"I've fallen and I can't get up. Oh wait, my Apple Watch just called 911. Never mind."
The baby boomers (me) are going to devour this device. It will quickly become the "must have" wearable for our generation. You'll know that's true when the socialists start demanding that every person over 65 is entitled to one which the government should provide free of charge.
Funny you mentioned this. A few weeks ago, a hardcore iHater said the Apple Watch was useless because you can just buy a Life Alert instead....
I wonder where the goalposts moves next?
How much is Life Alert?
From browsing around, it's $49.95/month and you have to sign up for a 3 year contract. The mobile GPS unit is $69.95/month.
"I've fallen and I can't get up. Oh wait, my Apple Watch just called 911. Never mind."
The baby boomers (me) are going to devour this device. It will quickly become the "must have" wearable for our generation. You'll know that's true when the socialists start demanding that every person over 65 is entitled to one which the government should provide free of charge.
Funny you mentioned this. A few weeks ago, a hardcore iHater said the Apple Watch was useless because you can just buy a Life Alert instead....
I wonder where the goalposts moves next?
How much is Life Alert?
I have no idea. Their website is a mess and still exploiting the "I can't get up!" joke. Looks like it may be free hardware on a monthly plan. So it's cheaper than Apple Watch so Apple is doomed.
It's about the same size of an Apple Watch with ONE function. It just calls 911. So the argument was useless..
It looks like you just have to call to get a brochure sent to you. This competitor has comparison pricing. Both are well above what the Apple Watch is for having GPS+Cellular.
There are still benefits for some of these devices over an Apple Watch, like having a 10-year battery, as opposed to having the Apple Watch requiring a charge every day or two, and these specific devices are designed for this one utility that will be easier to use for a lot of elderly people. That said, you do pay a premium for them and they probably have to be conscious to press the button to call for help (but who knows how well the Series 4 Watch's fall detection will work at this point).
edit: There options with cellular connections that don't have the 10 days battery which I assume is just a GPS beacon that will not activate until you press the button. This one will last 5 days before needing a recharge, but it's also about $50/month with their 3 month payment plan with you pay upfront.
I’m always surprised when people are impressed and / or amazed with the things I do with my watch that I’ve grown so accustomed to, mainly Apple Pay and silencing my ringing phone by covering the watch. Says to me there’s a whole load of people out there waiting for that tipping point moment. Apple Watch 4 will be it for quite a few I think.
Series 4 is certainly a great product. Apple must be working diligently to develop blood sugar monitoring. If and when (I believe when, not if) just stand back and don’t let the droves of purchasers trample you.
AW4 can detect a fall. There was a company building bike helmets with an accelerometer in it to detect a crash, and it included an app. I think Apple just wrecked(!) their business model.
The first version was 3.5 years ago remember, and it was quite limited: low performance, no SDK, no independent connectivity. And it was also all over the place with functionality. The main argument people made for it at the time (including Apple) was that it enabled "glance-able" UI, quick information without getting your phone out. It was 2 years-ish before it became clear that health should be the focus. So those that are saying people were wrong to criticise it in the beginning and it was never about fashion have a short memory I think.
But the series 3 was a huge step forward with the LTE modem, and this series with the 64-bit CPU is in some ways even more exciting. And it has a fundamental feature-enabling advantage over the iphone: it is permanently in physical contact with your body. In retrospect that was the obvious source of features to differentiate it from a phone.
It looks so much better with the rounded corners of the display following the shape of the case. And in my opinion, I think the thickness of the bezels is spot on. I think I'm finally jumping aboard for the 40mm?
To each his own. I don't really care for the bezels. I'm sure Apple has it's reasons, but just comparing the new 44mm AW to the 42mm round Huawei, you'll notice that the display goes right up to the metal edges. With a contrasting image displayed against the AW bezels, I'm left with the impression of the old iOS YouTube App icon, which depending on the goal may or may not be a good thing. I'd expect Apple will eventually get rid of the bezels completely though, I'm just not sure why they haven't already since the Huawei does it.
AW4 can detect a fall. There was a company building bike helmets with an accelerometer in it to detect a crash, and it included an app. I think Apple just wrecked(!) their business model.
Maybe. We still have to see how well it works in general and in specific environments. For example, if you wear your Watch on your wrist (which I assume every one does) and you fall off a bike, the last thing to be affected by a fall will probably be your wrists as you're likely still holding onto the handlebars. Unless their fall detection can indicate a rapid turning or twisting of the wrist (and possibly know that a rapid wrist action biking v (say) racquetball) it might not be able to pick up on the fall properly at this point.
I hope we get a lot of testing over the next few months to really show how ideal it is. I don't want a lot of false positives where I need to disable the phone call to emergency services (or I'll to disable that feature, if possible), but I also don't want to be so insensitive that a very slow moving pensioner with osteoporosis might break something or fall slow enough that the Series 4 Watch can't detect.
