Buy AW Series 2 Although not a fitness guy?

[ISRMafia]

Hey guys , I really wanna buy the AW Series 2 & im really excited to experience the full Apple ecosystem.
I have an iPhone 6s & i will buy a Macbook in the next few days . So my question is , Should i buy the Apple Watch Series 2 Although i'm not a fitness guy which is what the watch is heavily focused on....Plus i do not use iMessage . So , Is it worth buying it :O ?

 

[Born Again]

it's not heavily focused on fitness unless u use it.

sounds like the answer is no.

 

[ISRMafia]

it's not heavily focused on fitness unless u use it.

sounds like the answer is no.

I know right
Although i feel a watch will make me more precise with timing and that Auto Unlock feature on the Macbooks is driving me nuts

 

[matrix07]

I know right
Although i feel a watch will make me more precise with timing and that Auto Unlock feature on the Macbooks is driving me nuts

If you want a watch, why not? It's in Apple ecosystem after all. I rarely workout myself and I'm having one.

 

[ISRMafia]

If you want a watch, why not? It's in Apple ecosystem after all. I rarely workout myself and I'm having one.

Awesome ! Thanks

 

[MVPinFLA]

I am looking forward to not having to pull out my 6 Plus every time I get a notification. Plus it will be nice to just check how many steps I've taken or what the outside temp is without pulling out my phone. It should be most convenient. It will also be nice at night to be able to see the time with the lit up screen. Lots of reasons to own a watch other than to track my workouts.

 

[exxxviii]

Should i buy the Apple Watch Series 2 Although i'm not a fitness guy which is what the watch is heavily focused on....Plus i do not use iMessage . So , Is it worth buying it?

It's a buy. The AW is mediocre at fitness and activity tracking, but it is great at notifications, custom apps, and Apple Pay.

If you said you were a runner or triathlete always striving to improve performance, then I would say "Hell No!"

 

[ISRMafia]

I am looking forward to not having to pull out my 6 Plus every time I get a notification. Plus it will be nice to just check how many steps I've taken or what the outside temp is without pulling out my phone. It should be most convenient. It will also be nice at night to be able to see the time with the lit up screen. Lots of reasons to own a watch other than to track my workouts.

right I am looking forward for the Water Proof so i can swim with it + Checking the notifications as well,Everyone says its Making their iPhone's battery last much longer due to not looking at it cause of the watch as well.
[doublepost=1473867396][/doublepost]

It's a buy. The AW is mediocre at fitness and activity tracking, but it is great at notifications, custom apps, and Apple Pay.

If you said you were a runner or triathlete always striving to improve performance, then I would say "Hell No!"

Yea but the new series features a GPS and a Niki Edition for the runners... looks like a big improvement over the original watch.

 

[exxxviii]

Yea but the new series features a GPS and a Niki Edition for the runners... looks like a big improvement over the original watch.

Apple's fitness and activity gap is the supporting software, not the hardware. While the S2 is a massive improvement over the original, it is still relatively primitive compared to far more capable running watches at 1/4 to 1/3 the price of an AW. Today, the AW really does not give much flexibility in the data fields it presents during a workout. And, it has very limited data visualization and integration options. There are some third party apps, but those are not stable enough yet for runners who geek out over their data. Plus, as far as I know, it is actually impossible (at a minimum practically impossible) to capture interval splits in any workout.

 

[AppleRobert]

I work out every day, I do not use a watch to monitor my workouts. The machines at the gym have enough capability to monitor some things. Half the people my gym just walk on a treadmill for exercise, no need for any other device to monitor.

I can see if one is competing but my niece can run a marathon in three hours and does not even use anything to monitor it. She only does so for her training sessions during those runs.

 

[ISRMafia]

Apple's fitness and activity gap is the supporting software, not the hardware. While the S2 is a massive improvement over the original, it is still relatively primitive compared to far more capable running watches at 1/4 to 1/3 the price of an AW. Today, the AW really does not give much flexibility in the data fields it presents during a workout. And, it has very limited data visualization and integration options. There are some third party apps, but those are not stable enough yet for runners who geek out over their data. Plus, as far as I know, it is actually impossible (at a minimum practically impossible) to capture interval splits in any workout.

interesting ... Well im just gonna stand up when its gonna ping me, not running anywhere thats for sure xD

 

[douglasf13]

Yeah, I work out everyday and stay fit, and I've worn the Watch for a year, but I still don't bother with the fitness features. I like it for notifications, music control, etc.

