How can you use Apple Watch without iPhone and how will it be useful? What can an Apple Watch do without an iPhone? Does an apple watch work without an iPhone?

When Apple developed its watch, it planned to create not an independent device, but an accessory that would complement iPhone smartphone. Therefore, immediately after purchasing a watch, the first thing the user does is connect it to the iPhone using a special application via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. However, Apple Watch can perform several useful functions and without a smartphone.

Regular electronic watch

In order to inform its owner about the time, the watch does not need to be connected to the iPhone. The watch has the World Clock application, with which you can find out the time in any city in the world. And also, there is a stopwatch, a timer and, of course, an alarm clock.

Regular smart bracelet

Same without Apple smartphone Watch can “monitor” your activity: how long you stand, walk, run and other physical activities. The activity circle is located next to the time, which will allow you to quickly go through the statistics. Later, all the information can be easily sent to the iPhone. By the way, it will be noted that every Monday Apple Watch will notify you about the achievements of the past week, which makes it possible to see your achievements.

You will be able to manage your own workouts, set specific goals, view results, without connected iPhone. Tests have shown that this watch is considered a real replacement for a fitness tracker.

Audio player

You can listen to music through Bluetooth headphones, but first you need to download them from your iPhone. If you want to download music to the Apple Watch, you can do this through a special application on the iPhone.

Photo album

You can do the same thing with photos as you can with music. Using the program, synchronize your photo album and view photos without connecting to your smartphone. By default, the watch will sync photos that are marked as favorites on your Apple Watch, but this setting can be changed. You can look at photos by scrolling through the photos with your finger left and right, and enlarging them using the Digital Crown.

We're unlocking the hidden power of Apple Watch, all you have to do is touch it.

The Apple Watch depends on the iPhone for many things to function, with its Bluetooth connection acting as the nexus for Apple Watch notifications and apps. However, it's not all bad if you accidentally leave your phone at home or somewhere else. Apple has added LTE functionality to its new smart phones. Watch with Series 3, building on GPS and waterproofing to make even more possible without being tethered to your iPhone.


Apple Watch: Fitness data tracking.

All of the Apple Watch's tracking features can work without an iPhone, with the Workout app keeping tabs of your workouts and your daily fitness goals monitored through the Activity app.

Apple Watch will also still remind you when to get up at different intervals, while Series 2 and 3 owners can track your location as you walk through
GPS. With LTE, some workout apps are also a little smarter. For example, you can download audio guides for Nike Run Club while you're away, with or without your iPhone.

Apple Watch: Play ringtones.

Once WatchOS 4.1 is available to everyone and if you have smart watch series 3 with LTE, you can stream Apple Music wherever you are. This way, you don't have to rely on the limited storage space on your Watch.

Of course, if you don't want to pay money every month for an LTE SIM card, you can simply sync your music. It's easier than ever with watchOS 4, as you can easily sync by artist, album, song, etc. And of course, you'll have to connect your headphones via Bluetooth.

Apple Watch: Message and calls.

Thanks to LTE, you can monitor all your incoming messages from friends via iMessage. In addition, you can receive some calls. Now the watch doesn't work for all messaging and calling apps, but developers will still start updating the apps to make them standalone...

Apple Watch: Making payments.

By setting up your Apple Pay credentials with using iPhone, you can make payments yourself with using Apple Watch. The time zone itself has a secure sensor that proves you are who you say you are, but as a safety measure it only works if it is in contact with your skin (remove it and you need to reconnect to your iPhone) and if you enter a passcode.

As with music, your photos have a small iCloud storage area, if you want to keep photos of your nearest and dearest with you at all times, then Apple Watch allows you to do that. By default, the Favorites album on your iPhone syncs with your watch, but you can change this using the Apple Watch app on your mobile device: Creating a dedicated watch album is probably the best option.

Apple Watch: Using and capturing voice.