Apple has earned my trust, but there's only so much they can do within a window that covers all users. Maybe they use your age/height, illnesses, and/or have sensitivity settings for this feature that will allow each of us to dial it in, but we'll probably need to wait for some in-depth testing to know for sure.
The initial reporting on the Watch was some of the worst Apple reporting in 20+ years. I remember when 2 months before the Watch was announced the WSJ reported there were all these health sensors people wanted in the Watch but the powers that be said no because they wanted to position it as a fashion item. It was so ridiculous and very clear that certain aspects of the media wanted the Watch to fail (and probably still do).
I have no recollection of that WSJ article, but I do seem to remember something (from one or more unknown sources) about how they're working on plenty of health-related features but will not launch them until they're ready.
I can’t find it now and might be misremembering it a bit but one thing I remember for sure is it was spun in a negative way that gave the impression there were all these cool health sensors ready for the Watch but someone in Apple leadership said no. Just complete nonsense.
mac_128 said: you'll notice that the display goes right up to the metal edges.
You know that's the bezel, right? Huawei hasn't gotten rid of shit. Are you suggesting that Apple make a metal bezel around the Watch so that it's not a smooth piece of curved glass or sapphire so that scrolling is less efficient and the device is less functional?
AW4 can detect a fall. There was a company building bike helmets with an accelerometer in it to detect a crash, and it included an app. I think Apple just wrecked(!) their business model.
Maybe. We still have to see how well it works in general and in specific environments. For example, if you wear your Watch on your wrist (which I assume every one does) and you fall off a bike, the last thing to be affected by a fall will probably be your wrists as you're likely still holding onto the handlebars. Unless their fall detection can indicate a rapid turning or twisting of the wrist (and possibly know that a rapid wrist action biking v (say) racquetball) it might not be able to pick up on the fall properly at this point.
I hope we get a lot of testing over the next few months to really show how ideal it is. I don't want a lot of false positives where I need to disable the phone call to emergency services (or I'll to disable that feature, if possible), but I also don't want to be so insensitive that a very slow moving pensioner with osteoporosis might break something or fall slow enough that the Series 4 Watch can't detect.
Apple has earned my trust, but there's only so much they can do within a window that covers all users. Maybe they use your age/height, illnesses, and/or have sensitivity settings for this feature that will allow each of us to dial it in, but we'll probably need to wait for some in-depth testing to know for sure.
Concur. The workout app has an outdoor bike ride option. Maybe the software knows.
It looks so much better with the rounded corners of the display following the shape of the case. And in my opinion, I think the thickness of the bezels is spot on. I think I'm finally jumping aboard for the 40mm?
To each his own. I don't really care for the bezels. I'm sure Apple has it's reasons, but just comparing the new 44mm AW to the 42mm round Huawei, you'll notice that the display goes right up to the metal edges. With a contrasting image displayed against the AW bezels, I'm left with the impression of the old iOS YouTube App icon, which depending on the goal may or may not be a good thing. I'd expect Apple will eventually get rid of the bezels completely though, I'm just not sure why they haven't already since the Huawei does it.
Well Apple’s not trying to imitate a mechanical watch. For those who prefer a smart watch that looks like a round mechanical watch then Apple Watch is not for them. Curious though, do you have a non marketing image of the Huawei watch? I’ve found with most of the Android watches the actual watch on the wrist never looks as good as the marketing images. Especially the display which is always brighter IRL. Example:
I’m assuming there must be some technical reason the Watch still has those bezels. I can’t believe it’s a conscious design choice.
mac_128 said: you'll notice that the display goes right up to the metal edges.
You know that's the bezel, right? Huawei hasn't gotten rid of shit. Are you suggesting that Apple make a metal bezel around the Watch so that it's not a smooth piece of curved glass or sapphire so that scrolling is less efficient and the device is less functional?
To be precise - "bezel" is a term from watch making that got appropriated for smartphones and tablets. It's what the glass or crystal is mounted to. My analogue watch has a rotating bezel with markers on it to use as a timer. Other watches have fixed bezels. Most watches have some kind of bezel, and, quite frankly, the obsession with getting rid of them mystifies me.
mac_128 said: you'll notice that the display goes right up to the metal edges.
You know that's the bezel, right? Huawei hasn't gotten rid of shit. Are you suggesting that Apple make a metal bezel around the Watch so that it's not a smooth piece of curved glass or sapphire so that scrolling is less efficient and the device is less functional?
To be precise - "bezel" is a term from watch making that got appropriated for smartphones and tablets. It's what the glass or crystal is mounted to. My analogue watch has a rotating bezel with markers on it to use as a timer. Other watches have fixed bezels. Most watches have some kind of bezel, and, quite frankly, the obsession with getting rid of them mystifies me.
