It’s been a while
Not just since Apple Watch was released but since I worked on any content for this blog. Then again, this blog is about me and my life, so by living my life I am in fact working on the blog, so you should probably consider that (with apologies to Diane Nguyen S6E6 of Bojack Horseman, 10mins in).
I have used Apple Watch every day for 5 years
But here’s the thing: I’ve owned every series of Apple Watch, trained for and completed IronMan Wales with a series 3 in 2018, used series 4 extensively to train for an IronMan distance event in 2019 (The Outlaw Nottingham which was cancelled because of bad weather - damn!) and had over 200 days of using Apple Watch series 5 every day for running, swimming, cycling, walking, hiking, gyming, and just living (not sure gyming is a word, but hey) so I feel qualified to pass judgement on them.
For reference I currently have an Apple Watch Series 5 GPS+Cellular Space Grey Aluminium Case 44mm, with a ton of straps that I occasionally change (I mostly use a sports band though, but there is a blog on that to come).
I also regularly use my previous Series 4 watch of the same size and spec (although silver), mostly that is the watch I wear overnight to log sleep and get HRV data (Heart Rate Variability), and I still have my Series 3 mainly to compare to the other two for this blog.
And in terms of my overall activity with Apple Watch since it was released on April 24th, 2015 (a total of 1829 days) I just calculated the following by exporting the data from Apple Health using a little app called Health Export and then totalling them in a spreadsheet.
My Total Apple Watch Activity
Active Calories: 2,185,448 calories
or 1194 active calories a day - those are calories burnt during some sort of activity, not just by chilling on the couch and watching an action movie, though there were some of those too.
Total Exercise Time: 2443 hours
or 1hr 20mins a day on average exercising and logging it into Apple Health.
Walking/Running Distance: 17,860 km (11,098 miles)
or 9.76km every day on average (6 miles a day), though this is all walking and running, not just logged activities so that includes going to the shops, walking to the train station or taking a trip to the fridge as well as actually doing a run.
Swimming Distance : 238km (148 miles)
or 206m on average every day (225 yards a day). Note this is only from from Mar 2017 after series 2 was released in Sept 2016 and I started using it to log swimming (can’t shake the feeling I’ve been slacking here though)
Cycling Distance: 22,311km (13,864 miles)
or 12km a day cycling on average (7.5miles)
The main question that arises for me when I look at those stats is why I am still overweight, especially when my wife does 12 mins of exercise a day using the Carrot Fit app, and maintains a perfect weight and we eat a similar diet. One day I’ll really try and get to the bottom of this, but I’m sure the calories in, calories out method of losing weight is far too simplistic for me, and probably most people.
Its been a blast
Being this active is not a lifetime thing for me, it only started when I got my first bike after suffering a DVT after a boozy holiday to celebrate my 40th birthday with my mates. That was 15 years ago, before that I sat in front of a computer for years, hardly doing anything active.
This is me being happy
And just to say quickly - I really enjoy being active, not just for the obvious health benefits, but also because of the “me time” and the feeling of getting lost in myself on a long run, ride or swim, just existing in the moment.
Sometimes people ask “what were you thinking about on that 5hr bike ride”, and honestly I sort of wasn’t thinking of anything (except perhaps the title of the Strava log I would post, something that makes me sound heroic but still understated, it’s a tricky balance). The thing is when you aren’t worrying about the past or fretting about the future, and you are just “doing”, that’s a kind of happiness.
Needless to say if you are thinking about getting an Apple Watch to get active, then I heartily recommend it!
Quick summary of the Apple Watch releases
Wikipedia has a nice page on all the details but here’s the summary of what you need to know today in terms of getting an Apple Watch for Activity and Health tracking.
The Apple Watches not worth considering today
The Original Apple Watch (sometimes called series 0) - slow, can’t do swimming, no GPS, so you needed your iPhone, or had to rely on Apple Watch to guess distances based on your stride pattern when running for example
Series 1 - small improvements in performance over the original but still the same issues
Series 2 - added swimming with 50m water resistance and GPS but pretty sluggish in terms of performance.