 

[ISRMafia]

Yeah, I work out everyday and stay fit, and I've worn the Watch for a year, but I still don't bother with the fitness features. I like it for notifications, music control, etc.

Sounds promising , I think im gonna buy the sport one.

 

[zhenya]

Apple's fitness and activity gap is the supporting software, not the hardware. While the S2 is a massive improvement over the original, it is still relatively primitive compared to far more capable running watches at 1/4 to 1/3 the price of an AW. Today, the AW really does not give much flexibility in the data fields it presents during a workout. And, it has very limited data visualization and integration options. There are some third party apps, but those are not stable enough yet for runners who geek out over their data. Plus, as far as I know, it is actually impossible (at a minimum practically impossible) to capture interval splits in any workout.

I'm not sure why you keep saying this? There are a number of apps that are reasonably powerful - iSmoothRun being the most powerful of them that I've tried. It's fully customizable and gives me all the data my Forerunner 225 does if not quite as much as my Fenix 2. It also syncs with virtually any 3rd party service you could want. Don't know if it will be updated for the new watches on release day or not. I used it extensively for months, and had the occasional bug but it never lost any data on me. It supports interval timing, including loading customized workouts.

That said, Apple's target market at the moment is the more casual athletes - which is fine - there are millions of them that use apps like RunKeeper or Nike+ (Run Club).

 

[Aluminum213]

Hey guys , I really wanna buy the AW Series 2 & im really excited to experience the full Apple ecosystem.
I have an iPhone 6s & i will buy a Macbook in the next few days . So my question is , Should i buy the Apple Watch Series 2 Although i'm not a fitness guy which is what the watch is heavily focused on....Plus i do not use iMessage . So , Is it worth buying it :O ?

Might be worth it for the brighter screen, unless that's with the series 1 watches also

 

[Julien]

....Should i buy the Apple Watch Series 2 Although i'm not a fitness guy which is what the watch is heavily focused on........

Get it and (hopefully) it may help to push you into becoming more health conscious and active.

 

[zhenya]

Might be worth it for the brighter screen, unless that's with the series 1 watches also

Brighter screen is only on the Series 2 models.

If cost is an issue, I would not fret about buying the Series 1 without the GPS too much. If it's not an issue, then I'd get the Series 2 for the screen and the waterproofing, as well as the likely better resale down the road.

 

[exxxviii]

I'm not sure why you keep saying this? There are a number of apps that are reasonably powerful...

Because it is true. The 3rd party running apps I looked at were were unstable and depend on the phone for mapping. (Caveat: I did not try iSR specifically.) When 3rd party apps update to work fully independently of the phone, and they are ultra stable (as in, they rarely mess up), then it is worth another look. Also, AW, or whatever 3rd party app, will have to use the side buttons for start/stop/lap to equal performance of any other GPS running watch.

You can get a radically superior running watch in the Forerunner 25 for a fraction of the cost of the AW. So, until AW can equal an FR 25 in flexibility, stability, and integration, the AW is a "Hell No" as a running watch for someone who runs with a goal to improve.

 

[zhenya]

Because it is true. The 3rd party running apps I looked at were were unstable and depend on the phone for mapping. (Caveat: I did not try iSR specifically.) When 3rd party apps update to work fully independently of the phone, and they are ultra stable (as in, they rarely mess up), then it is worth another look. Also, AW, or whatever 3rd party app, will have to use the side buttons for start/stop/lap to equal performance of any other GPS running watch.

You can get a radically superior running watch in the Forerunner 25 for a fraction of the cost of the AW. So, until AW can equal an FR 25 in flexibility, stability, and integration, the AW is a "Hell No" as a running watch for someone who runs with a goal to improve.

Whether it's the best running device out there or the right one for a particular type of person is a different question. You are claiming that the AW doesn't do things at all that it already does if you just install the right app. You can't judge its value by only looking at the stock workout app. Again, I've used it extensively for running, and never lost data. I can't even claim that for my Garmin's.

 

[Four oF NINE]

Brighter screen is only on the Series 2 models.