With an LTE or Wi-Fi watch, you can use Siri to chat with friends, call people, or even set alarms and timers, and you can also use Siri to ask questions. Since she can talk to you, either from the watch's speakers or from paired headphones, it makes the whole package feel more futuristic, although it's held back a bit by Siri's existing limitations. You can also use one of our favorite Apple Watch apps, Just Press Record, to record voice audio on your Watch. Now a standalone app, it will instantly transfer your recording to iCloud over LTE.

Apple Watch: Access the Wallet app.

Tickets and discounts, loyalty cards, boarding passes and cash vouchers are right on your wrist whenever you need them, even if you accidentally lose your smartphone (or break it on the way to the airport, for example).

Apple Watch: Set alarms and timers.

All the usual watch features are still available on Apple's smartwatch, so your alarm will still turn off even if your phone is off battery or wanders off at night. Night mode also makes the Apple Watch even more useful as a miniature alarm clock. Other related features like clock timer and stopwatch work fine without a connected iPhone.

Apple Watch: Time will tell.

Good news: The Apple Watch actually still functions as a watch, and if you lose your iPhone, you can also find out how long it's been since you last visited Facebook.
It's not just a watch, but Apple promises the device keeps time within 50 milliseconds of the final global standard. The only thing you need to worry about is that the battery does not run out.

On the Apple Watch, and also began demonstrating the device in stores. But let's take a break from all this fuss and talk about much more interesting things. For example, about what the Apple Watch can and cannot do, when there is no iPhone nearby.

Apple's policy is simple - the Apple Watch is not a standalone device. There's no point in buying a smartwatch if you don't have an iPhone. The smartwatch is not compatible with either iPad or Mac computer. They connect to the iPhone through a companion application that appeared in, and work through it, performing most of their functions. Apple does not hide: the lion's share of calculations is assigned to the smartphone, and only their results are transferred to the watch.

However, situations in life are different, so it is possible that you will be left without an iPhone for some time, but with an Apple Watch on your hand. What can be done with smart watches in this case?

First of all, the Apple Watch is a watch. Therefore they can show time without a smartphone. Moreover, the device has an energy saving function designed to work in watch mode. In such Apple mode Watch can work up to 72 hours. In addition to the clock, it will work alarm, stopwatch And timer. Access to the calendar will remain. The only limitation regarding time is the inability to check your clock with a server on the Internet, but this is not the biggest problem for short time periods.

Secondly, Apple Watch will be able to play music and show photos. We already know that smart watches have built-in memory that is accessible to the user. You can record music and pictures into it, which will then be available even when the iPhone is not nearby. Apple Watch will be able to stream music to headphones via Bluetooth during a workout, and you can show athletes from a nearby treadmill photos of your family - Apple cares about users.

However, if you don't take your iPhone to work out, you're guaranteed to limit yourself in the sporting capabilities of your Apple Watch. The fact is that without a smartphone with GPS module The wrist device is not able to determine the distance you have covered. However, you will still have access to pedometer, counting flights of stairs climbed, it will be for sure the number of squats and your heart rate are determined.

By the way, after resuming contact with the iPhone, all this data will be transferred to the smartphone to the Health program. The conclusion is simple: if the distance covered is important to you, then during training the smartphone should be in your pocket or attached to your hand, not far from the watch.

Without an iPhone nearby, you'll be surprised to learn that the Apple Watch can use the service Apple Pay and data Passbook. On a walk or run without your iPhone, you can pop into Starbucks for a cup of coffee and pay for your order using Apple Pay and your NFC-enabled smartwatch. In reality, this is true only in the USA and Canada for now, but, you see, it’s very convenient. All tickets, coupons and cards in Passbook are also fully accessible without a smartphone. All actions are then synchronized.

As you can see, the Apple Watch is capable of a lot even in those moments when the iPhone is dead or left at home. Your wrist device remains useful and functional. But there are several important functions that will not be available. Among them, it is worth noting any notifications from applications, voice assistant Siri, navigation, messaging. These are important features, but there's nothing wrong with the Apple Watch not being able to handle them without an iPhone.

