Would the Apple Watch be a good accessory for someone who doesn't use his iPhone very extensively?

[kylera]

I have an iPhone 5C, and I am someone who tends to upgrade to the previous generation based on whatever is the latest model of the iPhone at the time. For all intents and purposes, my iPhone is mostly my iMessage, tasker, fitness and notification device.

Moreover, I am easily prone to missing calls and texts, but I hate enabling sound notifications and ringtones. The only times I hear ringtones are when I am listening to music and I get an incoming call.

Based on these characteristics, the Apple Watch may fit my bill pretty well; to my understanding, any notifications you get on the phone also pop up on the watch. However, I have a few questions.

1. Are third-party companion apps for iPhone apps as slow as everyone makes them out to be? A fair number of apps I use on a frequent basis have some cool Apple Watch features that I can see myself using.

2. Long-term, can I expect an Apple Watch to outlast an iPhone in terms of wear and tear?

3. When an Apple Watch is paired to an iPhone and you get a notification from any app, what happens? Does the iPhone also light up, or is it only the Apple Watch that lights up to let you know?

 

[MacCubed]

I have an iPhone 5C, and I am someone who tends to upgrade to the previous generation based on whatever is the latest model of the iPhone at the time. For all intents and purposes, my iPhone is mostly my iMessage, tasker, fitness and notification device.

Moreover, I am easily prone to missing calls and texts, but I hate enabling sound notifications and ringtones. The only times I hear ringtones are when I am listening to music and I get an incoming call.

Based on these characteristics, the Apple Watch may fit my bill pretty well; to my understanding, any notifications you get on the phone also pop up on the watch. However, I have a few questions.

1. Are third-party companion apps for iPhone apps as slow as everyone makes them out to be? A fair number of apps I use on a frequent basis have some cool Apple Watch features that I can see myself using.

2. Long-term, can I expect an Apple Watch to outlast an iPhone in terms of wear and tear?

3. When an Apple Watch is paired to an iPhone and you get a notification from any app, what happens? Does the iPhone also light up, or is it only the Apple Watch that lights up to let you know?

1. They are pretty slow, as they are stored on the Watch, but have to sync data from the iPhone. I don't have too many apps on my Watch because I don't use them
2. It depends on the model that you get, the stainless steel hides scratches quite well, but the Sport will show marks much more since it is anodized aluminum. Also, the ION-X glass on the Sport is supposed to take scuffs better than the sapphire glass on the SS. Another thing to consider is band durability. The sport band is one of the least durable bands only because the rubber flakes off easily. Bands will also show wear easily, but can be replaced.
3. If you are wearing you Watch, your phone stays off and you get a pulse on your wrist. If your watch is off of your wrist, the phone stays paired to it, but it detects that the watch is off your wrist, so the phone will light up.

 

[kylera]

1. They are pretty slow, as they are stored on the Watch, but have to sync data from the iPhone. I don't have too many apps on my Watch because I don't use them

Would you mind sharing which apps you use on the Apple Watch and your experiences with them? I've seen on some posts here how it's faster to take out the phone and check the app directly, but I imagine that's because of Touch ID. I obviously don't have Touch ID and I don't really plan on getting a new iPhone until either I lose my current one or it becomes not worth repairing if it breaks.

2. It depends on the model that you get, the stainless steel hides scratches quite well, but the Sport will show marks much more since it is anodized aluminum. Also, the ION-X glass on the Sport is supposed to take scuffs better than the sapphire glass on the SS. Another thing to consider is band durability. The sport band is one of the least durable bands only because the rubber flakes off easily. Bands will also show wear easily, but can be replaced.

So it's basically a choice between better glass and better body, but not both, relatively speaking?

3. If you are wearing you Watch, your phone stays off and you get a pulse on your wrist. If your watch is off of your wrist, the phone stays paired to it, but it detects that the watch is off your wrist, so the phone will light up.

Have you noticed any change in iPhone battery usage as a result? Or does the constant connection between the watch and the phone negate the battery saving you get from not having the phone light up all the time?

 

[MacCubed]

Would you mind sharing which apps you use on the Apple Watch and your experiences with them? I've seen on some posts here how it's faster to take out the phone and check the app directly, but I imagine that's because of Touch ID. I obviously don't have Touch ID and I don't really plan on getting a new iPhone until either I lose my current one or it becomes not worth repairing if it breaks.



So it's basically a choice between better glass and better body, but not both, relatively speaking?



Have you noticed any change in iPhone battery usage as a result? Or does the constant connection between the watch and the phone negate the battery saving you get from not having the phone light up all the time?

1. I have Instagram, ESPN, Broncos365 (Denver Broncos specific app), Soundcloud, MyVerizon, Slack, and Trivia Crack. Some run better than others, I have had issues with ESPN, Instagram is definitely the fastest.

2. It really depends on whether you want the SS or Aluminum. From experience, the Sapphire glass on the SS is really durable, I have bumped it around and there are no scratches on the screen.

