New Apple Watch Series 6

[Lsbcal]

While gardening, I wear the watch if I'm doing stuff like watering or mild pruning. I take it off when playing with dirt. Even though I wear gloves, the dirt gets everywhere. I even asked when I bought my first watch and Apple suggested I take it off when playing in the dirt .

Playing in the dirty ... naughty.

Here are the kind of wrist sweatbands DW and I put on for gardening: https://smile.amazon.com/COSMOS-cotton-basketball-wristband-sweatband/dp/B007RVP1WC/ref=sr_1_12?crid=393JM2ALFPR6K&dchild=1&keywords=wrist+sweatbands&qid=1600437611&sprefix=wrist+sweat%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-12

I too play a lot in the dirt digging holes for new plantings.

 

[aja8888]

That sounds tough. Does she monitor with the watch and/or other equipment? If multiple sources, do the readings match up reasonably well?

Yeah, being hooked to an oxygen supply limits her options, although when we use the 5 pound portable oxygen concentrator, she is mobile and we can go places.

She uses a small finger unit that just clips on to her index finger when she feels the need to test her blood oxygen concentration. No watch necessary or wanted for that matter.

 

[TrvlBug]

Playing in the dirty ... naughty.

Here are the kind of wrist sweatbands DW and I put on for gardening: https://smile.amazon.com/COSMOS-cotton-basketball-wristband-sweatband/dp/B007RVP1WC/ref=sr_1_12?crid=393JM2ALFPR6K&dchild=1&keywords=wrist+sweatbands&qid=1600437611&sprefix=wrist+sweat%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-12

I too play a lot in the dirt digging holes for new plantings.

Never thought of these. I just ordered some, although I ordered the 4" to provide a bit more coverage. Thank you.

 

[Lsbcal]

Never thought of these. I just ordered some, although I ordered the 4" to provide a bit more coverage. Thank you.

This is the kind of trivial pursuits I get a kick out of nowadays since nobody needs me in an institutional setting (and I don't need them either).

 

[audreyh1]

OK - this is about the new watch OS7, not the new series 6 watches.

During the pandemic I developed a new for me exercise. I discovered that I could seriously boogie on down while cooking in the kitchen or doing house cleaning while listening to music. I was getting a pretty good workout, even though the meal prep might take a little longer as frequent breaks to go all out are taken. Meal prep is now far less boring. Late 70s music.

New watch OS added “Dance” as an exercise category, and that’s what I’m using now. Last workout I averaged 140bpm over 34 minutes. I even hit 182bpm at one point!

Fun!

 

[Lsbcal]

OK - this is about the new watch OS7, not the new series 6 watches.

During the pandemic I developed a new for me exercise. I discovered that I could seriously boogie on down while cooking in the kitchen or doing house cleaning while listening to music. I was getting a pretty good workout, even though the meal prep might take a little longer as frequent breaks to go all out are taken. Meal prep is now far less boring. Late 70s music.

New watch OS added “Dance” as an exercise category, and that’s what I’m using now. Last workout I averaged 140bpm over 34 minutes. I even hit 182bpm at one point!

Fun!

I occasionally see those very high bpm's while running. But I am guessing they may be somehow erroneous as they are sharp deviations from the other readings. Most of my bpm's are in the 130-140 bpm range when I get going uphill. My resting rate is around 50 bpm. And sleeping (after 1 night with the new app) is in the low 40's.

Someday I will get it down to 0. No hurry though.

 

[audreyh1]

No, I believe it was correct because I remember glancing down and seeing 174bpm on my watch shortly after that high mark during one of my favorite dance songs and it gradually dropped from there. When I look at the heart rate graph from the workout it’s a continuous curve, not spiky.

I have gotten myself into that range before on my rowing machine.

 

[braumeister]

Yep. I can get into the 180s when climbing a steep hill toward the end of one of my morning runs. I have always done that, and advancing age hasn't changed it.

 

[Lsbcal]

Well maybe mine is for real. Here is what I see from my morning run:

The yellow (circled) dot is kind of transitory. Do you think this is for real?

EDIT: I had to go back to other runs in the month and the heart rate detailed data in the activity app shows several continuous 176 bpm readings. So maybe this is for real. I'm not sure it's at all good for me at 72 to be up that high. But I feel fine.

 

[audreyh1]

You need to see just that hour on the timeline go to “H” instead of “D”. But you really want to use a workout for more details. If you had the watch recording a workout, you can see the heart rate graph for just that workout in the Fitness (activity) app and you’ll see a much finer resolution on the timeline and it will record your pulse every 5 secs.

For me, if my heart rate goes up really high for a brief period during a workout, and I’m not gasping for breath and feel fine, I don’t worry about it. I’m 60.

Here’s my graph - there is a short blank section where my watch lost contact with my heartbeat and this didn’t record, but it got the rest of it. I noticed it dropping out at the time and adjusted my wristband. That rarely happens these days.

 

[Lsbcal]

Thanks Audrey. Sometimes my watch drops BPM readings and I put it down to sweat under the band plus my hairy wrist. When I move the watch around while running the readings come back. Lately I’ve been cleaning the back face with alcohol and a qtip.

On the detailed chart I do see some discontinuous readings but still enough data to get several 170+ readings in a row.

I will continue to monitor more closely.

Looks like you are getting a great workout.

 

[harley]

I don't like jewelry. No rings or watches, ever. Not even a wedding ring. I'm holding out for the Apple Implant.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

I'm curious as to what the killer app is for everyone. I had a 2. It was a fun, but often irritating, toy that I found had trouble connecting, was so slow to start things like the Starbucks or payment apps as to be nearly unusable, etc. The complications were often exactly that. I liked the text messages coming to them tho.