Today I want to tell and answer the question: - Why do you need an Apple Watch at all? Some say that this is all a “show-off”, others firmly believe that this is a very useful device. All conclusions are drawn by me from personal experience communication with this cool device.

I’ve been using this miracle smartwatch for about a week, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t need it at all. Despite the fact that I am an avid fan of Apple products, this is a miracle, but in practice it is not a miracle at all. It may seem strange to many why such an expensive and stylish thing turns out to be completely unnecessary. Now I will try to highlight in detail all the shortcomings of the Apple Watch that I noticed in such a short time.

We will discuss the following points:


1. Disadvantages and disadvantages of Apple Watch.
2. Apple Watch without iPhone.
3. Differences and capabilities of Apple Watch from regular watches.
4. Conclusions.

1. The main disadvantages and disadvantages of the Apple Watch.

1. After purchasing and launching the watch for the first time without an iPhone, you will not even be able to fully use it as a watch. You need to go through the activation process only by synchronizing the pair - the watch with the iPhone.

2. Apple Watch, for its full operation and to perform all functions, must be constantly located next to your phone. And the phone must be connected to the mobile Internet or via Wi-Fi.

3. The Apple Watch communicates with the phone via bluetooth, which discharges faster the watch and the phone itself, which already copes well with reducing the charge rate. Constant connection via bluetooth kills the batteries of both devices.

4. When you receive a call on your watch, the sound is sent to the speaker, which makes it possible for everyone around you to hear your conversation with the subscriber! In principle, a conversation cannot be secret! You can, of course, buy Bluetooth headphones. Then, to talk, we put the phone in our pocket, put the watch on our hand and bluetooth headphones. I think this is a very complicated kit that really won’t make your life any easier. And why does this kit even need another intermediate component - the Apple Watch? Bluetooth headphones can work directly with your phone!

5. The watch's touch screen display gets very scratchy when touched with your fingers and needs to be wiped constantly.

6. The watch must be used very carefully; it is resistant to water and scratches.

7. There is no way to type on such a small display. If you receive a message on your phone, you will see a notification on your watch, but you will be able to respond to it only from the suggested template options or using your voice, which is converted into words. What if it’s noisy where you are and your watch can’t make out all your words? We will take out the phone (then why do we need a watch?) or try 100 times to tell the watch the required response to a message.

8. Our beloved Viber, unlike a regular message, sends notifications to the watch, but you cannot respond to it through the watch; you need to take out your phone.

9 . Charging the watch, if you use all the functions of the watch, will last less than a day; for business people, maybe even half a day. Nice watch that work for less than a day? What if you're on a hike? Carry with you external batteries(), and put it on charge. If you put the watch in economy mode (turning off all functions except displaying the clock face), then it will show the current time for up to 72 hours. What nonsense? A watch that only lasts three days on battery!!!

10. Enable camera mode via watch on iPhone. Explain why!? The watch is on my wrist, I take out the phone with one hand, point it at what I want to take a picture of, I see it all on the watch display and can click take a picture. Under what conditions might this be useful? And how to press a button if you are holding the phone in your hands?

11 . Lots of photos on the small display on the watch, a very necessary feature on the watch. Only 75 megabytes are allocated for photos on the watch. Agree that this is very little! In such a small volume, you won’t believe it, you can save as many as 15 pictures!

12. Shazam on the clock. The Apple Watch still uses the Internet through the phone, and if there is no Internet or phone, then the program completely loses its meaning on the watch. Again, the clock acts as an extra link in the chain of this procedure.

13. Payment for services and goods using payment system Apple Pay works without iPhone. Your card data is stored in the watch and transmitted via an NFC chip. For example, you went for a run and wanted to buy water by placing your watch on the terminal. I just can’t understand how I still lived without this function? But the most important thing is that this opportunity is available only in the USA and Canada! This feature is not available to residents of the rest of the world, and it is not clear when it will become available. I am generally silent about the CIS countries (third world).

14. The watch does not want to work with iPad, iPod and Mac computers and phones from other manufacturers. Apple Watch is exclusively compatible with iPhone.