None of these watches are on sale via Apple, though you will probably find them second hand if you really want one; personally I would only look at the following:
The Apple Watches to Choose From
Series 3 - the last of the original case design, and still being sold by Apple. This is a capable device, with much improved performance from Series 2, and one I used to train for IronMan Wales in 2018. It is also excellent value today even when bought direct from Apple, and can be had at even better prices if you shop around.
Series 4 - some major changes over series 3, with bigger screens and thinner bezels, introduction of cellular options, new heart rate sensor and an ECG capability, faster processor performance, and more RAM, fall detection, better speaker and microphone, and a nicer feeling Digital Crown. See my post here for more detail. Series 4 is only available through non Apple channels, but you can get a great deal on them. The question is do you need all this extra ability compared to Series 3 just for activity logging, or should you jump to Series 5? Read on…
Series 5 - kept the same design as Series 4 and added two new features - an always on display, and a built in compass, plus increased storage. This is the current model and can be bought directly from Apple. It’s the premium model, so there aren’t as many deals to find currently.
Conclusion: See below
What about materials?
Each iteration of Apple Watch has offered a different selection of materials available. The key thing to remember is that this is entirely cosmetic and by paying more for Ceramic, Titanium or Stainless Steel you get no improvement in capability over the cheapest Aluminium version.
In fact there is an argument that I subscribe to that says the Aluminium is absolutely the best one to get for sport. It is light, plenty strong enough (I have never had a scratched screen or case, or anything broken) and the haptic engine actually provides a better vibration through it than the others (which is great for timers etc when you are exercising)
So I have only ever had Aluminium - if you prefer the look of any of the others (and ceramic white does look really nice), then you can pay for that of course, but personally I’ve never felt the need.
Conclusion: Get Aluminium, it’s the best value, and the best material for sport.
Cellular or Non-Cellular?
This is a bit trickier - I have always bought cellular and will no doubt continue to do so, along with paying a monthly fee to my mobile provider. But that’s because I’m an idiot and I want it all.
But if you want a more considered approach I have created a flowchart of sorts, to help you make a decision. You’re welcome.
Conclusion: Most people won’t need Cellular, but consider it for safety if you workout alone, and don’t want to carry your iPhone, or if you just like the convenience.
Like Nike or Not Like Nike
(Pronunciation: ly-key, ny-key or not ly-key ny-key)
You can get an Apple Watch Sport in a Nike version. What’s the difference? None at all apart from different choices of straps (which you can mostly buy separately now if you really want one), and a Nike watch face. Hmmm.
More annoyingly when you use Siri on a Nike version and say “Start a run” it always uses the Nike Running Club app rather than the Apple Workout app, or it just fails and waits for you to tap the screen if that is not installed. This really bugged me when I tried using a Nike version for a SwimRun where I use Siri to switch between Swimming and Running without having to touch the screen. (If you want to know more about the fantastic sport of SwimRun using Apple Watch try this.)
Conclusion: Don’t bother with the Nike version, just get an Apple one.
Which strap/band should I get?
(Note In the UK we call them straps and so does Apple.com/uk, but in the US they are called bands. Two nations divided by a common language I guess)
Take a look at my review here - this is a little out of date, but everything still applies to all Apple Watches, and I still completely favour the Apple Sport Bands over all the other Apple ones and many third party ones I have tried, at least when using for sport. They are light, comfortable, have some great choices of colour, and they never seem to fade or get grubby.
Of course when I want to look a bit smarter for an evening do, I like to strap on something a bit fancier, like this one from Speidel (full disclosure they sent me a Twist-of-Flex metal band to try - high quality and great value)
Conclusion: It’s an Apple Sport Band for me every time.
What about size?
