How I Use the Apple Watch: A Personal Look
See how I use my Apple Watch to see if it’s right for you.
The Apple Watch is a great device, but it’s not for everyone. Some people won’t like the way it looks, others won’t appreciate the fitness features. However, there are many people who have a watch because, for some reason, they want to use it in their everyday life.
I am not one of those people who own many gadgets and wear several watches at once. I don’t see the point in wearing multiple watches if you can combine them into one device that does everything, instead of having to buy separate watches just for basic functions or notifications from your favorite apps.
The Apple Watch is definitely an important part of my personal life. Instead of spending countless hours in front of the computer reading about new apps every day to keep up to date with what others are using, I decided to write this article.
See how I use my Apple Watch to see if it’s right for you.
However, I don’t consider myself a regular smartwatch user, but it works well for me. I would never have thought that a smartwatch would be useful to me because I do not need it to exercise at work and I do not wear it at night. I have thought a lot about whether I require this thing. But at work, a watch can be useful. I know that I can buy a simple watch to see what time it is, if necessary. I used to wear a ‘regular’ watch, but I have always wanted to try a smartwatch.
Furthermore, I use an iPhone and the Apple Watch seems to be a great companion. It’s an obvious and logical choice if you’re all in the Apple ecosystem like me. But Apple’s smartwatch is not cheap, although there is a model that is very affordable if you know why you will use it.
Apple Watches currently available
Apple’s official website offers the latest Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra. There are also special editions from Nike and Hermès, but I will not describe them.
Apple Watch Series 8 is a great watch with many features that I don’t need, and it is expensive. It costs $399. Well, it depends on how you look at it and if you require all those features. I don’t need always on display, blood oxygen, ECG, or temperature sensing. I understand those people who require all the health stuff on a smartwatch, but this is just not for me. So let’s late a look at another Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Ultra. $799. For a smartwatch. Undoubtedly this a wonderful piece of technology, capable and durable with an even better battery with up to 36 hours of normal use according to Apple. Furthermore, I can tell it looks far better than any other Apple Watch, and I could go on and on. But all this comes with a very high price. Maybe there is a group of people who would use all those features to their maximum, but this watch is surely not for the majority.
Apple Watch SE is my perfect companion. I own the first generation of this watch and I see no need for an upgrade. I’m thinking along the same lines as for the new iPhone. The current one is simply still doing its job very well.
It does everything I want from a smartwatch. And the price is just right, $249 for an Apple Watch SE 2, the latest generation of this watch, and it is even cheaper than SE 1. What I have changed is a band. That material just doesn’t feel good for me, so I bought a Milanese band from Laut. Just perfect for people that sweat a bit more as I do, and it also looks more elegant.
Check your local Apple Store for other older Apple Watch models, as they’re still great.
You can still find the Apple Watch Series 7 or 6 and the Apple Watch SE 1, and they’re cheaper. Just be careful not to choose the Apple Watch Series 3, which some stores still sell because support for it has stopped.
Why I use an Apple Watch
The most important thing is the notifications from my phone. I used to check every few minutes to see if there was anything new on my iPhone. A new email, an app notification, or something else. With a smartwatch on my wrist, I can stop doing that, and I did. I pick up my phone less often, and that is the level I wanted to reach. I know I can use almost any other smartwatch for notifications, but the integration of the Apple Watch with the iPhone is just perfect.
Apple Watch is also helpful when you’re traveling around cities and need to navigate to landmarks. I found this very useful.
Paying with a smartwatch is simply the perfect addition. I don’t even need an iPhone nearby to pay at the store. It’s something I use every time I buy things. I never use a physical bank card anymore, and I’m not sure when the last time I had to take my card out of my wallet was. Because of the inflexibility of the banks in my country, I use Curve to add bank cards, so everything is done through that service, and it works just fine.
Another benefit is unlocking other Apple devices with my watch. I never thought it would be so convenient, but it is.
I have a stand-up reminder enabled and sometimes, for some reason, I record my outdoor walk or hiking. Probably more for fun than for anything useful I could do with this exercise information.
I don’t have any bulky things that consume battery, so I have plenty of battery and I never worry about it.
After a full day of use, I still have about 60% battery.
But after two days of use, you will need to put it on a charger. I charge it every night anyway and after a year the battery health is at 98%.
It could be useful with Siri, but I never talk to her. It’s just not for me. I also don’t type messages over the clock (maybe an emoji) and I never pick up a phone call and talk through it. It is enough for me to get a notification of a new message or if I receive a telephone call. But I think that for some people these are still great additions.
As you can see, my use of the Apple Watch is simple, but I find it very useful, especially at work.
What’s on my Apple Watch
Not much. Mostly default apps and a few others:
- Google Maps: for my area, Apple Maps is not accurate enough or doesn’t show enough information, but I use them when possible
- Stocard to store loyalty cards (practical in shops)
- Shoppylist: useful app for a quick shopping list
That’s just about it for non-Apple apps. I don’t like installing other apps that I might have on my iPhone. It takes away from my storage space, and they’re not as useful to me. I used to have the Things3 app on my watch, but I’ve decided I don’t need that app at all. Apple Reminders and Notes are enough for me, but for some other “wiki personal stuff” I use Bookstack, which runs via Docker on my NAS device.
As I wrote before, the notifications from other apps are enough for me to decide whether I need to look at the matter immediately.
Conclusion
This is my take on using the Apple Watch. I know I don’t use all the features of the watch, but it suits me and I don’t need more. Besides, I want to avoid being obsessed with the watch and all the sensors and reminders about what I need to do to feel better and do something for my health. I try to rely on my gut instinct for these things and not on some device.
Some things in life we have to think for ourselves.
I am overly interested in how you use your smartwatch. Please let me know in the comments.
Thank you for all your reading so far. I always appreciate it.
Originally published at https://www.tomathosblog.com on October 7, 2022.
