S3 First Run Review and Some Questions...

[Trent0341]

TLDR: The S3 LTE and AirPods make an awesome workout combination that work as advertised. Still, a few minor questions remain.

Took the watch (SS S3 LTE) on a run with AirPods... Here are some thoughts:

To transition from my house wifi and iPhone took about 30 or seconds. Nothing major but noticeable.

During my warmup I tested out the text function through Siri... worked quickly and accurately. Siri in general seems to be working better lately. I am not sure if this due to improvements made by apple or the fact that Siri has forced me to work on my own pronunciation.

I ddi received an unsolicited work text during my run that I was able to respond to quickly and (again) accurately. The is exactly the reason I wanted LTE.

All aspects of playing music worked well, as it should. This will become more interesting when music streaming arrives.

Battery started at 75% (wore it over night, charged for a few minutes prior to run to update music) and ended at 57% in approximately 45 minutes on LTE (18%).

Heart rate... still had some moments where it had difficultly reading it but by and large it was noticeably improved from my S0. S0 usually spent half or more of a run trying to read my HR. With the S3 I only saw this occur once.

VO2 max... a fun new feature although I have no real way to immediately verify the accuracy for this.

In general the watch performed well and was noticeably smoother in all aspects from my series 0. I said it in a previous thread but this feels like the watch I wanted from the beginning.


This run also raised some questions:

1. Recovery rate... where is it? I was unable to locate this on my watch or iPhone?

Edited to add: I have now located this... It may just take it awhile to show up. It is under the workouts on the activity app (I did not initially look here) and on the watch it can be found on the heart rate app (first place I looked... but apparently it takes 5+ minutes to show up?).

2. My max HR hit 209 on a hill sprint. Still at 39 years of age this seems too high. My question is whether or not there have been accuracy issues for anyone else, especially in the upper HR range? I actually experienced (verified by a tickr X) inaccurate readings early on on my S0 but these went away after one of the early software updates. I set a reminder (through Siri and my AirPods) on my cool down walk to schedule an EKG on Monday morning but I lean more towards their is nothing wrong with my heart (even if the watch is completely accurate). I might ask for a stress test and VO2 max while I'm there (and any other testing they will give me haha).

 

[IJBrekke]

2. My max HR hit 209 on a hill sprint. Still at 39 years of age this seems too high. My question is whether or not there have been accuracy issues for anyone else, especially in the upper HR range?

Unfortunately, I have always found hr accuracy to read high when running (S0 and S2). It's consistent 20 bpm-ish above what I'm actually at and leads to some pretty wildly ambitious "calories burned" estimates.

Basically, I don't use it as an accurate reading, but rather a control since it's the only device I run with.

 

[BrettDS]

but apparently it takes 5+ minutes to show up?)

It makes sense that it takes a few minutes to show up. It’s a measurement of how long it takes for your heart rate to return to normal after you work out... so it can’t give you that measurement until your heart rate has returned to normal and it’s been able to time how long that took. That’s gonna be a few minutes after your workout finishes.

 

[Trent0341]

It makes sense that it takes a few minutes to show up. It’s a measurement of how long it takes for your heart rate to return to normal after you work out... so it can’t give you that measurement until your heart rate has returned to normal and it’s been able to time how long that took. That’s gonna be a few minutes after your workout finishes.

Absolutely. It shows one and two minutes after. I love this feature. I will be curious to read more about the VO2 max accuracy.

 

[Cashmonee]

If you actually hit 209, you would know it. That is going to be very close to your max HR if it isn't, and when you are at max, trust me, you know it. If you can sing, your heart rate is nearer to resting. If you can hold a conversation, it is elevated, if you can talk in bits, it is getting high, and if you can't talk hardly at all, you are near max. Also, after hitting max for a bit, you are likely to feel a little nauseous and possibly lightheaded. At your age, depending on fitness of course, 209 should be about your max.

 

[richard371]

The AW does get the red X and takes about 30 seconds to switch from the iPhone to LTE. Going from LTE to the iPhone is seamless. I wonder if this will be fixed in a SW update.

