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Yes, I know how they work. The point about pressure is that the shape of the watch has to be such that the sensors are pushed into your wrist. If ambient light gets between the sensors and your skin, it can't get a reading. If the watch back were completely flat, it would have a very difficult time getting a good reading.

Many other watches have the sensors protruding in some way, and they work best when the band is tight enough that those sensors will actually leave a bit of a mark in your wrist after wearing them.
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Garmin's also protrude. In fact on the new 235 they abandoned the slightly protruding sensor and sealing rubber light ring in favor of a more aggressive protrusion.

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I have the AW and thought i would enjoy wearing it for running. I have to say that i wanted it to work because the Fenix 3 is huge but i have went back to the F3. I have been thinking about picking up either a 235 or a 630!!! i wear the chest strap now while running so i don't NEED the built in HR sensor but would like to get away from the bulkiness of the F3. Please let me know how much you like the 235 and if you are aware of the sizes of the F3 next to the 235. Id like to order tonite if you see this in time!!!! Thanks.
 
Actually I have the Forerunner 235 and before that the Forerunner 225. I like the 235 - I wear it an inch above my wrist bone and do not need to secure it tight, just firm to get good readings. From what I have seen of the Fenix 3 the Fenix is quite a bit larger than the 235.

I have the AW and thought i would enjoy wearing it for running. I have to say that i wanted it to work because the Fenix 3 is huge but i have went back to the F3. I have been thinking about picking up either a 235 or a 630!!! i wear the chest strap now while running so i don't NEED the built in HR sensor but would like to get away from the bulkiness of the F3. Please let me know how much you like the 235 and if you are aware of the sizes of the F3 next to the 235. Id like to order tonite if you see this in time!!!! Thanks.
 
Actually I have the Forerunner 235 and before that the Forerunner 225. I like the 235 - I wear it an inch above my wrist bone and do not need to secure it tight, just firm to get good readings. From what I have seen of the Fenix 3 the Fenix is quite a bit larger than the 235.
Thanks! i really do want something smaller than the F3 with enough capabilities to make me a better runner. (Half marathons etc) Id like to be able to comfortably wear it all day and night. The AW is nice but with the way garmin tracks sleep and everything it is hard to beat.
 
I have the AW and thought i would enjoy wearing it for running. I have to say that i wanted it to work because the Fenix 3 is huge but i have went back to the F3. I have been thinking about picking up either a 235 or a 630!!! i wear the chest strap now while running so i don't NEED the built in HR sensor but would like to get away from the bulkiness of the F3. Please let me know how much you like the 235 and if you are aware of the sizes of the F3 next to the 235. Id like to order tonite if you see this in time!!!! Thanks.

I have the 225 not the 235. I wore it all the time before I got the AW, so the AW feels slim and tiny in comparison. I gather the 235 is even bigger still?

As far as serious tracking, the Garmin is so much better it's not much of a contest at the moment. No need for a chest strap with the 235 either, and Garmin's wrist HR is pretty good.
 
I have the 225 not the 235. I wore it all the time before I got the AW, so the AW feels slim and tiny in comparison. I gather the 235 is even bigger still?

As far as serious tracking, the Garmin is so much better it's not much of a contest at the moment. No need for a chest strap with the 235 either, and Garmin's wrist HR is pretty good.
Thanks! From what I have read the 235 is smaller than the 225 but the screen size has been increased. I like the 42 AW and I think what I read about the 235 it is only a 46mm
 
As previously said, I have had my sport since May and I hardly feel it on my wrist anymore. Give it some time. Especially if you're not used to wearing a watch. It took me a little bit to get used to it being on my wrist, as I was not previously a watch "wearer"
 
As previously said, I have had my sport since May and I hardly feel it on my wrist anymore. Give it some time. Especially if you're not used to wearing a watch. It took me a little bit to get used to it being on my wrist, as I was not previously a watch "wearer"

Please, did you not read my opening post?

For the record, I am used to wearing watches. For the last 5-6 years I've been wearing a Swiss made watch, with a flat metal casing.
 
I'm back at work after the weekend, and I'm having some problems with the screen locking again. Apparently, the problem is that the sleeve of my shirt slides in between the watch and my wrist, causing the screen to lock. The Exchange server for my mail account has a policy that enforces the code lock on my phone and watch, so there's no way of disabling the lock, without turning off mail and calendar synchronization (which are the main features of the watch, in my opinion).

I hope this issue will be considered in future software updates.
 