When it broke, I did not even think about replacing it.

Yet, obviously people really enjoy the newer ones.

So, if you would, fill in the blank:

"I love my apple watch because it: ______________."

 

[audreyh1]

I don't like jewelry. No rings or watches, ever. Not even a wedding ring. I'm holding out for the Apple Implant.

LOL! I bet that will be a doozy!

 

[audreyh1]

DH has been wearing his new series 6 Apple Watch at night for sleep tracking. It also checks his blood oxygen once an hour when he sleeps.

 

[braumeister]

So, if you would, fill in the blank:

"I love my apple watch because it: ______________."

lets me take phone calls when my iPhone is in another part of the house.

gives me the notifications I want while my phone stays in my pocket

gives me texts ditto

shows me the temperature and weather outside

gives me a calculator and other useful things right on my wrist

in general, lets me do quite a lot of things without ever needing to touch my phone.

Disclaimer: I like gadgets. YMMV

 

[Lsbcal]

A few more:

If I fall while running in the park it will call emergency should I be seriously injured.

I can get/receive calls while running.

I can get accurate numbers for my runs and walks because of GPS.

Several functions are very convenient when on the wrist. Like a timer that gives you can see hands free.

.... I like gadgets too.

 

[dadu007]

Got my Series 6 last night. I instantly loved it more than my Series 3. The bigger watch face is great! I’m a gadget freak, too, so the pulse Ox capability is VERY cool. Set up my “memoji”!
The killer apps for me are:
- Apple Pay on the wrist
- Controlling podcasts from the wrist
- GPS info, time, altitude, distance, and other metrics from walks, hikes, and other workouts and activities. Seeing the data is a motivator for exercise for me
- Silent, discrete, haptic notifications of all types on my wrist. My phone is always on silent and there are no audible notifications that bother me or others around me. The haptic turn-by-turn prompts from the maps app while driving are super helpful. (the vibration patterns are different for right or left turns)
- The new always ON display (it’s slightly dimmed and simplified) is way cool. Didn’t think that would matter, but I love it.
Countdown timers and stopwatch on my wrist. I use it a LOT for cooking
- Health and fitness reminders. Stand up!!
- I can monitor blood glucose levels and receive urgent (life-threatening) low and high bg alerts from my Type 1 diabetic son’s continuous glucose monitor on my wrist
- Lastly, the ability to respond to texts and calls on my wrist, when I can’t get to my phone. Just like Dick Tracy!

 

[audreyh1]

It’s just so incredibly useful I couldn’t live without it. I use a huge number of features. Workout recording and support is probably the most essential plus secure ApplePay.

Numerous very handy things that mean my phone stays in my purse or nightstand most of the time.

 

[braumeister]

I forgot to mention that I have the series 5, not the new one. Upgraded last year from series 2. This should last another few years. Also forgot about Apple Pay in the watch -- a big deal IMO.

 

[audreyh1]

I have a series 3. I might upgrade to a series 6.

 

[audreyh1]

Got my Series 6 last night. I instantly loved it more than my Series 3. The bigger watch face is great! I’m a gadget freak, too, so the pulse Ox capability is VERY cool. Set up my “memoji”!
The killer apps for me are:
- Apple Pay on the wrist
- Controlling podcasts from the wrist
- GPS info, time, altitude, distance, and other metrics from walks, hikes, and other workouts and activities. Seeing the data is a motivator for exercise for me
- Silent, discrete, haptic notifications of all types on my wrist. My phone is always on silent and there are no audible notifications that bother me or others around me. The haptic turn-by-turn prompts from the maps app while driving are super helpful. (the vibration patterns are different for right or left turns)
- The new always ON display (it’s slightly dimmed and simplified) is way cool. Didn’t think that would matter, but I love it.
Countdown timers and stopwatch on my wrist. I use it a LOT for cooking
- Health and fitness reminders. Stand up!!
- Lastly, the ability to respond to texts and calls on my wrist, when I can’t get to my phone. Just like Dick Tracy!

Yes, I also use countdown timers and alarms a lot. I wish it could do multiple countdown timers! But it’s easy to speak alarms for longer counts if needed.

It’s great being able speak to the watch for many functions including phone calls and routing/navigation.

“Hey Siri, put avocados on the Costco Shopping List”

DH and I heavily use shared shopping lists and tick off on our watches while shopping. Phone stays put away in store. This is also good for getting texts and calls without needing to dig out the phone.

The watch works great in conjunction with the AirPods. Once I have a podcast or some music up, I control it from the watch.

The turn-by-turn tap on the wrist makes it much easier to follow directions without a display. And the watch displays just enough info for a quick glance.

 

[TrvlBug]

Love the LTE. More often than not when running errands, my iphone is on the kitchen counter and I have to call DH as my shopping list is next to it!

The other features I use a lot:

Timer as my oven and microwave timers are so faint and not adjustable that if TV is on or loud conversations, you can't hear the timers as well as the countdown.

Weather, activity apps. Heart rate monitor. Many more as mentioned above. I have the Series 4 and decided to wait for the 7 to upgrade.

 

[audreyh1]

LTE is definitely handy if you can’t remember to take your phone! LOL!

We got the LTE on our series 3 watches, but never turned it on. I think there were a couple of other features that we wanted in that model. We didn’t know if LTE would be that useful, but we never turned it on. I think one issue was we thought the data plans way overpriced. And we didn’t need it for using fitness apps outside away from the phone.

So, we’ve never used the LTE and when DH upgraded he didn’t get it.

 

[braumeister]

We don't have the cellular option either, mainly because I thought the extra $10 a month wasn't worth it. But there have been a few times when it would definitely have come in handy, so I'll consider it on the next upgrade.