New Apple Watch 4 for 2018 Rumors and Facts

[TheForce]

I haven't activated Cellular on my Watch yet. How does it work? Do I get a different phone number for the watch? Or can the same phone number be shared between the phone and the watch?

With Verizon there is a different phone number assigned but it still bills to your iphone account. It's pretty transparent but what is important to know is these key differences:

The cellular watch will have a higher base cost.
You don't have to activate the watch on your account and it will work to make calls through your iphone radio. This means that to use the watch as a cell phone you must be within Blue Tooth range.
Your cellular watch will always use the BT through your iphone even with the account for the watch activated except when your iphone is out of range.
Cellular activated, allows you to make and receive calls to your watch if you leave your iphone at home.
Even with your watch on it's own number any calls made to your iphone number will automatically go to your watch if the iphone is out of BT range. You don't need to supply your watch number to anyone. I don't even recall what my watch number is.
If your life style is that you frequently go out without your iphone, then activating the watch is a good idea to receive calls, texts, and have LTE internet on the watch. If not activated and you are out of BT range, your A watch will not be able to communicate except to local BT device like airpods. .

 

[TheForce]

tigerfan- did you calibrate your watch for your exercise workouts? My new AW4 does not register any exercise even after 30 minutes of treadmill about 2 miles.

Found this on the Apple site:

Get the most accurate measurements using your Apple Watch

 

[Ilya]

Not sure I like that fall detection.
So my XsMax was on top of my wireless battery charger to test it out. Something triggered the vibrator, probably a phone call as I never use a ring tone anymore. The XsMax vibrated off the charger and across the table and fell to the floor. A siren when off alerting me to the SOS call and I caught it and cancelled the 911 call. Went into settings and shut it off. I thought this was only on the AW4, not the iphone too. Anyway, I shut it off and the phone fell about 30 inches to the floor and nothing broke.

I am surprised to hear that! I thought it's the Apple Watch who is doing fall detection, not the phone. And the watch knows when you are wearing it (unless you turn the wrist detection off). Anyway, I am going to wait for further reviews of this feature before enabling it. Don't want any false notification to be sent out. If it's going to give a lot of false positives, I am sure Apple will fix it very quickly!

 

[Ilya]

ECG is a welcome new feature in the Watch, but what really would make a huge difference is the blood pressure and glucose monitoring. That would be huge! And I've heard the technology is almost there, so perhaps we'll see it in the next few years.

 

[harshness]

ECG is a welcome new feature in the Watch, but what really would make a huge difference is the blood pressure and glucose monitoring. That would be huge! And I've heard the technology is almost there, so perhaps we'll see it in the next few years.

Real-time glucometers have been a thing with Android for a while now. I have an acquaintance who has a glucometer cathetered into his arm and his phone sounds an alarm when his blood sugar is too low. I'll bet there is an Apple version (although it may have lagged due to old issues with Bluetooth reliability). Come to think of it, he has two phones -- one for the glucometer and one that he uses as a phone.

Yep, there are models that work with iPhone:

Guardian Connect Continuous Glucose Monitoring System | Medtronic Diabetes

Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM System | continuous glucose monitoring on your smart device

About The System - Overview | The FreeStyle Libre System

Unfortunately, these patch-like systems seem to require a scanner to actually read the data from the sensor.

Apple hinted at an ongoing super-secret glucometer project last year but it is, well... super-secret. One doctor said that the contact for the device in one case burned the skin at the point of contact so I don't imagine this would be a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) if it can generate enough heat to cause that to happen.

The wrist is not a conventional place to measure glucose levels but the above sensors use unusual locations (upper arm, abodomen) as well.

Blood pressure, as it is currently measured, would require some manner of cuff and we all know how accurate wrist cuffs are. Modern arm cuffs are cheap enough that you can have one everywhere and most of them chart a couple of dozen readings or so.

 

[navychop]

But a reliable BP monitoring function would probably tip me over the edge to buy an Apple Watch.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[harshness]

But a reliable BP monitoring function would probably tip me over the edge to buy an Apple Watch.

I love the way you set up all of these "if they do this then I'll bite" criteria.

 

[navychop]

Isn’t that how life is? We decide some feature makes a purchase worthwhile?


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[tigerfan33]

tigerfan- did you calibrate your watch for your exercise workouts? My new AW4 does not register any exercise even after 30 minutes of treadmill about 2 miles.

Found this on the Apple site:

Get the most accurate measurements using your Apple Watch

Yes. Are you using the AW workout app? Is Treadmill listed?
I’m convinced Apple changed some settings or maybe even activated a sensor that wasn’t being used before. Remember too I am using AW3. Here are the same walks different days using AW and Garmin Vivoactive 3. Calorie count a lot closer now.