 

[BrettDS]

The AW does get the red X and takes about 30 seconds to switch from the iPhone to LTE. Going from LTE to the iPhone is seamless. I wonder if this will be fixed in a SW update.

I’ve seen this too, but I suspect it may be a battery saving feature rather than something that needs fixed. The LTE modem uses a lot of power, so I suspect that the watch wants to make sure that it has really lost all other connectivity before it fires up the LTE modem. I could see how it would waste battery if it keeps turning the LTE modem on every time WiFi or Bluetooth drops for a few seconds. It may even be spending a few seconds searching for known WiFI networks during this time as well.

 

[edhchoe]

Isn't Max HR about 220 - age?
At 39, it should be about 181 bpm.
I am 44 and with a polar chest strap I get up to about 172 during hard workout but I know I could push a little more but I try not to. 209 bpm would kill me probably.

 

[Cashmonee]

Isn't Max HR about 220 - age?
At 39, it should be about 181 bpm.
I am 44 and with a polar chest strap I get up to about 172 during hard workout but I know I could push a little more but I try not to. 209 bpm would kill me probably.

That used to be the thinking, but it is an extremely rough and inaccurate estimate. Someone in good shape in their mid-30s could easily reach over 200 without issue. When I was cycling regularly a few years ago (33/34 at the time), my max was around 210.

 

[edhchoe]

That used to be the thinking, but it is an extremely rough and inaccurate estimate. Someone in good shape in their mid-30s could easily reach over 200 without issue. When I was cycling regularly a few years ago (33/34 at the time), my max was around 210.

so then I hypothesize the new formula should be...

Max HR = 220- age +(60- resting HR)

 

[zhenya]

209 at your age sounds suspicious to me. Fitness level has little to do with how high your hr will go. It’s mostly based on age. I’m 38, was a semi pro cyclist for years, now a competitive runner, and my current max is in the low 180’s. All wrist mounted monitors I’ve used have regularly given erroneous readings in the low 200’s though.

 

[Trent0341]

I think that it is likely that my (max) heart rate is not 209.

I was doing a hill sprint so I believe I would have hit max. I think that the most likely cause is an error by the apple watch but I do not know this. To that end I am scheduling an EKG and will ask for additional testing to get a better idea. It is possible that I have a higher than average max HR.

The thing is that I had this same issue with the S0 (HR in the 220 range)... and through an EKG and and the tickr X I determined that it was most likely an error from the AW. This error went away and I have not had it since.

This is one of the things I really like about the apple watch in general... the ability to examine a bunch of data points.

 

[deeddawg]

Took the watch (SS S3 LTE) on a run with AirPods... Here are some thoughts:

I personally wouldn't dare run with AirPods given how readily I manage to kill even sweatproof headphones within a relatively short number of summertime Georgia runs.

1. Recovery rate... where is it? I was unable to locate this on my watch or iPhone?

Edited to add: I have now located this... It may just take it awhile to show up. It is under the workouts on the activity app (I did not initially look here) and on the watch it can be found on the heart rate app (first place I looked... but apparently it takes 5+ minutes to show up?).

On my Garmin's the recovery rate always seemed to take at least two minutes to register, so 5 min may not be out of line. Tends to depend on how your heart rate drops and when it steadies out.

2. My max HR hit 209 on a hill sprint. Still at 39 years of age this seems too high. My question is whether or not there have been accuracy issues for anyone else, especially in the upper HR range?

Haven't seen anything out of the ordinary with my AW2 NIke+ edition. It's always been pretty much the same as my Garmin and in line with what I've measured even with a chest strap. Still, even those would give a whacky reading every so often. If you ever get the watch registering what seems like a ridiculous rate again, just take your own pulse to compare, finger on the carotid would be the best.

 

[betabeta]

I think that it is likely that my (max) heart rate is not 209.

