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stu.h

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2010
1,386
582
West Midlands, England.
Come on people, get a grip.

Just because Tim announces a 18hr battery life, doesn't mean its going to last for 18hrs, it could last 32409 hrs

Wait until you have it in your hands, then bitch about it!!!!

:eek:
 
Come on people, get a grip.

Just because Tim announces a 18hr battery life, doesn't mean its going to last for 18hrs, it could last 32409 hrs

Wait until you have it in your hands, then bitch about it!!!!

:eek:

I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me exactly why 18 hours isn't enough.
 
I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me exactly why 18 hours isn't enough.

Many of us in the medical profession have to work 24-36 hour shifts when on-call a couple times per week. It would be difficult to make this my sole watch for that reason because I would have to switch what I use at work otherwise. It should be enough for those who work 9-5 jobs though. I do plan to still get an Apple Watch for when I am not working and just socializing.
 
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Many of us in the medical profession have to work 24-36 hour shifts when on-call a couple times per week. It would be difficult to make this my sole watch for that reason because I would have to switch what I use at work otherwise. It should be enough for those who work 9-5 jobs though. I do plan to still get an Apple Watch for when I am not working and just socializing.

I'm sure you get breaks - you can recharge it 80% in 1 1/2 hours. Plus, when the battery gets low it goes into power reserve, so you can tell the time for 72 hours.
 
I'm sure you get breaks - you can recharge it 80% in 1 1/2 hours. Plus, when the battery gets low it goes into power reserve, so you can tell the time for 72 hours.

I'm not complaining, just answering his question. I still plan to buy one. But what you are suggesting is quite inconvenient. After a long stressful shift, the last thing I want to do is stress more about finding an outlet and charging my watch (or even having to bring the cord with me). It's too bad because we do communicate with co-workers on different floors with texts and use our iPhone for medical apps a lot. I'll just have to continue pulling that out of my white coat if I don't wish to worry about charging a watch during my breaks. I'd like to add that none of my breaks are 1.5 hours long and I would never want to leave it charging unattended outside of a locker because theft or missing items are very common (i.e. someone had money stolen out of their purse, missing stethoscopes, etc.). As I said, I understand that technology just has not developed yet to the point I can use it worry-free, so I will enjoy an Apple Watch for socializing outside of work.
 
I'm sure you get breaks - you can recharge it 80% in 1 1/2 hours. Plus, when the battery gets low it goes into power reserve, so you can tell the time for 72 hours.

I had hoped to replace my Garmin fenix 3 with an :apple:Watch, but a multi-day hike is out. In fact a long day hike would probably exhaust the battery in an :apple:Watch, or a long bike ride. The fenix 3 gets 50-something hours of UltraTrac GPS mode, 16ish on regular GPS, and over a week with no GPS. I understand that Apple are not marketing this to me, and until they fix the battery, it will never work for endurance athletes and backpackers. Outside of that use case, I think there will be a lot of "power" users for whom the battery will be a stretch, and no, charging it in the middle of the day is not a fix, it is a nuisance.
 
I had hoped to replace my Garmin fenix 3 with an :apple:Watch, but a multi-day hike is out. In fact a long day hike would probably exhaust the battery in an :apple:Watch, or a long bike ride. The fenix 3 gets 50-something hours of UltraTrac GPS mode, 16ish on regular GPS, and over a week with no GPS. I understand that Apple are not marketing this to me, and until they fix the battery, it will never work for endurance athletes and backpackers. Outside of that use case, I think there will be a lot of "power" users for whom the battery will be a stretch, and no, charging it in the middle of the day is not a fix, it is a nuisance.

In your case, I wouldn't suggest you replace your garmin with any smart watch. Your watch is specifically a GPS watch for that intended usage. No smart watch can do what the garmin is intended to be used for, and vice versa.

And I don't know what "power" usage of a smart watch means. Extended phone calls? long text messages? Watching videos? cross country road trips? is that what you mean?
 
In your case, I wouldn't suggest you replace your garmin with any smart watch. Your watch is specifically a GPS watch for that intended usage. No smart watch can do what the garmin is intended to be used for, and vice versa.

And I don't know what "power" usage of a smart watch means. Extended phone calls? long text messages? Watching videos? cross country road trips? is that what you mean?

You are correct. I had hoped that Apple would do to GPS activity watches what it did with cell phones. I think we are a very long ways off from that.

As for "power" user, I am referring to the globetrotter type. Or the person who workouts and then goes and has a 12 hour workday and gets 100 emails. Not a common case, for sure, but I suspect the battery may end up being a bit more of an issue for these types of users. The thing is, you need to be able to trust your watch. The first time it dies at 7:30 is the last time you trust it. At that point it goes from important, useful tool, to a novelty. Apple needs to hope that is a rare occurrence.
 
Many of us in the medical profession have to work 24-36 hour shifts when on-call a couple times per week. It would be difficult to make this my sole watch for that reason because I would have to switch what I use at work otherwise. It should be enough for those who work 9-5 jobs though. I do plan to still get an Apple Watch for when I am not working and just socializing.

