Poll: ** The official Apple Watch Series 3 thread **

[Deleted member 651465]

I’ll be getting one from Santa, with a bit of luck.

How does the battery life fair on a run? No one seems to have posted concrete numbers in the reviews I’ve read... it’s like no one uses it for fitness!

I’m coming from a Garmin Forerunner 235, so it needs to be able to do at least a 2hr run.

 

[Martynt74]

See my post above yours. Whilst I’ve never done a 2hr run with it I’ve just done about 55mins and my battery is showing as 99%

I unplugged it directly before the run.

One thing I imagine must help is that I have my phone with me for music so think it might use the phones gps which must save battery.

I’ll be doing a practice 10k run on Sunday which will take me just over an hour (I’m slow) so if you want I’ll put music onto te watch and leave my phone at home and see how it fairs.

This is using the Strava app on the watch.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I’ll be interested in your results

I currently use an iPod nano on an armband, so if the battery on the watch can do a 10km run whilst streaming music over Bluetooth I’ll be a happy camper.

 

[rdb2012]

Is there any point buying the cellular if you’re with o2 or are they unlikely supporting it?

 

[Martynt74]

@JamesM

Have you done any runs with it yet? I've found that Vitality isn't picking up any runs tracked using Strava even though the workout is showing in the Health app and i'd be interested how you've got on.

Monday - 32mins at 150bpm - Tracked using Strava - Only got 3 points for doing over 7000 steps (even though the app only shows 6600)

Tuesday - 55mins on the treadmill - Tracked using the workout app - Got 8 points as expected

Thursday - 55 mins running outside - Tracked using Strava - Haven't got any points. Although this could be a balls up with Vitality as i also did 16000 steps and it's not showing that either!



I also found that the Vitality App last night showed that 14000 steps equalled 10 points. I'm pretty sure they changed the point levels so this just shows how crap their apps are!

 

[fini]

I’m thinking of getting a non-cellular version, but noticed the series 2 is still available and £50 cheaper. The differences seem to be that the 3 has a faster processor, more RAM, slightly improved Bluetooth and an altimeter. Given that everyone seems to describe the series 2 as snappy am I right in thinking that if I don’t need the altimeter (I don’t) I should just get the 2?

 

[Robert]

From what I’ve read (I own the s3) was that the s2 was drastically faster than the s1 and the s3 is considerably faster than the s2. Happy to be proven wrong

For £50 I’d get the S3 imo.

 

[iMacMart]

I'm opting for the s3, never had an Apple Watch but want a fitness, waterproof watch I can change the bands on so this sits the bill

 

[Martynt74]

I’ll be interested in your results

I currently use an iPod nano on an armband, so if the battery on the watch can do a 10km run whilst streaming music over Bluetooth I’ll be a happy camper.

Not a 10k but I went out this morning and did a 5k. Left my phone at home and played music stored on the watch (not streamed as I don’t have cellular)

Went out with 56% and finished with 46% so estimate 10% for 30 mins. Should have plenty in it even for a marathon

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Thanks @Marvt74

 

[Blackhawk47]

For the golfers out there, I recently downloaded the SwingxSwing app to try out.

It has a iPhone app and a watch app. For the watch it will show how many yards to the hole - with the courses mapped out on google earth/maps (which can be seen on the phone - along with scorecards etc). Sounds like it be a great aid but I do wonder how accurate it will be. I only have the series 1 watch so it must use GPS on the phone to work out how far away the hole is...

I'll post my findings when I get out on the course.

 

[iMacMart]

Not a 10k but I went out this morning and did a 5k. Left my phone at home and played music stored on the watch (not streamed as I don’t have cellular)

Went out with 56% and finished with 46% so estimate 10% for 30 mins. Should have plenty in it even for a marathon

Silly question but does it play on the watch or via Bluetooth to a headset? Or could it be either

 

[Martynt74]

I connected mine to some Bluetooth headphones

I don’t have AirPods so don’t know if they connect automatically but I have to repair the ones I used with my phone. Can be a bit annoying having to switch.

Presume it could play through the watch though, but wouldn’t be ideal.

My final decision is to go with the Garmin I’ve decided. However that’s nothing against the watch. It’s purely to do with Vitality Health not picking up Strava. I don’t think I could pay for the watch knowing it could be free!

 

[Captain]

I don’t think you can play music through the watch, has to be through headphones.

 

[iMacMart]

I connected mine to some Bluetooth headphones

I don’t have AirPods so don’t know if they connect automatically but I have to repair the ones I used with my phone. Can be a bit annoying having to switch.

Presume it could play through the watch though, but wouldn’t be ideal.

My final decision is to go with the Garmin I’ve decided. However that’s nothing against the watch. It’s purely to do with Vitality Health not picking up Strava. I don’t think I could pay for the watch knowing it could be free!

How does the vitality thing work? Do you pay for health care and this comes as a health bonus if you keep fit?

 

[Martynt74]

Kind of.

I get healthcare with work. To encourage good health they subsidise a lot of things from cheap gyms to cheap spa breaks to discounts on healthy food at Ocado.

You earn points for activities and the Apple Watch is offered on an interest free24 month loan at £12.50 a month. Depending on your activity levels this can be reduced to nothing each month.

 

[JamesM]

Airpods work fine with the watch and iMusic. Open the music app on ther watch, select what you want to listen to and it will ask you whether you want to play on the airpods. Select them and bingo, music.

The Vitality app is awful however it has tracked my steps OK by grabbing the info from the apple actvity app. However my run was missed but it needs to be at least 30 mins or something

 

[Martynt74]

Yeah you need 30 mins at a particular heart rate. Most things I’ve read suggest that it’s best to aim for about 35 mins just to be safe.

I’ve had my Garmin on today and to be honest it’s a bit painful going back to it from the Apple Watch.

 

[iMacMart]

Yeah you need 30 mins at a particular heart rate. Most things I’ve read suggest that it’s best to aim for about 35 mins just to be safe.

I’ve had my Garmin on today and to be honest it’s a bit painful going back to it from the Apple Watch.

I like watches, I have a few and my Garmin Vivoactive has battery issues as I've used it for years, now looking to change and as the 3 series is now fully waterproof and along with the heart rate monitor and other smart features I think it will be a good move, popped into the apple store in Watford the other day to try one on and it's really light.....

 

[Martynt74]

I had the original Vivoactive and have recently had the Vivoactive 3.

It’s a good watch and I’d have been happy with it had I not also used the Apple Watch. It’s very buggy and probably needs a few updates to get it working as it needs too.
If it was £200 it’d be excellent but at £300 it needs to be a lot better.