15. Apple Watch is not a standalone device. There is no point in buying a watch if you don't have an iPhone.

16. If you don't take your iPhone out for a run, you'll limit your ability to use the watch's available features. Without a phone with a GPS module, the watch will not be able to determine the location and measure the distance traveled.

17. Apple Watch has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, but they can only connect to an iPhone or headset.

18. Big size charging and it is individual only for this watch.

2. What can an Apple Watch do without an iPhone?

1 . Show time. Without an iPhone, you can't check the time is correct!

2 . Setting an alarm, timer, stopwatch, events, etc.

3. View photos and listen to music (up to 250 songs - 2GB of memory) on your watch using wireless headphones.

4. Operation of the activity program. Track your activity, heartbeat, lost calories, pulse measurement. They show how many steps you have walked, but they cannot show the footage of the distance. All data will be stored on the watch and, when synchronized with the phone, will be recorded on the phone itself.

5. Apple Pay and Passbook. All data information will be added after synchronization.

6. No internet connection, GPS or Siri. You will not be able to launch “Mail”, “Weather”, “Maps” and other applications that use the Internet.

7. Have Apple app Remote, which makes it possible to control the Apple TV set-top box.

3. Differences and capabilities of Apple Watch from regular watches.

1. They have a beautiful and attractive design.

2. Allows you to monitor your health.

3. They determine the weather.

4. Location determination.

5. Ability to change watch faces.

6. Checking time accuracy via the Internet.

7. They have built-in memory for viewing photos and listening to music.

8. Works in tandem with iPhone.

9. Controls the Apple TV set-top box.

10 . It is possible to monitor the stock price on the stock exchange.

11. Ability to install applications.

12. Touchscreen.

4. Conclusions.

I think that the Apple Watch is needed in order to take out the iPhone less often.

The main difference between the Apple Watch and the Iphone is that the Iphone cannot be worn on the wrist, and it has much more memory and capabilities! In addition, an Apple Watch without an iPhone turns into nothingness, comparable to cheap Chinese devices that perform the same functions.

First of all, Apple Watch is a device for monitoring human health and activity. I think whoever likes to wear a watch would not refuse one. But the majority, including I, see no reason to buy beautiful watch around $400-700. A watch that needs to be charged every day, constantly wiped from fingerprints, afraid of scratching and getting caught in heavy rain or falling into water. To use all the functionality, carry your phone at all times.

In a word Apple company I didn’t do anything supernatural for such a lot of money. Finally, I will say that a watch should be a watch and work for a long time without recharging.

Video. Why do you need an Apple Watch? Disadvantages and Advantages. Is it worth buying?

Hello! The article will be useful to those who have already decided to buy a watch from Apple or are still looking at the new product. Let's look at the answers to the most popular questions, of which there are quite a lot: what is it, where and how to buy it, how much will it cost, do you need an iPhone to use it, what can it do for the average person? There are many mysteries - there are no answers yet. Let's try to fix this!

This post will be in question-answer format. Some of them were received by email from site readers, some I found on the Internet. In general, sit back and get ready to find out everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask :)

Preliminary Apple review Watch is already here - let's go!

Basic definitions

What is this Apple Watch that everyone is talking about?

Apple Watch is essentially a small computer; it can also be called a “smart watch”, which naturally needs to be worn on the wrist. It has a huge number of functions, including displaying time and date, the ability to monitor health (steps taken, number of calories, pulse), synchronizing data with iPhone (contacts, SMS, notes, mail), making payments (not in our country:( ), remote controller remote control and much more.

By the way, sometimes they are called iWatch by mistake. This name is unofficial and fictitious.

So, is the Apple Watch the same iPhone – only small and to be worn on the hand?

In principle, you can say so, but the most important thing is that the watch is primarily an addition to the iPhone. They are designed to make using the phone even more convenient.