I was doing a hill sprint so I believe I would have hit max. I think that the most likely cause is an error by the apple watch but I do not know this. To that end I am scheduling an EKG and will ask for additional testing to get a better idea. It is possible that I have a higher than average max HR.

The thing is that I had this same issue with the S0 (HR in the 220 range)... and through an EKG and and the tickr X I determined that it was most likely an error from the AW. This error went away and I have not had it since.

This is one of the things I really like about the apple watch in general... the ability to examine a bunch of data points.

If you were sprinting up a hill it is very possible for you to hit over 200, look at all data and see how long, not likely you would sustain that for any amount of time but you could hit it for sure.

I’m older and easily hit 190 and do hit 200, the 220 - age is actually wrong more times than not for most people.

It will be interesting to see what you find in the tests, but my experience is treadmill testing is slightly different from real world testing, maybe close. Your max is higher than you think, it’s higher than most people think. Our bodies are great at letting us know when to slow down way before we actually hit our max. If you actually hit max you body would force you to stop, most people will never hit max.

If they let you, start a run with your Apple Watch during the test and see how they compare. Good luck.

 

[deeddawg]

If you were sprinting up a hill it is very possible for you to hit over 200, look at all data and see how long, not likely you would sustain that for any amount of time but you could hit it for sure.

I’m older and easily hit 190 and do hit 200, the 220 - age is actually wrong more times than not for most people

Good reminder. Everyone is different, and 200+ is not necessarily bad. Depends on your genetics.

The 220-age is akin to choosing your shoe size based on your age. Why would anyone think it is accurate? Also maxHR will vary by sport; what you can achieve running will be different than for cycling, etc.

Here's a site with some good info on how to approximate your individual maxHR. Generally speaking the more you sweat when getting the estimate the closer it will be.

 

[patrickdunn]

Keep in mind there is a ton of errors with optical HR. If you are concerned, I would use a HR strap like the Wahoo Tickr which measures electrical impulse. Tempature variances, tattoos, and other factors can easily throw off optical HR’s.

 

[DeepIn2U]

TLDR: The S3 LTE and AirPods make an awesome workout combination that work as advertised. Still, a few minor questions remain.

Took the watch (SS S3 LTE) on a run with AirPods... Here are some thoughts:

To transition from my house wifi and iPhone took about 30 or seconds. Nothing major but noticeable.

During my warmup I tested out the text function through Siri... worked quickly and accurately. Siri in general seems to be working better lately. I am not sure if this due to improvements made by apple or the fact that Siri has forced me to work on my own pronunciation.

I did received an unsolicited work text during my run that I was able to respond to quickly and (again) accurately. The is exactly the reason I wanted LTE.

All aspects of playing music worked well, as it should. This will become more interesting when music streaming arrives.

Battery started at 75% (wore it over night, charged for a few minutes prior to run to update music) and ended at 57% in approximately 45 minutes on LTE (18%).

Heart rate... still had some moments where it had difficultly reading it but by and large it was noticeably improved from my S0. S0 usually spent half or more of a run trying to read my HR. With the S3 I only saw this occur once.

VO2 max... a fun new feature although I have no real way to immediately verify the accuracy for this.

In general the watch performed well and was noticeably smoother in all aspects from my series 0. I said it in a previous thread but this feels like the watch I wanted from the beginning.


This run also raised some questions:

1. Recovery rate... where is it? I was unable to locate this on my watch or iPhone?

Edited to add: I have now located this... It may just take it awhile to show up. It is under the workouts on the activity app (I did not initially look here) and on the watch it can be found on the heart rate app (first place I looked... but apparently it takes 5+ minutes to show up?).

2. My max HR hit 209 on a hill sprint. Still at 39 years of age this seems too high. My question is whether or not there have been accuracy issues for anyone else, especially in the upper HR range? I actually experienced (verified by a tickr X) inaccurate readings early on on my S0 but these went away after one of the early software updates. I set a reminder (through Siri and my AirPods) on my cool down walk to schedule an EKG on Monday morning but I lean more towards their is nothing wrong with my heart (even if the watch is completely accurate). I might ask for a stress test and VO2 max while I'm there (and any other testing they will give me haha).