I'm back at work after the weekend, and I'm having some problems with the screen locking again. Apparently, the problem is that the sleeve of my shirt slides in between the watch and my wrist, causing the screen to lock. The Exchange server for my mail account has a policy that enforces the code lock on my phone and watch, so there's no way of disabling the lock, without turning off mail and calendar synchronization (which are the main features of the watch, in my opinion).

I hope this issue will be considered in future software updates.

i don't understand how this could happen... do you have any wrist photos with watch and shirt?
 
Yeah, there is no way a cuff could get under my watch enough to lock the screen. I think you may just not be comfortable with how tight a watch like this is designed to be worn.
 
I have this feeling sometimes, when i think about it (like right now because you make me think about it),

i just move the watch or push it so the air can go through like 2,3 seconds and i'm good... But i agree the round plastic back can be annoying sometimes
 
i don't understand how this could happen... do you have any wrist photos with watch and shirt?
Here is a picture. Apparently, this is enough to cause the screen to lock.
 

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Here is a picture. Apparently, this is enough to cause the screen to lock.

from this picture it looks like you're wearing it wrong - it looks like its on or below your wrist bone? that won't help with good fit at all.

for the shirt to get under like that, it must be too loose. i think perhaps the positioning as i said, wouldn't help matters wither with the gap below.

while this won't help you now (unless you're in your return period still?) the 42mm looks like it is too big (and/or your cuffs too tight) to wear with that shirt.

what size was the swiss mechanical you had previously. did you try the 38mm?
 
I'm 6'3 tall, and the small 38mm was never an option. I'm used to wearing larger watches, both mechanical and quartz driven. The notion that I don't know how to wear a watch, is more amusing than helpful, I'm afraid. Any good watch should be able to be worn as the owner sees fit, as long as it doesn't fall off the arm.

As you can see in the picture, the watch is clearly on my wrist. The fact that there's some shirt fabric in between the watch and my skin should never be enough to make the watch believe I have taken the watch off.

I can see two solutions possible solutions to this:
  1. Put some kind of sensors in the bands, to make the watch recognise wether the band is open or closed. If the band is closed, and the sensor detected skin (or the watch was unlocked) when the band became closed, it should consider the watch as being on the wrist until the band is opened again.
  2. Make a feature that lets you calibrate the watch for the fabrics of your choice. So you can put the sensor on your shirt, and tell the watch to consider itself as being on the wrist, whenever the sensor detects this particular fabric instead of skin.
I have reported this problem to Apple, so hopefully they will consider it for future software updates.
 
Wearing it loose should have an effect on the HR monitor, but it should not be locking the watch. I can move my watch as much as I like, including lifting the back entirely away from my skin, and the watch does not lock. I think something is not working right on your watch.
 
I can also move and lift the watch without problems. It is when a piece of shirt fabric comes in between the watch and my skin that the watch becomes locked.
 
This is a problem literally I've only ever seen mentioned by yourself.

It won't be fixed by software because there's absolutely no way a heart rate sensor can detect different types of fabric. That's absurd.


Apple watch is designed to be worn above the wristbone. Not on it. Look at all of apples promotional material...

The reason I asked if you considered the 38mm is that 1) it looks quite large on your wrist, whether you're 3'6" or 6'3". And more so 2) with the smaller model the sport band would cling to the sides of your wrist more, rather than providing a gap for your shirt to get under as it wouldn't hang off your wrist as much before bending down. There's no reason to get defensive about it.

At this juncture your best bet is to buy some new shirts with cuffs big enough to actually go over the watch. Or fold the cuffs back like the sartorially sharp Apple guy, Eddy Cue.
 
It won't be fixed by software because there's absolutely no way a heart rate sensor can detect different types of fabric. That's absurd.
I believe the wrist detection works by the watch emitting light, and reading and recognizing the wavelength that is reflected by the skin. This works even if the heart rate sensor is disabled. It should be possible to configure the sensor to recognize and treat other wavelengths the same way as skin.
 
Yeah, there is no way a cuff could get under my watch enough to lock the screen. I think you may just not be comfortable with how tight a watch like this is designed to be worn.
Then you are wearing the watch too tightly. When worn normally there is enough of a gap where the sleeve of a shirt can be pushed into during use. It happens all the time with my watches, especially with the one that has a dome similar to the Apple Watch. If you look at some "what are you wearing" (WRUW) topics at various watch forums you'll see the phenomenon occurring an awful lot.

from this picture it looks like you're wearing it wrong - it looks like its on or below your wrist bone? that won't help with good fit at all.
As far a watch he is wearing it correctly. Watches shouldn't be worn too tightly as this is bad for your body. Due to blood vessels being squeezed the risk of getting thrombosis in that area is a bit higher than normally. One needs to be able to put a finger between wrist and band easily. The watch simply has the wrong kind of sensors since these need to be in contact with the skin and thus require you to wear it too tightly.