 

[TheForce]

Blood pressure, as it is currently measured, would require some manner of cuff and we all know how accurate wrist cuffs are. Modern arm cuffs are cheap enough that you can have one everywhere and most of them chart a couple of dozen readings or so.

I thought there was research being done on a wrist cuff BP system that used the watch band as the inflatable cuff but it was much less accurate than the wrist cuffs. BP is similar to body temperature measurement. For reliable consistency, BP must be measured with the same cuff system (surface area of pressure applied) to the same body part.

But a reliable BP monitoring function would probably tip me over the edge to buy an Apple Watch.

I already told you that this exists and I have been using it for several years. It is very reliable. The cuff unit connects with BT to the phone and the watch. As long as you allow the Apple watch app to access control of the cuff, it will run the cuff from the watch and then send the data to your phone as well. Here is the Apple watch face screen grab on the last measurement I took:

The second image is the full history. Notice the flag on 5/24/2015. I was having periods of irregular heart beat back then. In June, I had surgery to correct it.

Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor - QardioArm

You can use one device and pair it to several iphones and watches so each family member can use it and create their own history of data. The history is stored forever. My data goes back to 2015 when I first bought the BP Qardioarm cuff.

I also have the scales Qardiobase that records your weight and BMI as well. Mine is the original and they now have a new Qardiobase2 that is rechargeable. The first one was not stable so I sent in a redesign of the Qardiobase and they thought the design was good enough they used it to improve stability and sent me a replacement free.

 

[TheForce]

Yes. Are you using the AW workout app? Is Treadmill listed?
I’m convinced Apple changed some settings or maybe even activated a sensor that wasn’t being used before. Remember too I am using AW3. Here are the same walks different days using AW and Garmin Vivoactive 3. Calorie count a lot closer now.

I plan to get more into it later in the week. In the past I have been doing it all wrong according to the Apple exercise calibration reference as well as several other articles I've been reading. The calibration must be done in the workout app. That was my first mistake. Second is to work inside on a treadmill I have to calibrate the wrist swing wearing the AW. If the wrist is not swinging then the watch sensor has no way of knowing I am walking. My wife has had a similar complaint. She has the AW3. So when I figure it out she will get calibrated too.

 

[IcEWoLF]

I am undecided if I want to get the Milanese loop with the 44mm SSSG Watch.
It’s nice but the extra $100 is meh, plus I’m sure I can find cheap knock off online.
Including Apple Care I’m looking at $1005...
If I get the non Milanese version then it’s obviosuly gonna be a bit cheaper.

 

[TheForce]

Go to Amazon. If you like those bands they have all colors including a multicolored one and they are much cheaper. I've even seen a much finer mesh design.

Amazon product ASIN B07H8WR5JTAmazon product ASIN B07DD9CFF7

 

[tigerfan33]

I plan to get more into it later in the week. In the past I have been doing it all wrong according to the Apple exercise calibration reference as well as several other articles I've been reading. The calibration must be done in the workout app. That was my first mistake. Second is to work inside on a treadmill I have to calibrate the wrist swing wearing the AW. If the wrist is not swinging then the watch sensor has no way of knowing I am walking. My wife has had a similar complaint. She has the AW3. So when I figure it out she will get calibrated too.

It is strange that the AW doesn’t have treadmill listed as a particular exercise. Only indoor walk or run. I do use indoor walk on a indoor track. It’s pretty much spot on when calculating distance. I know some people use elliptical for a treadmill workout though you would need to check your Watch for steps before your workout and after to convert your steps to distance which would be a pain.

 

[navychop]

I have no interest in connecting a cuff, or anything else, to a watch for BP or other readings.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[TheForce]

I have no interest in connecting a cuff, or anything else, to a watch for BP or other readings.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

I recall you said the same thing about a watch. You have no interest in wearing a watch to know what time it is. Lots of people are that way until they have their first crises event and then amazingly develop a new attitude.
Sure you can ask someone else what time it is, but you can't ask someone else what your BP is. You have to don a cuff and it has to measure it for you. The watch is just another way to activate it and read your results but it's main receiver is the phone.

 

[TheForce]

Apple Watch Series 4 Teardown

 

[Ilya]

I’ve learned a few new things from this video:

 

[TheForce]

I’ve learned a few new things from this video:

Me too. I spent 4 hours watching videos on YT about the XS Max and the AW4 Saturday. I am amazed at the number of experts on a products that were just sent out less than 24 hours earlier and to produce accurate videos.

 

[harshness]

Calorie count a lot closer now.

I'm quite surprised given the disparity in elevation between the two devices. I would have expected one to have read at least 50% higher calorie consumption given the 54% greater elevation gain.