Unless you're already wearing a smartwatch, the 72-hour power reserve mode is no less useful than your dumbwatch.
 
Unless you're already wearing a smartwatch, the 72-hour power reserve mode is no less useful than your dumbwatch.

I would imagine the whole point of wearing an :apple:Watch is the smart features. Really, all of it's features become novelties if you cannot trust it to work every time on demand. Power reserve is really not a fix for anything.
 
I would imagine the whole point of wearing an :apple:Watch is the smart features. Really, all of it's features become novelties if you cannot trust it to work every time on demand. Power reserve is really not a fix for anything.

While true, would you simply stick with your dumbwatch rather than use the smart features some of the time along with the power reserve mode if you have to work a 24-36 hour shift?
 
Unless you're already wearing a smartwatch, the 72-hour power reserve mode is no less useful than your dumbwatch.

Agreed. This is how it goes with first generation products. The fact that I can use it as a watch for that many hours means it is not without usefulness. Ergo, it's still a watch. And I still have my phone.

If everyone using this device is reporting that they REALLY need 24 hours of battery, or 48 hours of battery, Apple will figure out how to make this work for future generations of the watch.
 
While true, would you simply stick with your dumbwatch rather than use the smart features some of the time along with the power reserve mode if you have to work a 24-36 hour shift?

Let me put it this way. I don't use Siri for the simple fact that she does what I want about 85% of the time. That 15% always seems to come at the time I need her most, so I do not depend on her at all, which leads to me never using her. I don't think I am alone in that. With Siri, it's just an unused feature on a device that does so much more. However, if that type of situation happens on the :apple:Watch with battery life, you are talking about not depending on the device as a whole. It can't work only part of the time. It has to work 100% of the time.
 
You are correct. I had hoped that Apple would do to GPS activity watches what it did with cell phones. I think we are a very long ways off from that.

As for "power" user, I am referring to the globetrotter type. Or the person who workouts and then goes and has a 12 hour workday and gets 100 emails. Not a common case, for sure, but I suspect the battery may end up being a bit more of an issue for these types of users. The thing is, you need to be able to trust your watch. The first time it dies at 7:30 is the last time you trust it. At that point it goes from important, useful tool, to a novelty. Apple needs to hope that is a rare occurrence.

True, but if you're working a 12 hour shift, you probably won't be using your watch or phone for most of it, and the battery only really depletes as its being used.

Since no one has tested to see if the battery will last as long as apple says (and I have no reason to doubt them), we can only go by the info we've been given.

an 18 hour day consist of: 90 time checks, 90 notifs, 45 minutes in an app (not concurrently, I'm sure) & a 30-minute workout WITH music playback via bluetooth (not with the music you already put on the watch, which would probably save battery even more). if 12 out of these 18 hours consists of working, you would probably be using the watch for quick time checks mainly, probably 1 or 2 an hour. 5 time checks an hour in 24 hours with a full charge can let the battery last for 48 hours, according to info we were given. so a few checks here and there throughout the rest of the day most likely won't eat up the rest of the battery after the workout. I still think 18 hours is enough, but we won't know for sure until its out.
 
Unless you're already wearing a smartwatch, the 72-hour power reserve mode is no less useful than your dumbwatch.

This statement is incorrect. According to the provided link, "Once the battery gets too low on the smartwatch, the gadget goes into a Power Reserve mode that lets you see the time for up to 72 hours from the moment it’s activated — that’s good for checking the time each hour for four times, with each check lasting 4 seconds."

So if I wish to do simple things such as time a patient's pulse, respiratory rate, and other similar timing functions (which take approximately 15-60 seconds per patient) that my dumbwatch would allow me to do, I would not be able to do this with the Apple Watch even in Power Reserve mode. Even using it as a stopwatch or countdown would likely be out of the question based on the short intervals the Power Reserve Mode would allow.

Link: http://bgr.com/2015/03/10/apple-watch-battery-power-reserve/

Again, this is not a complaint. I am still very excited to purchase one for social usage, but simply responding to a poster's original question on what situations would require more than 18 hours. I definitely look forward to greater battery life in the future, but will happy to try one out for what it is as a first generation product.
 
I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me exactly why 18 hours isn't enough.

Delta.com said:
ATL to MXP (Atlanta to Milan)
12:05 PM, 08:45 AM
ARRIVES NEXT DAY
ViewDetails
Flight NumberDL 478, Flight NumberDL 418
TRAVEL TIME14h 40m 1 STOP
View Seats
Business (I) |
Business (I)
In-flight services amenities:
Flat-Bed Seat Wi-Fi Live Satellite TV Personal Entertainment 110V AC Power + More
Complete Delta Air Lines Baggage Information opens in new window
DETAILS OF DL 478 FROM ATL TO JFK
DEPARTSMon, 06 Apr 12:05 PM from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl (ATL)
ARRIVES Mon, 06 Apr 2:25 PM at John F Kennedy International (JFK)
FLIGHTDL 478 Travel Time 2h 20m In-flight services amenities:undefined undefined undefined undefined undefined undefined
AIRCRAFTBoeing 757-200 View Seats for DL 478 from ATL to JFK Meal Services
LAYOVER in New York-Kennedy, NY 4h 3m - You change planes in JFK
DETAILS OF DL 418 FROM JFK TO MXP
DEPARTSMon, 06 Apr 6:28 PM from John F Kennedy International (JFK)
ARRIVES Arrives Next Day Tue, 07 Apr 08:45 AM at Malpensa Arpt (MXP)
FLIGHTDL 418 Travel Time 8h 17m In-flight services amenities:undefined undefined undefined undefined undefined undefined
AIRCRAFT Airbus A330-300 View Seats for DL 418 from JFK to MXP Meal Services

