature isn't getting more attention, and I think part of the reason is that not everyone has places like a gym or coffee shop where they hang out, has wifi, and is close enough that not taking your phone is an option.

 

[mikezmac]

I wish they gave an option for always on display. Or even dimmed when your arm isn't raised. I have enough room battery to handle it. Just make an option to turn it off for those who don't like it always on.

 

[bangers]

I think Apple will realize people sleep in them anyway and add a sleep tracking feature. I hope so anyway... my sleep is something I really want to track, to help improve it.

I think Apple would love to do sleep tracking and likely already know how they are going to do it, but the battery life just wont let them. You may have plenty of battery left in the evening, but not all of us get to wake up at 11a.

Im guessing that battery life is the #1 item on the improvement list, and with each improvement they will introduce more features that they have had to hold off on.

 

[Mr.C]

Like I said, only places where I go regularly and have wifi is home and office. If my iPhone dies while in those places, I have a charger.

Someone else suggested hangouts like coffee shops with wifi. Yes, great for people who have regular hangouts like that. But I don't, and I'm sure there are other people like me. You asked why this feature isn't getting more attention, and I think part of the reason is that not everyone has places like a gym or coffee shop where they hang out, has wifi, and is close enough that not taking your phone is an option.

You're right not everyone does but most people do. Wi-Fi is everywhere these days. I would say you're one of the exceptions rather then the rule.

 

[Night Spring]

You're right not everyone does but most people do. Wi-Fi is everywhere these days. I would say you're one of the exceptions rather then the rule.

I don't know where you are located, but in NYC, I haven't found many public wifi spots that are fast enough to be actually usable, and those that are usable require me to go through a sign in or use consent page, which I mostly don't bother signing in. I just rely on my iPhone and iPad's LTE connections.

I don't know which is the exception and which is the rule -- my general impression is that availability of wifi varies greatly by location.