Apple Watch works under iOS option called WatchOS. This operating system is specially adapted (both in terms of power consumption and ergonomics) for wearable devices. It has a unique menu navigation system, recognizes the degree of pressure on the screen, there is also a replacement dial, a heart rate sensor, an NFC sensor for Apple Pay (not relevant for Russia) and much more.

Do you need an iPhone to use Apple Watch?

Yes, you will need iPhone version 5 and newer models. The operating system also has certain requirements - it must be iOS 8.2 or later. If the phone version is older, then you will not be able to “pair” with the iPhone and take advantage of most of the functions.

Can I use my iPad or iPod with my Apple Watch?

Unfortunately no, you will not be able to pair your watch with an iPad or iPod of any generation. At least this cannot be done in this moment.

When will it be possible to buy an Apple watch?

They will go on sale on April 24 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Great Britain, and the USA. As can rightly be noted, Russia is not among these countries. So for those who want to own a new product on the first day of sales there are two ways:

  • Visit one of these countries.
  • Wait for the resellers (the price will probably be jacked up).

At the time of writing, there is no clear information about when the Apple Watch will go on official sale in the Russian Federation. There are several different data from many sources about the release date; most agree that official deliveries should be expected 2-3 months after the start of sales.

What is the price of Apple Watch in the USA and Russia?

At the moment, only prices in the USA and Europe are known for certain. The pricing itself depends on what version of the watch, its size and what strap is used.

Since this time the company from Cupertino has diversified the lineup, it makes no sense to list absolutely all configurations. You can always watch them. Let me just note that the most inexpensive version will cost $349. For more expensive lovers, the maximum price is $17,000.

If we translate into rubles, then we should expect the Apple Watch in Russia to cost from 22,000 to 900,000 (that’s not a typo!) rubles.

Update! In the end, this is what happened: prices for Apple watches in Russia start at 21,000 thousand rubles.

Will watches purchased in Europe or the USA work in Russia?

Of course. There are no restrictions. You can absolutely safely purchase an Apple Watch anywhere and use it anywhere in the world, including in the Russian Federation.

What's included in the package?

In addition to the watch itself, the Apple Watch package includes:

  • Strap.
  • Magnetic charging cable.
  • USB adapter (Apple Watch Series 2 only).
  • User manual.

Modifications and types of Apple Watch

The watches come in three different collections based on case and display materials:

  • Apple Watch Sport (7000 Series Silver Aluminum with ion-x glass, composite back).
  • Apple Watch (316L stainless steel, sapphire crystal, ceramic glass back).
  • Apple Watch Edition (18ct pink gold sapphire crystal, ceramic glass back).

For each edition, different variations with straps are possible.

Are there any differences between the models due to what they are made of?

No! All specifications are the same and they provide identical functionality. It doesn't matter if it's $359 or $17,000. The only difference is in the materials of manufacture.

Size and weight

For each modification, there are two display sizes – 38 mm and 42 mm. The remaining dimensions are as follows:

  • 38.6 mm. Width 33.3 mm, height 10.5 mm.
  • 42 mm. Width 35.9 mm, height 10 mm.

Weight varies depending on the material of the case and strap, the minimum is 25 g. The maximum (gold) is 69 g.

Is Russian available in the Apple Watch menu?

Unfortunately, at the moment there is no support for the Russian language in the watch. Although it is possible to quickly respond to messages specifically on the “great and mighty”.

Update! With coming new firmware, Everything has changed. Now declared full support Russian language. If your watch has old version OS, it makes sense to update as soon as possible. Let me remind you that software updates occur using (from the menu) a companion device (iPhone).

Is it waterproof?

The head of the company, Tim Cook, said that he regularly goes to the shower with his Apple Watch. However, at the same time he noted that he would not recommend diving or immersing them in water for a long time.

The watch is officially water resistant to the ipx7 standard. This means you can wear them to the gym and even take a shower. But you should refrain from diving 1 meter for more than 30 minutes.

What sensors does the Apple Watch have?

