Apple Watch...Tell Me Everything

[kristenrice]

I work 12-hour shift as a paramedic (not working out of a station) in West Michigan weather. I have worn a men's Casio G-shock watch for the past 10 years and so I am used to wearing a big watch. It is the only watch I have so when I have to "dress up", I don't wear a watch at all...and it drives me crazy.

I am planning on buying an Apple watch. I think I prefer the 42mm, simply because I think it will be easier to use the larger screen. I'm already used to wearing a large watch so the size does not intimidate me.

I've researched the features of the watch and I am excited to start using them, especially the fitness tracking For those of you who own one already, I have a few questions...

First, battery life....is this watch going to make it 14 hours at work without needing to be charged?? My Phone makes it about 7-8 hours before I have to plug it in. Besides the fitness tracking, the only other feature I see myself using frequently is the navigation app. If I would need to charge it at work, what are my options?

Second, durability...my phone is in a Lifeproof case out of necessity. My biggest concerns with the watch are scratch prevention and water resistance. If I am carrying a person, I don't want to worry about ruining my watch by scraping it across a door frame. I also can't worry about getting it wet if I am outside in the rain/snow...which is inevitable. What is my best defense? A case protector? Screen protector? Or will the Apple Care cover damage from stuff like this?

Finally, just some general opinions would be great. I have $310 from eBay that I am going to use to get the watch. I have been looking exclusively at the Best Buy store on eBay and I am leaning towards the manufacturer-refurbished 42mm aluminum case options. I see that there are some stainless steel case 38mm options that fit my budget as well. I have not tried on either of them, but I'm wondering if there is a clear advantage of one over the other, or if it a more a matter of personal preference.

Thanks!

 

[mrudman]

I'm on my phone, so my reply is going to be short, sorry. But just wanted to say, I also work 12 hours (RN) and I love mine. I use it for the fitness tracking, and also for checking texts from my dd's and e-mails (among other things). I have not had any screen protector on mine and it's still in perfect shape. Have had it since December. The battery life is great! Lasts 18 hours easily (I actually forgot to put in on charger one night and it lasted 1/2 through the second day). But it would also be easy enough to charge on the go if need be... It has a platform type usb charger you just set it on. Let me know if you have any other questions,

 

[mrudman]

Oh, and forget to mention. I have the cheapest model. All the models are identical in terms of the watch portion. The only difference between the 3 are the materials they're made out of (and the band). I prefer the band of the cheapest model over the metal bands, but I never liked metal bands on watches... They pull my armhair, lol.

 

[speedyfishy]

I have an AppleWatch and love it. I have the 42mm and I would definitely get that. I use the fitness tracker and it works great. I don't use the navigation feature so I can't comment on that. The battery lasts me more than a day easily. For example I put mine on today and it has been 9 hours and I have 74% battery left. If you do need to charge it can use a standard wall plug or even just a usb. I don't have any case for my watch and have accidentally hit it into doors and I have had no damage. Also it has never gotten damaged from the rain or even when I wash my hands and get some water on it. I was nervous the first few days wearing it but it is fine without a case. I have the stainless steel Apple Watch mostly because of my profession requires me to wear suits everyday. I think it looks nicer. You can use any band for either watch. So when I go to work I have the milenese loop and when I'm home I use the sport band.

 

[kristenrice]

Awesome information! Thanks for the advice

 

[Night Huntress]

I have a 42mm apple watch and absolutely love it. Even as a female I don't find the watch face too big. Like others said, it does have amazing battery life. The navigation feature is pretty cool. I have used the navigation on my iphone and the watch will vibrate and beep when it's telling me I need to make a turn. I don't use it very often but I can see how it would come in handy. I don't have any screen protection on mine and I have hit it quite a few times at work. I work in retail setting shelves etc. At a glance it looks brand new. I can see the tiniest scratches on the face though (i'm constantly cleaning it). It stands up to water splashes just fine. I have a friend who actually showers and swims with his on. I would never do that...but he swears his watch is fine. My biggest fear was the band coming lose and dropping the watch. But so far that hasn't happened. I have 2 of the sport bands and am looking to add to the collection. I love being able to change bands depending on what i'm doing that day or going to wear.

For me the coolest features are being able to reply to texts so easily and the music function. I listen to music a lot and I like that I can tap the watch to switch songs, turn it up or down, etc all without taking the phone out of my pocket.

 

[kristenrice]

One of the features I am so excited about is the phone. My partner and I stream Pandora all day long so my phone is often sitting up front in the console. When I am in the back with a patient and my phone rings up front, he can't do anything with it while he is driving. I think it's so cool that I will be able to see who is calling and send it to voicemail from the back of the truck.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Wait! The Apple Watch 2 is expected to be announced next month.

 

[princessfionasmom]

I agree with lost*in*cyberspace - Apple is about to announce something!

