Got an Apple Watch? Ditch the iPhone,
It has GPS, it can get wet, and the watchOS 3 software update makes both Series 1 and 2 easier to use and navigate
The new Apple Watch is ticking closer to being the techie timepiece it was always clocked up to be.
You can swim with it now. It has built-in GPS. You can get more done without your phone.
I’ve been wearing the latest model, Apple Watch Series 2, for a week, and like it a lot, though the vastly improved watchOS 3 software also comes to the original Apple Watch.
I’m not suggesting Series 2 is perfect, or for everybody. For one thing, there’s the not-so-slim starting price of $369 for a 38mm case or $399 for 42mm.
The good news is that you now can get a more powerful version of the first generation Apple Watch for $269 or $299 (for 38mm or 42mm sizes), a viable option if you don’t need a phone to swim with. Now dubbed Series 1, the first-gen models gain the same dual-core processor that’s in its more expensive sibling.
Most importantly, both Series 1 and Series 2 watches benefit from the watchOS 3 software update, which makes the watch easier to use and navigate.
Still, the latest watch is especially appealing to runners or cyclists who want to leave their iPhones behind while still relying on GPS to map their routes.
Here are my observations:
Stuck on squares. The new watches are dead ringers for their predecessors. Both the old and new models have identical digital crown and side buttons. The removable watch bands for the original Apple Watch fit on Series 2 and vice versa, making it easy to dress up or dress down.
Series 2 watches boast a display Apple claims is two times brighter than before. I had to squint but was able to make out the display in direct sun.
It’s still about glances. Using the original watch, I came to appreciate notifications (messages, headlines, etc.) that arrive on my wrist so I can determine right then whether they require my attention. Ditto on Series 2.
Swimming. As the first Apple models you can swim with, to a depth of 50 meters, I swam a few laps in a friend’s pool. I showered with it, too. It kept functioning as advertised.
Apple says you’re good to go in salt or chlorinated water, and there are two types of workouts inside the Watch’s Workout app.
Apple suggests you could wear the watch kayaking or surfing but not while engaging in high-speed
activities such as jet skiing or water skiing).
Calling Dick Tracy. Making or receiving calls (via the iPhone in your pocket) on the first watch was not a great experience. But now the speaker phone is louder, permitting a more palatable conversation.
Battery life. The battery on Series 2 lasts about a day-and-a-half, same as before. While I’ve gotten into the habit of charging the watch on a daily basis, I wish Apple had managed a longer-lasting battery. Fortunately, charge time is zippy: up to about 80% in 90 minutes.
Apple Pay. Apple Pay was a breeze on the first timepiece and is a breeze on the latest model. You double-tap the side button on the watch to display a replica of your stored credit card and hold the watch near the merchant’s reader to complete the transaction.
Most improvements via watchOS 3. The latest software is the real star of the show.
You have more ways to respond to messages, from canned replies to scribbling letters on the screen and watching the watch convert them into text.
A few new watch face options arrive with watchOS 3 — Minnie Mouse joins Mickey, for example, with another face showing off the colorful “activity” rings that represent your levels of exercise.
It’s now much simpler to change watch faces too; all you do is swipe from one to the next. Too bad Apple hasn’t let third-party developers produce their own watch faces.
One of my favorite navigational features comes with the new dock. You can park favorite apps there, making them easier to find and faster to launch.
The first Apple Watch periodically reminds you to get off your fanny. Now, there’s a Breathe app that prompts you to do deepbreathing exercises from time to time — follow a simple animation while inhaling and exhaling.
If despite all this wellness activity you find yourself experiencing a health emergency, you might take advantage of another new feature, maybe the most critical of all. Press and hold the side button on the watch and you can summon local help via SOS.
I’m not suggesting Series 2 is perfect, or for everybody. For one thing, there’s the not-so-slim starting price of $369 for a 38mm case or $399 for 42mm.