Each gadget, regardless of the collection, is equipped with the following sensors:

  • Heart rate (to measure pulse).
  • Accelerometer and gyroscope (counts the number of steps, and even which floor you climbed to).
  • Ambient light sensor (to save battery - the screen turns off when necessary).

Screen

All models are equipped Retina display. The screen of the Sport collection (the most inexpensive) is covered with ion-x glass. Watch and Edition have a sapphire display finish. Although Apple has not confirmed this, most agree that the display is made according to OLED technology(allows you to get a deeper black color and reduce energy consumption).

Now about the physical dimensions:

  • 38 mm. 340x372 pixels.
  • 44 mm. 390x312 pixels.

What processor is installed in the Apple Watch?

The watch is powered by the Apple C1 processor. There is no exact information about it yet, but they say its performance is somewhere between the Apple A4 and A5 (iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S).

Wireless connections

We couldn’t do without them, which is quite logical: for a high-tech gadget, high technology!

  • Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity low power consumption(LE) for discovery and pairing.
  • Wi-Fi version 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz for fast data exchange.
  • NFC for Apple PAY.

Internal memory capacity in Apple Watch

Is 8 GB. Moreover, all memory is divided into parts and a limited amount of space is available for each type of information.

  • 2 gigabytes for music.
  • 75 megabytes for photos and pictures.
  • The rest of the area is reserved for operating system Watch OS and applications (which you will install).

Battery life

Apple specifies that the battery will last an average of 18 hours. On official page, more detailed information is provided. So, the operating time of the Apple Watch depending on the conditions:

  • 18 hours in mixed mode.
  • 3 hours talk time.
  • 6.5 hours of audio playback.
  • If you use it exclusively as a watch, you can see the time within 48 hours.
  • Power reserve – 72 hours.
  • up to 80% – 1.5 hours.
  • up to 100% – 2.5 hours.

How does charging occur?

The Apple Watch comes with a special magnetic cable. It's buckled on back gadget. So there are no ports present. Which is quite convenient and has a positive effect on water resistance.

Apple Watch and iPhone

Do I need special software to sync iPhone with Apple Watch?

No, you don't need to download anything additional. The synchronization application is already installed on iPhone (from version 5) and iOS from version 8.2.

How to create and unpair a watch and an iPhone?

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, select the “my watch” tab and click “start pairing”.

In order to disconnect devices, there is a special item in the application. When you press it, you will be asked if you want to do backup copy Apple Watch data? It will come in handy if you plan to use this particular iPhone with your watch in the future.

The distance at which the connection is not interrupted

The standard Bluetooth range is 9-15 meters. It's better not to go far :). However, if your Apple Watch and phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi networks, synchronization will be performed in any place where this network operates.

Is it possible to connect Apple Watch and another Bluetooth device to iPhone at the same time?

Apple has not yet provided official information regarding simultaneous iPhone work with Apple Watch and others Bluetooth devices(for example headphones). But most likely it will be possible.

Can I connect my Apple Watch to multiple iPhones?

To use it with another iPhone, you need to disconnect the connection to the one it is currently connected to. You will be prompted to make a backup copy of your data and then, when you return to the original phone, there will be no need to set everything up again!

If you forgot your iPhone at home, will the watch become useless?

No. Even if the Apple Watch doesn't have access to data, there are still plenty of features you can take advantage of:

  • View time.
  • Setting alarms and timers.
  • Physical activity tracking - heart rate, pedometer (although you won’t be able to track the route - there is no GPS receiver).
  • View photos and playlists.
  • Apple Pay.
  • Various third party applications.

Does Apple Watch affect iPhone battery drain?

From what is known at the moment, the watch is used Bluetooth standard 4.0 LE (Low Energy). This means their use will have virtually no effect on the phone’s battery.

IN this review I didn't talk about controls, menus and the like. For two reasons:

  1. It turned out to be quite big anyway.
  2. It’s better to talk about these things (and show them) with a full-fledged device in hand.

I would like to note that if you are interested in any information regarding the Apple Watch that is not included in this review, please ask your questions in the comments. I will definitely supplement this article with interesting materials.