Until they need those features, then they are life savers. I’ve bought a new watch every year (usually the aluminum one), except this year I got the Ultra. 😉
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Apple Watch Series 9 'Basically Unchanged' Other Than Performance Boost From S9 Chip
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Clinically useful blood glucose measurement isn't coming any time soon, the Dexcom share price will go through the floor a long time before non-invasive BG measurement hits the market.
Monitoring my son's BG (from Dexcom, via Nightscout) was also what prompted me to get an Apple watch, but the convenience of apple pay and the ability to make or answer calls without pulling out my phone are also big drawcards. I'll probably get an Ultra2 but just for "new shiny toy" reasons, for all practical purposes my S5 does everything I need. As a 44mm wifi-only model the battery life is still enough to get me through my usual 17 hour day, but the battery life of cellular models especially in the smaller size really doesn't cut it.
I have an S5 on WatchOS 9.6 and it runs just fine. Faster is always nicer of course, but I can't see how saving a few milliseconds opening an app on my watch is going to rock my world.
Extreme outdoorsmen, divers and hikers (trekkers) don’t use a gadget wrist iPhone for their activities. They use advanced sports watches and diving computers that give them critical information autonomously for a long time and that can be used very reliably underwater. They don’t care about some rings that want to be closed.
To prove your point, I'm a hiker and mountain biker, and crash detection isn't a feature I think is very relevant to outdoor activities. I've thought a lot about safety (having been present at a death on a MTB trail just under two years ago), and have concluded that crash detection adds nothing at all unless you're riding alone, and even then adds very little. I know the S comes first in "DRSABCD", but for serious events you need someone on the scene to manage the "ABC" long before any external help could arrive from a crash detection call. We were only minutes flight from where the rescue helicopter is based, were riding with an ICU doc who was able to triage criticality to the emergency call centre, were on a sanctioned and mapped trail network, had enough people with us to be able to send someone to clear ground to signal the helicopter, and it was still 45 minutes until the helicopter was able to winch a crew down near us.
For an aged or disabled person who has a fall while alone at home on the other hand I think it may be much more useful.
Funny, I'm in that category and most of the people I travel with, have an AW and I see it a lot of the trails and increasingly, on dives.
Apple watch looks to be on a 3 year cycle. Series 0-3 was the same, 4-6 was the same. It's obvious that 7, 8, and 9 will be the same. Not expecting any significant design changes until series 10.
I feel the Ultra is just a bit too big on my wrist for my taste. That's part of the reason I've been waiting for the S9 - perhaps the new SOC will provide some improvement to the battery life. We'll see!
We do have trend notifications. You can see the trends in the Health app under Trends. Maybe your trends just aren't hitting the thresholds for alerts?
For example, a few weeks ago, I took a trip out to Utah and spent most of a week around 6000 feet elevation in 90+ heat. After a few days there, I got an alert that there were trends in a few areas including average walking heart rate and flights climbed. And then a few days after I got back home, I got another trend alert for basically reverting to normal.
Yup it’s there.
Apple has an (almost) approach to fitness that is meant for your regular person. It’s a tool to get you off the couch and make yourself a little healthier.
IF you want a hardcore “I need to know every metric about my 10 mile workout”, get an actual fitness tracker, or download an app.
Frankly, I find it disturbing how Activity doesn’t give you days off, options for sick days, etc. I got the flu last winter but the “healthy” thing to do was try to continue my streaks even though I couldn’t be on my feet for more than an hour or two? Come on.
If you want a day off you can just adjust your targets down for that day. Or just don't close your rings for that day. Either option works.
Yeah, there are times when I get the monthly challenge and think "Well, I'm going to not be able to meet that this month, oh well." But also, there was a time when I wasn't as healthy when my monthly challenge was basically "Can ya maybe close a ring this month?"
What I mean is that there’s a fine line between encouraging activity, and creating an unhealthy exercise addiction (which I’ve learned a ton about given my fiancé’s experiences in the past with an eating disorder).
For a company that really does focus on mental health, it’s disappointing to me that Activity seems to not have any of those psychological considerations in it. It’s great for getting people who haven’t moved in years to get them up and into a healthier lifestyle.
There doesn’t seem to be any regard for the opposite problem, where if YOU don’t personally keep it in mind, almost all fitness coaches seem to encourage an unhealthy obsession with exercise (which is a real problem for millions).
My S6 broke over the weekend so I will be buying an S9 when it launches. I was strongly considering it before, but was trying to wait for it to be announced before making a decision.
The 8 was a much better battery than my 4.Boo that's a shame
I'm still rocking the Series 4 and have been waiting out on a new design.
I think the only thing that would sway me would a *much* better battery, not sure we'll see that though..
Chip performance has never been an issue, so unless the updated chip increases battery efficiency, I see 8 & 9 as equivalent.
It’s likely to jump node processes, so if there is indeed no other major hardware changes S9 should get a few more hours of battery life.
I’m sure that there are some people who are overly obsessed with exercise. That problem exists. But it’s absolutely dwarfed by the obesity crisis, it’s not even close. Apple won’t be able to cater to every minority. You’re right though it could be done better, always.
It’s a bigger chunk than you’d realize as only since the DSM-5 was released is it even considered a disorder. The cult-like CrossFit and explosion of buying into fasting fads with no overall consideration of your HEALTH (weight =\= health) is pervasive in American society.
Anorexia Athletica Is real, and far further spread than people realize. Even the notion of “walking off” that extra snack is part of it.
Obviously there are extremes on both ends, but Silicon Valley is chock full of people who don’t seem to have moderation in this regard so I see it as a glaring hole in Apple’s mental health pushes.
42% of Americans are obese.
<1% of Americans are anorexic. Of that quantity, a subset suffer from Anorexia Athletica specifically.
It’s just not close between the groups.
I can understand Apple not being overly concerned about people overdoing their workouts. Again, could be better, but they should focus on the larger issues. Apple is between a rock and a hard place to some extent. Apple buys MyFitnessPal or similar and the knives would out within a section of the user group. Personally I would like to see more focus on nutrition but that is a segment that seems to be fairly well represented with third party apps. Blood sugar, blood alcohol, blood pressure are all areas where I think there is a larger gap.
I’m just giving my opinion for a feature request. I don’t think a simple thing like “hey, you’ve burned 2000 active calories a day for 3 weeks straight, maybe take a break” is a huge ask that takes away from the main focus of Activity.