I'm curious ....

1. how are you able to determine Wi-Fi hand-off to LTE on your Apple Watch? On my S2 there is no indication of connection to Wi-Fi, it's not even listed in settings. I'd love to be able to access this for WatchOS updates, Music sync from phone's local playlist to AppleWatch S2.

When working out listening to music on AWS3 + AirPod's is the music playback volume lowered or track playback paused when using Siri for voice to text dictation?

"This will become more interesting when music streaming arrives." and so will your monthly bill for increased data rates if you don't have unlimited local data. Just remember when you travel, as it currently stands LTE roaming is not possible on AW3 with carrier plans at this time.

 

[deeddawg]

On my S2 there is no indication of connection to Wi-Fi, it's not even listed in settings.

It'll show the wifi stacked-arcs symbol in the control panel (swipe-up) screen if on wifi, and the phone if on bluetooth.

 

[Trent0341]

I'm curious ....

1. how are you able to determine Wi-Fi hand-off to LTE on your Apple Watch? On my S2 there is no indication of connection to Wi-Fi, it's not even listed in settings. I'd love to be able to access this for WatchOS updates, Music sync from phone's local playlist to AppleWatch S2.

When working out listening to music on AWS3 + AirPod's is the music playback volume lowered or track playback paused when using Siri for voice to text dictation?

"This will become more interesting when music streaming arrives." and so will your monthly bill for increased data rates if you don't have unlimited local data. Just remember when you travel, as it currently stands LTE roaming is not possible on AW3 with carrier plans at this time.

One way I verified that it was on wifi (versus LTE) is that I put my phone in airplane mode at my house. My watch has a wifi symbol when I swipe up indicating it is on wifi... When I turn airplane mode back off the wifi symbol goes away and a green phone icon appears in its place. I will try to post a screen shot from my watch later if that doesn't explain it adequately.

The track is paused when I activate Siri and restarted when I am complete

Not worried about the streaming bill but you may have a point for some.

 

[BrettDS]

When working out listening to music on AWS3 + AirPod's is the music playback volume lowered or track playback paused when using Siri for voice to text dictation?

I just took a quick walk around the block without my phone just to see how things worked and this was one of the things I tried. I had music playing from the watch through my AirPods and I could lift the watch and say “hey Siri” and the music would pause, then resume after the interaction with Siri finished. I also tried to dictate a reply to a text message and again, as soon as I hit the mic button to start dictation the music paused and then resumed after I finished. It worked quite well I thought.

 

[perezr10]

I personally wouldn't dare run with AirPods given how readily I manage to kill even sweatproof headphones within a relatively short number of summertime Georgia runs.
.

The AirPods are really good about getting wet. I’ve run mine through the washing machine twice and they still work like normal.

 

[Trent0341]

The AirPods are really good about getting wet. I’ve run mine through the washing machine twice and they still work like normal.

I buy things to use them... if they break they break. I will either buy another pair or buy something of better quality.

 

[betabeta]

How was the heart rate data in the workout app? did it seem slow to update? I just went for run and it wasn’t nearly as fast to update my heart rate, sometimes I looked and it was not showing my heart rate at all.

Looking back through previous runs on my series 2 the charts/data was perfect without missing data. Now I’m seeing missing data where it was trying to update but didn’t. In HR show all data, it shows some missing minutes and some only have a few readings a minute, on series 2 it had at least 12 readings every single minute in a run.

 

[SR 7]

So u ran with air pods and they didn’t fall?
My regular Apple headphones that come in the box or “used” to come in the box fall every 2 feet.

Also, so you ran on LTE and only lost 18% battery life? Were you running a fitness app to see how far you ran etc which requires GPS?

Also, we can’t stream ANY music as of right now?

I wonder if battery life will drain if Spotify EVER releases one for the AW.

 

[alent1234]

how is the GPS accuracy? i've read bad things about AW and GPS