3. They do negate each other, but there are always factors thrown in on usage stats, the amount of messages/things the phone does when it is locked, and if the phone is searching for service. None of these relate to the Watch itself, but if you are in any group chats, the constant sending will eat your battery

 

[kylera]

1. I have Instagram, ESPN, Broncos365 (Denver Broncos specific app), Soundcloud, MyVerizon, Slack, and Trivia Crack. Some run better than others, I have had issues with ESPN, Instagram is definitely the fastest.

2. It really depends on whether you want the SS or Aluminum. From experience, the Sapphire glass on the SS is really durable, I have bumped it around and there are no scratches on the screen.

3. They do negate each other, but there are always factors thrown in on usage stats, the amount of messages/things the phone does when it is locked, and if the phone is searching for service. None of these relate to the Watch itself, but if you are in any group chats, the constant sending will eat your battery

Thanks for the replies. I'm still open to opinions from other readers

 

[CobraPA]

If you are in an area where you are authenticated on wifi, or in range of your phone for bluetooth, then the message notifications alone with silent wrist vibration are worth it, I think. Phone calls behave the same way, wrist vibrates, you can glance down and see if you want to take the call then (caller id / contact info shows up on call ring.)

As to 1, it really depends on the app. They do seem to take a couple seconds the first time you launch them in a lot of cases. After that, they usually start fast, unless they are data intensive. Watch apps can use data on the watch and be faster, but not many seem to yet.

 

[sean000]

I have an iPhone 5C, and I am someone who tends to upgrade to the previous generation based on whatever is the latest model of the iPhone at the time. For all intents and purposes, my iPhone is mostly my iMessage, tasker, fitness and notification device.

The Apple Watch excels as a notification device, it's very convenient for quick replies to iMessages, a number of task apps have watch apps, and it's a pretty good fitness device (it has its flaws in this area compared to more specialized fitness devices, but in some ways I prefer it to my old Fitbit).

Moreover, I am easily prone to missing calls and texts, but I hate enabling sound notifications and ringtones. The only times I hear ringtones are when I am listening to music and I get an incoming call.

Based on these characteristics, the Apple Watch may fit my bill pretty well; to my understanding, any notifications you get on the phone also pop up on the watch. However, I have a few questions.

You can choose to receive the same notifications on the watch that you get on the iPhone or customize things a bit. My favorite thing is to keep the notifications on the watch and the iPhone silent, so I just get taps on the wrist. Sometimes I won't notice the tap if I am doing something that masks the sensation (like riding my bike on a bumpy trail) but the next time I glance at my watch I will see the red dot that lets me know I missed a notification.

1. Are third-party companion apps for iPhone apps as slow as everyone makes them out to be? A fair number of apps I use on a frequent basis have some cool Apple Watch features that I can see myself using.

Some third party apps actually perform better than the Apple counterparts in my experience. Watch OS updates have significantly improved performance, but not all third party apps are created equal. Third party apps that run natively on the watch are generally better, but sometimes you have to try a couple of competing apps to find the one that is more responsive and reliable. Fantastical Calendar and Carrot Weather are two watch apps I use frequently that perform really well.

2. Long-term, can I expect an Apple Watch to outlast an iPhone in terms of wear and tear?

Hard to say. My AW Sport looks new after six or seven months of daily wear. I don't baby it, but I will take it off for yard work. I do rotate between three different straps (well, two third party straps I wear most of the time). Of course it is a bit exposed to potential accidents while being worn on your wrist, so you could consider getting Apple Care + since that will cover accidental damage. Will the current generation watch pair well with a next generation iPhone? Hard to say without a crystal ball, but I would bet that the current watch will be supported for years to come... but new generations will bring new features that will require the latest iPhone and Apple Watch.

3. When an Apple Watch is paired to an iPhone and you get a notification from any app, what happens? Does the iPhone also light up, or is it only the Apple Watch that lights up to let you know?

If the iPhone is locked then the notification goes to the watch and I feel a tap on my wrist. I can go to notifications on my iPhone and see the notification there as well, but my iPhone will not light up or make a sound. If my iPhone is on and unlocked, the notifications will ding on my iPhone if I have the sound on, instead of going to my watch.

Sean

 

[zhenya]

The AW is at its best as a notifications device. If that's your primary need - something to let you leave your phone in a bag, pocket, at your desk, etc. then the watch is worth it for that alone. 3rd party apps are really slow, there is no question about that. Sometimes they work fine, sometimes I go to look at the weather say with wunderground and it may take 30 seconds or a minute to update even on wifi. Sometimes it's fast. This is the biggest weakness of the watch right now - apps are slow, buggy, and not given access to many features of the watch leaving them handicapped.

 

[Arran]

Based on these characteristics, the Apple Watch may fit my bill pretty well;

We have much in common and it fits my bill!

Third party apps can be slow. Glacial sometimes. I don't use many. Of course it depends on circumstances:

• If your phone is upstairs (or otherwise inaccessible) then it's worth the wait.
• If your phone is right by your side then it's harder to tolerate.

My advice? Give it a try.