I’ve tested a countless number of fitness trackers, and typically after a few weeks of use, each one ends up in a box on my desk. My collection has become tracker graveyard, and I’m not alone; studies show they often get shoved into drawers not long after purchase, mainly because there’s only so much you can do with the raw data they give. I bring them out once in awhile to compare them to new trackers, but the truth us, there’s nothing particularly addicting about any of them.
However, I was able to pry the Apple Watch off of Mashable editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff’s wrist for a while to take a closer look at its health and fitness functionalities, and for the first time, the thought of parting ways with a wearable (i.e. returning it back to its rightful owner) actually made me sad. I’ll be buying one for myself soon.
Apple Watch users can call out the type of workout to get more accurate data.
Image: Mashable, Luke Leonard
For many, the Apple Watch will be their first exposure to fitness tracking. Anyone specifically seeking a tracker will still likely be drawn to cheaper, more niche products like the Fitbit or Jawbone, but for wearable newcomers, there’s a lot to love about the Apple Watch. It’s by far the most fun I’ve had with a wearable yet.
The software
Let’s be honest: There’s nothing particularly unique about the way the Apple Watch tracks fitness (described in detail in the Apple marketing video below) that’s not already available on other products, and in some ways it falls up short.
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For example, Jawbone’s built-in Smart Coach feature takes personalization to the next level by analyzing my data (instead of just pushing out numbers) and making recommendations — like pointing out this tidbit: If I get a very specific amount of sleep, I tend to be more active the next day, so maybe I should go to bed 30 minutes earlier that evening.
Meanwhile, the Fitbit Charge HR has a screen and a heart-rate tracker, too. At $150, it also happens to cost less than half the price of the Apple Watch’s entry-level $349 price tag, making it an attractive choice for fitness fanatics.
Apple’s software isn’t super granular, so you’re forced to do some analyzing yourself. You’ll be left with questions like, is hitting a heart rate of 150 beat per minute (bpm) while working out a good or bad thing? Is the daily steps goal I’m setting where it should be?
The software alone may not be most powerful or intuitive, but the Apple Watch leans on third-party apps to provide feedback and analysis. It also funnels all of the information collected into its Health app hub, making it a handy resource you can often refer to on the iPhone.
Data collected from the Apple Watch is then sent to the Health app on the iPhone.
Image: Mashable, Luke Leonard
But overall, it’s the access to the Apple Watch in general that makes moving and exercising with the device more flexible. I no longer have to stop a run to check an email or text message, I can switch up my music playlist via the watch display, and I have a running log of my heart rate, which is a key indicator of my overall health.
The look and feel
To my surprise, the Apple Watch and the white sport band I’ve been using is extremely secure on the wrist. Because it’s a weightier device than most standard, rubbery fitness trackers — I worried it would come flying off during an intense workout. Instead, it stayed in place during runs, weightlifting, jumping jacks and other routines.
However, where the Apple Watch version can improve is with the Sport band; not when it comes to comfort, but rather mastering how to secure it in place. The end has to go over (not under) to lock, which isn’t a natural way you’d try to secure it and takes a little bit of maneuvering to get right.
Apple Watch pushes out notifications when you’ve reached daily and workout goals.
Image: Mashable, Phil Nolan
The good news, of course, is that the Apple Watch is significantly more attractive than any other fitness tracker. The latest Jawbone UP3 is the thinnest we’ve seen yet, but there’s no screen — so getting workout data in real time is far more possible on the Apple Watch. Everything you want to know while working out is highlighted on the Apple Watch’s crisp and beautiful screen. A log of your activity history and more details about workouts sync up with the app, so you can piece through it later.
How it works
The Apple Watch’s built-in accelerometer and other sensors are the workhorses behind what feeds data to both the iPhone and Apple Watch apps. The device comes with two built-in fitness apps. One is for activity, which is divided into three rings: Activity data (green), calories burned (red) and how often you stand (blue). The other is just for workouts.