Round that up to the nearest hour and allow an hour to drive to the airport plus the airline-recommended minimum of arriving 2 hrs before departure for international. That gives us:

1hr + 2hrs + 15hrs = your watch dies as the wheels touch the tarmac in Milan. The other guy's automatic watch is fully wound and has been the entire flight.

Bon voyage!
 
Round that up to the nearest hour and allow an hour to drive to the airport plus the airline-recommended minimum of arriving 2 hrs before departure for international. That gives us:

1hr + 2hrs + 15hrs = your watch dies as the wheels touch the tarmac in Milan. The other guy's automatic watch is fully wound and has been the entire flight.

Bon voyage!

is this like an everyday thing?

cause if you're sitting on a plane for 15 hours a day everyday, I don't really see the point in you relying on your smart watch, (and that's every smart watch) for your notifications, text messages, phone calls, emails, using the heart rate monitor while working out, and playing music, which is all the things that consist of the 18 hours we were given. Your average person would probably choose to use their phones for those things since they are just sitting down, and their watch as a timepiece, maybe. Using it as just a timepiece would make the battery last up to 48 hours, according to the info we received from Apple.

All that to say, I don't see any point in stating this certain situation.
 
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Round that up to the nearest hour and allow an hour to drive to the airport plus the airline-recommended minimum of arriving 2 hrs before departure for international. That gives us:

1hr + 2hrs + 15hrs = your watch dies as the wheels touch the tarmac in Milan. The other guy's automatic watch is fully wound and has been the entire flight.

Bon voyage!

Who the hell cares if the watch dies during a plane trip. That would also mean you were in playing a game like soduko during the flight. If you're concerned about a watch dying during a 14hour flight, plug it in and let it charge while you fly.
 
This statement is incorrect. According to the provided link, "Once the battery gets too low on the smartwatch, the gadget goes into a Power Reserve mode that lets you see the time for up to 72 hours from the moment it’s activated — that’s good for checking the time each hour for four times, with each check lasting 4 seconds."

So if I wish to do simple things such as time a patient's pulse, respiratory rate, and other similar timing functions (which take approximately 15-60 seconds per patient) that my dumbwatch would allow me to do, I would not be able to do this with the Apple Watch even in Power Reserve mode. Even using it as a stopwatch or countdown would likely be out of the question based on the short intervals the Power Reserve Mode would allow.

Link: http://bgr.com/2015/03/10/apple-watch-battery-power-reserve/

Again, this is not a complaint. I am still very excited to purchase one for social usage, but simply responding to a poster's original question on what situations would require more than 18 hours. I definitely look forward to greater battery life in the future, but will happy to try one out for what it is as a first generation product.
Certain jobs (like yours) would require a longer battery life (assuming you aren't using an electronic heartrate/blood pressure cuff?) But, if I had your job, I would be using an analog watch, assuming I had to manually check patients pulses all the time. Just makes more sense.

People will no doubt complain about lack of battery life with this watch (along with a list of other complaints that will see plastered all over this board), but the fact is Apple is open about the lack of battery life and has made it public. If someone has reservations, don't buy it. Or buy it, but don't depend on it for certain jobs.

I'm not a fan of the Apple Watch, but no one can complain about Apple not giving you the facts about its short battery life.

P.S. This is more of a general statement (not really directed at you specifically).
 
is this like an everyday thing?

International, maybe not everyday.

But thinking about it, domestic travel days can get just as long: Leave house 4:30 AM --> Airport --> Office --> Dinner/drinks out --> get to hotel at 10:00 PM = 17.5 hrs. Many will recognize this schedule.

Travel is stressful enough without another battery letting you down or needing to carry another gizmo to charge it (which is always in the other bag! :))
 
Who the hell cares if the watch dies during a plane trip. That would also mean you were in playing a game like soduko during the flight. If you're concerned about a watch dying during a 14hour flight, plug it in and let it charge while you fly.

What if you forget the proprietary charger? To bad Apple didn't use a common wireless standard like Qi. Or USB. Cause you can pick those up just about anywhere for cheap.

J/K - Playing devil's advocate. :p
 
International, maybe not everyday.

But thinking about it, domestic travel days can get just as long: Leave house 4:30 AM --> Airport --> Office --> Dinner/drinks out --> get to hotel at 10:00 PM = 17.5 hrs. Many will recognize this schedule.

Travel is stressful enough without another battery letting you down or needing to carry another gizmo to charge it (which is always in the other bag! :))

but that's just like a one day, every once in a while, maybe even every few months for a lot of people, thing right?
 
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