If you are looking at Series 3, then you can choose from 38mm and 42mm. For series 4 or 5 then its 40mm or 44mm.
You’ll get a slightly larger battery for the bigger sizes, but then again they have more screen to drive, so in reality you won’t notice any difference. Everything else is the same.
Conclusion: It’s completely subjective so just make your choice based on how big your wrist is and how the different sizes suit you. I always go for the biggest but that’s because my eyes aren’t what they used to be 😂. If you aren’t sure take a trip to an Apple store when you can and try the different sizes on.
Are the New Features in Series 5 worth it?
Series 5 introduced two main new features compared to series 4:
Always On Display
Built in Compass
Always On Display
A lot of positive things were written about the always-on display when it was released. Most if not all were surprised that Apple had brought it to the watch in this release, and many were calling it a game changer.
Six months in I have not found it to be a game changer - it’s quite nice in day to day use, and for some things like doing a bench press, it is handy to be able to see the screen while straining under the weight without having to touch the screen with your nose, or somehow twist your wrist. But you can only see live activity when using the Apple Activity app, and not third party apps so that’s a limited benefit.
Moreover I sometimes find I get confused when I tap the “Always-on” screen and nothing seems to happen. For example when tapping a complication. What in fact has happened is the first tap has woken the screen up, and then I have to tap again to activate the complication. Without “Always-On”, it seems more obvious what to do because the screen is off in the first instance.
Conclusion: I never miss “Always-On” when wearing my series 4, so it’s not an essential reason to get a series 5.
Built-in Compass
Series 5 has a built in compass. This is a little more exciting for me, not because of the compass app, though that is cool, but because it means activity apps can be written to take advantage of more accurate directions and logging of workout routes. Apps such as the excellent WorkOutdoors do a great job of taking advantage of this.
Conclusion: If you do a lot of hiking or use routing apps such as WorkOutDoors you may enjoy the extra directional accuracy the compass can give you.
When will Series 6 be out and what will that bring?
The expectation is that series 6 will still be out around September time, even with the current COVID-19 crisis, but nothing is written in stone.
And the rumours are it will bring some cool new features including: blood oxygen monitoring (this may also be available to older watches in a software update), sleep tracking (we have waited a long time for this, better be good!), better battery life, a new Kids Edition, improved waterproofing and Touch ID.
That all sounds good to me, though nothing truly ground breaking. However it’s still all rumours so we can only wait and see - after all the “Always-on” display was a total shock to the industry for series 5 and had not been rumoured at all, so Apple could have some surprises waiting.
Conclusion: Still too early to worry about Series 6, and let’s face it, it could possibly be delayed into 2021 with the current crisis.
So which Apple Watch should I get?
Here’s my take:
Minimum Viable Apple Watch for Sport - Series 3
If you want a low cost entry to Apple Watch the Series 3 watches are fantastic value even bought direct from Apple starting from $199. They perform well and will log your activities accurately, capturing all the normal metrics, and will run all the latest software for at least another couple of years I expect. You won’t have the larger screen and newer capabilities of series 4 or 5 but it will do everything you need in a sports watch.
Best Apple Watch for Sport - Series 4 If you can find the one you want cheap enough, Series 5 if not.
If you are looking for the bigger screen, better heart rate monitoring capabilities, fall detection, smaller bezels, nicer Digital Crown, better speakers & mic, then Series 4 or 5 are the way to go. With series 5 starting at $399 on Apple.com, if you can find a Series 4 for $50-100 less (they are not available from Apple direct, but Amazon and eBay and other retailers still have them at the time of writing) then I would say that represents the best value because honestly the features in series 5 are a little underwhelming for me. Otherwise you can make a judgement on whether you think the “Always-on” display and built in compass are worth it for you.
Once you have decided on the series, take a look at all the other options listed above to spec the Apple Watch you want - whatever you choose, I am sure you will find it a brilliant device to help you stay fit and healthy!