I believe the wrist detection works by the watch emitting light, and reading and recognizing the wavelength that is reflected by the skin. This works even if the heart rate sensor is disabled. It should be possible to configure the sensor to recognize and treat other wavelengths the same way as skin.
That's the same thing I recall. The watch uses the sensors not only to monitor heart rate but also to detect if it is on. If the sleeve slides between the sensor and skin (which is possible) it can cause the watch to think it is off the wrist and thus lock itself. It might require a certain timeout, meaning that it will only do this if it doesn't detect skin for x time.

No matter how much Apple wants the Apple Watch to be a watch, it just isn't. Just like very other smartwatch it's a wrist computer. Luckily Microsoft figured that one out and calls its version "Band", a name that far better reflects what it actually is.
 
I'm not finding any solid info on how the AW's infrared sensors work (a cursory DuckDuckGo search brings up tons of rumor posts and launch day coverage), but just so we're clear -- the green LEDs do not turn on just for skin detection. The sensor array might just be looking for warm skin via the infrared sensors.
 
Then you are wearing the watch too tightly. When worn normally there is enough of a gap where the sleeve of a shirt can be pushed into during use. It happens all the time with my watches, especially with the one that has a dome similar to the Apple Watch. If you look at some "what are you wearing" (WRUW) topics at various watch forums you'll see the phenomenon occurring an awful lot.


As far a watch he is wearing it correctly. Watches shouldn't be worn too tightly as this is bad for your body. Due to blood vessels being squeezed the risk of getting thrombosis in that area is a bit higher than normally. One needs to be able to put a finger between wrist and band easily. The watch simply has the wrong kind of sensors since these need to be in contact with the skin and thus require you to wear it too tightly.


That's the same thing I recall. The watch uses the sensors not only to monitor heart rate but also to detect if it is on. If the sleeve slides between the sensor and skin (which is possible) it can cause the watch to think it is off the wrist and thus lock itself. It might require a certain timeout, meaning that it will only do this if it doesn't detect skin for x time.

No matter how much Apple wants the Apple Watch to be a watch, it just isn't. Just like very other smartwatch it's a wrist computer. Luckily Microsoft figured that one out and calls its version "Band", a name that far better reflects what it actually is.

If you want anything resembling accurate heart rate from current wrist based sensors, especially during activity, your advice just isn't true. Every optical wrist-worn watch that measures HR needs to be worn a bit tighter than a regular watch. Read any legitimate review of one and this will come up. If you don't care about the HR, go ahead and wear it loose.
 
No matter how much Apple wants the Apple Watch to be a watch, it just isn't. Just like very other smartwatch it's a wrist computer. Luckily Microsoft figured that one out and calls its version "Band", a name that far better reflects what it actually is.

That's the summary of the man who wanted a faster horse.
 
If you want anything resembling accurate heart rate from current wrist based sensors, especially during activity, your advice just isn't true.
Then you missed the point completely. The current sensors are simply the wrong ones because they require you to do something that is entirely against the advice from doctors. And this isn't something unknown, they've been warning about this for decades.

That's the summary of the man who wanted a faster horse.
It really helps if you look at these things from an electronic device point of view instead of a watch point of view. The problem with most of these smartwatches is that they try to be like the traditional ones. They are too different for that and allow for far more possibilities. You can see it in the discussions as well where people consider it to be a replacement for the watch they are currently wearing. This is why a lot of the normal watch-wearers do not want a smartwatch. You'll also need to have this different mindset to actually see the potential of these new devices (too many people are currently completely puzzled about the use of a smartwatch and do not see why they'd need one). If smartwatches want to succeed they really need to change the mindset.
 
10-15 hours a day of wear and no issues here. The sensors do not have to be "pushed into" the skin, that's not how they work. Apple teaches employees that fit the watch when sold to secure the band with one finger under it so that proper fit is made. I have found that during the day I may need to loosen or tighten the band depending upon my activity and the ambient temperature. Fluid retention of some individuals cause their wrists (as well as ankles, etc.) to swell during activity thus tightening such things as watches, bracelets even clothes to feel snugger.
 
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