Correct. I actually prefer the Huawei Watch 2 which has a rotating bezel, but it's a smaller display area for that added functionality for direct comparison about what's possible. The difference between the two watches is that Apple GLUES their crystal down to the metal case, and Huawei and other round watch makers tend to mount the crystal from the underside using the bezel as a secure frame, as most watch fine manufacturers do. If Apple were to emulate this, I'd say they would make the crystal slightly smaller and the case edge slightly wider, such that active display area would indeed be edge to edge vis-a-vis the case itself, like Huawei. There would still be a bezel, but it would be smaller, and the net effect more elegant. Personally, I love inlaid crystals rather than the rounded edges, which would also help protect the crystal. But YMMV.
That said, I think I just realized why Apple can't have a smaller bezel on the AW -- I think it may be because they glue it down, and they need that large of an edge to make a good secure contact with the case. We'll know better when iFixit does a teardown. I really wish Apple didn't glue everything together.
Fortunately, most of the apps designed for the AW use black background which create the edge to edge effect, just as it did when the active display area was even smaller, so the old tube TV look is only present mostly with photos, and videos. I'd never choose a light colored fullscreen watch face with this watch. But that's just me.
I can say that having Apple Watch definitely made me more aware of my health and made me realize I was much sicker than I thought (it alerted me of persistant tachycardia) which turns out that I had pneumonia. So, I think Apple Watch really can save lives and the additions of new features to Series 4 are much welcome and can save more lives. I am surprised that they came up with the innovative ECG recording which is truly a big deal because it's much more detailed and can detect more types of arrythmias.
The first version was 3.5 years ago remember, and it was quite limited: low performance, no SDK, no independent connectivity. And it was also all over the place with functionality. The main argument people made for it at the time (including Apple) was that it enabled "glance-able" UI, quick information without getting your phone out. It was 2 years-ish before it became clear that health should be the focus. So those that are saying people were wrong to criticise it in the beginning and it was never about fashion have a short memory I think.
But the series 3 was a huge step forward with the LTE modem, and this series with the 64-bit CPU is in some ways even more exciting. And it has a fundamental feature-enabling advantage over the iphone: it is permanently in physical contact with your body. Inretrospect that was the obvious source of features to differentiate it from a phone.
I disagree. I believe Apple knew very well what the watch’s gonna be. They put heart rate monitor into it from the beginning after all. (And there were also many speculations back then on how many sensors, and what kind of, Apple intended to put in there). It’s just the technology was not there. You could argue that if Steve Jobs still around he might wait to release it with S3 or even shock his audiences with S4 but Apple didn’t have Steve Jobs then so they had to do what they had to. Maybe they thought at the time they couldn’t let Android Wear getting ahead too much but it’s a pointless discussion now because it’s clear this product is and will continue to be important.
The baby boomers (me) are going to devour this device. It will quickly become the "must have" wearable for our generation. You'll know that's true when the socialists start demanding that every person over 65 is entitled to one which the government should provide free of charge.
Socialism should rank among the least of your government related concerns at this time.
Comments
It looks like you just have to call to get a brochure sent to you. This competitor has comparison pricing. Both are well above what the Apple Watch is for having GPS+Cellular.
There are still benefits for some of these devices over an Apple Watch, like having a 10-year battery, as opposed to having the Apple Watch requiring a charge every day or two, and these specific devices are designed for this one utility that will be easier to use for a lot of elderly people. That said, you do pay a premium for them and they probably have to be conscious to press the button to call for help (but who knows how well the Series 4 Watch's fall detection will work at this point).
edit: There options with cellular connections that don't have the 10 days battery which I assume is just a GPS beacon that will not activate until you press the button. This one will last 5 days before needing a recharge, but it's also about $50/month with their 3 month payment plan with you pay upfront.
edit2: Thanks @nht and @boltsfan17.
I hope we get a lot of testing over the next few months to really show how ideal it is. I don't want a lot of false positives where I need to disable the phone call to emergency services (or I'll to disable that feature, if possible), but I also don't want to be so insensitive that a very slow moving pensioner with osteoporosis might break something or fall slow enough that the Series 4 Watch can't detect.
Apple has earned my trust, but there's only so much they can do within a window that covers all users. Maybe they use your age/height, illnesses, and/or have sensitivity settings for this feature that will allow each of us to dial it in, but we'll probably need to wait for some in-depth testing to know for sure.
I can’t find it now and might be misremembering it a bit but one thing I remember for sure is it was spun in a negative way that gave the impression there were all these cool health sensors ready for the Watch but someone in Apple leadership said no. Just complete nonsense.
I’m assuming there must be some technical reason the Watch still has those bezels. I can’t believe it’s a conscious design choice.
That said, I think I just realized why Apple can't have a smaller bezel on the AW -- I think it may be because they glue it down, and they need that large of an edge to make a good secure contact with the case. We'll know better when iFixit does a teardown. I really wish Apple didn't glue everything together.
Fortunately, most of the apps designed for the AW use black background which create the edge to edge effect, just as it did when the active display area was even smaller, so the old tube TV look is only present mostly with photos, and videos. I'd never choose a light colored fullscreen watch face with this watch. But that's just me.