What's a smart watch good for besides the obvious?

[nottorp]

Been looking at smart watches, Apple or not, since they first showed up. Because, you know, NEW ELECTRONIC TOYS!

So far - and it's been years - I see only two uses for them: seeing your notifications faster and measuring your health/workouts.

Unfortunately I keep my notifications off and my workouts are martial arts where a smartwatch hinders (well anything on your wrist hinders) and won't survive long, so I can't justify the toy via that.

So my question is: are there any less known uses for a smartwatch? Especially Apple that in theory has apps extending the default functionality.

 

[BenGoren]

For me, my Ultra is my smartphone. It does everything that early smartphones did better than they did, and it does more. For example, it’s a better speakerphone than even the one on the Xs; mail and messages are easy to read and send; the calendar and to-dos are practical no-brainers, navigation is a breeze … and then there’s all the activity and the rest.

(Does it do this as well as a modern smartphone? No. But it’s on my wrist, and the effort to dig out the phone is a bigger mental load than just using the watch that’s right there.)

My 13 mini is my pocket tablet, used almost exclusively for reading (including Web) and Duolingo.

Of course, there are others for whom it’s just jewelry. And many of them discover that they prefer a mechanical watch.

Whatever boats your float.

b&

 

[skyhawkmatthew]

In addition to the major uses you’ve noted - workouts/health and notifications - I enjoy having complications like temperature, AQI and sunrise/sunset there at a glance.

One of the biggest things for me, though, is Apple Pay/NFC. I use my watch to pay almost everywhere; it’s just so convenient almost never having to take my wallet out. This is even more significant where I live in Hong Kong: with Octopus on the watch I can just tap on/off public transport without really thinking about it; access to my apartment complex is done through Octopus too so again I can just hold my wrist to the reader without having to take out my wallet or the card every time.

 

[BenGoren]

In addition to the major uses you’ve noted - workouts/health and notifications - I enjoy having complications like temperature, AQI and sunrise/sunset there at a glance.

One of the biggest things for me, though, is Apple Pay/NFC. I use my watch to pay almost everywhere; it’s just so convenient almost never having to take my wallet out. This is even more significant where I live in Hong Kong: with Octopus on the watch I can just tap on/off public transport without really thinking about it; access to my apartment complex is done through Octopus too so again I can just hold my wrist to the reader without having to take out my wallet or the card every time.

Abso-friggin-lutely! Forgot to mention that one. And the one grocery store with a barcode loyalty code, I’ve got a photo of the barcode on the watch … so the checkout is to pull that up, let the clerk scan it, double-click the side button, tap the terminal, and start bagging.

Transit isn’t generally usable here in the metro Phoenix area … I mean, we have transit, but it’s so far spaced out, it runs so infrequently, and so often has disruptions that one never thinks to take it except in rare circumstances.

But we travel, especially to cities with decent transit. Most of those, the Watch works great. A few, like Chicago, you don’t even need to get a special card or app (except Metra … sigh). And Tokyo is like a dream … you don’t even break your stride as you go through the turnstile, you get an alert when your Suica balance goes below your preferred limit, and you can refill it on the watch while you’re on the train. (Plus, you never have to wait more than two minutes for a train or walk more than a half a mile or so to find one.)

Yes, you can use your phone. Or a physical card. But you have to dig it out and make sure you don’t drop it. Like I said, with the watch, you don’t even need to break your stride, and there’s nothing to dig out, put away, drop, or otherwise worry about.

Now, imagine when you’re dragging luggage from the airport (often our case), or a parent with kids or a stroller (my sympathies!), or have any kind of mobility challenge …

If you use transit, the watch is nigh-on a must-have.

b&

 

[cubodado]

I also use it often for loyalty cards, rather than pictures I use Stocard app to store them, I find it easier. Few games and sometimes calculator if watch is far. A remote to take pictures. Sunset and usable light times, tides, in the watch they are more handy than in the phone. Music, and a function I use quite often is the torch, I know where the watch is in full dark unlike the phone. And the light from the watch, tough dimmer, disturbs less sleeping people in the room rather than the phone flash.
Smartwatches have many functions many users don’t know there are and some of those can be useful.

 

[hanser]

Where to begin?

- timer function for everything, from brewing tea to having a short nap, or as a reminder to switch something off.
- music function together with Bluetooth earbuds
- Apple Pay is nice and easy on the watch, same other wallet items
- flashlight function is helpful, to find the way in the dark.
- calender which is now fully functional
- shopping lists via Reminders
- Weather on a glance
- and dozens of other uses. The Watch is really almost indispensable for me now, as somebody who does not likes to always reach for the smartphone.

 

[Abazigal]

For me, Apple Pay, and since I wear my watch at home for the health tracking as well, the convenience of being able to automatically unlock my iMac when I sit down in front of it. 😛

 

[tomtad]

The temperature on your wrist. Literally just that. I use it all the time

 

[Howard2k]

Controlling Spotify and AppleTV.

 

[nottorp]

Yeah well. Thanks. Still not much I care about

But I learned it has a torch mode. Could be useful except I don't wear my watches at home.

Of course, there are others for whom it’s just jewelry. And many of them discover that they prefer a mechanical watch.

Yep. Suddenly I feel the urge to buy one more mechanical

 

[deckard666]

Means I can swim in the sea every day and then head straight out the water to the beachside cafe and get a great coffee to take the cold south coast water edge off....

Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, Cornwall.​

 

[antipodean]

I think Apple Pay is the most underated use case. I've had several Apple Watches from the OG series 0 to the Apple Watch Ultra. It is truly liberating heading out without phone or wallet knowing you can still pay for things and can contact people (or be contacted) if needed.

 

[deckard666]

I really don’t know why apple don’t do just an apple pay band or ring - something super cheap like 20 quid that only does that.