Colorful rings are used to visualize your activity data, so you can get a glimpse of how you’re doing with just a glance.
Image: Mashable, Luke Leonard
The Workout app lets you choose activities like running, cycling and using an elliptical machine, and it’s easy to set up goals based on how many calories you want to burn during a session, how long you want to work out and the distance you want to travel. Over time, the device learns your habits and abilities and can give you intelligent reminders for how to stay on track. The most common is the Stand Up reminder, nudging you with a notification if you’ve been sitting for too long. If you’ve stood up at least once an hour for 12 hours out of the day, the green line will reach a full circle. You can also look back and see how you’ve been doing (and improving over time).
Apple Watch users can look back at data to see how they’re doing over a period of time.
Notifications can get a bit much with the Apple Watch — Twitter! Email! Phone calls! — but the good news is that everything can be scaled back, which you may want to do when working out. At the same time, busy people who want to stay connected and are known to stop workouts to reach for the phone, the notifications are perfect to keep the activity flow going. Once you see a message come in, it’s easier to realize that it’s not urgent and you can respond (via your iPhone) later.
While there’s no built-in GPS capabilities, the Apple Watch syncs with the iPhone’s Wi-Fi to track how far you’ve moved, noting also the quality and frequency of movement. Still, I was able to leave my phone behind and still rake up good data during a recent trip to the gym.
A look at workout data all in one place.
Image: Mashable, Luke Leonard
Unfortunately, there isn’t sleep tracking functionality, which is one of the key features of many top-selling fitness trackers and paints a bigger picture of your overall health. This is a major miss for the Apple Watch. Because you need to charge your Apple Watch at night (it only gets you about a day’s worth of fuel), third-party sleep-tracking apps are limited in how they can help you.
Sure, you can wear the watch at night, rely on a third-party app to get those stats and charge the device for a bit while in the shower or go about your day, but the Apple Watch doesn’t make it easy to get this data. You’re better off wearing a Jawbone or Fitbit at night to get those details. But then, the Apple Watch isn’t the only wearable you’ll need on your wrist in a 24-hour period.
Training
While the Apple Watch can serve as your own personal trainer, you can take it to another level by using it to work with an actual trainer. Similar to how Apple’s Health platform can be used to show doctors your health stats (heart rate, daily activity and so on) during visits, the watch can hold you accountable when working with a professional trainer to get into shape.
I headed over to David Barton Gym in New York City to meet with Michael, a trainer at the facility. He said that, like most trainers, he keeps a written journal to track each person’s progress and the method can be laborious. With the Apple Watch, he was able to see my activity for the week and has a clearer picture of my movement levels (and general health, based on looking at my heart rate and other indicators). This also means you can no longer fib to a trainer and tell them you’ve been working hard all week, when you’ve really just been watching Better Call Saul. Because the device works with apps like MyFitnessPal, a trainer can also see how your diet is factoring in.
Heart-rate tracking measurements are synced from the Apple Watch to the iPhone and reveals how your heart reactions to movements, stress and workouts throughout the day.
Image: Mashable, Luke Leonard
By looking at my data, he made helpful suggestions by seeing how well I handled each workout rotation and noticed by heart rate went up most when I was doing squats (squats) — an area I’ll want to focus more on.
Again, you can be your own trainer by looking more closely at the data too. For a full look at how the Apple Watch can be used at the gym, check out the video at the top of this story.
The bottom line
While you wouldn’t necessarily seek out the Apple Watch specifically for its tracking capabilities, it holds its own in the fitness domain — minus where it falls short with sleep tracking. If you’re planning to buy the device, it gives you all the reason to set aside other fitness trackers and go with the one that will always be on your wrist. As Apple Watch apps get smarter and more plentiful, you’ll be able to do more with the device over time, too. So come for the overall Apple Watch experience and stay for all it has to offer.
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