 

[Andreas Mom]

So if the new watches are coming out does that mean the older ones will go down in price?

 

[princessfionasmom]

So if the new watches are coming out does that mean the older ones will go down in price?

Most likely they'll go on sale. Also, check Best Buy and target, I've seen sales for the watch on those sites. And I recommend getting the AppleCare, it's well worth it to me.

 

[Lain]

So if the new watches are coming out does that mean the older ones will go down in price?

Apple is pretty good about inventory control (Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, rose up the ranks because of his mastery of inventory and supply chain control). If Apple announces Apple Watch 2 next week, they'll either (1) have pulled the original Apple Watch from their stores prior to or during the announcement (the online Apple Store usually goes "down" ahead of a big product event); or (2) reduce the price and keep selling the original Apple Watch as a lower end, less expensive model to the Apple Watch 2.

In the first case, you may still be able to find the original Apple Watch at marked down prices on Apple's refurbished store. Apple refurbished products are essentially factory restored to original specs and are as good as new; the only difference in my experience is refurbished products come in a brown box and not Apple's shiny retail packaging. Apple's inventory control doesn't necessarily extend to their authorized retailers like Target, Best Buy, B&H et al., and you could see them marking down remaining inventory of original Apple Watches because it's been discontinued or lowered in price by Apple. And then there's the resale market. You can be sure that a lot of techies and fashionistas who have to have the latest and greatest gadget will flood the resale market with their "gently used" Apple Watches to recoup some money for this year's model, driving second-hand prices down.

With an Apple announcement a week away, it's really to your benefit to wait and see. In a week, you can see if Apple will release an Apple Watch 2 and decide whether it's worth paying "full" price for it. The current, original Apple Watch's price points will likely be the same price points for any new Apple Watch 2. So for the same price today, you could get a much better watch in a week or two. Conversely, the original Apple Watch will either be discontinued or discounted, so you could pay significantly less for the same watch if you wait just a week or two.

 

[kristenrice]

No matter what, I will be buying the watch from eBay since that's where my funds are tied up. I know that BB's eBay store sells new Apple watches as well as open-box and refurbished. Right now, I'm more about the price than the technology. I'm not really a "techie" so I don't always need the latest and greatest.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The current Apple Watch is the original release. The Apple Watch 2 will have significant improvements. I still recommend waiting.

 

[Govols1997]

I wear mine in the shower daily. The Genius Bar guy told me the way they recommend cleaning is with soap and and water. So I don't put mine under water, but I've had it since May and it's just fine. You should be good to go in rain/snow.

 

[scottmel]

I can not be without this watch!!! Love that it dings when time to turn when I have used googlemaps on the iphone. love that I never miss a text or a call. I bought the bigger watch and so glad I did.

 

[tcufrog]

My trainer is recommending that I get an Apple Watch. Does it have to be within a certain distance of my phone to work? We're getting a dog within the next couple of months and I'd like to be able to walk him without taking my phone along since it doesn't fit in my gym shorts.

 

[speedyfishy]

My trainer is recommending that I get an Apple Watch. Does it have to be within a certain distance of my phone to work? We're getting a dog within the next couple of months and I'd like to be able to walk him without taking my phone along since it doesn't fit in my gym shorts.

The activity tracker will work but you won't receive the texts or calls on the watch if you go to far.

 

[Green Tea]

You do not need to worry about water; they are water resistant like other watches. I have worn mine daily in the shower since I got it, have swam in the ocean and pool. Absolutely no worries on water. I have not scratched mine but I suppose they could be.

 

[aprilchem]

I have a 42mm apple watch and absolutely love it. Even as a female I don't find the watch face too big. Like others said, it does have amazing battery life. The navigation feature is pretty cool. I have used the navigation on my iphone and the watch will vibrate and beep when it's telling me I need to make a turn. I don't use it very often but I can see how it would come in handy. I don't have any screen protection on mine and I have hit it quite a few times at work. I work in retail setting shelves etc. At a glance it looks brand new. I can see the tiniest scratches on the face though (i'm constantly cleaning it). It stands up to water splashes just fine. I have a friend who actually showers and swims with his on. I would never do that...but he swears his watch is fine. My biggest fear was the band coming lose and dropping the watch. But so far that hasn't happened. I have 2 of the sport bands and am looking to add to the collection. I love being able to change bands depending on what i'm doing that day or going to wear.

For me the coolest features are being able to reply to texts so easily and the music function. I listen to music a lot and I like that I can tap the watch to switch songs, turn it up or down, etc all without taking the phone out of my pocket.

My DH wears his Apple Watch to swim every day. He wore it the whole time we were in Jamaica recently and people kept approaching him about it - he's an Apple nerd and says that the watches are waterproof, but Apple doesn't want to say that because of liability. Either way, he's been swimming in it daily since he had it, and he got his on release day!