If cost is an issue, I would not fret about buying the Series 1 without the GPS too much. If it's not an issue, then I'd get the Series 2 for the screen and the waterproofing, as well as the likely better resale down the road.

Why would lack of GPS be an issue on Apple Watch? Considering you have GPS on the iPhone anyway and need the iPhone in association with the Watch, it sounds like a redundancy to me.

 

[zhenya]

Why would lack of GPS be an issue on Apple Watch? Considering you have GPS on the iPhone anyway and need the iPhone in association with the Watch, it sounds like a redundancy to me.

Uh, answered many times in this thread. Activity tracking. Running, hiking, cycling. Really nice not to have to carry your phone. Apple was shutting themselves out of the fitness market by omitting GPS from the watch, and fitness is the one thing that is getting people to buy new watches, at which point they can be introduced to all the other things the AW can do.

 

[Julien]

Why would lack of GPS be an issue on Apple Watch? Considering you have GPS on the iPhone anyway and need the iPhone in association with the Watch, it sounds like a redundancy to me.

You can go for a run, walk or bike ride without your iPhone and get a GPS track and info.

 

[exxxviii]

Whether it's the best running device out there or the right one for a particular type of person is a different question. You are claiming that the AW doesn't do things at all that it already does if you just install the right app.

My original statement was "If you said you were a runner or triathlete always striving to improve performance, then I would say 'Hell No!'" And I stand by that.

The AW right now, whether original or S2, is not as capable as a FR 25. It does not matter what app you are using. Part of that is the stability and accuracy of the 3rd party apps. But also consider that no app can do mapping today without the phone. Now, in a few months, after some of the 3rd party apps add ability to use the native GPS, and improve stability, then maybe the AW will be a better fit. But, until we can use side buttons instead of the screen for control, the AW will still be inferior as a for runners focused on performance improvement.

 

[zhenya]

My original statement was "If you said you were a runner or triathlete always striving to improve performance, then I would say 'Hell No!'" And I stand by that.

The AW right now, whether original or S2, is not as capable as a FR 25. It does not matter what app you are using. Part of that is the stability and accuracy of the 3rd party apps. But also consider that no app can do mapping today without the phone. Now, in a few months, after some of the 3rd party apps add ability to use the native GPS, and improve stability, then maybe the AW will be a better fit. But, until we can use side buttons instead of the screen for control, the AW will still be inferior as a for runners focused on performance improvement.

No, what you originally said, that I originally responded to was

Today, the AW really does not give much flexibility in the data fields it presents during a workout. And, it has very limited data visualization and integration options. There are some third party apps, but those are not stable enough yet for runners who geek out over their data. Plus, as far as I know, it is actually impossible (at a minimum practically impossible) to capture interval splits in any workout.

I am a runner and I geek out over my data. The AW provides apps that are stable enough that I've never lost data and provide far better data visualization and integration than an FR25, plus heart rate and cadence. And it does intervals as well.

I wasn't and won't argue that it's the best running watch out there, but it's certainly passable, even today, especially when you consider how many people already run with their phones (easily half of the people I see on the paths around here every day).

 

[exxxviii]

And it does intervals as well.

This is not a troll question... How do you use iSR (or whatever favorite app is) to capture intervals on a run? Say I am on a run where I do a mile warm-up, then I do 1/4 mile fast, 1/4 mile rest, 1/4 mile fast, 1/4 mile rest, etc. I don't want to setup a workout in advance, because I might want to warm-up longer or extend some intervals, depending on how I am feeling. How do you do this with a touch screen? On my Garmin, I simply push the lap button at each interval start/end without having to look at the watch.

In my last triathlon, I only looked at two data fields on my watch during the run: HR and cadence. I do not have pace on my primary display. Can iSmoothRun display cadence and HR on the same screen?

I wasn't and won't argue that it's the best running watch out there, but it's certainly passable, even today, especially when you consider how many people already run with their phones (easily half of the people I see on the paths around here every day).

I totally agree with this. For runners who are currently using their iPhones to track runs, the AW is fantastic. It is massively more capable than an iPhone alone, especially they continue to run with their phones. But, I do not think those are the types of runners who do focused workouts and are constantly looking at their watch for data points like HR, cadence, pace, interval splits, etc.